Experience by Design

Springtime in New England is the worst. As I sit here on another cold and rainy “spring” day, I’m reminded of what I was told by someone when I first moved to Boston 25 years ago: “Springs in New England are wonderful.” I never trusted another word that person said after I experienced it for myself. 

Part of it is the waiting for something better that you hope is right around the corner in terms of sunny skies and warmer weather. An...

I always feel a bit bad complaining about getting older, because getting older is not a privilege afforded to everyone. At the same time, getting older does present certain challenges. I was able to get a glimpse into aging the other day when I went to get my eyes examined. Turns out that the middle of the day at the eye doctor is peak time for those who are, shall we say, of a demographic much more advanced than I. It definitely w...

As I’ve mentioned before, one of the great things about doing a show like this is the fascinating people I get to talk to who are coming at experience design from many different approaches, perspectives, and backgrounds. One of the groups that I perhaps enjoy talking to the most (no offense to anyone else) is artists. I’ve always admired the ability to turn imagination and passion into something that expresses one’s soul in a way t...

I made a huge mistake. That statement is not that uncommon for me to say. Mistakes happen with some frequency despite my best efforts. If to err is human, I’m definitely very human.

There is an interview that was done back when Adam was still involved that I just came across and realized was never released. And of course that shames me because, despite the delays that might invariably occur with producing this things, I always try t...

As a person who likes the winter, it can get pretty tiresome listening to people say that they hope there is no snow this winter. In the Northeast and much of the country (if not the world), what is the winter for if not for some snow. A winter without snow is just a brown-infused frigid hellscape. And isn’t there enough hell going around? At least the snow can create a coverage that obscures the ugliness that lies underneath until...

One of the reasons that I originally went into sociology, and doing ethnographic research, is learning about people’s stories. We are a species that likes stories, and likes hearing about people’s stories. I think this is why “human of New York” is as popular as it is. People have their stories rooted in their lives and experiences. And when it comes to entrepreneurs and business, the ideas they come up with often are closely tied ...

I miss my gas stove. I used to have one in a home I first lived in after moving to Massachusetts. There was something about the click-click-click and then the spark of the flame. Being able to see it and adjust it accordingly based on how much heat I wanted to generate for whatever I was cooking. It felt magically.

Come to think about it, my love for a gas stove may extend back to watching my parents light cigarettes from the flame....

Being creative ain’t easy. There is something about putting yourself into your work that can be hugely rewarding, but also massively exhausting. Doing something without putting your heart and soul into it can come with its own drawbacks, but at the end of the day the results of your work are not tied directly into how you see yourself. 

For people who consider themselves to be creative and work in creative roles, the sense of burnou...

I never expected the term “branding” or “brand” to be part of my lexicon, but here we are in 2025 where it seems that “branding yourself” and “what is your brand” are common concepts to discuss. Trying to figure out which version of me will “land” or resonate with not just my “audience”, but anyone. 

Iconic brands are something that seem to last forever in our minds. What are some of the iconic brands? Apple. Coca-Cola. IBM. Lego. M...

The New Year is a great time to reflect on our past, and to think about what we want to accomplish in the upcoming year. After all, it is the season of the Annual Performance Review! 

Whether in our personal or professional lives, it can be hard to identify what is important in terms of our evaluations. How do we know if we are making progress toward our goals?

The same can be true for companies. What are the metrics that indicate ou...

One of the ways that I describe experience design, and more specifically for the purposes of this episode customer experience, is by asking people to imagine the worst customer experience that they have had. And unfortunately for all of us, there are a lot of them.

It is probably easy to remember the bad experiences. But what about our best experiences. The times that we felt cared for, appreciated, thought of, where someone did som...

Many months ago now, I had the chance to go to the WNDR Museum in Boston. If you google that, it will come categorized as a “tourist attraction.” but it is a lot more than that, especially considering that I wouldn’t classify myself as a “tourist” since I live outside of Boston. More specifically, and even importantly, WNDR is an interactive art museum with immersive art installations. And it was very interactive and immersive. The...

The original goal of those in the field of usability was pretty simple: to make products and environments that were more usable for those who were interacting with them. By looking at how to make better products, there was the potential to make life better as well. If greater profitability could be gained through these efforts, then great. At the same time, this was not necessarily the primary goal. Profit was not to be done over p...

As American troubadour Bob Dylan said, “The times they are a changin’.” I’m recording this one week after the 2024 presidential election. Without delving into the specifics of any particular outcome, one thing that is clear is there are going to be some major changes. 

Change can produce a lot of anxiety and uncertainty, even when there are positive changes taking place. It can feel overwhelming, especially when we lose a sense of c...

Today we have a fascinating discussion lined up with Alex Nathanson, a technologist, artist, and founder of Energy Transition Design LLC.

In this episode, we'll explore the intricate challenges and opportunities that come with solar-powered technology, particularly solar roof tiles and the broader adoption of renewable energy solutions. Alex will shed light on the high costs and extended installation times that make solar roof tiles...

When you work in academia, you come across some very smart people. This should be surprising given that academics spend an enormous amount of time exploring whatever topic they study. And people become academic experts by digging into the particulars of areas that can be pretty narrow and focused. This is the nature of academia: develop niche knowledge in a certain area where you develop that insight throughout a career. 

And if you...

Maybe it just is the way that I am viewing the world, but it seems like everyday reveals another fresh disaster. It could be that disasters have always been with us, and now we are just more aware of them. Global news at our fingertips doesn’t necessarily help as we can tap into events that occur anywhere at any time. 

Even with this, it seems like disasters are moving closer and closer to home. It is a privilege to live in a societ...

There is something about building something with one’s hands that seems to resonate. There is a resilience in being able to bring forth out of different parts and ingredients a thing that is whole and new. Of course, in American culture there is a deep notion of creation and springing forth from hard work, and with experience and knowledge that can make someone a craftsperson. Maybe this urge has increased the more that we are surr...

I never expected the word “algorithm” to play such a significant role in life and society. Growing up, I thought an algorithm was something that we would leave to math classes. The last time I took a math class to complete my undergraduate degree requirements. After that, I figured I was done with algorithms. 

But nope. Algorithms have been thrust back into our lives. We live in an age where not only are we trying to learn the algor...