Experience by Design

There are a lot of aspects of my job that I enjoy. Perhaps the most enjoyable is helping students prepare for a fulfilling life where they can find a professional and personal path that will work for them. Not that we as professors can be fully responsible for that. But I think all professors see themselves as Robin Williams either in Good Will Hunting or Dead Poets Society. We want to reach our students in a way that provides a lasting impact.
Another part of this is trying to extend one’s own profession through the lives of younger aspiring professionals. Ideally, we provide a platform on which they can stand and advance, further progressing the work we have done and hoping for greater progress when the reins are turned over to new generations. Here is what we have done and learned, and now it is up to you all to advance what we started. I can’t say “finish what we started” because progress is never finished. But through continued progress, we can hope that things just keep getting better for more and more people.
While we all can be beneficiaries of such progress, it is important to keep in mind those who have been historically marginalized, making sure that progress is not just felt by them, but directed toward them.
To discuss professional pipelines and intentional inclusion, I welcome Steven Wakabayashi to Experience by Design podcast. Steven has a fascinating history, majoring in physiology/neuroscience as well as theater/dance, which was a unique combination for a pre-med path. However, his own work creating websites and a gap year led him to focus on design as a career.
We talk about his low-tech childhood, where he had to find ways to use creativity to occupy his time. Steven discusses the importance of taking creative risks and making mistakes during one’s education. Steven explores how design is becoming increasingly homogenized due to Eurocentric perspectives and corporate aesthetics, but highlights the importance of global design diversity, particularly from Asia, Africa, and different Asian countries. He explains that while some designers seek corporate jobs for stability, clients are increasingly seeking fresh and innovative designs that often draw inspiration from underrepresented communities and activism.
Steven describes his efforts related to the QTBIPOC Design fellowship, providing a pipeline for diverse talent to make a difference through design. We also explore how leveraging individual experiences and cultural backgrounds can enhance problem-solving and create more effective designs. We end with discussing the need for adaptability in design practices as contexts and audiences evolve rapidly, emphasizing the importance of being open to new approaches and continuously reassessing needs.

Stranger Creative: https://strangercreative.com/
QTBIPOC Design: https://qtbipoc.design/
Steven Wakabayashi Website: https://stevenwakabayashi.com/
Steven Wakabayashi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenwakabayashi/

I am just back from being at Customer Contact Week in Nashville, where I was lucky enough to be a keynote speaker. In one of those moments that I’ll likely never repeat, I was on the Country Music Hall of Fame stage. I even got to use the Vince Gill waiting room before going on stage. It was all very cool, and a lot of fun to be where many famous artists have been before me. I hope I did them proud in my own performance. I was told the talk went well by people who saw it. It’s hard to tell from the stage, at least for me it is. I also think I could have done better, and usually focus on what I should have done rather than how well I executed what I did.
Overall the event was really interesting, and I learned a lot about what’s happening in the industry. One of the key takeaways was the focus on customer service and experience, including its connection to employee experience. There was a lot of conversation around how to integrate technology, especially AI, to deliver better experiences for everyone involved in the contact center interaction. People still matter, and human moments need humans in them! That’s the good news. Perhaps the bad news is that companies still don’t know how to leverage this technology, buying into the hype rather than focusing on their core strategy. This means that even vendors have to educate clients on how to best implement the technology.
Sorting all of this out is going to require some leadership. And more specifically, servant leadership that focuses on providing benefits to others rather than just enriching ourselves.
This is why I am fortunate to have Arthur Adams on Experience by Design.
Arthur and I share roots in Detroit, Michigan, which already tells you the high quality person that he is. Beyond that, he grew up with a father who was a minister. Both of these foundations led to his emphasis on serving others and embracing a resilient attitude in life. His own journey started out in supply chain, working with CSX in roles that included VP of Sales and Customer Engagement, as well as Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Now he is extending his service through his book, “Servant Leaders Finish First,” which provides a “yearlong journey of purpose, presence, and resilience.”
We talk about how modern leaders are faced with a myriad of inputs that they have to manage and make sense of. As a result, the modern leader is fatigued with higher rates of burnout and turnover. To become better leaders, we need to constantly revisit service as the core of our calling. This requires periods of self reflection, self awareness, and engagement in meaningful work. Additionally, we need to be able to take care of ourselves given the cost that can come with service to others.

