Here at EchoUser, we love to tackle Any Experience, and we’re always inspired by novel ways of interacting with people, products, and places. We also get to meet a lot of the people who are crafting those experiences, and in this occasional series of interviews with experience innovators, we want to share their insights with you.

Meerkat & Periscope, live-streaming apps, let users share real-time experiences. I saw an NYC explosion live, raising concerns about fear, confusion, bystander effect & responsibility as citizen journalists. We must be mindful of what we post in these rapidly growing platforms.

I moved from San Francisco to open an EchoUser branch in Colorado. The tech scene is thriving, work-life balance is great, and outdoor activities foster connections. Networking opportunities are abundant, with events in Boulder & Denver, though each city prefers local business. Excited for this new chapter!

Apple masters user experience by refining existing ideas and designing intuitive products. To emulate this success, companies should 1) design for real-world needs, 2) integrate UX into every step of development, and 3) aim big and iterate to create products that fit seamlessly into users' lives.

Co-founder and CEO, Mick McGee, discussed "Designing for Any Experience" during a UX Mastery chat interview. His philosophy emphasizes context, designing for life, and addressing complex design problems. He believes UX is becoming more integrated into everything, and people from various backgrounds can contribute to the field.

We see retailers innovating to create seamless shopping experiences across devices and in-store. By focusing on mobile offerings and smart dressing rooms, they can personalize and improve customer experience. By observing and listening to feedback, companies can continue to refine their approach.

With 2014 coming to an end, EchoUser is taking a step back to reflect on how the year went, what we loved about it, and what we’re not so sorry to see left behind. In 2014, we saw UX grow up, with so many companies acknowledging the importance and power of good design. While there is still a lot of education to be done on UX best practices, it’s been exciting to see this great focus on the topic.

We're excited about the new Apple Watch SDK, and recently hosted a meetup with 30+ designers and developers to showcase our Tinder App design for the Apple Watch. The event included presentations, group activities, and idea-sharing. Check out the event videos on YouTube!

At Dreamforce, I discussed the importance of creating delightful experiences for enterprise and cloud-based apps. Salesforce's new UI framework, Lightning, allows for modern and custom designs, enhancing user experience. As powerful tools become more accessible, understanding true UX becomes crucial to utilizing these tools responsibly.

The Asteroid Hackathon is a part of NASA’s Grand Challenge – a program devoted to finding all asteroid threats before they enter earth’s atmosphere and determining what to do with them. FYI, **the banner image at the top of this page is a real asteroid impacting Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013**.

We interviewed Love Schmove founder Cheryl Cox, whose dating site emphasizes authenticity. Friends and family, called "backers," represent users, helping find quality matches. The platform aims to create a more genuine dating experience without relying on self-promotion.

We recently announced our DC outpost, updated our website and brand, emphasizing our core belief in simplifying complexity and pursuing bold ideas. Reassessing our brand was validating and enjoyable. We've also moved to a larger San Francisco office, allowing for more UX work and growth. These milestones mark our exciting new growth phase.