Yashar Kassai: Artwork and production design for Spiderman: Into The Spider-Verse, TMNT, and more

This is a special sponsored episode of the Design Better Podcast Gali Erez, Head of Wix Studio at Wix, has had quite a journey, from a background in graphic design at CalArts, through transitioning from print to digital in her early work at Warner Brothers, where she helped envision media's digital future. Along the way, she has learned some principles that helped her during her time as an individual contributor, and also guide her as a leader: sharing ideas early, giving tough feedback, and using storytelling as a leadership tool. We speak with Gali about how AI is changing web design workflows, the research process her team uses, and what’s kept her excited to work at Wix for over 10 years. This is a sponsored bonus episode we’re excited to share, as Wix Studio is a product that helps diverse users, from casual creators to professional web designers and developers, with a platform that balances simplicity and customization. *** Learn more about Wix Studio at https://www.wix.com/studio *** Bio Gali Erez is the Head of Wix Studio at Wix and has been with the company for over a decade. She studied graphic design at CalArts, where she experienced the transition from print to digital design. Her early career included a product design internship at Warner Brothers, where she worked on innovative ways to bring media online. At Wix, Erez has held various roles, starting as a UX designer on the DIY editor and later transitioning into management. She played a key role in developing Wix ADI, an AI-driven platform that simplifies website creation, and led the creation of Wix Studio, a professional-grade platform for web designers. Erez's leadership style emphasizes transparency, incremental innovation, and adaptability to changing team dynamics and industry trends. Her work focuses on democratizing web design, balancing accessibility with professional-grade features, and leveraging AI to enhance efficiency and creativity in design processes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jazz is a constantly evolving art form, offering some of the richest lessons in creative collaboration. A melody and chord progression provide the foundation, but as each musician brings their unique improvisational perspective, the music takes on unexpected, transformative shapes. If you ask any fan of the genre who’s pushing jazz into new territory, Kamasi Washington’s name will come up—likely at the very top. His 2015 album The Epic won the American Music Prize and stands, in our opinion, as one of the greatest jazz records of the 21st century. Kamasi contributed to Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning To Pimp a Butterfly, scored Michelle Obama’s Netflix documentary Becoming, and has collaborated with musical legends like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Lauryn Hill, Nas, Snoop Dogg, Chaka Khan, and many more. In this episode, we spent an evening with Kamasi, exploring his creative process, what he’s learned from his collaborators, his philosophy on collaboration, and his latest album, Fearless Movement. Find show notes, bonus content, and more on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/kamasi-washington Bio Kamasi Washington, born in Los Angeles in 1981, grew up surrounded by music, with a saxophonist father and a flutist mother who nurtured his musical talent from a young age. Kamasi’s journey began with drums and piano in his early years, progressing to the clarinet at age seven and finally to the tenor saxophone at twelve, mirroring his father’s path. His high school years at Hamilton High School Music Academy were pivotal; there, he joined the renowned Multi School Jazz Band and learned from jazz icons like Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Kamasi’s talent was quickly recognized when he won the John Coltrane Saxophone Competition, and he co-founded "The Young Jazz Giants," which marked his early step into professional music. Kamasi's musical evolution continued at UCLA, where he studied ethnomusicology and expanded his understanding of global music traditions. This foundation supported his wide-ranging collaborations beyond jazz, where he worked with artists like Snoop Dogg, Raphael Saadiq, and Kendrick Lamar. Yet, despite his diverse influences, Kamasi remained firmly rooted in jazz, ultimately channeling these experiences into his innovative sound. His 2015 debut album, The Epic, was a monumental release—a three-disc exploration of jazz that introduced a unique blend of spiritual depth and musical complexity. The album garnered critical acclaim, broadening Kamasi's reach and establishing him as a leader in modern jazz. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This is a premium episode on Design Better. We release two premium episodes per month, along with two free episodes for everyone. Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, access to our (small but growing!) library of books and participation in book giveaways, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.  Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: Wix Studio: With Wix Studio, agencies and enterprises can create, develop and manage exceptional web projects with hyper efficiency. And if you're worried about the learning curve eating into time you don't have, don't be. Wix Studio is intuitive by design, so your entire team can hit the ground running. For your next project, check out wixstudio.com. Wine Access: We love wine, but often feel overwhelmed by the options out there. But we recently joined Wine Access who not only ship to your door some of the world’s most inspiring wines, they also educate subscribers with full color information cards that accompany each bottle. You should totally join The Waitlist Wine Club. Just visit wineaccess.com/waitlist and use Promo Code: DESIGNBETTER for $25 off your first shipment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re students of the creative process, and so is Adam Moss, author of The Work of Art: How something comes from nothing. Formerly the editor-in-chief of New York magazine, these days Moss is on a quest in his studio to understand painting and through it the mysteries of the act of creation.  