Meet the BetterUp Design team and the books that shaped our perspectives

BetterUp Design Team at a retreat in Portland, Oregon

Hello from BetterUp Design! We’re a fully-remote 15-person global team (and growing!) of product designers, content designers, and researchers from Hawaii to Amsterdam, and we have the honor and privilege of designing experiences that help people live with greater passion, purpose, and clarity in their lives. We’ve sharpened our pencils and we’re finally on Medium, where you can expect more stories behind what goes into designing for human transformation — the process, the principles, the science, the works.

If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.

― Cicero

One of the things that shapes BetterUp as a culture is its love of learning — we’re voracious readers who are always thinking about life’s biggest questions (before I even started at BetterUp, the company shipped me 5 books). The Design team recently met up in Portland for an in-person creative retreat to gain inspiration on Inner Work®, and we kicked off our welcome dinner with a white elephant gift exchange. The theme was about life-changing books. It was fascinating to hear how these specific books had a profound impact on each designer’s own character, outlook on life, and the way they contribute to our product.

Here’s a preview of those most life-changing books we shared that evening.

Left: Evelyn Kim, VP of Product Design, Right: Johana Tran, Senior Product Designer

Gifted by Johana Tran to Evelyn Kim: The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

This book changed my life because it opened my eyes to the interconnections between myths, cultures, and belief systems around the world. It was fascinating to learn how mythology helps people make sense of the human experience and helped me see the role of storytelling through a new lens. — Johana

Gifted by Manal Abuzeid to Johana Tran: One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Author

This book changed my life because, growing up as a ‘third culture’ 11th grader in the Middle East, it helped me process the dichotomies between the individual and the establishment. I was deeply intrigued by the book’s protagonist and rebel, Randle McMurphy, and the fictional tale of oppression in modern society, at a time when I was a restless teenager ready for life beyond my hometown. — Manal

Left: Manal Abuzeid, Design Manager, Right: Kira Laktionov, Senior Product Designer

Gifted by Kira Laktionov to Manal Abuzeid: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

This book helped me through a period of uncertainty in life. Rather than just being scared of it, I learned to embrace these ambiguous moments, think through them, and come up with a variety of options that might help me overcome this feeling. On top of that, it’s a kind and witty read that not only works on a mind level, but is just good for the soul. —Kira

Gifted by Megan Melack to Kira Laktionov: The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan

This book has a special place in my mind. It’s a beautiful story threading together history, sociology, biology — telling the story of humans through plants, and plants through humans. I’ve always been drawn to the natural world, and this book adds a richly layered meaning to how this world is defined. — Megan

Left: Megan Melack, Senior Product Designer, Right: Ramla Mahmood, Product Design Lead

Gifted by Ramla Mahmood to Megan Melack: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell

This was the book I didn’t know I needed until I read it. It breaks down the noise that our attention, one of our most valuable resources, takes in on an everyday basis and how to reframe it for more meaningful experiences. The fight for our attention is a daily struggle and I often use learnings from this book to reflect and if needed, shift perspective on what I’m taking in. — Ramla

Gifted by Kiersta Wild to Ramla Mahmood: Designing your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans

This book changes lives and I was able to witness its magic when I led a Design Bookclub at a previous startup. A small group of us ran through its wonderful design thinking exercises and by confiding our hopes and dreams to one another, we became much more conscious of our values, energy balances, and how to consciously design our lives to elicit joy, meaning, and growth. — Kiersta

Left: Kiersta Wild, Product Design Lead, Right: Javier Garcia Sanchez, Design Manager

Gifted by Evelyn Kim to Kiersta Wild: The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown

This book changed my life because it was recommended by a close friend of mine when I was at a point in my life where I didn’t know who I was and where to go next. I had a lot of fear and this gave me the ability to break through my inner obstacles and embrace authenticity for the first time in my life. — Evelyn

Gifted by Ben Liongson to Javier Garcia Sanchez: Inner Engineerings: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy by Author

This book changed my life because it gave me perspective on the importance of experience. Logic and intuition are great tools for living, but nothing replaces just doing the things to understand how something can affect you and others. -Ben

Left: Ben Liongson, Senior Product Designer, Right: Lizzy Peterson, Senior Product Designer

Gifted by Lizzy Peterson to Ben Liongson: F**k it Therapy by John C. Parkin

This book changed my life because it provided me the lens I needed to worry less about the small things and focus on the things that aligned with my values and bring me joy. It made me more aware of my emotional blocks and limitations I put on myself that were keeping me from living the life I wanted to live. This philosophy on life changed my perspective and was the reminder I needed to just say “F**k it” and go for it. — Lizzy

Gifted by Javier Garcia Sanchez to Lizzy Peterson: The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard

This book changed my life because it helped me see how environments around us (natural or designed) can shape our thoughts, feelings, and dreams. — Javier

Left: Sherry Wang, Senior Product Designer, Right: Stephanie Jin, Senior Product Designer

Gifted by Stephanie Jin to Sherry Wang: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

This book changed my life because it reminds me to keep an open mind, care for others and what you love, and follow your curiosity. — Stephanie

Gifted by Monica Okubo to Stephanie Jin: Book of Greek Myths by Ingri d’Aulaire

This book holds a special place in my heart because as a child it sparked my imagination and instilled a fascination with ancient Greece and how cultures define themselves through the stories they weave. — Monica

Left: Monica Okubo, Senior Product Designer, Right: Victoria Stanell, Content Design Lead

Gifted by Sherry Wang to Monica Okubo: Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

This book changed my life because it reminded me the importance of trusting our own lived experiences and always trying to see the world with new eyes. — Sherry

Victoria Stanell: The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer

This book introduced me to a simple yet profound truth: that the real you is not your thoughts — it’s the consciousness observing the thoughts. I think about that every single day. — Victoria

Happy reading!

Shout out to our friends who were not there in-person but were definitely present in spirit: Keaton Price, Design Manager and Phil Pham, Product Design Lead.

We are hiring Director of Product Design, Director of UX Research, and Senior Product Designers. Join our next retreat!