Design Better
Hosted by Design Better
Two veteran design leaders interview authors, founders, and creative professionals about the intersection of design, technology, and business.
This is a show for practitioners about the philosophy and business of design. The hosts don't just ask about a guest's work; they use their own deep experience to frame conversations around big-picture trends, like the tension between physical and digital products or how to justify human-centered design to a CFO. It's less a 'how-to' guide and more a 'how to think' resource for creative professionals.
“Unlike many design podcasts focused on portfolio tips, the hosts act as intellectual sparring partners, bringing well-researched theories to the table for guests to react to. Their status as industry veterans allows them to ground abstract concepts in real-world business scenarios.”
Who hosts this show
Co-hosts Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter explore the intersection of design, technology, and the creative process through conversations with inspiring guests. Walter, who built the UX practice at Mailchimp and later worked at InVision and Resolve to Save Lives, and Woolery, a lecturer at Stanford's d.school and former Director of Design Education at InVision, bring deep industry experience to their interviews. The podcast, which started as a content marketing project for InVision, is now an independent media company.
Credentials & credits
- Aarron Walter: Co-founder of Design Better, former VP of Design Education at InVision, founded UX practice at Mailchimp.
- Aarron Walter: Author of "Designing for Emotion".
- Aarron Walter: Advised the White House, US Department of State, and WHO.
- Eli Woolery: Co-founder of Design Better, Lecturer at Stanford University's d.school.
- Eli Woolery: Former Director of Design Education at InVision.
- Eli Woolery: Author of "Design Thinking Handbook".
Other ventures
- The Curiosity Department, LLC (Parent company).
- Aarron Walter: Design consultant for corporations and government agencies.
- Eli Woolery: Co-founded Wetpixel Quarterly magazine.
- Eli Woolery: Founded Out of the Deep Blue design consultancy.
What kind of podcast
- Country
- United States
- Region
- usa
When new episodes drop
- 01Why People Still Crave Real, Physical Things, With Vestaboard's Dorrian PorterJun 21, 2026 · 6 min
- 02How Vestaboard Built a Physical Object People Obsess OverJun 17, 2026 · 43 min
- 03Why Your Best Work Keeps Losing to ROI, with Lean Startup's Eric RiesJun 11, 2026 · 7 min
- 04Why Great Companies Go Bad, with Lean Startup's Eric RiesJun 9, 2026 · 50 min
- 05Your Brain Is Lying About What You Can Create with Nir EyalJun 4, 2026 · 11 min
- 06Why Your Beliefs Decide What You Can Create with Hooked Author Nir EyalJun 2, 2026 · 1h 05m
- 07Why the Eames Never Designed Just One Chair, with Llisa DemetriosMay 28, 2026 · 4 min
- 08How Charles and Ray Eames Actually Worked, with Llisa DemetriosMay 26, 2026 · 37 min
Notable episodes
- 01Why Great Companies Go Bad, with Lean Startup's Eric Ries
Features a prominent author applying his new philosophical framework to the common problem of creative work losing to financial metrics.
- 02How Charles and Ray Eames Actually Worked, with Llisa Demetrios
An inside look at the process of iconic designers, guided by the chief curator of the Eames Institute, focusing on iteration over inspiration.
- 03How Vestaboard Built a Physical Object People Obsess Over
A case study in designing modern physical products that blend nostalgia and technology, a recurring theme of the show.
What you'll be asked on this show
The hosts are deeply prepared, often citing specific concepts from a guest's work or referencing a previous conversation with them. A signature technique is to frame questions with a detailed theoretical framework or a real-world hypothetical, asking the guest to apply their ideas to a specific, often high-stakes, business challenge (e.g., winning an argument with a CFO). They frequently play devil's advocate to test the resilience of a guest's philosophy, pushing back on ideas that might seem 'too woo-woo' for a corporate setting. This approach moves beyond simple Q&A, creating a dynamic conversation where ideas are tested and refined in real time.
This is a two-host interview show where the hosts are established fans of their guests' work. They often use personal anecdotes and their own use of a guest's product to build rapport. The podcast releases both full-length interviews and shorter, focused clips from those conversations as separate episodes.
Questions Design Better keeps coming back to
6 cataloguedIf you're going on this show as a guest, expect some version of each of these. Each note explains when Design Better reaches for it.
future
1- Q.01
“How do you think about your work in the context of a larger trend like AI or digital overload?”