Questions about why people create—and the diversity of process across mediums—led Adam to write his book, which features interviews with a host of inspiring folks. Kara Walker, Tony Kushner, Sofia Coppola, Stephen Sondheim, Barbara Kruger, Ira Glass, Samin Nosrat, Marc Jacobs, David Simon, and many more share their approach to the work they do in the book.  We talk with Adam about the red threads that run through such varied creative expressions, finding the right creative partners, how to feed creativity, and how his own work has been influenced by his investigation into how creativity unfolds.  Visit our Substack for bonus content and more: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/adam-moss Bio Adam Moss was the editor of New York magazine, The New York Times Magazine, and 7 Days. As editor of New York, he also oversaw the creation of five digital magazines: Vulture, The Cut, Daily Intelligencer, Grub Street, and The Strategist. During his tenure, New York won forty-one National Magazine Awards, including Magazine of the Year. He was an assistant managing editor of The New York Times with oversight of the Magazine, the Book Review, and the Culture, and Style sections, as well as managing editor of Esquire. He was elected to the Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame in 2019. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This ad-supported episode is available to everyone. If you’d like to hear it ad-free, upgrade to our premium subscription, where you’ll get an additional 2 ad-free episodes per month (4 total). Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, early and discounted access to workshops, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.   Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: Wix Studio: With Wix Studio, agencies and enterprises can create, develop and manage exceptional web projects with hyper efficiency. And if you're worried about the learning curve eating into time you don't have, don't be. Wix Studio is intuitive by design, so your entire team can hit the ground running. For your next project, check out wixstudio.com. Wine Access: We love wine, but often feel overwhelmed by the options out there. But we recently joined Wine Access who not only ship to your door some of the world’s most inspiring wines, they also educate subscribers with full color information cards that accompany each bottle. You should totally join The Waitlist Wine Club. Just visit wineaccess.com/waitlist and use Promo Code: DESIGNBETTER for $25 off your first shipment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of Aarron’s first jobs as a kid was performing magic shows, and it taught him a surprising amount about creativity. Magic is, at its core, the art of storytelling. It’s about directing attention, making people question assumptions, and blending creativity with technology to change how we see the world. That’s why it’s no surprise that Andrew Evans, founder of the Magic Patio, draws on his training from Stanford’s d.school to craft truly mesmerizing experiences.  We dive into Andrew’s journey, from his childhood dream of designing roller coasters, to creating treehouses, working at IDEO and Nike, and eventually launching a magic show in his own backyard. We also explore how he’s honed the art of engaging an audience, and we share tips on how to craft presentations that pull people in and make them feel part of the experience. Watch the video version of this episode on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/andrew-evans Bio Andrew Evans is founder and magician at The Magic Patio, a uniquely San Francisco magic experience. After entering what appears to be a strange library/candy store on Mission Street, guests discover the hidden wonders of a hand-crafted, secret magic theater with one-of-a-kind magic performances. More than designing and performing magic, my passion is creating unexpected experiences that transport people into new worlds and shift their perspective on what they perceive to be impossible. Think Urban Disneyland rather than David Copperfield. A trip to The Magic Patio will fill you with inspiration and wonder as you witness unexplainable feats in an intimate setting. Buy tickets to The Magic Patio *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This is a premium episode on Design Better. We release two premium episodes per month, along with two free episodes for everyone. Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, access to our (small but growing!) library of books and participation in book giveaways, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.  Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: Adobe’s In the Making: As a Design Better listener, we have another podcast we think you’ll enjoy. Adobe’s In the Making hosted by Teresa Au takes an honest look at the challenges and rewards of being part of the creator economy. Building a business around your creative pursuits ain’t easy. Wouldn’t it be great to learn from those who have done this before? Check out In the Making from Adobe to learn more about how to build a creative career and life. Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen. Bluehost: When you upgrade to Bluehost Cloud, you can start managing multiple sites and domains. Not only that, you also get 100% uptime, enhanced security, and priority 24/7 support to keep you online no matter what. That means no crashing from heavy traffic. Go to Bluehost.com and start building your dream website today. Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com (use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We don’t know about you, but we spend more time than we’d like to admit worrying about our future. Central to our concerns is how we’re responding to climate change. It’s a massive, multi-dimensional problem. People like Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen of Gensler, one of the world’s largest architectural firms, bring our anxiety levels down a notch. Under their leadership, Gensler has been innovating in material science and design to mitigate the impact buildings have on our environment.  Diane and Andy have a new book called Design for a Radically Changing World, and we wanted the back story on what inspired them to write about a more sustainable approach to architecture and urban planning. We also spoke with Diane and Andy about their childhood and how they found their way into architecture, and what’s kept them excited about staying at the same company for 30-40 years (a rarity in our current era).  Find bonus content, full show notes, and more on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/diane-hoskins-andy-cohen Bios Diane Hoskins Diane Hoskins, FAIA, is Co-Chair of Gensler, overseeing a global network of over 6,000 employees across 50 offices worldwide. An MIT-trained architect with an MBA from UCLA, her career spans architecture, design, real estate, and business. Diane founded Gensler’s Research Institute to drive innovation and improve the human experience through design. One of its groundbreaking studies, the Experience Index, demonstrated the critical role design plays in enhancing retail experiences, driving sales, and boosting consumer loyalty. Diane is active in organizations such as the Urban Land Institute and the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Cities & Urbanization. Named one of Business Insider's 100 Creators, she is a frequent speaker and media contributor, sharing insights with outlets like The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, and Bloomberg TV. Andy Cohen Andy Cohen's core philosophy is based on shaping the future of cities. Since 2005, he has served as Co-CEO of Gensler and continues to lead the world's foremost design and architecture firm as Global Co-Chair. He is extremely proud of what their global team has accomplished. Gensler is a people- and client-centered organization, laser-focused on enhancing the human experience. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This ad-supported episode is available to everyone. If you’d like to hear it ad-free, upgrade to our premium subscription, where you’ll get an additional 2 ad-free episodes per month (4 total). Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, early and discounted access to workshops, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.   Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: Design Thinking + AI Workshops: We’ve been continuing to run our AI + Design Thinking workshops, including for Fortune 100 companies that are developing some of these technologies. Participants love the chance to play and experiment with some of these tools, and we have an additional public session coming in mid-November. One of our big takeaways is that many people simply don’t have time in their day-to-day workflow to explore this new technology, and this workshop provides just that—a valuable space for experimentation, discussion, and reflection on how the world and our jobs are changing with generative AI. Register for November 13th If you're not yet a Design Better Premium member, if you sign up for a yearly account we've got a few 50% off tickets for new yearly members. Just sign up for a new account at the yearly level and we'll share the discounted ticket code with you if you write to us at [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The New Yorker has great writing, but Aarron and I are pretty sure we’re not the only ones who flip through the magazine before reading any articles to find all the great cartoons from legends like Roz Chast or Saul Steinberg. So you can imagine how thrilled we were to get a chance to speak with Jason Chatfield, a New Yorker cartoonist who also happens to be a very talented illustrator, and aspiring stand-up comedian. Jason’s also got a new Substack about his creative process called Process Junkie. We talk to him about the importance of embracing mistakes, how he collaborates with writers, the cartoon selection process at the New Yorker, and why creating a large volume of work is critical to creative success. Get bonus content and more on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/jason-chatfield Bio Jason Chatfield is an award-winning Cartoonist, Author & Comedian based in New York City. For 16 years, he has been an internationally syndicated comic strip cartoonist, writing and drawing the iconic 102-year-old strip, Ginger Meggs, published daily through Andrews McMeel Syndication. