Paul Dichter: Stranger Things writer on why the writers’ room isn’t so different from the design studio
From Design Better by The Curiosity Department, sponsored by Wix Studio
April 22, 2026 · 32 min · Season 12 · Episode 173
About this episode
Paul Dichter discusses the dynamics of the Stranger Things writers' room and its similarities to a design studio.
Both Aarron and I are official Stranger Things nerds. We watched the show ourselves when they came out, and again when our kids were old enough. As children of the 80s, the way it captured that particular feeling of freedom — biking with friends through the neighborhood, the movies and music of the era — struck exactly the right balance of nostalgia: present enough to feel real, but never forced. For that, much of the credit goes to the writers. So, we were thrilled to get a chance to talk to one of the head writers for Stranger Things, Paul Dichter. This is a preview of a premium episode. To hear the whole thing, head over to our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/paul-dichter We’d always wondered what actually happens in a writers’ room for a show like this. Heated debates? Storyboards and character maps to keep a sprawling plot straight? As we learned in this interview: yes to all of it. And in many ways, the writers’ room isn’t so different from the design studio — a place where creative ideas collide and combine, and when it’s working well, produce something greater than the sum of its parts. Paul discusses the dynamics of the Stranger Things writers’ room…
People in this episode
Guest: Paul Dichter
Topics covered
- Stranger Things
- writers' room
- design studio
- creativity
- 80s nostalgia
Keywords
- creativity
- story structure
- team dynamics
- nostalgia
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Stranger Things, Design Disruptors, The Brief
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