Source and Inspiration
The Shakers exemplified both the principle and the courage to practice design in a manner that looked after the human experience of life on earth.
Principle One
The Shakers exemplified both the principle and the courage to practice design in a manner that looked after the human experience of life on earth.
Principle Two
The Shakers exemplified both the principle and the courage to practice design in a manner that looked after the human experience of life on earth.
Principle Three
The Shakers exemplified both the principle and the courage to practice design in a manner that looked after the human experience of life on earth.
The Shakers exemplified both the principle and the courage to practice design in a manner that looked after the human experience of life on earth.
The Shakers exemplified both the principle and the courage to practice design in a manner that looked after the human experience of life on earth.
The Shakers exemplified both the principle and the courage to practice design in a manner that looked after the human experience of life on earth.
UX often prioritizes one user in one moment in time. Upstream and downstream impact and critical human relationships can be left out.
ZX prioritizes a holistic sense of interconnectedness, helping a user realize gratitude, reciprocation, purpose, and shared cause.
ZX Workshop May, 2025
Join us at Esalen in Big Sur, CA!
Our first independent ZX event will be at Esalen, a stunning, radical, and inspirational backdrop for learning about and developing a new design philosophy.
I’m a designer and research expert specializing in the fields of Human-computer Interaction and User Experience design. I’ve helped organizations such as Toyota, Samsung, and McDonald's embrace human-centered design for over 25 years.
But lately, like many of my clients and colleagues, I’ve felt something missing from the strategic priorities of design.
I propose the term ZX as a new perspective on User Experience (UX). When the two terms are compared, the limitations of the latter are clear; the tools and methods of Human-centered Design must be applied to connecting the user to the world outside their own skin as opposed to the isolating service of their individual and momentary needs alone.
Cultures around the world refer to principles of human connection collectively with the same word; “warmth.”
Science, religion, and philosophy tell us that warmth is essential to the biological brain and spiritual heart alike.
The Shakers warmed user experience by prioritizing self transcendence and human connection. Later, these same principles were championed by psychologist Abraham Maslow and put into practice by Fred “Mr. Rogers.”
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Within the rich material culture of the Shakers we see a carefully, and intentionally crafted user experience. The prevailing characteristic of that experience is warmth.
Like the comforting smile of someone we might describe as having a “warm” personality, the experience within a Shaker world is one of trust, support, reciprocation, and belonging.
April 2026
ZX26 will bring together experts in Design and Shaker culture at the stunning Hancock Shaker Village.
CalArts, May 2025
Lecture on Designing Warmth at California Institute of the Arts, San Francisco, CA. w/Hugh Dubberly
Rosenfeld Media, February 2025
Lecture on Designing Warmth for Rosenfeld Community, Rosenfeld Media, w/ Louis Rosenfeld
Parsons School of Design, March 2024
Lecture at Prototyping Utopia Residency, Parsons School of Design, w/ Killeen Hanson
SCAD, May 2024