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, MAD Magazine, Esquire, Variety, The Weekly Humorist, American Bystander, Wired, and Air Mail among others. His art has been exhibited in France, the UK, Australia, and all over the United States and in books published by Penguin Random House, Harper Collins, & Humorist Media. His latest book with Andrews McMeel Publishing will be out in Fall 2025. Chatfield is a past President of both the National Cartoonists’ Society (Est. 1946) and Australian Cartoonists Association (Est. 1924). He is the youngest cartoonist to ever hold either of these positions. His weekly newsletter New York Cartoons is one of Substack's Featured Publications for 2023, with thousands of weekly subscribers. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This is a premium episode on Design Better. We release two premium episodes per month, along with two free episodes for everyone. Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, access to our (small but growing!) library of books and participation in book giveaways, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.  Upgrade to paid Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: *** Methodical Coffee: Join us for a coffee break with our friends at Methodical Coffee. In this segment, Methodical Coffee co-founder Will Shurtz teaches us how to select the right roast for our preferred flavor profile. Select your own preferred roast at methodicalcoffee.com, and use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order. LinkedIn: Design Better is supported by our pals at LinkedIn—our favorite social network. It’s hard to get your B2B marketing to land with the right audience. Let’s face it, the web can be a very noisy place! If your message isn’t targeted to the right audience—it just disappears into the noise.  With LinkedIn Ads, you can precisely reach the professionals who are more likely to find your ad relevant. With LinkedIn's targeting capabilities, you can reach people by job title, industry, company, and more. Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. To get a $100 credit on your next campaign go to LinkedIn/designbetter to claim your credit. *** If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: [email protected] If you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If, like us, you’ve been tinkering with the plethora of AI tools that have emerged recently, chances are it’s changing your workflow and creative process. AI is a great thought partner for writing, illustration, and even user research, but we’ve been wondering how people in other creative disciplines are using it. Matthias Hollwich, principal and founder of New York architecture firm HWKN Architecture, has discovered AI is a powerful addition to architectural design. He and his team are using it to imagine how buildings might fit into the existing design of a city, and take cues from local history and culture. It’s yet another way AI is unexpectedly expanding creative horizons. Find the transcript, bonus content, and more, on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/matthias-hollwich Bio Matthias Hollwich is the founder of HWKN, a NY-based collective of architects, sculptors, social strategists and innovators dedicated to use architecture to shape a better world. Matthias was born and raised in Germany where he studied architecture and brings a dual perspective to all the firm’s designs, combining German precision with American aspiration. Matthias was honored in Fast Company’s ranking of the world’s Top 10 Most Innovative Architects and in Business Insider’s list of Top Business Visionaries. He published his first book UmBauhaus- Updating Modernism in collaboration with Rainer Weisbach and the Bauhaus Foundation in 2006. His latest book, New Aging: Live Smarter Now to Live Better Forever, suggests a new way to think about aging that could fundamentally change the way we design for it. *** Stay tuned after the interview for a special look at Wix Studio, the intuitive way for agencies and enterprises to design exceptional sites, with full-stack business solutions, multi-site management and built-in AI.] We chat with Brad Hussey, Founder of Creative Crew—a free community for web agencies with Wix Studio—about how he uses the platform to efficiently build and refine websites by seamlessly transferring designs from Figma, saving time through its dynamic content management, customizable features, and support for custom CSS. To learn more about Wix Studio, visit dbtr.co/wixstudio. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This ad-supported episode is available to everyone. If you’d like to hear it ad-free, upgrade to our premium subscription, where you’ll get an additional 2 ad-free episodes per month (4 total). Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, early and discounted access to workshops, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.   Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: LinkedIn: Design Better is supported by our pals at LinkedIn—our favorite social network. It’s hard to get your B2B marketing to land with the right audience. Let’s face it, the web can be a very noisy place! If your message isn’t targeted to the right audience—it just disappears into the noise.  With LinkedIn Ads, you can precisely reach the professionals who are more likely to find your ad relevant. With LinkedIn's targeting capabilities, you can reach people by job title, industry, company, and more. Start converting your B2B audience into high quality leads today. To get a $100 credit on your next campaign go to LinkedIn/designbetter to claim your credit. Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com (use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order). If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: [email protected] If you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve talked with people across many creative disciplines on Design Better, and there’s a red thread that keeps popping up—many are neurodivergent in some way. A diagnosis of ADHD in childhood can seem like a disadvantage, but it can actually become a superpower that enables hyper-focus and deep learning. We wanted to learn more about ADHD so we called in an expert—Skye Waterson.  