What if the magic behind your favourite experiences wasn't just a coincidence? In this second part two of this two-part series with Goc O'Callaghan, Co-owner of ArcTanGent Festival and Global Experience Lead at Buro Happold. 

In this episode, we peel back the curtain on the often-overlooked and unknown 'dark side' of Disney's magic. From the hidden infrastructure at Disney parks to designing festivals that feel like second homes, Goc reveals how intentional design can transform ordinary spaces into extraordinary memories. 

Get ready to explore behind the scenes of thoughtful details, and see how the environments around us are engineered to make us feel, move, and connect in profound ways.

00:00 Introduction to the Experience Designers Podcast

01:05 Guest Introduction: Goc O'Callaghan

02:06 The Dark Side of Disney

03:13 Disney's Design Secrets

07:07 Real-Time Feedback and Customer Experience

08:47 Designing for the Senses

10:48 Applying Disney's Principles to Business

15:36 Experience Design in Structural Engineering

18:55 Quantifying Experience

31:26 Personalizing Office Spaces

38:02 Final Thoughts and Recommendations

43:55 Conclusion and Farewell

We're taking you behind the scenes of an incredible journey, exploring the power of memorable experiences and the lessons we can learn from one of the major memory makers out there: music festivals. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Goc O'Callaghan, co-founder, owner, and festival director of the legendary ArcTanGent Festival in the UK.

This is a festival that started as a childhood dream in a bluebell forest and grew into a multi-award-winning independent festival. This is the first of a special two-part series in which Goc shares her story of building something extraordinary from the ground up. In this episode, we dive into those early days and the magic of creating memorable experiences.

In this episode of The Experience Designers, we dive deep into the world of neurodiversity with Tina Squire, an expert in fostering neuro-inclusive environments. Tina shares her personal journey with ADHD and how it has fueled her passion for creating workspaces where neurodiverse individuals are not just accommodated, but truly celebrated. This episode explores the importance of designing work experiences that embrace every individual's unique strengths, from recruitment to retention, and everything in between.

In this episode, we’re joined by John Sills, managing partner at The Foundation and author of The Human Experience. John shares an incredible story of how a broken train in Switzerland became one of the most memorable customer experiences he’s ever had—and not because it went wrong, but because of how it was handled.

Together, we dive into the heart of what makes customer experiences truly remarkable: human connection, ownership, and care. We explore why so many business leaders feel disconnected from their customers, the role technology plays in both enhancing and damaging experiences, and how companies can cultivate human traits like empathy, respect, and responsibility in everything they do.

Join us as we uncover the real secret to turning an ordinary—or even negative—experience into something extraordinary. Whether you're in customer service, leadership, or just curious about the magic of human-centred design, this episode is packed with insights and inspiration you won’t want to miss!

In this episode, Elena Aylott shares her unique journey from executive assistant to Vice President of Global Communications and Employee Experience at Oriflame Cosmetics to founding her own company, The Aylott Group. 

She emphasizes the importance of trust, adaptability, and community-building within organizations. Key takeaways include the impact of personal and corporate trust, the role of HR as a mega facilitator, and leveraging employee communities for organizational success. Elena also highlights the power of authentic personal branding and the crucial role of human experiences in fostering strong, interconnected networks.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:12 Reflecting on a Unique Journey

02:26 Starting at Oriflame

04:38 Challenges and Growth

09:32 Building Trust and Impact

14:22 The Role of HR and Leadership

32:01 Community and Networks

35:48 The Power of Connection and Trust

36:51 Challenges in Corporate Values

37:22 Creating Unified Communities

39:47 Moments That Matter

43:09 Leveraging Internal Strengths

48:59 Authentic Personal Branding

54:13 Humanizing Leadership

59:53 Belief and Leadership

01:02:01 Final Thoughts and Reflections

We are used to leadership being hierarchical. Always talking about the tone from the top. But what happens when we share leadership and power throughout the organization? And challenge our current ways of working in the most profound ways?

With Mette Aagaard we explore the benefits, guiding principles and biggest challenges of shifting our corporate paradigm from delegated to truly distributed.

We often talk about growth as some race to the top. A climb of the ladder, an improvement of our skills, but that narrative actually misses a core aspect of our evolution. Developing our ability to hold and make use of our new capacities. 

Nele is an organisational psychologist and coach who specialises in vertical development. We dive into what vertical development even is. Why do we need it? And what you can do to make space for it on your journey consciously.