Design Of Podcast

In this episode, we're inaugurating a new tradition of starting each season with a recap and check of the previous season's guests. Listen in as Wills and Justin share updates from some of our most popular guests from Seasons 1-3, plus a bonus segment on how one kid spent an evening thinking he had become temporarily invisible.

Tanner Woodford wanted to create new opportunities for people to experience the power and impact of design. As Executive Director of the Chicago Design Museum, Tanner is working to preserve and showcase how design has shaped and is shaped by this great city. This is our last episode of Design Of Season 3! We look forward to sharing more stories of people and process in 2018.

Greg Wittstock took his childhood passion of turtles, ponds, and the outdoors to create a Fortune 500 company. As Founder and CEO of Aquascape, a leading manufacturer of water gardens, water features, and products for backyard ponds, Greg is serious about giving everyone the enjoyment of a pond in their own backyard and living life to the fullest.

From an early age, Kim Nevels has been driven by a hope for equality in her hometown of Chicago. As the Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Center Director at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Kim fights injustice in the form of discriminatory housing practices and policies. We traveled to Kim's office to hear more about her journey to this point, and her vision for a more inclusive Chicago.

Daniel Lerner doesn't easily fit into defined categories. Following an impressive career as an agent in the classical music industry, Dan decided to follow a life-long passion to explore how people can flourish in career and life. Dan's answers to that question, informed by years of academic research and real-life experience, have placed him in front of Fortune 100 executives, classrooms of graduate students, professional athletes, and musicians around the world.

For over a decade, Nate has toured the US college circuit as one of the busiest working magicians in the country. He’s given a TEDx Talk, lectured at the world-famous Oxford Union, and in 2018 the Harry Potter-famed Bloomsbury Publishing will release Nate’s memoir in bookstores worldwide. Here is Real Magic follows Nate's evolution from obsessed wunderkind to disillusioned wanderer, and tells the story of his rediscovery of astonishment—and the importance of wonder in everyday life—during a trip to the India, where he infiltrated a 3,000-year-old clan of street magicians. Justin and guest host, Bob Davidson, travelled to Nate's hometown in Iowa City, Iowa to learn more about this student of wonder and the lengths he goes for a moment of amazement.

Kelsey Timmerman is the New York Times Bestselling author of Where Am I Wearing? A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes and Where Am I Eating? An Adventure Through the Global Food Economy. His writing has appeared in places such as the Christian Science Monitor and has aired on NPR. Kelsey is also the cofounder of the Facing Project, which seeks to connect people through stories to strengthen community. Kelsey stopped by the global Rule29 headquarters to help us understand a bit more about the man that sees a mailing address as a necessary evil.

Justin and Wills hang out with Karen Sabo – a humble midwesterner with a unique hobby: she's an American Ninja Warrior. We learn about how an ASU soccer star went from the field to the Ninja pit, and how she's using her passion to inspire the next generation of Ninjas.

How many hours do you spend on Facebook per week? Afraid to say? Now imagine you're the person creating the Facebook experience that 1.3 billion people use every day. On this episode of Design Of, we speak with Josh Higgins, one of Facebook's top Creative Directors, and how he went from playing punk rock in San Diego, to designing for the 2012 Obama presidential campaign, to leading creative teams for one of the most prominent brands in the world.

Von Glitschka is principal of Glitschka Studios, a boutique design firm located in the Pacific Northwest. His diverse range of illustrative design has been used by some of the most respected brands in the world. He creatively collaborates with ad agencies, design firms, in-house corporate art departments, and small businesses to produce compelling visual narratives.

Pete Docter’s imagination is capable of some pretty incredible things. As a director at Pixar Animation Studios, it brought us Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and UP. It makes us wonder, it makes us dream. Justin and Wills travel to California to sit down with Pete and learn about how these films originate in his imagination and end up on the big screen.

As the Obermann Public Scholar at the University of Iowa, David Gould helps students plot the course to their dream career and a fulfilling personal life. He previously led a collaboration with Zappos CEO, Tony Hsieh in rebuilding the social and economic structure of downtown Las Vegas.

Known around the world for his teaching, counsel, and compassion, Friar Richard Rohr, O.F.M. is a Franciscan Priest who has devoted his life to helping people walk the challenging road of self-acceptance and understanding. Justin and Wills traveled to the Center for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque, NM to learn firsthand Richard's take on life, faith, society, and knowing our true selves.

Justin and Wills hang out with Mike Erwin, part military veteran, part nonprofit leader, part Superman.

Alice Cooper is one of the most recognizable and iconic musicians of all time. As the Godfather of Shock Rock, Alice continues to break new ground in creating an unforgettable show experience for audiences both young and old.

The global water crisis is one of the most complex and demoralizing challenges present in our world. Thousands die each day from disease, infections, and dehydration, all easily preventable with adequate safe water and sanitation resources. Justin Narducci and his team at Lifewater International are not content with this reality. On this episode of Design Of, we'll get to hear how one organization is rolling up its sleeves to not only help people get clean water, but transform lives forever.

Few people know what it's like to pedal up a mountain in France with legs throbbing, heart pounding, and a world championship title on the line. Even fewer know what it's like to stand on the podium alongside one of the most decorated cycling teams in history. Christian Vande Velde is one of those few people. In this exclusive interview, Christian brings us into how his father's cycling legacy paved a way for a new era in American cycling, as well as the unseen challenges and triumphs of building a career as a professional cyclist. Audio note: This is our first remote podcast. You may hear some faint ringing and static, but don't worry we have a new set up for the future. #Process

Victor Saad believes there’s something wrong with conventional higher education. A few years ago, Victor took a leap and wasn’t sure where he would land. He quit his job and set out to learn about how organizations can focus on people and flourish. Now a few years later, Victor leads an experiential learning community called Experience Institute where he helps students create their own higher education with the help of some of the most innovative companies and organizations in the world.

Justin and Wills sit down with Ryan O'Neal, the mind behind the successful indie music outfit Sleeping At Last. Ryan fills us in on the inner-workings of his creative process and how he balances well-deserved fame with a growing family.