Skye received a surprise ADHD diagnosis at the beginning of her Ph.D. program, which led her to research and develop strategies to help other adults with ADHD reach their potential. Now, she has an international business called the Unconventional Organisation which supports more than 800 professionals with ADHD. We spoke with Skye about some common challenges that people with ADHD face at work, why the modern work environment does not always work for ADHD thinkers, as well as some communication strategies for collaborating with neurodiverse people in your work. For full show notes, bonus content, and more, visit our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/skye-waterson Bio Skye Waterson is an academic with over seven years of experience working in adult education. She has studied in various fields, including Psychology, Sociology, and Public Health, and is now a Doctoral Candidate in Population Health. Skye was diagnosed with ADHD at the start of her doctorate. Since then, she has dedicated time to researching and disseminating ADHD studies, focusing on supporting others with strengths-based, neurodiverse-friendly tools and systems. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This is a premium episode on Design Better. We release two premium episodes per month, along with two free episodes for everyone. Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, discounts and early access to workshops, access to our (small but growing!) library of books and participation in book giveaways, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.  Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: On Set With: The HGTV and Max On Set With podcast explores the sets and world building of beloved films and TV shows produced by Warner Bros. Discovery through conversations with art directors and set designers. Each episode highlights a different iconic set from film or television. Through a constellation of voices (set decorators, production designers, directors, and showrunners) our audience gets a first-hand account of the creation of the environments that became a part of our collective, global iconography — and actionable tips to bring the power of scenic design into our listeners’ own spaces. Listen to On Set With on Spotify Listen to On Set With on Apple Podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until Designer Fund was founded by Enrique Allen and Ben Blumenrose, venture capital investments rarely considered design strategy when investing. Companies like Stripe, Notion, Gusto, and Omada Health—all in Designer Fund portfolio companies—see design as a competitive advantage and a tool for acquiring and retaining customers. Enrique Allen told us all about the tremendous value design is creating in these and many other companies. We spoke with Enrique about how they chose design as an investment lens, the changing role of design from when they started until now, why venture capital might not always be the best way to fund a startup business, and how they think about finding good partners and co-founders. By the way, if you’re starting a design-centric company and seeking investment, Designer Fund is investing up to $1 million for pre-seed and Series A startups. To learn more and apply for funding, visit designerfund.com/partnership. Apply by October 4th. Bio Enrique Allen is the co-founder and managing partner at Design Fund. Previously, Enrique was a designer at venture capital firms, including 500 Startups, Facebook’s fbFund, and Venrock, where he helped invest in companies like Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT), Wildfire (acquired by Google) and Behance (acquired by Adobe). He's a Stanford University alum, former Division 1 soccer player and senior lecturer at the Stanford d.school. *** Stay tuned after the interview for a special look at Wix Studio, the intuitive way for agencies and enterprises to design exceptional sites, with full-stack business solutions, multi-site management and built-in AI. We chat with Kyle Prinsloo, founder of ClientManager.io, about why he loves Wix Studio for its efficient tools like the Figma to Wix Studio plugin, and robust email marketing features, which have greatly improved his workflow and client engagement.  To learn more about Wix Studio, visit dbtr.co/wixstudio. *** Premium Episodes on Design Better This ad-supported episode is available to everyone. If you’d like to hear it ad-free, upgrade to our premium subscription, where you’ll get an additional 2 ad-free episodes per month (4 total). Premium subscribers also get access to our monthly AMAs with former guests, ad-free episodes, early and discounted access to workshops, and our new enhanced newsletter The Brief that compiles salient insights, quotes, readings, and creative processes uncovered in the show.   Upgrade to paid *** Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show: Incogni: Every year, both the number and scope of data breaches worldwide are rising. According to the 2022 Annual Data Breach Report by the Identity Theft Resource Center, the number of victims has gone up nearly 41.5% from 2021. Incogni reaches out to data brokers on your behalf, requests your personal data removal, and deals with any objections from their side. Use promo code DESIGNBETTER at https://incogni.com/designbetter to get 60% off an annual plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Design 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.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices