From the Archive: A New Form of Design Firm for Startups

This episode originally aired on March 3, 2022. What is the designer’s role in the climate crisis? At Climate Designers, Sarah Harrison and her team use their creative skills for climate action and ask the question, “What if every designer were a climate designer?” In this week’s episode, we chat about how designers of all kinds can take climate action. Sam is joined by Sarah Harrison, Co-Founder of Climate Designers and The Determined. Sarah shares how she came to found Climate Designers with Marc O’Brien and the role of design in creating real climate action. Later on in the show, they are joined by Bobby Gill, Director of Development and Communications at Savory Institute, which uses holistic management to facilitate the large-scale regeneration of the world’s grasslands and the livelihoods of their inhabitants. Together, they talk about why it is important to regenerate the world’s grasslands and how the Savory Institute uses Holistic Management.  For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: From the Archive: Designing in Nature’s Image

This episode originally aired on October 14, 2021. How does type affect the brand identity? In this week’s episode, we learn about the power of typography to transform the voice of a brand. Sam is joined by Blake Goodwin, the Founder and President of Proportion Design, a Boston-based branding agency whose work spans all areas of the built environment, extensive lifestyle and consumer verticals, and a broad range of corporate services. Blake chats about his projects and process. Later on in the show, they are joined by Matteo Bologna, the Principal, Creative Director, and Founder of Mucca Design, an award-winning New York-based branding firm that transforms businesses through uncommon creative solutions. Together they discuss how they incorporate typography in their own brand identity projects and how they discovered their love for type design.   For links to resources we discuss in this episode, visit our show page:  Beyond the Word: Designing Type

This episode originally aired on August 19, 2021. 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

This episode originally aired on May 20, 2021. How do design and music influence one another? In this episode, Sam learns more about music’s impact on design and the shared mindsets of the creative process. He chats with R. Michael Hendrix, Partner and Global Director of Design at IDEO, singer, musician, and co-author of Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us about Innovation alongside his co-author Panos Panay. Michael talks about the influence of design thinking in music and how he uses music in his design process. Later on in the show, they are joined by Adam Larson, founder and Executive Creative Director of A&Co, a creative consultancy designed for the modern era. Adam chats about how he approaches his design process, collaborating with artists, and how he translates music to a visual medium.  For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  The Shared Mindsets of Designers and Musicians 

This episode originally aired on September 16, 2021. How can design firms center less on the “design for hire” model and more on building relationships with innovative young companies? In this week’s episode, we learn more about a new type of design firm for startups. Sam is joined by Bret Recor, the Founder and Creative Director of award-winning design agency Box Clever. Bret chats about the process of this new hybrid model where Box Clever actually takes a stake in the companies that they work with, which allows them to be more of a partner to these companies. He shares more on how this approach looks different from the “Design for Hire” model. Later on in the show, they are joined by Jamison Pereira, Co-founder of Eddi, a new startup that is launching a sustainable soap dispenser for the modern home. Together they chat about collaborating during lockdown and the power of good design. For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: From the Archive: A New Form of Design Firm for Startups

This episode originally aired on November 18, 2021. What is the process and design of a rebrand and how is it different from a relaunch? In this week’s episode, we learn about the process of revitalizing and invigorating brands. Sam is joined by John Roescher, co-founder and CEO at handsome, a holistic experience design agency. John explains how a holistic design agency helps a brand think about every component holistically and the process of a rebrand. Later on in the show, they are joined by Simon Forster, Founder and Executive Creative Director of Robot Food. Together they discuss how they have approached rebranding and relaunching their own projects and guiding other companies through the process.  For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page:  Designing for a Rebrand or Relaunch

This episode originally aired on December 9, 2021. In this week’s episode, we learn how institutions are designing equity into their decision-making process. Sam is joined by Linsey Graff, a Senior Campus Planner at DLR Group, a global, integrated design firm with a core practice in architecture, engineering, interiors, and planning. Linsey chats about the importance of getting voices heard to reimagine what the campus is. Later on in the show, they are joined by Melissa Soto, Program Planner at California State University, Long Beach. Together they share how the team at DLR Group worked to capture the realities facing institutions nationwide during the pandemic. For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: From the Archive: Campus Design for Engagement and Equity

What does it mean to design better city planning and what does that look like? On this week’s episode, we learn about how cities have been designed. Sam is joined by Joe Minicozzi, the Principal of Urban3 and an urban planner imagining new ways to think about and visualize land use, urban design, and economics. Joe talks about the way cities have and have not been designed and the tax implications of city design. Later on in the show, they are joined by Sam Seidel, host of unPlanned, a video podcast about cities and how they work. Together, they talk about how cities have changed since Covid and what Sam has gleaned from his show “unPlanned.” For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: City Planning: A Conversation with Urban3 and unPlanned

How can designers anticipate the needs of social workers and how can social workers use design thinking in their own work? On this week’s episode, we explore the intersection of social work and design. Sam is joined by Chōkdee Rutirasiri, VP of Experience Strategy and Research at Mad*Pow and Adjunct Professor of Design Thinking at Boston College. He chats about how design can be a tool to change the world through empathy and compassion. Later on in the show, they are joined by Rachael Dietkus, Founder of Social Workers Who Design, a cause-driven, trauma-responsive design consultancy. Together, they talk about what social work is and some common misconceptions about social work. For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: Social Work: Design with Purpose

How did Liz Powers and her team connect artists who are homeless or disabled with corporate buyers? On this week’s episode, we are learning about an organization that is designing a new marketplace for artists. Sam is joined by Liz Powers, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at ArtLifting where artists impacted by homelessness and disabilities are given a platform to share their talents. Later on in the show, they are joined by Bryan Parker, Director of National Real Estate's Workplace Strategy, Performance and Optimization at PwC, a corporate client of ArtLifting. At PwC, the ArtLifting Curated Collection showcases a diversity of artwork and embodies PwC’s mission of solving important problems and building trust in society. Together, they talk about how corporations can be involved in this work and the impact of art in the workspace.  For links to resources we discuss on this episode, visit our show page: Creating a Space and Opportunity for Artists