Podcast
Experience by Design
Hosted by Gary David · EN
This is Experience by Design, a podcast that brings new perspectives to the experiences we have everyday. Does standing in line always have to suck? Why are airports so uncomfortable? What does it mean to be loyal to a brand? Why do you love being connected but dislike feeling tethered to your smart phone? Can we train people to care about the climate?
Join Sociologist Gary David and Anthropologist Adam Gamwell on an expedition to the frontiers of culture and business through the lens of human experience. We're here to make sense of the madness with leading psychologists, cognitive and social scientists, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Financial Learning Experiences with Mike Milligan
5d ago01:05:22Tap to summarizeIf you are a long-time listener to Experience by Design, you know that I work at a business university that has its foundations as a school for training in accounting and finance. Since its founding in 1917, not much has changed in terms of that focus. We are still primarily known for our education in accounting and finance. When I first started there (almost 27 years ago now), I really had no idea what finance was or what was involved in it. I’m sorry to say that I’m only slightly more informed today. I still find finance a bit of a black box despite my years of service and conversations with my Finance department colleagues. I’m definitely not alone in this. As we have discussed in other episodes of Experience by Design, financial literacy is pretty low overall. Repeated surveys have shown that around half of US adults are financially literate. That number drops further when the topic focuses on financial risk. When comparing different generations, not surprisingly younger generations suffer from a lack of financial literacy. We all could use some extra help in terms of financial literacy, financial planning, and fiscal responsibility. Today on Experience by Design, I welcome Mike Milligan to the show. Mike grew up being fascinated by money. Today, he runs 1 Oak Financial, which stands for “one of a kind”. Along with his work with clients, he also has created a financial planning online course which is offered through Old Dominion University (where he also teaches). He also wrote the book “The One of a Kind Financial Plan.” What is really great about Mike’s approach is that he tailors his planning and strategy to his client, creating a client-centric experience that helps them break free from the traditional approaches that can take advantage of clients. We talk about generational divides in financial literacy and planning, looking at spending and saving trends among Gen Z and even Gen Alpha. Mike emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to understanding markets, trends, and financial risk with changing job markets and emerging technology. He shares how he tailors client education to generational characteristics, trying to meet clients where they are in order to have the maximum learning impact. Toward this end, we also talk about his new book project “Amplify”, which explores how podcasting and social media have become resources for financial literacy. As he emphasizes, the microphone is the most powerful tool in the financial industry. Finally, we also talk about his favorite mermaid in Norfolk, Virginia where he lives. He discusses the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States, especially in locations of colonial heritage and extensive US history like Boston, Philadelphia, and Norfolk. Plus we share how great sociology is. Mike Milligan Website: https://www.mikemilligan.com/ Mike Milligan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemilligancfp/ 1.oak Financial: https://1oakfinancial.com/ Ideas by Mike Podcast: https://ideas-by-mike.blubrry.net/ The One of a Kind Financial Plan: https://www.amazon.com/One-Kind-Financial-Plan-Actually/dp/1967587027/
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Human-Centered Experiences with Gerry Scullion
2w ago01:01:23Tap to summarizeI have some pretty exciting news to announce, and I’m glad to be doing it here first. I have completed my book manuscript, tentatively titled The Un-WOW: A Guide to Experiences Designs of All Kinds. You will notice the subtitle is taken from Experience by Design podcast, where we explore experience designs of all kinds. In the manuscript, I take a lot from guests I have talked to over the years. One thing that I have learned in that experiences come in different types, shapes, and packages. As experience designers, the world is our palette on which we can make our figurative marks. One of the key premises of the manuscript is that we don’t have to create grand, well-orchestrated, staged WOW experiences to make a difference. In fact, most of our lives are made up of The Un-WOW, mundane everyday experiences that are more spontaneous than staged. These experiences can’t be completely pre-arranged and programmed, relying on people connecting on a more human (and humane) level. As experience designers, we might create the contours of these moments, but we can’t (and shouldn’t) control them. So the manuscript is part experience design philosophy, part strategy, part how-to guide, and hopefully all entertaining. I’ll soon be launching some pre-publishing publicity and marketing, so stay tuned for that. These themes are present on this episode of Experience by Design as well. In fact, I used this conversation in the manuscript! Today I chat with Gerry Scullion, consultant and founder of the agency Humana, keynote speaker, host of This is HCD podcast (the number 1 human-centered design podcast in the world), and organizer of the Human Centered Design Network. With all of that going on, plus with his over 20 years of experience, he has a lot to say