Arthur Adams Website: https://arthurlead.com/
Arthur Adam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurladamsjr/
“Servant Leaders Finish First”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H8B8TVQH

There has been a lot in the news about fraternities of late, which made me think about my time in a fraternity. When I was pledging as a college first-semester freshman, I had the “privilege” of being pledge class president. I should probably put that on my LinkedIn profile now that I think of it. But “leading” is different from rank. I had the same experience from being the Chair of my academic department. I was “in charge” in the sense of my name being required on a lot of documents, among other responsibilities. Was I leading? That I don’t know. It was more facilitation and accommodation than what I would consider to be leadership.
All of this underlines a couple of important points regarding leadership. The first is leadership is more than a position, it is an activity. All of us can lead in our everyday lives, such as leading by example. But to lead in an organization requires people being willing to follow. This goes back to the old saying about leading a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. Leadership intent in the absence of being well received yields a lot of frustration on all sides.
So we have this reciprocal relationship between those trying to “lead”, and those taking direction to guide action. You can’t have one without the other.
Sean Patton knows something about leadership, having been taught it, exercised it, and advised on it. With a last name of “Patton,” it is not surprising that he went to West Point. From that point, he was a US Army Special Forces Commander, for which he received two Bronze Stars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He also was recognized with a Leadership Award as a commander. At the same time, his first business out of the military failed, providing him with another perspective on leadership and leading. Other personal setbacks further strengthened his perspectives and resolve around what it means to lead not just for others, but for one’s self.
Today he is a leadership coach and trainer at Novus Global, working with various organizations like Redfin, Netflix, and Meta. He also wrote the book “A Warrior’s Mindset: The 6 Keys to Greatness”, and is the host of the “No Limit Leadership” podcast.
We talk about his concept of ‘epistemic humility’ in leadership, emphasizing the importance of being open to changing one’s beliefs when new information arises. In other words, leadership means being able to adapt. We also explore leadership challenges with young adults, as well as the need for ongoing leadership development opportunities. Sean describes the difference between “quiet competence” to “loud obstinance,” using historical figures such as President and General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Admiral Chester Nimitz as examples. Finally we talk about employee experience, leadership, and artificial intelligence. As AI becomes more ubiquitous, employees, and leaders need skills like analysis, creativity, and pattern recognition. A good leader needs to see AI as a tool to enable workers, rather than just an opportunity to replace them.

Sean Patton Website: https://www.seanpatton.me/
Sean Patton LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/seanpattonpresents
“A Warrior’s Mindset: The 6 Keys to Greatness: https://www.amazon.com/Warriors-Mindset-Keys-Greatness/dp/B09HG54YS4
“No Limit Leadership” Podcast: https://nolimitleadership.buzzsprout.com/
Novus Global: https://novus.global/seanpatton

