

Clever with Amy Devers
Amy Devers
Clever is an award-winning, independent podcast that offers a window into the humanity behind the design of the world around us.In each episode, designer Amy Devers has candid and revealing conversations with the visionaries, culture-makers, and creative forces who shape our world and inform our society. Through a disarming mix of raw candor and honest shop-talk, Clever peels back the layers to unearth the gritty, authentic and sometimes surprising details of their creative paths.Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series where we dig into the lesser told stories of the darker side of design; the shadowy, sometimes sordid, tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.Visit our website:cleverpodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 23, 2021 • 53min
Ep. 140: Creative Reaction Lab CEO Antionette Carroll
Designer Antionette Carroll, born, raised, and based in St. Louis, Missouri, is a natural born leader who has been on a mission since day one. She’s the founder of Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit educating and deploying youth to challenge racial and health inequities impacting Black and Latinx populations. Antionette co-pioneered an award-winning form of creative problem solving called Equity-Centered Community Design and in doing so has received several recognitions and awards including being named an ADL and Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, TED Fellow, SXSW Community Service Honoree, and Essence Magazine Woke 100, among many others. She’s also a classic Taurus, the mother of twins, a fan of Mexican food, and a proud granddaughter! Images and more from our guest!If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted and produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Laura Jaramillo and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.Clever's promotional partner is Design Milk.Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 16, 2021 • 39min
Ep. 139 Clever Extra - Light. Space. Emotion.
Lighting design plays an enormous role in supporting mood, feelings, perceptions and even human connection and romance. In this time when we’re suffering the side effects caused by extreme deprivation of social interaction and human connection we thought it would be a beautiful thing to talk about how lighting can be designed to soothe our minds, uplift our spirits and help us find clarity, depth and meaning in our day, in our surroundings, in ourselves. To help us visualize and understand both the science and the poetry of lighting design we talked to two experts at the top of the lighting game: Drew Stuart, Field Director and Partner at multi-disciplinary architecture and design studio, INC, and Cecilia Ramos, Senior Director - Architectural Market for Lutron Electronics. This conversation is brought to you by Lutron, and was recorded in October of 2020 as part of CLOSEUP, a live & virtual two-day design showcase event presented by WantedDesign Manhattan and ICFF.Images, transcript, links and more on our website!For more information on Lutron, visit Lutron.comThe second edition of CLOSEUP is May 16-18, 2021 - to learn more head to wanteddesignnyc.comClever is created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and with music from El Ten Eleven and editing by Rich Stroffolino.If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Feb 2, 2021 • 57min
Ep.138: Creative Strategist Natalie Nixon
Dr. Natalie Nixon grew up in Philadelphia playing double dutch and hopscotch on the street. Listening to jazz with her dad and exploring art with her mother taught her the value of improvisation and emotional resonance. Flexing her academic excellence while also being subjected to racial bigotry and red lining helped to hone her ability to see systems and span boundaries. Her experiences are vast and varied, from running a hat business in New York city to earning her PhD in Design Management in London. Today she's the president of Figure 8 Thinking, a Creative Strategy & Design Research consultancy that helps leaders apply creativity & foresight to achieve transformative business results, and the author of The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work. Images and more from Natalie Nixon on our website!Clever is created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and with music from El Ten Eleven and editing by Rich Stroffolino.If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 19, 2021 • 1h 3min
Ep. 137 Biden/Harris Campaign Creative Director Robyn Kanner
Robyn Kanner’s personal story is twisty and beautifully American. Largely self-taught, she fought hard to find her voice, and has battled bullies, addiction and self-doubt on her path to purpose. She, alongside Carahna Magwood, led a design team that effectively imbued the Biden Harris ticket with an uplifting, hopefulness that stressed reliability, inclusive values and unification. From the hot pink Biden & Lady Gaga promos, to unifying red-blue gradients. Robyn’s is a story of acceptance, healing, hard work, creativity and community - and feels as bright and hopeful as a victory gradient.Images, links and more from Robyn Kanner!If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted and produced by Amy Devers with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Laura Jaramillo and music by El Ten Eleven.Clever's promotional partner is Design Milk.Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 5, 2021 • 1h
