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/

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 that can move others. Talking to artists about their work kind of creates a sense of purity of work in terms of representing an authentic self. I don’t want to overly dramatize or prematurely canonize them. But artists can do really cool stuff that brings life and light into the world.

And it feels like every day more and more, we need some life and light brought into the world. While art changes, our need for art never changes.

My guest today is artist Will Owen. Looking at Will’s website, it lists his primary mediums as sound, sculpture, and food. That’s right. Food.

Without that is a larger preoccupation of culture and the world in which we live, seeking to represent it in ways that stimulate thought, expose us to its beauty, and contemplate its possibilities.

Growing up in Appalachia provided an opportunity to explore how to have fun and create with whatever was available. Before we had the concept of a ‘maker space,’ his childhood was a maker space in which risks could be take in the pursuit of having fun and filling time. Out of that comes a creative spark and fundamental appreciation for the natural world. He describes himself as being ‘obsessively curious’ and being promiscuous with materials, which he owes to his childhood and the collaborative explorations with his friends.

Today he is part of many different collectives around the world. He is part of the Flux Factory in New York, and has worked with artists in Russia and Taipei,

We talk about making something loud with no budget, the indelible reciprocity of making together, the porousness needed to engage with performative audiences, and his obsession with supertemporary communities. We also talk about the bus experiment, a traveling exhibit from Manhattan to Philly.

Will Owen - https://willowen.net

Flux Factory - https://www.fluxfactory.org/

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 to do right by the guests.

And it turns out that the topic of this conversation couldn’t be more timely. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been at the top of the headlines. Executive Orders, Lawsuits brought by states, companies either reducing or eliminating their DEI-related programs, with others reaffirming their commitment. For those of us interested or involved in DEI, there is a lot to keep track of.

So it is fortuitous that I bring out our conversation with Teja Arboleda right now. Even though we are not talking about the current state of DEI, we are talking about the prelude to this moment.

Teja is a producer, director, and actor, using his talents to weave together stories that touch on traditional themes and emergent ones as well. He also has lived across national cultures, growing up in Japan but in an American family. He worked at WGBH, the Boston public television station, where he worked on documentaries related to the Gulf War and the series Frontline.

He brings that attention and skillset to the work that he has done in the corporate environment, bringing impactful trainings that are imbued with humor, storytelling, and connecting audiences with the universal experiences behind DEI.

And I should also mention he has a degree in sociology as well!

Teja Arboleda - https://tejaarboleda.com

Teja Arboleda LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejaarboleda/

Ibis Consulting Group - https://www.ibisconsultinggroup.com/

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 it is time to emerge once again.

And plus, I like to nordic ski. Hard to do that without some snow.

At the same time, the snow does present some challenges. While we have been in a bit of a snow rut in New England over the past decade or so, there was the winter of 2015 when I had to get on my roof a number of times to shovel the snow. I also had to extensively use my roof rake to pull the snow from the base of the roof to avoid ice dams. For those who are not familiar with an ice dam, it results from the heat from your house causing snow to start melting, only to freeze once again in the cold temperatures. This repeated process results in a literal dam of ice that leaves no place for additional melting to go, leading to water damage in your roof and house.

I have seen houses with these heating coils on their roofs, and that seems cool. Just melts the snow so that you can’t get ice dams.

Turns out there is a problem with those well, and that is they can suck up a lot of energy, especially when not in use. It is not as easy as just flipping a light switch either. As a result, you can spend a lot of extra money on powering those things when not needed.

Beyond that personal inconvenience, there is the drag that puts on the power grid, which it turns out is not a small problem. As researchers, companies, and people overall look to AI to help with tasks simple and complex, we need more energy. And wasting energy on roof coils that are not being used is a big culprit in our wasted watts.

Enter Thomas Clardy and Powder Watts. Powder Watts is a device that helps you monitor and manage your use of roof heating cables. Not only does that help you save money, but it might just be a crucial part of freeing up space on the grid for other reasons, like powering AI. This is not just a matter of convenience and business, but even economic competitiveness and national security.

We talk about big impacts from small products, changing behaviors in customers, systems thinking and wicked problems, and how we all have a part to play.

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 to those lives.

This is what makes doing the podcast so much fun. I get to talk with people who have lived fascinating lives and come up with creative and inspired ideas to make people’s lives better. To me, this is the essential part of experience design: making lives better for people using our own experiences, knowledge, and passions as the basis for our designs.

Today’s episode is no different. I had the pleasure of speaking with Diamond Drip. One of the chief questions we explore is “what is our authentic self”, and “how do we get in touch with it?” with all of the social distractions and noise filling our head on a regular basis. Those external distractions can be coupled with the internal challenges that we all face.

For Diamond, part of this journey involved her dealing with Bipolar II, and using psilocybin as part of a clinical trial. The impacts of this trial lead her to realize her dream and passion for human design.

The manner in which she approaches human design is through thinking about what we put out into the world, especially our energy. She was always told that her energy was contagious. She came to learn the importance of energy alignment when we are doing things that we are meant to do. We need to learn to lead from within in order to align our energy and our actions.

