We are rapidly approaching the end of semester, which can only mean one thing: freedom. The end of the semester is always a weird time. It kind of reminds me of the end of a relationship where both parties have just had enough and know that it is time to move on. Let us conclude the business at hand and get on with our lives. Sure we can stay friends, and perhaps even hold out the potential of getting back together at some point in the future in another class. But right now, its best if we go our separate ways.

For those students that are graduating, it means something else entirely: time to put all that book learning to work and try to get a job. Of course calling it book learning makes me show my age, because who reads books anymore! But the point still stands: graduates are on the hunt for a job that will provide the opportunity to start adulting on a larger scale.

To get a job, one of the things that they need to be able to do is stand out from the pack of others who are also trying to get jobs. Here in lies one of the unique ironies that we have in at least American culture. The belief that we are individuals who are unique and can stand out, coupled with a strong anxiety and aversion to being different from other people. For as much as we like to think of ourselves as unique and distinctive, we really have a strong streak of conformity. This makes us no different from other societies in which standing out can be stigmatizing and sanctioned. Being the first in a parade feels a lot safer than standing out.

But standing out is important in terms of showing others who we truly are, and living in a way that feels authentic.

My guest today on Experience by Design knows all about the challenge and importance of standing out. Judy Winslow of Unforgettable Brands is a self-described Brandologist who has spent her life standing out and being around creatives who do the same. Judy moved to Sarasota, Florida because it was a place for unique personalities and creative artists could come together and celebrate standing out. As a person trained in graphic design, she knew the importance of self-expression in her work. Now, she works with leaders to create cultures in which people can celebrate their unique characteristics, have freedom to express it, and transform vision into reality.

We talk about giving permission to be audaciously authentic. She describes how our brand is in action all the time, and that as humans we are here to stand out. She talks about how she was influenced by Marty Selligman, the godfather of positive psychology, focusing on what works well and how to build on those successes. She also reinforces the point that before you have customers, you have employees, and that personal and professional development is not just about improving ourselves, but helping to improve others as well by being able to better show up for them.

Judy Winslow https://unforgettablebrands.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judywins/

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. And then two weeks later it will be 87 with 1000% humidity. But those two weeks of actual nice weather are pretty wonderful.

But the waiting is rough, as transitions often are. Any kind of transition can be painful and wrought. Think about the transitions that you have gone through in your life, what it felt like, and what it took to get through it.

It turns out that in many ways we are in another transition right now: something called Late-Stage Capitalism. We can look at the technological transitions taking place, the accumulation of wealth and the growing disparities it is bringing, environmental degradation, and the seemingly increasing number of financial crises as indicators of this transition being underway. But what comes next?

To talk about social transformations and transitions, we welcome Jaime Schwartz to the Experience by Design studios. Jaime's expertise crosses a lot of areas, which is a good thing because we talk about the need to have breadth of knowledge and experience as we enter what he calls the Co-Creation Economy.

Part of this lies in finding better ways for people to work together, using AI as a tool to help facilitate collaboration and flow. Another part of this is focused on helping corporations align their brands with a higher mission and purpose. Finally, we have co-creationism in art, where new technologies and approaches to expression create new ways of sharing, owning, and co-creating artistic expression.

Overall, our conversation digs into how we successfully transition to embrace the promise that technological innovations have for making our lives better, and hopefully not being run over by it. And how by coming together we can accomplish great things.

Team Flow Institute: https://teamflow.institute

Mrkd Art: https://mrkd.art

Brand Therapy: https://brandtherapy.coach

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 was a glimpse into a future that I am steadily approaching, and makes me reflect on what it will be like to be older then. There are so many things that have increased accessibility for those who are older, designs that make life more manageable and easier to negotiate. At the same time, a lot of challenges remain, especially in a society in which technological change is fast enough to make even the most savvy feel left behind.

So, clearly there is a lot of work to be done. And that is why we welcome our guest today on Experience by Design. Sheng-Hung Lee is a Doctoral student at MIT. There he is involved in the AgeLab, where they have the aim “to improve the quality of life of older people and those who care for them.”

Sheng-Hung has been involved in a wide range of service design initiatives, and has a list of awards and recognitions to prove it. He also has worked at companies like Ideo as well as Continuum, and is part of organizations such as the World Design Organization and the Industrial Designers Society of America.

We talked about a range of topics related to designing, systems, and aging. He talks about what brought him to the field of design out of his background in engineering. Sheng-Hung describes how we have to move from the idea of designer as hero, and work more collaboratively to address complex challenges. Part of that is the need to go beyond siloed thinking and integrate ideas from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. And we talk about the need to move beyond focusing on tangible stuff as a primary motivation, and have the space to explore, learn, and synthesize.

Sheng-Hung Lee Website: https://shenghunglee.com

MIT AgeLab: https://agelab.mit.edu/