Shows
Design BetterThe Brief: How our recent past should prepare us for the age of AIIn this issue of The Brief, we’re reflecting on what we learned about the past and future of design from our conversation with Paola Antonelli (The Museum of Modern Art), Mark Wilson (Fast Company), Kate Aronowitz (GV), Mike Davidson (Microsoft), and Meaghan Choi (Anthropic).
Looking back at 30 years of design
by Eli Woolery
Roughly thirty years ago, I was an undergrad, sitting in our dorm’s computer cluster —this was before the days when most students had laptops. I ran into something I hadn’t seen before. It was called Netscape Navigator, and it was one of t...
2025-10-2014 min
The Business of Content with Simon OwensThis Stanford lecturer co-hosts one of the most popular design podcastsMy newsletter: https://simonowens.substack.com/ When Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter launched the Design Better podcast, they did it on behalf of InVision, a tech platform used by designers and other creatives. Aaron was the head of content at the company, and the goal of the podcast was to educate the designer community while also raising awareness of the InVision brand. But when InVision decided to wind down its content operations, Eli and Aarron negotiated to take over Design Better, and now it's a thriving standalone business. In a recent in...
2025-08-2737 min
Design BetterThe Brief: Stop specializing—live a multidisciplinary creative lifeby Eli Woolery
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the multitude of people we’ve interviewed for Design Better, it’s that the most innovative creators of our time share an unlikely trait: they refuse to stay in their lane. While conventional wisdom pushes specialization, these polymaths build careers by following curiosity across fields—from nuclear engineering to footwear design, from video games to graphic novels.
In my own career, it took me many years to realize this, and in some ways my journey began the day after my son was born.
I re...
2025-06-1113 min
Design BetterThe Brief: What designers can learn from writers and storytellersWords are worth a thousand picturesby Eli WooleryHow does Sir Jony Ive, the famed former head of design at Apple, start every project? If, like me, you guessed by sketching, you’d be wrong. I was surprised to learn when he visited the design capstone class I co-teach at Stanford that he starts all projects by writing.But Jony gave our class a powerful example of why writing is a far more versatile conceptual tool than sketching. He spoke of working with a landscape designer on his property in the UK. Th...
2025-02-2814 min
The Drew Lane ShowLions Crush Colts – November 24, 2024
Detroit Lions can’t be stopped, Eli Zaret on Michigan buying Bryce Underwood, Stuttering John v. Lenny Dykstra, Matt Gaetz on Cameo, documentaries in different languages, and Ryan Borgwardt’s perfect plan.
Eli Zaret joins us as the Detroit Lions move to 10-1 and defeat the Indianapolis Colts. We also discuss JaMo’s $20K fine, the Lions/Buffalo Bills may be flexed to Monday Night, Michigan’s slim chances against Ohio State, Larry Ellison opens his wallet for Michigan because of his wife, LeBron and Bronny James are selling their jerseys, MSU over Purdue, Bowl eligibilities, the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl To...
2024-11-253h 08
Future Around & Find OutDesign for Emotion. Leverage AI. Be Curious. | Design Better’s Co-founders on Building Great ProductsAI democratizes things. It's enabling designers to be developers, and developers to be designers… And in this episode, Aaron Walter and Eli Woolery explain how AI “changes the game” for designers. As co-founders of Design Better, Aaron and Eli advise companies on how to incorporate AI into their design process. We’ll explore how AI can help designers explore a problem more thoroughly, as well as some pitfalls to watch out for. (Hint: speed is not always a good thing.)Aaron and Eli are also hosts of the popular Design Be...
2024-11-1230 min
Product Powers - Human Skills for Product Thinkers to Thrive in the Age of AIWhat is Product Design? Eli Woolery Stanford D.School Lecturer E158In a world driven by innovation and creativity, product design has emerged as a crucial field influencing everything from consumer products to the digital tools we use daily. But what exactly is product design, and how does it differ from traditional approaches to problem-solving? I had the pleasure of exploring these topics through a conversation with Eli Woolery, a lecturer at Stanford University and co-host of the podcast Design Better, along with his insights on design thinking and the impact of AI on the design process.Here's what I learned from Eli's journey and insights, from the...
2024-09-2435 min
Design BetterDesign Better TrailerDesign Better co-hosts Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter explore the intersection of design, technology, and the creative process through conversations with inspiring guests across diverse creative fields, to help you hone your craft, unlock your creative potential, and learn the art of collaboration.Whether you’re design curious or a design pro, Design Better is guaranteed to inspire and inform. Vanity Fair calls Design Better, “sharp, to the point, and full of incredibly valuable information for anyone looking to better understand how to build a more innovative world.”
2024-09-1705 min
UNIQUEWAYS WITH THOMAS GIRARD132 Eli Woolery, LecturerEli is formerly the Director of Design Education at InVision. His design career spans both physical and digital products, and he is a lecturer in the Product Design program at Stanford University. You can find Eli on Medium or on Twitter.
2023-11-2121 min
Bottom Line DesignNurturing creativity in the startup world with Elijah Woolery
We sit down with Elijah Woolery, a prominent figure in the design and entrepreneurship space, to delve deep into the essence of creativity and innovation.In this episode, we explore:- The challenges startups face in reigniting their initial spark of creativity and innovation.- The importance of trying different forms of creativity, even outside of one's primary domain, to stimulate imaginative thinking.- Eli's perspective on the value of creating products with genuine care and the responsibility of releasing something into the world.- A heartwarming note on the significance of aligning values...