We also talk about her time in the Air Force, working at a gym, her background in Graphic Design, and getting tired of not being the leading lady in her life. She describes how other leading ladies in her life, like her Aunt, helped to instill a belief in herself and her potential.

And believing in ourselves in a message that we can all relate to.

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

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFHTm-gbYJAEhU4qmY44pmQ

Diamond Drip Website: https://www.diamonddripconsulting.com/

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. I would guess it is a lot harder to light a smoke off an electric stove. To this day, second-hand smoke makes me think of my childhood.

But I never really gave much thought to how my home is powered. I was pretty shocked when I moved to Boston that I had an oil tank in my basement. Didn’t know that was a thing. Beyond that, I was pretty ambivalent about what provided heat and warming (and flame) to my house, as long as it worked.

That’s why I was so intrigued to talk with Tucker Perkins, who is my guest today on Experience by Design. Tucker is the President and CEO of the Propane Education and Research Council. I didn’t know we even had a Propane Education and Research Council, but it turns out we do.

As their website states, “PERC was authorized by the U.S. Congress with the passage of the Propane Education and Research Act (PERA), signed into law on Oct. 11, 1996.” Also, “The Propane Education & Research Council is a nonprofit that provides leading propane safety and training programs and invests in research and development of new propane-powered technologies.”

In the energy space, it also turns out that propane is the little kid on the block, and we love an underdog at Experience by Design.

But like with everything on the podcast, this story is about more than propane. We dig into the larger systems perspective when it comes to energy, safety, and sustainability. We talk about how fire has a primal appeal, and how appliances are products that create pleasure. And we talk about how education is vital to behavioral change and getting people to buy into a new idea and system.

Ultimately, we need to be fostering critical thinking, coupled with effectively communicating research and knowledge, to get people to make changes in their lives.

Propane Education and Research Council https://propane.com

Tucker Perkins https://www.linkedin.com/in/tucker-perkins-8972a510/

Gary David YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@garydavid9535

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 burnout can be real.

At the same time, creative work can be invigorating and rewarding in the right context, giving the right leadership, and working for the right clients.

This is what Mack Garrison was trying to create when he founded Dash Studio, where they make videos that matter. Dash is a ‘high-end animation and motion design studio that believes in the power of creativity and community.’ This is one of the lessons that he learned in the 9 plus years that Dash has been doing business. A big part of their success comes from community: communities of creatives, communities of partners, communities of supporters, and frankly communities of communities.

In fact, you could say that creativity either comes from, or at least is enhanced, by community.

As part of their effort to create community, they have their annual Dash Bash event, June 11-13, 2025.

If you are interested in motion design, or just interested in meeting some great people in Raleigh, NC, check it out. Great speakers, workshops, and social events.

Dash Studio - https://www.dashstudio.net/

Dash Bash - https://www.dashbash.net/

Mack Garrison LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackgarrison/

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. McDonalds. Doesn’t mean that we even like or use these products. But we for sure recognize those brands.

Another one of those iconic brands is Harley-Davidson. You might not ride a motorcycle, but you know what Harley-Davidson is and what it represents.

But it is not as if Harley-Davidson has been one brand throughout its existence. It has gone through some different iterations of what it is, and how it is seen. But within all of those changes has been a constant of what it was trying to represent.

To explore the brand known as Harley Davidson, we welcome Ken Schmidt to the ExD Studio. Ken originally wanted to be in advertising, but ended up in public and investor relations. His journey in the profession saw him end up as director of communications for Harley-Davidson, where he was involved in the company’s turnaround.

Part of that turnaround involved changing the perception of Harley-Davidson, while also keeping the perception of Harley-Davidson. Harley has been around since 1903. It was doing exclusive production for the military in World War II. When some of those soldiers returned, they wanted to still ride motorcycles. And some of those soldiers had a bit of a hard time re-integrating into polite society. Thus we get groups known as outlaw motorcycle clubs, and movies that imprinted that connection in people’s minds.

Now Harley-Davidson is the motorcycle of a very diverse customer base. You can’t characterize the “Harley rider” other than a person who like comfort, aesthetics, reliability, and yes even noise as part of their riding experience.

We cover a lot of ground in this chat, including voice of the customer, inclusive design, branding and identity, the psychology of choice, and the challenges of changing how you are seen while trying to keep who you are. We also talk about his book “Make some noise: The unconventional road to dominance.”

I will also add that this conversation was before Harley-Davidson publicly announced it would rollback “DEI initiatives,” including partnering with pride festivals and connections with diversity-related groups.

In terms of how it relates to my conversation with Ken, this last paragraph from Harley is definitely relevant:

"We believe having both a broad employee and customer base is good for business and that ultimately everybody should experience the joy of riding a Harley-Davidson. We remain committed to listening to all members of our community as we continue on our journey together as the most desirable motorcycle brand in the world."

Ken Schmidt: https://kenspeaks.com/

Ken Schmidt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-schmidt-5b08115/

"Make Some Noise" book Link