Experience by Design

For 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...

I 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 vis...

I’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...

This 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 t...

I 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...

By the time that you are listening to this, I should be in Florence, Italy visiting my daughter who is studying abroad. I’ve never been to Italy, and by extension of that I’ve never been to Florence, so there is going to be a lot to experience while there. Hopefully there will be some fun tales to tell afterwards!

Having stories to tell is different from being able to tell stories. It is an art to be able to tell a good story, one that not only keeps people engaged, but also transmits some knowledge or l...

I don’t know about you, but I find the cereal aisle to be a pretty wondrous place.  We’re all probably pretty used to it, but just imagine the cereal aisle from the perspective of a person who has never seen it before. It’s a lot. I mean, how do you pick a cereal when you don’t know what each of them has to offer. 

Of course, this is where marketing comes in. 

Marketing is that thing that tries to connect us with products, services, organizations, and every other matter of thing that is try...

I have long taken an interest in, and even done research on, this idea of “labor-saving technology.” Maybe it is because I had a front-row seat to a lot of the technological transformations that we now pretty much take for granted. 

In ninth grade, I had a typing class on fully manual typewriters, the kind where the keys would jam and you had to whack the return bar. Good times. The next year, the school installed PCs for typing class. I also have lived through dot matrix printers, dial-up modems, floppy disks (the actual floppy kind), cable telev...

It was quite the weekend for Nordic skiing in the United States. The World Cup visited Lake Placid, NY, and I was there along with 14,000 plus other spectators to take it all in. We saw some of the biggest names in cross-country skiing take to the line and race in the snow and even in the rain. As an avid Nordic skier, it was awesome to see it all happen in a location that I have skied (although at much slower speeds). 

One of the main attractions was the retirement of Jessie Diggins, the greatest Nordic athlete e...

Well we did it, folks! Experience by Design podcast has hit 25,000 downloads. I don’t know what all that means in real terms other than a lot of you like to listen to this on a regular basis. First, that’s a testament to the great guests who spend their time talking with me about their lives and their work. Second, it is a testament to you for being interested in these stories and the field of experience design. Third, I guess it is a testament to me, even though I don’t feel comfortable giving myself credit.

So t...

You probably know that there are a lot of podcasts out there to listen to. By one estimate, as of January 2026 there are 4.58 million podcasts. That’s a lot of people churning out content that runs the gamut of topics and guests. If you look at the podcast stats, you also will see that nearly one-third of podcasts are 20-40 minutes in length. 

Which makes Experience by Design stand out in a somewhat unique way in terms of the length of my conversation with guests. Only about 15% of podcasts last an hour or more. 

So why...

Once again, we are living in a time of military conflict. It seems like it is something that is inescapable, which is enough to make one who wishes for better to lose hope that it is possible. It can start to feel pretty overwhelming given the amount of suffering that continues to go on without reprieve. 

This once again introduces the central importance of dispute and conflict resolution in our lives. It also emphasizes the importance of those who have the skills to help us navigate conflicts and dispute in order to come to some kind of o...

The 2026 Winter Olympics are now over, and it was great to watch. As always, there are a lot of compelling stories that happened. There are stories of triumph and disappointment, as it goes with sports. It is hard to imagine putting so many years of your life into something to have it all turn on minutes or seconds. 

There were a lot of athletes that were projected to win gold, including Jessie Diggins who is the greatest US cross-country skier ever. However, no US woman or man has ever won a cross-country skiing gold, so there were a...

Although I often describe myself as a sociologist, my academic foundation began with psychology—I completed a dual major in psychology and sociology. One of the courses that most shaped my early thinking was Industrial/Organizational Psychology. At the time, I struggled with what felt like a top‑down, management‑centric approach. I even recall asking the professor whether the field existed mainly to validate decisions leaders already wanted to make. If he’s listening now, I offer a sincere apology for my younger, overly blunt critique.

My career ultimately led me to workplace ethnography through a sociolog...

If you’re a sports fan, a winter fan, or an Olympics fan, this is a great time of year. I’ve been watching the Olympics—especially the Nordic skiing events, since cross‑country skiing is one of the activities I really enjoy. The United States has had some impressive results, including Ben Ogden winning a silver medal, Jessie Diggins earning a bronze, and several other standout performances. It’s inspiring to see everything come together for athletes who have spent years working toward their goals.

But talk about pressure. So much comes down to one day, one event...

One of the challenges of getting older—especially for men—is meeting people and forming new friendships. Social connection is a fundamental human need, yet the demands of work, responsibilities, and constant distractions make it difficult to create the time and space for meaningful relationships. A recent Pew study found that men and women report loneliness at similar rates. However, women are more likely to lean on their social networks for support, while men often struggle in silence.

A Gallup poll further reveals that young men in the U.S. are lonelier than their counterparts in other part...