I guess now that it is autumn and nearly October, it’s time to start preparing for the upcoming holiday. And by that I mean of course Christmas, and not Halloween. Tis the season! That is, if the season ever really ends. Honestly, if we mark the Christmas season as starting when stores bring the decorations out and Mariah Carey belts out over the store speakers, the Christmas season has already started. Sure, we do fit Halloween and Thanksgiving in the mix, but those only feel like afterthoughts. It is all Christmas all the time.
I don’t think our devotion to Christmas is because of the level of religious observance in the United States. I do recognize that it is an important day for many because of their religious beliefs, and I don’t want to take anything away from that. But our extended Christmas season is more about society’s devotion to stuff. The buying of stuff, the giving of stuff, the getting of stuff. It is all about the stuff. If you don’t believe me, just remember that today’s rendition of Santa Claus was borne out of a Coca-Cola ad campaign.
I have a different relationship today with stuff. I’ve hit that point in the aging cycle where I am looking to shed stuff rather than acquire more stuff. You start to look around at the stuff you have accumulated, and wonder what it is for and do I need it? Or did I ever need it? If I haven’t used it yet, odds are I won’t. So, I am all about trying to get rid of the things I don’t use and really don’t need.
When you start down that road, you do start to wonder, “What exactly do I need?” “What kinds of things would I really value?” I think that way when my kids ask me what I want for my birthday, Father’s Day, or a holiday. I don’t really need anything. So what then can they get me? It can be a hard decision to arrive at.
Now, imagine doing this on a much larger scale, such as for employees or as give-aways at a conference or corporate event. All the stuff that is given to us, handed out, gifted as tokens of appreciation, and the like.
Ben Greenock has thought exactly about these issues. Ben is Chief Customer Officer and Co-Founder of the company Go Swag. As Ben describes, Go Swag isn’t your typical swag company. Ben tells about how they turned down business with one client because they wanted to order something that Ben knew was just going to be discarded as more “stuff.” Rather than just providing stuff, Go Swag does research to figure out what will be useful to the audiences you are trying to provide for.
We discuss how Go Swag tries to create branded gift experiences using high quality, sustainable gifts which can be distributed globally with unique boxing. Ben also describes how they draw on their UX know-how to develop intuitive and seamless customer journeys. Additionally, they don’t go with gimmicks, but things that the recipients will value.
Ben also talks about going to the Glasgow School of Art and Product Design, especially as a person who grew up with undiagnosed dyslexia. However, these challenges of getting through school allowed him to develop resilience and a unique way of problem solving which he still uses today. Thus, he is wired to find a better way. We also talk about the importance of gift-giving and reciprocity in building relationships with others, and that gifts should be well thought out and intentional to be valued.
Ben Greenock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengreenock/
Go Swag Website: https://www.goswag.com

With the marketing pre-launch of my book “The UN-WOW,” I have had more attempts at social media engagement than I ever thought (or wanted to be) possible. It has been an ongoing process of creating content, posting content, and waiting for people to notice the content. In doing so, I have noticed a lot of other people doing the same things. Create, post, wait, and then hopefully engage with an ‘audience.’ It seems to be the circle of life today.
The creating, posting, and waiting is the easy part quite frankly. It is the getting noticed that presents the challenge since there are many others trying to do the same thing. So there we are, all together, hoping for the same things. Maybe we should all be commenting on each other’s stuff. Would save a lot of time.
With more and more content out there in the world, there is a greater challenge to get noticed, to break through all the other postings. I have read a bunch of stuff on SEO, or search engine optimization, trying to figure out how to maximize ‘market penetration.’ But it seems that a lot of that time might have been wasted because there are new abbreviations to consider!
On this episode of Experience by Design podcast, I welcomed Alan Rambam to the show. Alan is the author of “GEO Survival Guide,” and “Maintaining Visibility Survival Guide.” in which he describes generative engine optimization and its relation to SEO. To our conversation, Alan brings a career of experience with Ford Motor Company, Gravitater, Fleishman-Hillard, and even working with the Clinton Administration in the aftermath of the shootings at Columbine High School.
We talk about the challenges associated with visibility in a world obscured by a constant flood of content. But we talk about more than that. He talks about how he started a business in youth marketing as a teenager. This led to opportunities with the Clinton White House doing youth outreach. He shares how all of this ultimately led to a career spent helping companies become visible.
Alan takes me through this process of checking your current visibility, and how to maximize your visibility and exposure using the newest technology. He talks about how SEO is still relevant, but not all you need to consider. We need to write for AI algorithms in order to become more visible and become “discoverable.” He describes how “the machine is the gatekeeper now,” and that AI has to believe your content is true before it includes it in its algorithms. At the same time, we need to retain control of the content and the process.
We also talk about art, society, humanity, and what we need in our lives in the coming AI age.

Alan Rambam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanrambam/
Alan Rambam Website: https://alanrambam.com/
“Maintaining Visibility Survival Guide”: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G6Z6L9NX