2023-10-1652 min
Design BetterDesign Better TrailerDesign Better co-hosts Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter explore the intersection of design, technology, and the creative process through conversations with inspiring guests across many creative fields. Whether you’re design curious or a design pro, Design Better is guaranteed to inspire and inform. Episodes are released semi-weekly. Vanity Fair calls Design Better, “sharp, to the point, and full of incredibly valuable information for anyone looking to better understand how to build a more innovative world.”
2023-08-2401 min
Product, ExplainedElijah Woolery, ExplainedIn this episode, Jeff and Mike interview Elijah Woolery, Senior Director of Design Education at InVision. InVision is “the online whiteboard and productivity platform powering the future of work.” We talk about Eli’s work on the Design Better Podcast, his mission to elevate design, and how you should always Assume Good Intent.
[1:30] We discuss what led to Eli’s post-college adventures as a scientific research diver in Bermuda and surveying everything from corals to fish.
[5:00] Iterating designs quickly in the machine shop and knowing what you’re strengths are.
[8:00] We talk about Eli’s work as a le...
2023-04-0340 min
Edit Undo#45 Turning experience into content and advancing the future of design with Eli WooleryIn our first episode of the year we get to talk to Eli Woolery who is the co-host of the Design Better podcast, a lecturer at Stanford University, and the Director of Design Education at InVision. Eli shares some parallels between practising and teaching design, and what it was like for him to move away from product design and into the realm education and content creation. We also explore the affordances of working within different mediums like physical products over software design, and how the processes can vastly differ the outcome of a product. Eli also shares how he...
2023-02-131h 05
EA Unlocked#1 Ranked EA Boys' Cross Country - A Season for the Record BooksIt has been an incredible season for EA's record-setting Boys' Cross Country Team. The squad is now ranked #1 in Pennsylvania and for the first time in school history, the team earned a coveted spot at the Nike Cross Nationals championship race in Portland, Oregon. Coach Jim Farrell, and members of the team, stopped by to talk about a season they will never forget. Guests: Aidan McHugh, Dakin Ebmeyer, Connor Hanrahan, Dawson French, Michael Woolery, Eli Engleman. Ethan Zhou and Coach Tony Herman were not able to attend the recording.
2022-12-0817 min
Brands That PodcastInVision: Establishing a Loyal Audience w/ Eli WooleryIn this episode, Jeremiah sits down with Eli Woolery, Senior Director for Design Education at InVision, to chat about the impeccable execution of their content platform and podcast, Design Better.Design Better is an entire brand within InVision that produces books, industry reports, a podcast, a newsletter, blogs, and so much more. It’s entirely focused on delivering high-quality education and value to its audience.Tune in to learn why they built Design Better as a complementary brand to InVision, how their focus has changed over the years, how th...
2022-03-3038 min
Dance Battle: The Competitive Intelligence PodcastHow content marketing creates competitive advantage | Eli WooleryIs it possible to create competitive advantage by giving something away for free? Eli Woolery is the Sr Director of Design Education at InVision, where content marketing looks less like a typical B2B SaaS content team and more like a full-on media company. With its generous investment in content and education over many years, InVision has helped lift up the design community to true business leaders, transforming entire industries.
2021-10-2725 min
The Icarus IdeaEli Woolery: How to create an epic zigzag designer life?Zigzagging through life as a designer, Elijah Woolery tells us impressive stories and big lessons. Also, though: cheese alarm, nothing about biomimicry and Monty Python. Let us know what you think! Hope you learn something and enjoy. Highly recommend the books the people at Invision wrote/recorded: https://www.designbetter.co/books The podcast is definitely interesting too: https://www.designbetter.co/podcast In case you don’t know the airspeed of an unladen swallow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uio1J2PKzLI On insta we share our jo...
2020-11-2728 min
Unleashing the Future of Work (UTFOW)UTFOWLive B2B Discussion w_ Eli WooleryUTFOWLive B2B Discussion w_ Eli Woolery See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
2020-06-1700 min
Design BetterJourney into the connected workflowAs we prepare for the last episode of Season 3, take a look back at some of the stories that have inspired us. In this short update episode, hear from hosts Aarron Walter and Eli Woolery about what they've enjoyed about this season of the Design Better Podcast so far and preview our upcoming episode with Diego Rodriguez, Executive Vice President, Chief Product and Design Officer at Intuit. There's lots more to come, so be sure to subscribe for updates at www.designbetterpodcast.com.
2019-09-0303 min
The Drew Berquist ShowEp 123 | Breaking Down the State of the Union Address | Chuck Woolery Guests | The Drew Berquist ShowPolitical analyst David Kamioner joins Drew and the team to break down the State of the Union address. Also, former "Wheel of Fortune" and "Love Connection" host and current host of "Blunt Force Truth" Chuck Woolery joins Drew to discuss the address and the MSM's unfair coverage of the president. Finally, former Navy SEAL and Bottle Breacher CEO/founder Eli Crane swings by to discuss the company's new .50 caliber bottle breachers celebrating the president, as well as some ideas for Valentine's Day. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
2019-02-0650 min
Design DrivenAarron Walter & Eli Woolery - InVisionAs the VP of Design Education at InVision, Aarron Walter draws upon 15 years of experience running product teams and teaching design to help companies enact design best practices.Aarron founded the UX practice at MailChimp and helped grow the product from a few thousand users to more than 10 million. His design guidance has helped the White House, the US Department of State, and dozens of major corporations, startups and venture capitalist firms.He is the author of the best selling book Designing for Emotion from A Book Apart. You'll find @aarron on Twitter an...
2017-10-0335 min