The Unmistakable Creative Podcast Daniel Stillman: The Architecture of Conversations and Why Every Interface Shapes What We Say
Nov 12, 2025
Daniel Stillman, an author and conversation designer, explores the architecture of conversations and their profound impact. He discusses how physical and digital spaces shape what we discuss, emphasizing the importance of invitation in dialogue. Daniel unveils techniques to manage power dynamics and enhances group conversations with innovative facilitation methods. He also shares a five-step framework for transforming inner dialogue, illustrating how minor shifts in conversational structure can lead to dramatically different outcomes.
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Design Is A Conversation
- Conversations are designed at many scales, from museum exhibits to team workshops, and that design shapes outcomes.
- Daniel Stillman realized design is a conversation and uses design thinking to structure complex dialogues for teams.
Craft Invitations To Spark Intrinsic Motives
- Make invitations clear, immediate, and tied to intrinsic motives like play, purpose, or potential.
- Phrase generous, open questions to elicit richer, more creative answers from people.
Interfaces Shape Conversational Possibility
- Interfaces (physical and digital) set what conversations are possible by shaping power, inclusion, and affordances.
- Small changes (rotating tables, templates, video on/off) drastically alter relational dynamics and outcomes.
