Art of Listening: One designer’s foray into experiential design | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)

The article profiles IDEO interaction designer Mike Godlewski and his side project, Art of Listening, a communal music experience built around focused, uninterrupted listening. Inspired by a movie club, Mike created a space where people listen to an entire album in silence, reflect creatively, and discuss it afterward. The project demonstrates how listening, intentional constraints, and offline experiences can enrich both personal creativity and professional design work.

Listening as a Design Skill

• Mike believes good designers should listen more than they speak.
• Understanding human problems requires exploring people’s motivations, needs, and context rather than jumping directly to solutions.
• This idea connects design with John Maeda’s distinction between design as a solution and art as a question.

How Art of Listening Began

• Mike was inspired by a friend’s movie club, where participants watched films quietly and discussed them afterward.
• He adapted the format to music because he wanted a communal listening experience in his own life.
• The project was designed to eliminate digital and social distractions while encouraging reflection.

The Art of Listening Experience

• Participants sit together in a living room and listen to an album from beginning to end.
• The central rule is to stay quiet and pay attention:
  • No conversations
  • No phone checking
  • No arriving late
• Participants may doodle, write down memories, close their eyes, or simply listen.
• Afterward, they discuss the album and share sketches or other responses.

Designing the Event

• Mike carefully selects artists whose albums have strong rhythm, structure, and narrative arcs.
• He researches interviews, podcasts, social media posts, and B-sides to understand the artist and album more deeply.
• During the listening session, photos and quotations appear on a monitor, adding context beyond what a typical distracted Spotify stream provides.
• The event’s simple rules and carefully curated environment make deeper attention possible.

Offline Creativity and Interface Design

• Art of Listening gives Mike a creative reset from his screen-based, systematic interface work.
• He observes that many designers seek similar breaks through analog practices such as film photography, letterpress, or bookbinding.
• The project shows that unexpected creative activities can replenish designers’ energy and influence their professional work.
• Mike’s experience also illustrates how creative pursuits can lead people into unfamiliar roles—in his case, event planning.

The article ultimately encourages designers to make room for focused, offline experiences. Listening deeply, imposing thoughtful constraints, and exploring unexpected interests can generate fresh perspective for design work.