about service design, user experience, and more generally human-centered design. He tells of how he was self-taught in the UX space, embracing a ‘fake it till you make it’ approach. We talk about how it is the little touches that can have the biggest impact on our experiences. We explore doing experience design work in the government and social service sector. He describes the challenges of innovation in bureaucracy. Gerry shares the importance of finding opportunities to create a more humane experience when people are at their most vulnerable. He tells of how he loves being able to help and support people when they are in the greatest need, and how experience design work provides the opportunity to have that impact. There was plenty more in the conversation. I learned so much I included it in my manuscript! Gerry Scullion Website: https://gerryscullion.com/ Gerry Scullion on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryscullion/ Humana Design: https://humana.design/ This is HCD Podcast: https://www.thisishcd.com/
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Exponential Leadership with Reed Nyffler
3w ago00:58:35Tap to summarizeDespite it being the summer months, I’ve started helping out with coaching Nordic skiing junior athletes who are part of a ski club. It has been a fun journey, which has included getting a coaching certification through the US Ski and Snowboard Association. Recently, I’ve been working with some athletes on a weekly training run, because after all fast skiers are made in the summer. Being back with a club has given me the chance to catch up with another coach, who is a friend and training partner who also happens to be a very accomplished scholar at a neighboring university. After the run, we were chatting in the parking lot (as runners will do after a run) about our work. He told me about an interesting project he is starting up. It involves looking at the many universities around the world are launching programs in entrepreneurship, and also how entrepreneurs are portrayed in popular culture in different countries. We got to talking about it and also got me to thinking about the nature of entrepreneurship in all of its forms. After all, Google was started as an entrepreneurial effort. So was Apple. And Microsoft. The list goes on about major companies that started out as small businesses. I don’t know that we would count these multinationals as entrepreneurial efforts any longer. I’m not sure these big corporations hold a lot in common with local businesses. Or maybe they still have a lot in common. The differences in their sizes obscure the shared feelings of anxiety that must have existed when starting out, drawn by the lure of owning something. I’ve known people who had very successful corporate careers, only to leave them to start their own consulting business. I also have known people who left similar careers to open restaurants. People are drawn to being their own boss for a variety of reasons, but in every case one of the things that can determine success in company growth is how effective a leader you are. Today on Experience by Design, I welcome Reed Nyffeler to the show. Reed is a lifeline entrepreneur who has founded a number of companies. This includes Signal (a security company), Filtergo (a HVAC filter replacement company), and Framebrand, “a development company that helps franchise brands scale more effectively.” He also is the author of the book “Transform through Purpose: Your Path to Living an Authentic and Intentional Life,” as well as his new book “Lead Exponentially.” In his new book, he explores themes around authentic and empowered leadership, creating environments and examples that will live on for generations. In our conversation, we talk about how his sociology minor was one of the key factors in his success, especially in decision making and leadership. Reed relates his experiences working for Black and Decker and DeWalt Power Tools, and how too much choice can lead to customer confusion. He shares how they came up with “Gusty”, the brand character behind FilterGo, and how fun and playful stands out against conventional and boring. Finally, we talk about the role of creativity in business and education, highlighting the importance of risk-taking in American culture and as an essential element in economic success. It’s a great conversation about culture, entrepreneurship, brand, and leadership. Reed Nyffeler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reednyffeler/ Reed Nyffeler Website: https://reednyffeler.com/ “Lead Exponentially”: https://www.amazon.com/Lead-Exponentially-Developing-Authentic-Intentional/dp/B0DZ8QVP9Y “Transform Through Purpose”: https://www.amazon.com/Transform-Through-Purpose-Authentic-Intentional/dp/B0DPLCRJZG
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Greater Good Experiences with Sara Cantor
4w ago00:55:39Tap to summarizeI think it is part of getting older that you start to think of your past not as one singular life, but a series of lives that have culminated into wherever you are at the moment. The passage of time allows for that perspective, but I suppose a five year old is going to think in similar terms of where did the time go, it was just yesterday that I was four (which in fact, it was). We all go through episodes and identities and phases, which can involve different outfits and hats and accessories. It can be a fun ride. Perhaps in a sense reincarnation isn’t about coming back from a previous life in a literal sense, but how we evolve in this one. In one of my past lives, I worked at United Way Community Services. For those not familiar, United Way serves as a conduit to disseminate funds to partner social service agencies. I was doing research in the Research and Data Services division. It was a good way to be introduced