The podcast’s greatest joy lies in conversations with diverse individuals committed to making things better—whether through products, education, art, workplaces, or user-friendly tools. This core mission often gets obscured by terminology like UX, Human Factors, or Human-Centered Design, but ultimately, it’s about improving lives. Rather than focusing on “Digital First,” the emphasis should be on “Human First”—understanding needs and bridging gaps. In this episode of Experience by Design, guest Terry Peters shares his journey from coding in high school to a career in user experience and digital strategy. With over 20 years of experience, Terry highlights the importance of employee experience, empathetic design, and systems thinking in creating solutions that truly help people. The discussion explores challenges in requirements gathering, the supportive role of AI in human-centered design, and Terry’s work at Veracity (now RGP) promoting empathy in projects impacting employees.
The most enjoyable part of doing the podcast is talking to a wide range of people who, regardless of their industry or role, share a common goal: making things better. At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about. Sometimes we make things better by selling something people need. Other times, it’s by teaching them something new, creating an art installation that moves them, designing a workplace where they feel fulfilled, or building tools that make tasks easier. Whatever the approach, the mission remains the same—to make things better.
This simple goal can often get lost behind the different names our work has taken over time. Take “UX,” for example. It started as “Human Factors,” then became “Human-Computer Interaction,” and eventually evolved into “User Experience” and “Human-Centered Design.” Whatever the term, it all comes back to the same principle: improving lives. The more we keep that in mind, the better we understand what this work is truly about.
There’s a lot of talk today about creating a “Digital First” strategy. But perhaps we should think in terms of a Human First strategy—focusing on what people want, what they need, and how we can help close the gap. One of the great things about being a podcast host, educator, and thought leader in this space is providing the tools that help others create the tools people need.
My guest on this episode of Experience by Design understands what it means to elevate human potential and create “human-powered excellence.” Terry Peters discovered his passion for computers and coding through his high school football coach. Over his 20+ year career, he has helped organizations shape their digital strategies through user research, systems design, and user-focused experiences. His systems perspective emphasizes the importance of employee experience within technological and digital design—prioritizing their voices to create solutions that truly make things better.
We discuss Terry’s journey into management information systems and eventually user experience. We explore the challenges of requirements gathering, the role of AI as a supportive tool in human-centered design (rather than a replacement), and Terry’s work with Veracity, now part of RGP, where empathy is central to projects that impact employees’ work and lives.
Finally, we reflect on the ethos of user experience: improving people’s lives and making things better. By integrating diverse perspectives, we can build tools that help people achieve that goal.
Terry Peters on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-peters-m-s-8198b61b/
RGP: https://rgp.com/