Clever Confidential Ep. 2: The Supernatural Beginnings of The Bradbury Building
In the heart of downtown Los Angeles sits Hollywood’s undisputed architectural superstar — the Bradbury Building. The imposing structure’s character is definitive. Its origin story, however, is much murkier… How did a young draftsman design one of the most remarkable buildings in the world? Why did he never again do anything of note? Or did he? Was all his creativity spent on this one masterpiece? Was this a case of stolen intellectual property? Or could this have even been a brush with the supernatural?See images and read the show notes!Clever Confidential is our offshoot series where we dig into the lesser told stories of the darker side of design; the shadowy, sometimes sordid, tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.Many thanks to this episode’s guest experts Esotouric's Kim Cooper and Richard Schave!Please let us know what you think on social: Twitter, Instagram and FacebookCredits: Hosts: Amy Devers & Andrew WagnerWriting and research: Amy Devers & Andrew WagnerGuests: Kim Cooper & Richard Schave of EsotouricProduction: Amy DeversEditing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis Theme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier RecordsSpecial thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 29, 2020 • 50min
Ep. 6: Jonathan Adler [Rebroadcast]
Potter and home decor mogul, Jonathan Adler reveals to Jaime and Amy how he found refuge from a tortured adolescence in clay and the potter’s wheel, and then how getting out from behind the wheel engendered a personal creative explosion. He also shares the origin of his very first store in Soho, and the story behind the design of the Parker Palm Springs.Images and more from our guest!If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and Jaime Derringer with music from El Ten Eleven and editing by Chris Modl.Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 22, 2020 • 1h 6min
Ep. 136: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky
Airbnb Co-Founder & CEO, Brian Chesky, grew up playing hockey and asking Santa for poorly designed toys so he could redesign them. A self-described “peculiar” kid obsessed with art, no one pegged him as a future CEO. He studied industrial design at RISD where he also met his future business partner. After soaring global success, Airbnb, having suffered dramatic losses due to coronavirus, is getting back to its creative values and making meaningful contributions in the modern crisis of connection.For images and more from Brian Chesky, read the show notes!If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted and produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Laura Jaramillo and music by El Ten Eleven.Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 15, 2020 • 36min
Ep. 135: Wickedly Smart & Clever: 2020's Best Moments
2020 has been a rollercoaster, but we’re thankful that in such a turbulent year we were still able to have so many inspiring voices on the show. As we approach the end of the year, we wanted to share some of our favorite moments, covering themes of self-discovery, believing in and staying true to one’s creative self; the importance of building a design community with true diversity; and remembering that design and creativity are key to solving a problem, no matter how complex or pervasive. Episode web pageClever is created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and with music from El Ten Eleven, editing by Rich Stroffolino, and production assistance from Laura Jaramillo.If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 8, 2020 • 42min
Ep. 42: Paola Antonelli [Rebroadcast]
No new episode this week, but be sure to enjoy this classic from the archives!MoMA’s senior curator of Architecture & Design, Paola Antonelli, grew up steeped in the design culture of Milan and developed a sense of fearlessness from frequent travels to foreign lands. After studying architecture in school she landed in the curatorial arts without even aiming for it. She talks to Amy and Jaime about how she views objects as lenses for understanding the complexity of the built world and her passionate belief that cultural institutions, like museums, are the R&D of society. *Swoon*Images and more from our guest!If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and Jaime Derringer with music from El Ten Eleven and editing by Chris Modl and Tai Navares.Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 1, 2020 • 49min
Ep. 134: Clever Extra - Unpacking Danish Design’s Timeless Appeal
In this Clever Extra we teamed up with Carl Hansen & Son to unpack society's long-term love for Danish Design. Known for exceptional craftsmanship and an alluringly clean, organic aesthetic, many of the now-iconic pieces of the Danish Modern era were initially too avant-garde for Danes, and found their foothold in the US market. Carl Hansen & Son’s director, Erik Hansen, and Principal of Commune, Roman Alonso, break down the enduring appeal of Danish Design and its mark on our global design consciousness.See images and read the show notesTo learn more about Carl Hansen & Son, visit carlhansen.com.If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted and produced by Amy Devers with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Laura Jaramillo, and music by El Ten Eleven.Special thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.