to the world of social services and non-profits, developing a deep appreciation for their work and the challenges associated with their work. The degree to which it is challenging is proportionate to how vital it is. In the land of profit-margins and mass consumption, social services are often misunderstood and ignored (except by those who need their work). My guest today on Experience by Design describes herself as a “pissed-off optimist.” You have to be both to do the work that she does at Greater Good Studios. Sara Cantor went to graduate school for human-centered design, then applying her skills and passion in retail spaces. Further work with major corporations left her wanting to do more and have a greater impact. This led her to co-found “a design firm dedicated to the social sector.” Rather than moving product, their goal is to build “a more equitable society” through work that is “more inclusive, innovative, and impactful.” We talk about her journey to the work that speaks her passion today. She recalls transitioning from engineering into design. Sara describes her work in projects like creating marketing materials for maternal and infant mortality prevention programs. She talks about the importance of involving those directly impacted by social services in the design and decision-making processes. She shares her experience working to develop initiatives aimed at increasing homeownership for families that were traditionally locked out. We also discuss designers as social justice catalysts, addressing social injustice, channeling anger productively, and motivating positive change. And I have to say this is a very motivational conversation about what can be accomplished through good design. Sara Cantor on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/saracantor/ Greater Good Studio: https://greatergoodstudio.com/ Greater Good Studio on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greater-good-studio/
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Leading in Uncertain Times with Marianne Bachynski
May 2900:58:21Tap to summarizeIt is indeed an exciting time to be alive. I’m not talking about AI, but OTAs, or Organized Team Activities in the National Football League. Non-contact football practices have just commenced. Our hometown heroes the New England Patriots are coming off a very successful season, which unfortunately ended in the Patriots getting shellacked by the Seattle Seahawks (so much so I stopped watching the game). If Patriots fans thought that was the low point of this year, recent stories around the head coach Mike Vrabel’s personal activities (shall we say) have raised questions around how successful this season is going to be. Being a leader can require a lot of focus to the task at hand. If you can’t focus, can you lead? Or, is there going to be a level of distraction interfering with the focus that is needed to succeed at that level. It seems that the only story getting more press than the Mike Vrabel saga is the artificial intelligence saga. AI is impossible to escape in the press and in our lives. When I was at the FTT Fintech and Customer Alpha event, every session had some discussion about AI. In these discussions, it is interesting to hear the ever fluctuating claims about how essential AI is to a company’s success. There are stories about how it is vital to success, as well as stories about how it is going to contribute to failure. There is a lot of space in between those extremes to add further stories. These discussions raise the question about what it means to “embrace technology.” There is a difference between a company embracing technology and becoming beholden to it. We are seeing many companies becoming beholden to AI. Some companies are becoming beholden by making the decision to turn their operations to AI, reducing headcount, and dealing with the aftermath if the expected returns have not materialized. Or, they are now seeing the price of tokens being significantly increased. Other companies, by comparison, are embracing technology by finding areas where its use fits and is appropriate. Adoption involves whether technology is seen as a tool or technology as a determinant. It all comes down to leadership, and making strategic decisions in times of uncertainty. This is why we have this week on Experience by Design Marianne Bachynski, Chief Information Officer, Author, Speaker, and Strategic Advisor. Marianne’s expertise lies in aligning IT Operations and Business Strategies to achieve organizational goals and foster sustainable growth. There perhaps is no better time to engage a conversation around strategic use of technology than now. In our chat, Marianne suggests that AI can unlearn more quickly due to its objective nature and the ability to be retrained, but it lacks empathy and can have unchecked bias unless trained by humans. In other words, why we still need humans in the loop. We also discuss how new technology creates opportunities for experimentation and innovation, but only if we are not relying on it just to replicate what we’ve done in the past. Marianne stresses that especially in times of rapid technological change, success comes down to people and how culture still matters. We have to hire curious people to begin with, and continue to engage them around the what and why of your decisions. People need to be shown that they still matter, and that we are all in this together. This includes people at all levels of the organization. Marianne describes how her end of summer meeting with interns was her favorite meeting because of the unique perspectives and creative ideas that were shared. Marianne highlights the need for leaders to shift from micromanaging to influencing and coaching, while also fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. Marianne shares her hope that her book, Fit for Uncertainty, would help readers change their leadership approach and build coping skills for stress. Ultimately, Marianne shares that leaders of all kinds need to have the humility that allows them to say “I don’t know” and be open to learning from many different voices, which still includes human intelligence. Marianne Bachynski Website: https://mariannebachynski.com/ Marianne Bachynski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marianne-bachynski/ Fit for Uncertainty: Lead with Purpose, Adapt to Change: https://mariannebachynski.com/book/