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending an RV Expo in Worcester Massachusetts. I’m not looking for an RV, but am generally RV curious. I find the concept of an RV pretty interesting, and I have to say that walking about the expo revealed the range of designs that exist in the RV market. Different sizes, different features, slide outs, Fifth wheels, hitches, toy haulers, so much to take in at once given that I am a RV newbie. I also learned that RV manufacturers are always taking customer feedback and trying to improve their designs, as...

We are living through an unmistakably accelerated era of technological transformation. History shows that periods like this often reshape not only how organizations operate but also how individuals relate to one another and engage with the world.

Looking back, the impact of major technological shifts seems obvious. But living through them is far more complex. On any given day, headlines announce CEOs radically reorganizing around artificial intelligence and replacing roles once held by people, while other reports note that many companies have yet to realize measurable benefits from their significant AI investments.

The reality is...

I think we can still technically say we are in the midst of the new year even though we are two weeks into it. I don’t know if there is a statute of limitations on how long you can wish another person a happy new year, since also technically it is the new year until the next new year at which point this new year will become the old year. 

One of the things that is meant to last throughout the new year are the changes that we want to make in our lives. While January 1st...

Designing Holidays—and Environments —that Heal, Not Harm

As the holiday season winds down, many of us breathe a sigh of relief. The decorations are packed away, the music fades, and the whirlwind of expenses and obligations comes to an end. Yet, for many, the aftermath brings its own stress—credit card bills, fatigue, and even emotional strain. The truth is, the holiday experience can carry its own form of trauma.

Trauma is far more common than we often acknowledge. Research suggests that over 70% of Americans have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifeti...

Happy New Year’s everyone!

New Year is the time of year when we build unrealistic expectations about what the huge celebration we should be part of, and what big changes we are going to make in the form of our resolutions. It is a lot to live up to, and can create a lot of pressure. All of which is why I don’t like New Year’s. 

To be honest, I feel like our run of holidays go steadily downhill starting with Labor Day and ending with New Year’s Day in terms of the pr...

Happy holidays once again! This is being aired the day after Christmas, or on Boxing Day for those who are in places that do a thing called Boxing Day. I guess it has something to do with giving boxes, or having boxes, or maybe relatives boxing one another after spending time together over the holidays. Whatever it is, hope you have a happy one. 

The actual origins, according to Wikipedia, seems to be around the mid 1700s when “traditionally on this day tradespeople, employees, etc., would receive presents or gratuities (a ‘Christmas box’) from their customers or employe...

Happy holidays, everyone!
I’m recording this intro a week early because I’m away right now, trying to enjoy a little downtime. Knowing we have an international audience, I hope that wherever you are, you’re finding joy in whatever you’re doing. And if you’re celebrating a holiday, may your celebrations be truly joyful.

Of course, the holidays can also bring their share of conflict—often around shopping and family gatherings. Both can feel pretty daunting. Fun fact (or maybe not so fun): there’s actually a Black Friday death and injury counter. Thankfully, th...

The most enjoyable part of doing the podcast is talking to a wide range of people who, regardless of their industry or role, share a common goal: making things better. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. Sometimes we make things better by selling something people need. Other times, it’s by teaching them something new, creating an art installation that moves them, designing a workplace where they feel fulfilled, or building tools that make tasks easier. Whatever the approach, the mission remains the same—to make things better.

This simple goal can...

As listeners would have heard previously, I attended a FinTech event which got me thinking about financial literacy and financial experiences. I’ve started to write some thoughts down related to that which I am posting on my Substack. You can find that at https://garycdavid.substack.com/. 

This post was about financial literacy as financial inclusion, and how knowledge is power especially in relation to financial decision making for oneself. I will admit this gets tricky because it can seem like the financial game at the highest levels may be for lack of a better term ‘rigge...

For those listeners in the United States, a Happy Thanksgiving to you all. Thanks for being part of Experience by Design podcast and making putting on the show worthwhile and rewarding. And for those of you in Canada, Happy Belated Thanksgiving. And for those in other parts of the world, I hope you can take a moment to give thanks for whatever you feel thankful.

Giving thanks is not just something that should be reserved for one day a year. Giving gratitude should be something that we all do everyday. I know that I am trying to...

Yesterday I had the privilege of attending the Assistive Technology Conference of New England, put on by TechACCESS of Rhode Island. It was a great event that brought together professionals and companies that are trying to improve accessibility through technology for those with ranges of physical and intellectual challenges. Walking around, looking at the exhibits, and talking with people, I was continuously impressed by the innovation and dedication around me. 

I would say it was “inspiring” but not in the way that one might usually think. The word “inspiring” can have a negative connotation in this world because i...

I am back from the FTT Fintech Festival, hosted by VC Innovations and taking place in London. I was hosting a panel on attracting the next generation of customers to mutuals, which are member-owned financial institutions offering different types of services and products. I was lucky enough to have a great group of panelists, and it was a great event over two days. To say that I learned a lot would be an understatement. The event was full of really engaging conversations and panels around a host of topics in the intersection of finance and technology. Since I’m no...

