Design Better cover art
Podcast · 66 episodes

Design Better, page 2

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.”

All episodes, page 2

David Shim and Rachana Rele: Read AI CEO and VP of Product Design for AI-native products at Adobe on amplifying creative work — not replacing itAI as a creative partner that removes drudgery (not autonomous replacement), via “storage of intelligence”/digital twins and team-level augmentation.1 Apr 2026 · 36 min · 19 chapters
Leonardo Giusti: Archetype AI's co-founder on physical AI and the limits of the chatbotPhysical AI and design’s role in turning R&D into products; limits of chatbots; AI as a “tool we think with” rather than autonomous agents.25 Mar 2026 · 29 min · 8 chapters
Brooke Hopper: Adobe's machine intelligence design lead on what AI can't touchAdobe's Machine Intelligence Design Lead on What AI Can't Touch18 Mar 2026 · 47 min · 25 chapters
Daisy Fancourt: Epidemiologist on how creativity rewrites your biology and extends your lifespanis co-hosted by Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter. The podcast explores the intersection of design, technology, and creativity through discussions with various guests, aiming to enhance listeners' craft,…12 Mar 2026 · 47 min · 20 chapters
Fiona Crombie: Academy Award-nominated production designer on storytelling without wordsIn this episode, production designer Fiona Crombie discusses her role in filmmaking, specifically her work on the Academy Award-nominated film *Hamnet*.4 Mar 2026 · 22 min · 10 chapters
Sam Beam of Iron & Wine: Grammy-nominated musician on creativity, collaboration, and why a good day is finding one great lyricSam Beam of Iron & Wine: Grammy-nominated musician on creativity, collaboration, and why a good day is finding one great lyric27 Feb 2026 · 23 min · 7 chapters
George Newman: Cognitive scientist on why creativity is more like archaeology than magicIn this episode, co-hosts Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter feature cognitive scientist George Newman, who challenges the traditional mythology surrounding creativity.20 Feb 2026 · 25 min · 8 chapters
Nate Koechly and Matthew Darby: YouTube's UX Director and Director of PM on redesigning one of the world's most-used appsNate Koechly and Matthew Darby: YouTube's UX Director and Director of PM on redesigning one of the world's most-used apps12 Feb 2026 · 43 min · 24 chapters
Bill Burnett: How to Live a Meaningful LifeA podcast exploring the intersection of design, technology, and creativity through conversations with various guests, aiming to inspire and inform listeners across different levels of design…4 Feb 2026 · 29 min · 9 chapters
Austin Kleon: Author of "Steal Like an Artist" on building a sustainable creative practiceAuthor of "Steal Like an Artist" on building a sustainable creative practice28 Jan 2026 · 29 min · 14 chapters
Raffaela Panie: Designing the brand and visual identity for the 2026 Olympic Winter GamesDesigning the Brand and Visual Identity for the 2026 Olympic Winter Games21 Jan 2026 · 20 min · 7 chapters
Design Better Experts in Residence: Roundtable at Sequoia CapitalLive Design Better roundtable at Sequoia Capital on how design should drive customer transformation, how design roles are changing (blended skills/design engineers), and how efficiency/AI affects…14 Jan 2026 · 1 h · 27 chapters
Mikon van Gastel: Co-Founder of Sibling Rivalry on why presentation skills matter more than design skillsWhy presentation skills matter more than design skills; how to pitch ideas, collaborate, and design for shared emotion in large-scale experience/immersive spaces, using Sphere in Las Vegas as a case…6 Jan 2026 · 25 min · 10 chapters
Mark Wilson: Fast Company's Global Design Editor on design's defining moments in 2025End-of-year 2025 design roundup with Fast Company global design editor Mark Wilson, focusing on “mass acceleration” driven by AI, major design-business shifts (Figma IPO, brand changes), and the…31 Dec 2025 · 42 min · 15 chapters
Video Rewind: Cassie McDaniel: How Medium eliminated its PM function and started moving fasterMedium’s Head of Design Cassie McDaniel discusses why Medium eliminated the PM function to move faster, how critique and humility affect design teams, and how designers should broaden their…24 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 9 chapters
Aaron Draplin: Field Notes co-founder on what skate culture taught him about designAaron Draplin (Draplin Design Company co-founder) discusses how skateboarding and snowboard culture shaped his design philosophy—community over ranking, experimentation over perfection, and learning…17 Dec 2025 · 27 min · 8 chapters
Jessica Hische and Chris Shiflett: Designing business tools that support how creatives actually workJessica Hische and Chris Shiflett discuss Studio Mates/Brooklyn Beta community lessons and how they’re applying them to StudioWorks, a bootstrapped business platform for independent creative studios.9 Dec 2025 · 1 h 9 min · 25 chapters
2025 Holiday Gift GuideThe episode is a yearly “2025 Holiday Gift Guide” focused on creative, practical gifts—starting with affordable items and moving up to pricier experiences and “go all out” options.4 Dec 2025 · 45 min · 25 chapters
Phil Gilbert: Making a 114-year-old, 400,000 person company care about designPhil Gilbert explains IBM’s 2010–2010s design transformation: making a 400,000-person, 180-country company “care about design” by treating change like a high-stakes product, making adoption opt-in,…25 Nov 2025 · 44 min · 22 chapters
Cecilia Brenner: Moving beyond design theater to measurable impactCecilia Brenner, managing director of Design for Good, explains how the organization moves beyond “design theater” to measurable impact for UN Sustainable Development Goals.18 Nov 2025 · 23 min · 8 chapters
Video Rewind: Jordan Mechner: Pioneering game designer on creating Prince of Persia, Karateka, and a new graphic novel memoirThis episode is a “video rewind” of Design Better’s conversation with Jordan Mechner, creator of Karateka (1984) and Prince of Persia.14 Nov 2025 · 25 min · 15 chapters
Ben Swire: Author of "Safe Danger" on the hidden reason team building efforts failWhy team-building fails and how to build psychological safety through “safe danger”—a balance of trust and productive risk so people can fail, learn, and disagree without fear.5 Nov 2025 · 50 min · 26 chapters
Jeremy Faludi: Sustainability professor on why most sustainable design fails before it startsSustainable design that fails because designers ignore the “world” and don’t use evidence-based, systems thinking across a product’s full lifecycle; how to avoid greenwashing and where to focus…28 Oct 2025 · 22 min · 12 chapters
Alison Rand: Leading with radical humanity instead of radical candorAlison Rand, a design ops pioneer, argues for “radical humanity” over Silicon Valley “radical candor,” framing DesignOps as heart-driven change management that builds trust, compassion, and…21 Oct 2025 · 47 min · 22 chapters