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Travel and Storied Experiences with Samantha Hardcastle
May 2200:59:33Tap to summarizeFor regular listeners of Experience by Design, you’ll know that I have had a bit of travel of late. London. Florence, Italy. Even Lake Placid, New York. To be honest, I don’t like traveling. I like being places, but don’t love the process of getting there. I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling. Travel can be taxing. Being there should be enjoyable. Or some might say an experience. Hospitality is a big part of experience design. In fact, while a lot of attention is given to customer experience, user experience, patient experience, and employee experience, travel and tourism is a major area of work for designers of experiences. Admittedly, it is not something that I have done any work in, but it is something that I have experienced as a person who has traveled. It used to be the case that you learned about a travel location through the pamphlets on racks by the hotel door. Or some local restaurant. Or a local attraction. These pamphlets don't do much to tell a story about the location you're in. As a result, it can be very difficult to learn about local history and culture. Samantha Hardcastle is on a mission to change that by linking local community and culture into storied experiences. Samantha grew up in the travel industry, as her mother was a travel agent. She got to see behind the scenes at how things worked. After getting a degree in marketing, her first client was a hotel. Throughout her career, she has sought to create better hospitality and tourism experiences not just for travelers, but for the people who host travelers and the communities in which these places are located. Today, she runs her own consultancy called The Storied Experience. As her website states, “Our approach puts equal emphasis on cultural immersion, wellbeing and transformation, and regenerative impact to ensure we’re co-creating a highly-valuable, in-demand experience.” We talk about our relationship with vacation as a culture, and whether we let ourselves to truly turn ‘off.’ As a result, we need to encourage more escapism on a regular basis, and need the places where we can do that. She describes work that she has done with clients to bring local culture into contemporary accommodations and features. Part of this includes creating micro-experiences that engage curiosity and imagination in a way that also promotes reflection. Finally, she describes how she found her way into experience design, and the way in which she pulls from many different areas. Part of this included books on world building, story development, and ethnography. She even pulls from works of fiction for how to develop characters, a plot, and story arc. A key challenge she shares is how do we continue to create stories and experience when people’s attention spans are so short. This is a challenge that most of us can identify with, and she shares how she tried to crack it and succeeded. It is a perfect time for this conversation as we are approaching the summer travel and vacation season! Samantha Hardcastle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skhardcastle/ The Storied Experience: https://www.thestoriedexperience.com/
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Co-Designing Social Impact with Ali Fawkes
May 1501:08:08Tap to summarizeI just got back from the Customer Alpha event that was part of the broader FTT Embedded Finance, Payments, and Future Identity event, put on by VC Innovations. It was the first time I’ve spoken publicly about my concept of THE UN-WOW, focusing our efforts more on everyday mundane experiences rather than transformative metamorphic experiences. There is more to it than that, so stay tuned for updates as I work on a book on THE UN-WOW. While in London, I was able to go to the Tate Modern Art Museum. This was quite the shift after visiting museums in Florence with all of the Renaissance representational art. One of the interesting differences between the two is that the art in Florence often was made for patrons who were commissioning artwork, which ultimately was made to please those patrons. The art in the Tate often was made by artists who were trying to please themselves using art as a statement. As a result, the artists’ statements became a key piece of looking at and understanding what the art was meant to represent and the response it was hoping to create. Regardless of whether sponsored representational or abstract and surreal, through art one can give external voice to one’s internal dialogue to create a social experience. On today’s episode of Experience by Design podcast, I welcome Ali Fawkes, the Head of Social Innovation at the social design firm Humanly. “Humanly is an award-winning design studio specializing in human-centered design for social impact.” On their website, they continue to describe themselves as, “specialising in inclusive, creative and participatory research and design with seldom-heard and underrepresented groups.” I came to learn about Ali and Humanly through a paper she co-authored on “Co-designing the Future of Respiratory Healthcare” in the journal CoDesign - the