It is that time of year again when employees have to make a selection of their benefits package, which includes your healthcare plan. I just got the announcement from HR that the enrollment period is now for that uniquely American thing that we call “employer-based healthcare.” It is fascinating that a healthcare program that is unlike any other developed country is taken so for granted as “that’s just how it is” because that is how we have come to know it and we are used to it. For the most part, this is how people think healthcare is supposed t...

I went to a Catholic all-boys high school run by the Christian Brothers, a teaching order founded by St. John the Baptist De La Salle. I will give them credit for giving me great preparation for future academic success, and even maybe this podcast. So at the foundation of Experience by Design are the Christian Brothers. 

But that wasn’t my first brush with Catholicism. I did a fair number of the sacraments growing up and into adulthood, a process which included learning about the tenets and history of such central figures like Jesus. One of the thi...

My first jobs were in restaurants washing dishes and busing tables.  I would go on to do other jobs in restaurants, including cooking, waiting on tables, hosting on occasion. I think working in restaurants is a great first job because it teaches you to deal with people, and work in collaboration with different functions. So no matter what you do in a restaurant, it is a great experience to prepare for life. 

While I for sure was ‘cooking,’ I wouldn’t call myself a “cook.” And definitely wouldn’t consider myself being a “chef.” I was just a person following...

One bit of news that caught my attention was the declining trust that the American public has in higher education over the last decade. In good news, Gallup found that trust did increase from 2024 to 2025. However, it is still markedly down from 2015. Not surprisingly, those levels of trust differ by political affiliation, as most things seem to different by political affiliation nowadays. 

Another study by Pew states that young adults are increasingly questioning the value of a four-year college degree, especially when looking at the cost of it. This is coupled with smaller four-year liberal arts institutions b...

I don’t think I am alone in finding art very intimidating, but yet like all of us being I am inextricably drawn to it. 

I had the chance to go to a concert last night with the band Queens of the Stone Age. I have seen them three times before, but never quite like this. For this tour, they were playing beautiful smaller venues, like the Boch Theater in Boston where I saw them. The tour was in support of their “Alive in the Catacombs” movie and album, which was recorded in the catacombs under Paris. 

One...

I used to have a Zen proverb a day calendar, the ones where each day you tear off a new sheet that has another saying that was meant to make you contemplate, get in touch, consider, explore, think. My years always started off well, but by about June I was just ripping pages off trying to catch up to the day I was supposed to be on. I honestly think I got more mileage out of my Dad Joke a Day calendar that ended up replacing the Zen one in an ensuing year. But then again maybe there is...

We are now in the first days of autumn, and there isn’t a better time to be in New England. When I first moved to Boston, one person told me that spring was the best time in New England. I never again trusted anything that person ever told me. Fall is the best time, and perhaps September is the best month in the fall. Not that I don’t like the winter, because I do (as long as there is snow to Nordic ski on). But when things get a bit cooler and the leaves change, the sweaters and...

Recently when talking to my freshman class about time management strategies, part of me started to feel sorry for them knowing that the challenge of time management only gets harder and not easier. I’m sure it feels overwhelming to have so many classes, social activities, for some sports obligations, joining clubs, and even hopefully sleep. There is a lot to balance, and achieving that balance seems like a never-ending struggle.

And of course that only gets worse. Add in children, household chores, more demanding jobs, maintaining relationships, bills, exercise, and any number of other commitments, having th...

Standing in front of a classroom, or trying to talk to anyone raised in the distraction generations, emphasizes how we are constantly trying to compete for attention. I guess that competing for attention is nothing new; it is just the sources of distraction are different. Back in the “before times” of not too long ago, people would get distracted by daydreaming, where their minds would wander to some other made up location and they could get lost in their thoughts. At least in those occasions, there are minds and thoughts at play, an engagement in the creative that can hope...

I think I am being honest when I say that I have never eaten at a Cracker Barrel. I may have once or twice in my life, but I honestly don’t remember. This is not out of any ideological reason or intentional decision. It just never happened. Never seemed like a place I would want to go when passing by. Given that there are four Cracker Barrel’s in Massachusetts, it is hardly an option. I don’t think I’m missing out on it, but you can tell me if I am wrong. I’m not that interested...

For parents who have school-aged children, it is the most wonderful time of the year when the children are gone from the house and return to places of learning, or at least someplace other than bothering their parents. We love are children dearly, but loving them when they are somewhere else is a welcome reprieve. 

Each new school year presents some amount of changes in how education is done. Part of this is rooted in our evolving understanding and adoption of modes of teaching. Even though teaching is by no means a new endeavor, changes in society w...

I am just back from a vacation that took me across three states, one Navajo reservation, and some federal land in the southwest of the United States. Departing the humid and heavily greened northeast to the dry and brown and red landscapes of the southwest was a major transition. I have never spent that much time in that part of the country, so it was, you might say, quite the experience. Traveling throughout the region really revealed the expansiveness of it. The lack of foliage will do that as you can kind of see to the horizon between the...