They designed their world with the idea that it would design them back.
“The harmful consequences of a lack of connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and organizations”
– Vivek H. Murthy, M.D., U.S. Surgeon General
v.s.
“Warmth is a connecting principle. Somehow the barriers come down when warmth is involved.”
– Pema Chödrön
The Shakers exemplified both the principles and the courage to practice design in a manner that warmed the human experience of life on earth.
The Shakers exemplified both the principles and the courage to practice design in a manner that warmed the human experience of life on earth.
Who were the Shakers?
ZX
What is Transcendent Experience Design?
People
We are design professionals and educators who believe in new priorities, new responsibilities, and new inspiration for the design of human experience.
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Daniel, founder of Designing Warmth, is a designer and research expert specializing in the fields of Human-computer Interaction and User Experience design.
He has helped organizations such as Toyota, Samsung, and McDonald's embrace human-centered design for over 25 years.
Daniel was founder and manager of the User Interface team at Samsung’s Los Angeles Design Lab, V.P. of Research Services at Gist Design, acquired by TrueFit Innovation in 2014.
He’s the inventor on five U.S. design patents for human-computer interface innovations.ption text goes here
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Sarah is a writer and curator specializing in American craft and design.
She’s the former curator of Hancock Shaker Village (Pittsfield, MA) where she oversaw the stewardship of the museum’s collection of 19 historic buildings and over 22,000 works of Shaker material culture. Sarah served as Luce Associate Curator of American Folk Art Museum (New York), and she has held positions in the curatorial departments of Frye Art Museum (Seattle), Museum of Contemporary Craft (Portland, OR), and Cranbrook Art Museum (Bloomfield Hills, MI).
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Killeen teaches Strategic Design and Management at Parsons School for Design in New York City.
She consults as a thought partner and design strategist. Her ongoing research projects and collaborations explore the power of collective reading, how objects work as vehicles for ideology and change, and the relationship between education, publication, and civic engagement. She holds degrees from Stanford University, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and Oregon College of Art and Craft.
Experiences
Cliffside in Big Sur
“Designing for Warmth: Creating Transcendent User Experiences”
Esalen Institute
We’re sharing the principles of designing warmth in workshops, immersions, lectures, and conferences.
We develop custom programming to ensure that the principles of designing warmth inspire your organization and impact your ways of world-building.
Worlds we’re warming:
health, wellness, & palliative care
financial services
public interest
design agencies
legal education
automotive
Upcoming Events
September 2025
Prototyping Utopia, w/ Killeen Hanson, Parsons School of Design
New York City, NY
September 2025
“Designing Warmth” (private event) Coforma
Washington, D.C.
Past Events
August 2025
“UX Talks” Conference, DENSO
Tokyo, Japan
May 2025
“Designing for Warmth: Creating Transcendent User Experiences”
Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA
February 2025
Lecture on Designing Warmth for Rosenfeld Community
Rosenfeld Media, w/ Louis Rosenfeld
May 2025
Lecture on Designing Warmth at California Institute of the Arts
San Francisco, CA. w/ Hugh Dubberly
Enfield Shaker Museum, June 2024
“The Human-Centered Design of the Shakers”
Enfield Shaker Museum’s Spring Forum
March 2024
Lecture at Prototyping Utopia Residency
Parsons School of Design, w/ Killeen Hanson
May 2024
Master Class “Designing Warmth”
SCAD, Future Leaders of User Experience (FLUX), w/BC Hwang