The hosts use this to position the guest's specific project within a broader cultural or technological shift.
advice
1- Q.01
“How would a leader use your concept of 'human flourishing' to win an argument with a CFO focused only on ROI?”
This is a signature move: translating a guest's abstract philosophy into a concrete, high-stakes business scenario.
backstory
1- Q.01
“For our listeners, can you catch us up on what's happened with your company since we last spoke?”
Used as an opener for returning guests to establish continuity and get updates.
origin
1- Q.01
“What was the origin story of this new product?”
A direct prompt to get the narrative behind a product's creation, often after discussing the flagship.
process
2- Q.01
“Can you walk us through the process of creating and maintaining the software and developer ecosystem?”
This question digs into the operational and strategic details behind the hardware or main offering.
- Q.02
“How does collaboration work on your team, especially the dynamic between optimists and skeptics?”
Asks about the internal team culture and creative friction that leads to the final product.
Signature segments
- · Full-length interviews
- · Short-form clips from interviews
Topics covered repeatedly
Who gets booked here
Guests are typically authors of influential business or design books (Eric Ries, Nir Eyal), founders of design-forward companies (Vestaboard), or senior creative leaders from companies like Netflix and Adobe. They are established thought leaders in their field.
- Dorrian Porteron Why People Still Crave Real, Physical Things, With Vestaboard's Dorrian Porter
- Eric Rieson Why Your Best Work Keeps Losing to ROI, with Lean Startup's Eric Ries
- Nir Eyalon Your Brain Is Lying About What You Can Create with Nir Eyal
- Llisa Demetrioson Why the Eames Never Designed Just One Chair, with Llisa Demetrios
- Tina Roth Eisenbergon Tina Roth Eisenberg: Creative Mornings founder on building communities that run on trust
Where to find this show
Audience & reach
The show offers host-read, authentic endorsements and also creates bespoke advertorial content and sponsored episodes where the guest is affiliated with the sponsor, such as the interviews with the founder of Vestaboard.
Subscriber and view counts are pulled live from YouTube and re-verified on a 30-day cycle. Listener estimates for the RSS feed aren't published here unless they're host-verified.
Pitch Design Better
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People also ask
- Who are the hosts of Design Better?
- The podcast is co-hosted by Aarron Walter and Eli Woolery. Walter is known for building the user experience practice at Mailchimp, and Woolery is a lecturer at Stanford University's d.school.
- What is the podcast's format?
- It is a two-host interview show featuring conversations with leaders in design, technology, and creative fields. They release both full-length episodes and shorter clips.
- Is the Design Better podcast still active?
- Yes, the podcast releases new episodes semi-weekly.
- What kind of guests appear on the show?
- Guests are typically authors of influential business/design books, founders of design-led companies, and senior creative leaders from major tech companies.
- Where did the podcast get its name?
- The podcast is part of the larger 'Design Better' brand, which includes books and a toolkit, originally created by InVision to provide resources for design professionals.
- Is the Vanity Fair quote real?
- Yes, the quote, 'sharp, to the point, and full of incredibly valuable information for anyone looking to better understand how to build a more innovative world,' is cited on the podcast's official website and Apple Podcasts page.
Built from the show's public RSS feed, YouTube, the host's own websites, and the cited sources below. Computed and AI-extracted fields are labelled. Facts only — no private info, no fabrication, no transcripts republished.
Sources & how this page was built
This page is AI-assisted, grounded in the public sources cited below, and host-verifiable. We publish facts only; we do not republish transcripts. If anything here is wrong, the host can claim and correct the page above.Model: gemini-2.5-pro · high confidence
- [01]About - Design Betterdesignbetterpodcast.com
- [02]About - Aarron Walteraarronwalter.com
- [03]Elijah Woolery - Stanford d.schooldschool.stanford.edu
- [04]This Stanford lecturer co-hosts one of the most popular design podcasts - Simon Owens's Media Newslettersimonowens.substack.com
- [05]Design Better - Apple Podcastspodcasts.apple.com
- [06]The Design Better Podcast - The Shorty Awardsshortyawards.com
- [07]Aarron Walter :: UXmatters Authorsuxmatters.com
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