Bonus Episode: 30 years of design with Wert&Co, live in NYC featuring Paola Antonelli, Mark Wilson,Kate Aronowitz, Mike Davidson, and Meaghan Choi

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Oct 10, 2025

Guest

Mike Davidson

In this engaging discussion, Paola Antonelli, a leading voice in design from MoMA, highlights how design serves as an 'enzyme of change' in society. Mark Wilson offers insights on the impact of algorithms in shaping experiences, while Kate Aronowitz and Meaghan Choi explore the evolving roles in design teams, especially in startups. Mike Davidson emphasizes the importance of collaboration between design and engineering in the age of AI. The panel also addresses ethical design and the need for empathy amid technological advancement.

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INSIGHT

Design As The Enzyme

Paola says designers act as the enzyme that translates revolutions into everyday objects.
Without design, technological and social revolutions wouldn't reach or affect most people.

INSIGHT

Fragmentation Of The Design Profession

Paola describes fragmentation of design into many specializations over 30 years.
She warns this disaggregation can hide connections between different design practices.

INSIGHT

Algorithms As Invisible Design

Mark highlights algorithms as an invisible, dominant form of design shaping our experiences.
He frames algorithms as distributed information design that curate visual and audio life online.

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Today we celebrate 30 years of Wert&Co.—the quiet champions of design who have shaped our field by placing the brightest designers in roles of influence at brands that impact culture, commerce, and community.

Design Better is brought to you by Wix Studio, the most powerful web design platform for entrepreneurs, agencies, and creative thinkers. Learn more →

To mark the occasion, Design Better is live in New York City with an inspiring panel. We’ll look back at how design has shaped the world over the past three decades and look ahead to the essential role design must play as technology reshapes the human experience.

Our conversation begins with Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture and Design and Director of Research & Development at The Museum of Modern Art. Paola is one of the most influential voices in contemporary design, exploring how design shapes culture, technology, and society.

We’re also joined by Mark Wilson, Global Design Editor at Fast Company. Mark covers the intersection of design, technology, and culture, bringing a journalist’s rigor and a designer’s eye to stories that reach millions.

In the second half of our conversation, we shift our focus to the present and future of design—the teams, the individual contributors, and the leaders who are navigating this evolution in real time.

Kate Aronowitz, and Meaghan Choi, and Mike Davidson are three leaders who have different perspectives on where design is headed, and what it means to build meaningful careers in this rapidly changing landscape.

Kate Aronowitz is a Design Partner at GV, where she helps companies of all sizes build design-driven cultures.

Meaghan Choi is a Product Designer at Anthropic, focused on developer experiences for emerging technologies like AI and cloud computing, including her work on Claude Code.

Mike Davidson is VP of Design and User Research at Microsoft AI, with more than two decades leading design at companies including Twitter, Disney, and ESPN.