The Brief: Stop specializing—live a multidisciplinary creative life

The Brief: Stop specializing—live a multidisciplinary creative life

Author: The Curiosity Department, sponsored by Wix Studio June 11, 2025 Duration: 13:48
by 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 remember that day as unseasonably hot. September 2015 on the Monterey Peninsula—the kind of clear, warm day that follows long stretches of coastal fog. After leaving the hospital where my wife Courtney was recovering with our newborn, I grabbed a quick (wife-sanctioned) surf. The clear horizon promised a month of record warmth ahead. At home, I checked email before setting up my auto-responder for two weeks of paternity leave. Near the top of my inbox: a message from our startup's CEO. Not what I expected. The gist: "We're sorry, but our co-founders had a fight, the company is splitting up, and we have to lay you off." Panic. Losing my job right after our second child wasn't the plan, especially since we'd just moved to the Monterey Peninsula in an era before remote work was widespread. I delivered the news to Courtney at the hospital along with her Starbucks coffee, and couldn’t find anything comforting to say. She ended up reassuring me—we were going to be OK. And we were. It became a rare chance for me to spend real time with our newborn son, young daughter, and Courtney. Time to reflect on what came next. And I had a secret weapon—something I hadn't always considered a strength. Continue reading this issue of The Brief on Substack at DesignBetter.com

Eli Woolery and Aarron Walter host Design Better, a podcast from The Curiosity Department, sponsored by Wix Studio, that lives in the rich space where design, business, and technology meet. Their conversations move beyond simple tips to explore the entire creative process with guests from a wide spectrum of disciplines. Each episode feels like a deep, practical discussion aimed at refining your skills, sparking new ideas, and mastering the nuanced art of working with others. You’ll hear from leaders and practitioners who share not just what they do, but how they think, tackling the real challenges and breakthroughs that define modern creative work. This isn't just for seasoned professionals; if you have any interest in how things are made and why they work, this podcast offers valuable perspective. It’s that consistent depth that earned praise from outlets like Vanity Fair, which noted the show's sharp and substantive focus. Tuning in provides a regular dose of inspiration and actionable insight, whether you're looking to elevate your craft or simply understand the forces shaping the products and experiences around us.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Design Better
Podcast Episodes
Design Better 2024 Holiday Gift Guide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:05
We're at the holidays once again and that means it's one of our favorite episodes, our Design Better holiday gift guide for designers, creatives, and anyone who appreciates well-designed products. This list is perfect fo…
Bonus Episode: Gali Erez, head of Wix Studio [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:21
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…
Adam Moss: The Work of Art [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:13
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…
Andrew Evans: Design & magic 🪄 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:11
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 questi…
Diane Hoskins and Andy Cohen: Design for a Radically Changing World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:28
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…
Jason Chatfield: New Yorker cartoonist on his creative process [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:43
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 Stei…