Podcast · 66 episodes
Design Better
by The Curiosity Department, sponsored by Wix Studio · English
Design Better co-hosts Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter explore the intersection of design, technology, and the creative process through conversations with guests across many creative fields, helping you hone your craft, unlock your creativity, and learn the art of collaboration. Whether you’re design curious or a design pro, Design Better is guaranteed to inspire and inform. Vanity Fair calls Design Better, “sharp, to the point, and full of incredibly valuable information for anyone looking to better understand how to build a more innovative world.”
Latest episodes
Blaine Billingsley: OpenAI designer on the collaboration problem AI hasn't solved yetBlaine Billingsley (OpenAI staff designer) discusses how AI design teams collaborate, why “influence” comes from being influenced, the danger of corporate jargon, and how design principles/evals keep…23 Sep 2026 · 28 min
Mack Paul: Co-author of Miracle Road on designing places where innovation happensHow Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina was built to retain talent and spur innovation, and what design/urban planning lessons it offers for creating “places where innovation happens.”17 Sep 2026 · 44 min
Federico Casalegno: Samsung EVP and MIT Design Lab founder on what 20,000 years of human creativity means for design todayFederico Castellegno argues that design must cross disciplinary boundaries and stay human-centered—“technology without humanity is merely perfection without purpose.” He explains how Samsung applies…10 Sep 2026 · 24 min
All episodes
Blaine Billingsley: OpenAI designer on the collaboration problem AI hasn't solved yetBlaine Billingsley (OpenAI staff designer) discusses how AI design teams collaborate, why “influence” comes from being influenced, the danger of corporate jargon, and how design principles/evals keep…23 Sep 2026 · 28 min · 12 chapters
Mack Paul: Co-author of Miracle Road on designing places where innovation happensHow Research Triangle Park (RTP) in North Carolina was built to retain talent and spur innovation, and what design/urban planning lessons it offers for creating “places where innovation happens.”17 Sep 2026 · 44 min · 17 chapters
Federico Casalegno: Samsung EVP and MIT Design Lab founder on what 20,000 years of human creativity means for design todayFederico Castellegno argues that design must cross disciplinary boundaries and stay human-centered—“technology without humanity is merely perfection without purpose.” He explains how Samsung applies…10 Sep 2026 · 24 min · 8 chapters
Jonathan Adler returns: The minimalist inside the maximalistJonathan Adler discusses how the art market constrains artists into identifiable styles, why he chose commercial design to allow experimentation, and how his “maximalist” brand is actually driven by…2 Sep 2026 · 44 min · 22 chapters
Clay Parker Jones: author of "Hidden Patterns" on why your team isn't really a teamClay Parker Jones (author of Hidden Patterns) argues that most workplaces don’t have enough true teams; instead, people work in “co-acting groups” that meet briefly and then scatter, which he says is…28 Aug 2026 · 24 min · 9 chapters
Angel Steger: Wealthfront's VP of Design on what architecture teaches you about softwareHow architecture training informs software/product design—solving one problem at a time, questioning assumptions (“what is a drawing?”), using lower-fidelity prototypes early, and designing financial…20 Aug 2026 · 53 min · 18 chapters
Ben Drury: Yoto co-founder on audio, imagination, and screen-free designBen Drury, co-founder/CEO of Yoto, explains why the company promotes “audio is good” over screen-based entertainment for kids.13 Aug 2026 · 51 min · 20 chapters
Jeff Hammoud: Chief Design Officer of Rivian on constraints, color, and what separates designers from stylistsRivian design leadership interview with Chief Design Officer Jeffrey Hammoud on designing at factory scale, using constraints (not “concept cars”), and how design, color, UI controls, and AI…5 Aug 2026 · 46 min · 19 chapters
Eric Ries: Lean Startup author on why good companies go bad, and why good design is critical to successEric Ries discusses his new book Incorruptible—why “good companies go bad” after initial success, and how to keep quality and corporate purpose intact.22 Jul 2026 · 34 min · 13 chapters
Ian Bogost: Game designer, Atlantic writer, and philosopher of the ordinary, on the small stuff that makes life delightfulIan Bogost’s book The Small Stuff argues that everyday objects and actions create “gratification”: immediate sensory delight (e.g., turning a faucet, feeling a menu, the click of an elevator button).15 Jul 2026 · 47 min · 23 chapters
Chris Entwisle and Mark Havens: authors of WAIL on the constraints that led to timeless designs for Prestige RecordsThe origins and design history behind Prestige Records’ album covers, as documented in Whale: The Visual Language of Prestige Records, focusing on how constraints and limited resources produced…1 Jul 2026 · 25 min · 12 chapters
Niyati Gupta: Netflix Product Design Lead on what happens when a designer becomes a product manager, and why your influence might not be in your titleNiyati Gupta’s career and how design influence works when roles blur; plus Netflix product design for discovery and “10-foot” TV experiences.25 Jun 2026 · 44 min · 18 chapters
Mike Schnaidt: Fast Company Creative Director on typography, creative endurance, and designing for the long haulMike Schnaidt discusses typography as both utilitarian infrastructure and “movie poster” art, plus creative endurance and designing systems that work across print and digital.17 Jun 2026 · 24 min · 8 chapters
Bonus Episode: Dorrian Porter returns with the Vestaboard NoteDorrian Porter returns to discuss Vestaboard’s mission to balance digital life with physical experiences, and to launch Vestaboard Note, a smaller, cheaper split-flap display.11 Jun 2026 · 39 min · 15 chapters
Tina Roth Eisenberg: Creative Mornings founder on building communities that run on trustTina Roth Eisenberg explains how Creative Mornings builds scalable, face-to-face creative communities “on trust” (not control), measures success as “return on friendship,” and uses rituals, side…10 Jun 2026 · 38 min · 15 chapters
Paul Ford: Writer, developer & "fun Cassandra" on why everything is changing (but not how you think)Paul Ford (“fun Cassandra”) argues AI accelerates ideation and language-sharing, but doesn’t remove the slow, domain-heavy work needed to ship real products; he also warns about disclosure,…3 Jun 2026 · 26 min · 8 chapters
Jessie McGuire: National Design Award-winning studio leader on design as a civic toolJessie McGuire, managing partner of Thought Matter, argues design is civic infrastructure—used to invite participation, not just persuade.27 May 2026 · 41 min · 20 chapters
Colin Fisher: The lone genius is a mythColin Fisher argues that breakthroughs come primarily from groups, not “lone geniuses,” and explains how teams should be structured to enable creativity and dissent.20 May 2026 · 33 min · 9 chapters
Nir Eyal: Beyond Belief and how to change your mind to change your lifeHow beliefs shape perception, motivation, and behavior; why people resist changing their minds; and how to reframe limiting beliefs to thrive amid uncertainty (including AI).14 May 2026 · 1 h 7 min · 24 chapters
Mason Currey: Mason Currey: Author of Daily Rituals on Making Art and Making a LivingHow creatives fund long-term practice; Mason Currey’s book Making Art and Making a Living expands his earlier Daily Rituals by mapping four funding models: family money, day jobs, patronage, and…6 May 2026 · 27 min · 10 chapters
Etinosa Agbonlahor: Behavioral economist on why pricing belongs in the design processBehavioral economics of pricing—why pricing should be designed early in product development, how customers interpret value via reference points, anchoring, decoy effects, social proof, and round…29 Apr 2026 · 48 min · 23 chapters
Paul Dichter: Stranger Things writer on why the writers’ room isn’t so different from the design studioPaul Dichter (Stranger Things head writer) explains how the show’s writers’ room works like a design studio: heavy collaboration, debate, story/scene “engines,” and visual artifacts (maps, location…22 Apr 2026 · 32 min · 11 chapters
Tessa Forshaw and Rich Braden: "Innovation-ish" and why most innovation doesn’t have to be a moonshotInnovation-ish argues most innovation doesn’t require “moonshots.” It reframes innovation as accessible creative problem solving using metacognition and flexible “mindsets,” not rigid step-by-step…16 Apr 2026 · 46 min · 19 chapters
Luis Mendo: Designer turned illustrator on making things that could only come from youLuis Mendo, a Spanish-born illustrator in Nagano, Japan, discusses human creativity vs LLMs, “presence” as the rarest currency, and why analog friction and craftsmanship matter more than efficiency.8 Apr 2026 · 32 min · 11 chapters