International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts, detailing their work and approach. Ali is a self-described “art kid,” who found an outlet for her own voice. She went on to get a degree in Fine Art from the University of Kent, as well as additional certifications and degrees in Secondary Art and Special and Inclusive Education from the University of Cambridge. Ali describes co-design efforts she did with students during her work as a secondary school art teacher and educator in schools whose students had special needs. She describes her journey from that rewarding work to working with Humanly. We discuss how being an outsider with little knowledge about a setting or industry can be a real gift to having open eyes and ears to learn from people who are often not listened to. Ali discusses the ethical considerations and methodologies involved in working with underrepresented groups, emphasizing the importance of truthful representation and co-design approaches. We also discuss the importance of her artistic background as a source of challenging norms and disruption, leading to innovative approaches. And if doing social design and impact isn’t enough heavy lifting, Ali also participates in strongperson competitions, lifting very heavy things and sometimes having to carry them across distances. Which is not unlike trying to lift complex problems and carry solutions forward. I always love good art talk on Experience by Design, and especially when it is connected to social impact. Ali Fawkes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alifawkes/ Humanly: https://www.designhumanly.com/ “Co-designing the Future of Respiratory Healthcare”: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15710882.2025.2603298
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Humanity-Centered Experiences with Natalie Beckerman
May 800:56:46Tap to summarizeI’m off again. This weekend I’ll be heading to London for the Customer Alpha event, where I’ll be delivering the keynote for the conference. “Customer Alpha is a leading customer experience event bringing together a cross-industry community of professionals who never stop striving to better understand and deliver for customers.” How cool is that! I’m excited to be there, and talking about my concept of The UN-WOW. The basic idea is that rather than just focusing on those WOW moments, we need to focus on how to deliver value and connection in those basic day-to-day interactions where people don’t want to be WOW’ed. A lot of focus on the WOW is around the idea that things only qualify as experiences when they hit that WOW level. So if you are an experience designer, odds are you are going to shoot for that WOW. But that can be a big hill to climb, and it misses the other types of opportunities that exist which don’t involve those dramatically staged moments. Also, staged can feel inauthentic and not organic. To be staged can also feel performative. Performance can also involve a script. The words being spoken are yours, but ones written for you by someone else. Thus, the UN-WOW is in part a call for the small moments that create connection and a sense of authenticity. Today’s guest on Experience by Design also has thoughts on the role of making connections in human moments as part of customer experience. Natalie Beckerman, Executive Vice President and Chief Business Officer at iQor, has experience across many different industries, organizations, and continents. Regardless of where she has been, she has seen the same problems which involve the pursuit of efficiency at the cost of humanity. Part of this lies in not using technology in a way that enhances experiences. Seeing this problem led her to write her new best selling book, “When Did You Stop Caring: The Call to Reignite Humanity in a World Obsessed with Efficiency.” In her book, she calls for companies to do better for customers and workers by focusing on what matters: people. Using examples from her career and research, she lays out why it makes sense to start caring not only because it is the right thing to do, but because businesses that care do better. We talk about her career and her book. We also talk about her work with Customer Contact Week, which hosts events around the world. This includes CCW UK which takes place May 11-13, or next week! Natalie shares her athletic past, including playing on the US National Field Hockey Team and being an All-American at Northwestern University. Along with her Masters degree in Sports Psychology, Natalie links how optimizing performance should be not just about the outcome, but also the impacts that processes, systems, and cultures have on the people who are part of it. We also celebrate her induction into the Rancocas Valley Regional High School Athletic Hall of Fame. Learn more: Natalie Beckerman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliedbeckerman1/ “When did You Stop Caring”: https://www.amazon.com/When-Did-You-Stop-Caring/dp/1969508442 iQor: https://www.iqor.com/ Customer Contact Week Europe: https://europe.customercontactweekdigital.com
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Conscious Design and Built Environments with Itai Palti
