The Crazy One
The Crazy One is an award-winning podcast for creatives, leaders, and anyone who refuses to settle. Hosted by renowned designer and global design leader Stephen Gates, this show delivers unfiltered honesty, actionable insights, and hard-won wisdom to help you grow your creativity, lead with confidence, and build a meaningful career.
With over two decades leading world-class design teams at companies like InVision, Citi, Starwood Hotels, WW, and McCann Erickson, Stephen has built brands and digital experiences for clients including Disney, American Airlines, W Hotels, Verizon, Acura, and more — work that’s earned over 150 international awards and has been featured by Apple in 10 keynotes, 4 commercials, and the Human Interface Guidelines.
Now as the founder of CRZY, an independent strategy and design studio, he’s helping companies find bold new visions for their brands, experiences, and creative futures. Through The Crazy One, he shares everything he’s learned along the way — from integrating behavioral science with human-centered design to navigating imposter syndrome to building a career and creative life on your own terms.
With over 100 episodes and a loyal global audience, The Crazy One has been named:
• Webby Award Honoree for Best Technology Podcast
• #1 Podcast by Inside Design, HOW Design Live, and Springboard
• 5-star rated across every iTunes Store worldwide
This is more than a design podcast. It’s a wake-up call. A masterclass. A real-talk guide for finding your voice, owning your crazy, and changing the game.
No BS. No buzzwords. Just real insights from someone who’s been there.
- Update frequency
- every 17 days
- Average duration
- 39 minutes
- Episodes
- 147
- Years Active
- 2016 - 2025
Ep 66 Originality: What to embrace, fight, stop and start to rediscover your voice and create your best ideas.
In this inspiring episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles the challenge of preserving originality in a world that often pushes for conformity. Learn what truly defines originality, and discov…
Ep 65 Listener questions: Branding navigation, hamburger menus, design systems, inspiring change and more.
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles listener questions on key topics shaping today’s design world. Explore whether main navigation should simply guide users or reflect brand image…
Ep 64 Teamwork: Best practices for remote work
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the challenges of thriving in a global, remote work environment. As teams collaborate across different time zones and cultures, relying on o…
Ep 63 Creativity: The good and evil of data, research, and brainstorming
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates explores the delicate balance of integrating data and research into the creative process—a challenge that many creatives find frustrating. Discover how…
Ep 62: Listener questions: Advice for junior designers, activating empathy, work routine and more.
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates answers listener questions on a variety of creative and career-focused topics. Get Stephen’s top recommendations for must-read books, essential advice …
Ep 61 Career: Portfolio, resume and personal branding refresher
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates breaks down the biggest obstacles that keep talented creatives from landing the careers they deserve. Discover essential insights into the hiring proce…
Ep 60 Methodologies: Understanding the power and potential of Design Thinking
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates goes beyond the basics of Design Thinking to reveal how it can truly transform your team and company. Discover how Design Thinking empowers collaborati…
Ep 59 Career: Know when to quit and do it the right way.
In this insightful episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates breaks down the tough decision of leaving a job. Discover the seven clear signs that indicate it’s time to move on, learn how to avoid commo…
Ep 58 Leadership: Confronting gender bias
In this important episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates opens up a necessary conversation about gender bias—its conscious and unconscious expressions, and why it’s a critical issue that needs addre…
Ep 57 Teamwork: How to fix all those useless meetings
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the frustration of meeting overload and why so many companies are trapped in a meeting-centric culture. Discover the reasons behind ineffect…
Ep 56 Podcast: How to get the most out of this podcast
In this essential episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates reveals the “missing manual” to help you turn insights from the podcast into real, impactful changes for you and your team. Listening and tak…
Ep 55 Career: Know what fights to pick and fight them constructively
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates explores the essential balance leaders must strike between advocating for their beliefs and supporting their team without crossing into unproductive co…
Ep 54 Emotional intelligence: The importance of honesty for your work, your team and yourself
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates takes on one of the toughest emotions to master in both work and life: honesty. Discover the difference between honesty and candor, how to effectively …
Ep 53 Podcast: The Crazy One podcast's biggest lessons of 2017
In this special episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates reflects on the most impactful themes and lessons from the past year. Dive into core topics around creativity, career growth, and leadership, e…
Ep 52 Career: 6 ways to screw up your career
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates dives into the 6 most common career pitfalls that can derail your growth before you even realize it. Learn how to recognize and avoid these hidden trap…
Ep 51 Leadership: How to work with underperforming people and teams
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles one of the hardest leadership challenges: managing difficult conversations with underperforming individuals and teams. Learn how to approach st…
Ep 50 Conference talk: ‘Building your personal brand' from Adobe MAX 2017
In this replay of his sold-out session from Adobe MAX 2017, Stephen Gates challenges you to define what sets you apart in a competitive creative industry. Discover the power, importance, and challeng…
Ep 49 Conference talk: ‘In-house powerhouse' from Adobe MAX 2017
In this replay of his sold-out Adobe MAX 2017 session, In-house Powerhouse: Building and Managing an Empowered Internal Creative Team, Stephen Gates shares proven strategies for leading high-performi…
Ep 48 Leadership: 3 step method to coach and grow your team
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates tackles one of leadership’s biggest challenges: coaching and developing your team to unlock their full potential and help them achieve career goals. Di…
Ep 47 Creativity: Understanding and applying empathy in your work
In this episode of The Crazy One, Stephen Gates breaks down the true meaning of empathy, a concept often misunderstood and overlooked in the workplace. Discover how to authentically incorporate empat…