Consulting and publishing
I frequently advise and present to major companies and organizations on the topics of design, product strategy, principles of psychology, and team dynamics.
Some of the companies I’ve helped include: Google, Intuit, Peloton, IBM, Zendesk, LinkedIn, Atlassian, AT&T, The White House, The US Department of State, CDC, WHO, W3C, Goldman Sachs, Lloyd's Bank, Capital One, American Express, L'Oreal Paris, FirstMark Capital, Stanford dSchool
Consulting
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![Toke Nygaard]()
“Aarron is well versed with his work in designing for emotion. In such turbulent times, Aarron helped remind us how important it is to take a moment to reflect on how design effects our lives in how we feel and at work, to design for all the complexities of human emotion.”
— Toke Nygaard, Chief Creative Officer, Zendesk
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![Evan English]()
“Aarron's balance of storytelling and illustrative examples sparked thought provoking discussion and inspired our teams. Most importantly, he introduced concepts and frameworks for inclusive design that can easily be put into practice. Our team felt energized after his talk and walked away with a greater understanding of how to design with empathy.”
—Evan English, VP Product Design & Research, American Express
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![Jeffrey Zeldman]()
“Aarron Walter is a superb speaker, author, designer, and creative leader. Aarron has the gift of transforming complex design concepts into simple, compelling stories that are memorable, entertaining, and warmly relatable.
Jeffrey Zeldman, An Event Apart co-founder
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![Kara Defrias]()
"Aarron role models all the characteristics that make for a great designer and leader: humility, kindness, ridiculous smarts, and a focus on humanity. So what a pleasure to host him as part of our Outside In speaker series. He knocked it out of the park—employees raved!"
Kara DeFrias, Intuit QuickBooks
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![Rachael Wan]()
“Our audiences love Aarron! A true industry thought leader and experienced public speaker, Aarron was incredibly engaging and informative, generously sharing exciting insights and grounded advice with our attendees. It was one of the most-attended and highest-rated talks we have hosted."
— Rachel Wan, Growth Tribe
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![Steve Turbeck]()
“Aarron gave a fantastic talk at Goldman Sachs. He was able to make the case for design being an endeavor that all roles contribute to, which sparked a great conversation at the firm around digital product management.”
— Steve Turbeck, Goldman Sachs
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![Greg Storey]()
“Aarron kicked off our design team event with an impactful keynote that still resonates within our design organization.”
— Greg Storey, USAA
Writing
I’ve written and co-authored a few books on various topics in the product design space, the latest of which is Designing for Emotion, second edition.
Packed with engaging case studies and psychologically-grounded principles, Designing for Emotion has never been more relevant for modern business. Aarron Walter once again offers wise, inspiring guidance for the principles of designing for humans, and addresses newer challenges that have emerged for web professionals tasked with reaching an ever-shifting audience.
“Emotion can be a fuzzy word, but with Aarron Walter's expertise and insight, emotion becomes an unfair advantage for your business.”
— Jake Knapp, New York Times bestselling author of Sprint
“Aarron’s reboot comes just when we now know how digital experiences can not only delight and empower people but they can also destroy and depress them, too. Aarron’s updated text addresses these darker concerns while still carrying the unfettered optimism he’s brought to the intersection of creative expression with business.”
— Dr John Maeda
“Business leaders everywhere are now appreciating the power of design. But what exactly is that power? This book breaks down what design is really about—the human at the other end of the experience—and for that person, how to go beyond functional and usable to truly delightful.”
— Julie Zhuo, author of The Making of a Manager
Combined with the power of design thinking, these extensively researched best practices from some of the world’s best design teams will help you nail the fundamentals of product design and do your best work.
This book will help you get your bearings as a leader, gain confidence, and learn tactical approaches from experts who have been in your shoes so you can support your team and advance your career.
Podcasting
I co-host two podcasts—Design Better and Reconsidering—which affords me regular opportunities to speak with and learn from experts and deep thinkers.
Design Better
Design Better is an award winning, Webby nominated podcast with more than 4 million downloads that explores the creative process, design, and technology.
“Each episode is sharp, to the point, and full of incredibly valuable information for anyone looking to better understand how to build a more innovative world.”
“If you want to flex your boss muscle, subscribe to the Design Better podcast.”
Reconsidering
Reconsidering explores how to live a more satisfying life by getting fresh perspective on your career, relationships, and the values that guide you through inevitable changes. In each episode, co-hosts Bob Baxley, Meredith Black, and I talk with experts about living a life of balance filled with meaning.
Since 2008, I’ve been a regular keynote speaker at design and technology conferences around the world.
Countries where I’ve delivered keynote presentations about product design, user research, and psychology include Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Poland, UK, Israel, Peru, Canada, and 20 US states.
