Design is Everywhere

What is a planetary boundary city? In this week’s episode, we learn more about climate-ready and resilient cities. Sam is joined by Jonelle Simunich, a Foresight Strategist and Manager in Arup’s Global Foresight team and a member of Design Museum Everywhere’s council. Jonelle talks about what it means to be a foresight analyst and the need for planetary boundary cities. Later on in the show, they are joined by Chris Luebkeman. Chris is currently the leader of strategic foresight in the Office of the President at ETH Zurich. Previously, he worked as an Arup fellow and director of global foresight, research, and innovation. Together they chat about [y]our 2040, which aims to be a yearly gathering with different focuses dedicated to co-creating the world they want to live in someday, and designing for the future. Jonelle and Chris answer audience questions.  For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  Live Show: Building Climate-Positive Cities

What does it look like to design a workplace that supports and values learning? In this week’s episode, we are talking about the role of education in the workplace. Sam is joined by Elizabeth Lowrey, Principal and Director of Interior Architecture at Elkus Manfredi Architects and a member of Design Museum Everywhere’s Board of Directors. Elizabeth chats about the co-creation process at Elkus Manfredi and how employees find meaning in their work.  Later on in the show, they are joined by Michael Horn, a speaker and author on the future of education. His works include the award-winning book Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns and the Amazon-bestseller Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools. Together they chat about what learning in the workplace looks like, how it works, and what research says about the science of learning.   For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  Reframing the Workplace for the Knowledge Economy

How does design create better stories? In this episode, Sam is joined by Jessica Kender, the production designer of Little Fires Everywhere and Future Man, to learn how research, characters, money and space inform her work. Jessica shares her journey from theater to TV and her favorite tool to use. Later on in the show, Sam and Jessica interview Lisa Clark, a set decorator. Together, they discuss how they collaborated on Little Fires Everywhere and Future Man, what brings them joy in set design and how they combine research and innovation in storytelling.     For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: From the Archive: Set Design: Bringing Stories to Life

Many of us are aware of human-centered design, which is all about placing real people at the center of our design work, so that we’re always designing with empathy and thoughtfulness. But what if we take it a step further and design with relationships in mind, so that we’re strengthening the bond between people, or between people and organizations, and build real loyalty? This is particularly interesting when we think about financial organizations and their customers, many of whom are adversely affected by the current financial crisis. So instead of blindly selling services and products, these organizations can focus on where people are in every moment of their journey to develop a life-long and trusting relationship. You can imagine this has business impact as well as social impact for the customer, as the fates of both the company and the customer are intertwined. We discuss with Mike Kirkpatrick, SVP of Client Experience & Strategy at Mad*Pow and Russ Wilson, Chief Experience Officer and Head of Design at Fidelity Investments. Plus our weekly dose of good design.   For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: From the Archive: From Human-Centered Design to Relationship-Centered Design

How do we design rich interactions between students and teachers remotely? In this week’s episode, we are talking about how to design for concurrent hybrid learning without spending a lot of money on technology, training, and new software platforms. Sam is joined by Allan Chochinov, an educator, writer, and speaker whose recent Medium article titled, “How to Teach Hybrid in the Fall with Zoom and Almost No Money” explores this very topic. Allan chats about the pitfalls of learning remotely and he dives deeper into the factors that affect education via Zoom. Later on in the show, they are joined by Fred Deakin, who runs a studio called FANDCO that specializes in interactive and educational projects. Together they discuss ways to combat Zoom fatigue and designing hybrid learning that works.   For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: Designing Hybrid Learning for Roomies and Zoomies

How are museums being shaped and designed with technology in mind?  In this week’s episode, Sam is joined by Brendan Ciecko, the founder and CEO of Cuseum, which helps museums, public attractions, and nonprofits engage their visitors and members using the power of digital. Brendan chats about the impact that museums have had in his life and the role that technology plays in the museum experience. Later on in the show, they are joined by Sara DeYoung, the Director of Visitor Experience and Engagement at Brooklyn Museum. Together they discuss the ASK Brooklyn Museum app, how the pandemic has shaped the museum experience, and recent exhibitions they’ve loved. For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: Crafting Museum Experiences through Technology

As part of our monthly Design is Everywhere live series, we learn more about launching a startup and how to design startups for success. Sam is joined by Sara Hartmann, an educator and arts entrepreneurship change agent who has designed costumes for The History Channel, The Boston Conservatory, and more. Sara chats about combining her background in design to the startup world and MassArt’s Creative Economy Workshop Series. Later on in the show, they are joined by Steve Hoffman, the CEO of Founders Space, one of the world’s leading startup accelerators. He’s also a venture investor, serial entrepreneur, and author of several award-winning books, including Make Elephants Fly and Surviving a Startup: Practical Strategies for Starting a Business, Overcoming Obstacles, and Coming Out on Top. Together, they discuss the importance of good design and how to build a successful startup team.  For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  Live Show: Unlock Your Inner Design-preneur  

What role does design play in policing? In this episode, Sam is joined by Jennifer Rittner, a writer, educator, and Principal at Content Matters. Jennifer was the guest editor of our latest Design Museum Magazine Issue, The Policing Issue, which explores how one of the most powerful institutions functions by design. Jennifer shares more on how she chose the contributors for the issue and the role of design in policing. Later on in the show, they are joined by Timothy Bardlavens, a design leader, cultural strategist, and diversity, equity and inclusion consultant and writer. Currently, he is a Product Design Manager at Facebook and he co-founded &Design with Antionette Carroll. In the Policing Issue, Timothy and Jennifer wrote the essay “Designed for Harm: How Products of Policing Enforce Extra-judicial Practices of Control and Submission.” Timothy discusses the products and practices of control and submission and how design can be used for harm. Together, they discuss how to design against harm and rethinking the current framework.   For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  The Intersection of Design and Policing  

What does it look like to brand for a community? You may be familiar with the impact of branding, but what does it look like when a brand can help connect a community to their mission? In this episode, Sam meets with Nadia Husain, Design Director at Trollbäck+Company to learn how their team collaborated with Mixteca, a Brooklyn community-based organization addressing the health, educational, legal needs of New York’s Latin American immigrant community. Nadia shares her design process and how she approaches translating values into brand values. Later on in the show, they are joined by Maria Carolina Simon, the VP of DEI at CFW Careers and Board Co-Chair at Mixteca. Maria talks about how she joined Mixteca and the collaboration process with the team at Trollbäck+Company to make Mixteca’s vision come to life. Together, they discuss what a shift in brand identity has done to grow the organization’s reach.    For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  Creating a Brand for a Community

How can design be a tool for impactful change? In this episode, Sam meets with Boyuan Gao, a designer and futurist who is partnering with companies to create equitable products, services, content, and experiences. Boyuan talks about how she and Jahan Mantin founded Project Inkblot and how the core of their work centers around the “why.” Later on in the show, they are joined by Antionette Carroll, the President and CEO of the Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit educating and deploying youth to challenge racial and health inequities impacting Black and Latinx populations. Antionette shares what led her to her work, the value of taking a break, and the ramifications around language. Together, Boyuan and Antionette dive deeper into work that designs with diversity.     For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  Designing With: Moving Towards an Equitable Future for All