May 101:16:07Tap to summarizeThis last week of being back from Florence has given me a chance to reflect a bit on he experience of not just being in a foreign country, but being in a completely different kind of physical environment. By that I mean, the city of Florence, or more specifically a city where I was walking everywhere. The origins of Florence date back to around 59 BCE. From that time, the city has continuously grown and evolved to what it is today. When you look at a map of Florence, you see a lot of twisty and windy streets that are built with cobblestones and buildings that run almost right up against them. From an accessibility standpoint, it presents a lot of challenges as I saw people being pushed in wheelchairs with great effort (or pulling suitcases for that matter). But beyond that, there is a quaintness and opportunity to be in a place where there are more people moving around than cars. Moving freely in a way that was unencumbered by traffic, being able to explore and discover, feeling a certain kind of vibrancy rooted in antiquity but lived in modernity. And now I am back in the exurbs, which has its own kind of design, whether it be intentional or just organic. Like Florence, homes and streets get built at different times. Some structures are destroyed and then rebuilt, green spaces created, land getting preserved, other land getting constructed. It is not just a dance of history, but also the presence or absence of intentional design. To talk about designing cities, I welcome Itai Palti to the Experience by Design studios. Itai has a background in architecture and working as an architect. He also is the founder of the Centre for Conscious Design, “an international collective promoting the emergence of healthy built environments using Conscious Design principles.” Together they promote the Conscious Cities Movement, “a global movement that reimagines the built environment as an extension of ourselves and our communities.” We talk about how architecture can be about community empowerment, creating environments and structures that bring people together rather than drive them apart. Itai talks about the decline of serendipitous connections, especially in cultures that de-emphasize community and prioritize solitude. Between those poles is the need to find compromise in how we build lived environments. Itai also discussed the importance of using scientific insights into architectural design. We explore how architects need to balance client demands with their desire to create socially impactful design. Accomplishing this goal requires that more than architects be involved, leveraging the expertise from all disciplines to come together in constructive dialogue to combine knowledge to create better cities and communities. Thus, we talk about systems design as well, and how the built environment is a key element in experience design. After being in Florence for only a few days, which was enough time to enjoy a walkable environment, that is something I can attest to. Itai Palti on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/itaipalti/ The Center for Conscious Design: https://theccd.org/ Conscious Cities Movement: https://theccd.org/conscious-cities/
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Immersive Historical Experiences with Will Humphrey
Apr 2401:07:05Tap to summarizeI am back from my trip to Florence, and am covered in history. It is impossible to go to Florence and not be. Unless you are a college student who is doing study abroad and only know about Rafael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon and movie. It was kind of crazy to be able to walk around and casually see works of art from the 1300s. It is easy to say things like “Florence is the birthplace of the Renaissance,” but when you see it in person, it makes quite the impression. Staring at a Giotti or a Botticelli or a Caravaggio leaves a mark. Being able to walk streets or sit in piazzas, thinking about the centuries of footsteps that preceded puts one life in a certain perspective. Speaking of perspective, I don’t know if anything quite prepares you for standing in front of David looming over the crowds. Perfectly proportionate but on a whole other scale. It wasn’t just the past that was impressive, but the present as well. The artists who were working on the streets, showing their beautiful works in front of other beautiful works while people walked by in beautiful fashion. Beauty upon beauty upon beauty. While there, I even had the chance to take in a Mark Rothko exhibit, who interestingly enough was influenced by Renaissance art and visited Florence many times. So much art, so many museums, so many ways to tell the story of this history. This is why it is good timing to have Will Humphrey of the agency Sugar Creative on Experience by Design. Will started out as a fine artist, having his work exhibited as any artist would. His education combines degrees in Graphic Design and Communication as well as Molecular Genetics. Today he is the Director of Creative and Innovation at Sugar. At Sugar, he is part of a creative force that combines augmented reality, virtual reality, storytelling, and history together to bring the past into the present. We talk about Sugar’s project on the American Revolution that will allow users to experience pivotal historical moments through interactive experiences. Will shared the inspiration he received from his grandfather, who developed anti-aircraft balloons during the Battle of Britain. We share our appreciation of video games, especially those with historical features and lessons, such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Will talks about how they are working with Ubisoft to combine gaming and history to make for immersive learning experiences. Will shares insights from his work on geolocated experiences, highlighting the value of immersing oneself in a set of ideas and understanding the physical and historical context of a place. We also discussed how physical transformations, such as landfill in Boston, affect our understanding of history and the importance of considering the nature of a space in designing experiences. We cover a lot of ground in this chat, which is about as much ground as I covered walking around Florence and its many museums. Will Humphrey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willhumphreyuk/ Sugar Creative: https://www.sugar.agency/
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