Serious Play: Gaming for Global Good goes into the future of game-based learning and education, exploring the potential of games to drive community engagement and global change. Manuela Colombo, Executive Director at Livelab, discusses using games to empower communities to discover their collective power and find solutions for real-world challenges. The episode highlights the impact of game-based learning and the unique approach of the X Journey game. It explores the intersection of...

Kimball International proudly hosted Alternative Conversations: Attracting the New Higher Ed Learner, drawing together a panel of designers and industry leaders to discuss the future of academia. Against the backdrop of an ever-evolving educational landscape, the discussion illuminated key insights shaping the direction of higher education. Listen to this episode for the highlights of the conversation that promise to inform and inspire designers and educational leaders alike. Panel Recording

Get ready for the launch of Alternative Design, a groundbreaking multimedia platform that empowers designers to become catalysts for positive change. Through thought-provoking podcasts, blog articles, immersive videos, and conversations, Alternative Design showcases the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in design, sustainability, technology, and social responsibility. We feature interviews with industry leaders, visionaries, and change-makers who are pushing the boundaries of...

Join us as we explore the landscape of lifelong learning and the evolution of educational spaces. Heather McGowan, future-of-work strategist, keynote speaker, thought leader, researcher, and author, leads us through a paradigm shift away from a linear model of learning and career paths toward a lifestyle characterized by perpetual growth and adaptability. This “Live. Work. Learn.” lifestyle will feature learning that is lifelong and personalized to the student and will change the way both...

Welcome to Season 4 of the Alternative Design podcast! Join us as we envision a future where education seamlessly integrates into daily life. Explore the changes that will reshape how we live, work, and learn, from AI mentors guiding task prioritization to children testing different aspects of the corporate experience while still in school. In the year 2030, colleges and businesses come together to connect students to potential employers and mentors within their field of interest and ensure...

A brand new season of Alternative Design is dropping March 6th on the Future of Education. We're discussing what the latest global trends mean for the future of education and why it matters to creatives who will be designing learning environments!  The season will, of course, include a forecast of what we think the education industry could look like by 2028 and include topics like lifelong learning, climate change, corporate upskilling, gamified curriculum, and everyday activism. We'll have...

Welcome to the season finale episode of the Alternative Design Podcast! In "Sitting is the New Side Hustle," we reveal our forecast for the Future of Work in 2030. We explore a world where furniture coordinates everything from personal data collection to generating extra income from energy-producing surfaces. Join us as we delve into the seamless integration of work and life, where values and purpose hold more significance than a paycheck. Employees thrive in a world where access is valued...

Imagine earning college credits by watching Youtube videos on your phone – that’s the reality Study Hall is crafting! Born out of a partnership between Youtube, Arizona State University, and Crash Course, Study Hall is breaking down barriers to education and signals a coming shift in the modern workplace. That’s right, in the not-so-distant future, your office won’t just be where you work, it’ll be where you learn and your boss may become your professor. In this role twist, designers will...

Imagine walking into your office, but only 20% is dedicated to traditional workspaces. The rest is a community hub with places for workshops, a pay-what-you-want café, a library, an art gallery, and a children’s center. Welcome to the future of office spaces, as seen through the eyes of Stanley Sun from Mason Studio. Stanley's innovative approach brings a new perspective on how offices can be co-owned by employees and the community. Stanley’s vision goes beyond redefining physical spaces....

In this second segment of Crafting Culture and Belonging, we revisit the microbrewery, Ferndale Project, with Dayne Bartscht to learn more about how their unexpected challenges set them up to discover their culture. At Kimball International, we know culture can make or break our sense of belonging. It’s no wonder Ferndale’s taproom redesign translated their values and 100% of employees reported they felt they could be themselves at work. But how do we translate the welcoming atmosphere of...

In this special two-part episode of the Alternative Design podcast, we're taking a tour of the craft beer world, starting with my local brewery, Ferndale Project. Dayne Bartsch joins us as the Founder and Managing Partner of Ferndale Project to share how they intentionally built a symbiotic relationship with the local community, a concept that Colleen Myles, a political ecologist and beer geography expert, refers to as "fermented landscapes". We'll make some interesting connections between...

Welcome to the Season 3 premiere of the Alternative Design podcast. Mark Bryan, Senior Foresight Manager at the Future Today Institute, unveils his scenario of the future set in 2026. He envisions a world where decentralized organizations, gratitude silos, and AI clients shape the design profession. He also helps us discover how foresight is the key to designing spaces that not only stand the test of time, but responsibly shape a more sustainable and inclusive future for all. Click on the...

Sound is more than what we hear in our ears, it’s what we feel with our entire body. In Episode 16, Listen with Your Skin, we rethink acoustic design as we explore everything from vibro-acoustic nightclubs and generative music to ancient Egyptian sound chambers. Instead of something to absorb with dense panels and soft furnishings, what if we embraced sound as a design tool that could create better human experiences for everyone? We talk to Gen Cleary, a Wellness Entertainment Sound Producer...

Belonging is one the most desired outcomes in the workplace today, even more than productivity! But instead of debating whether commute reimbursements or paid lunches will get people back into the offices, we decided to explore a more alternative solution. We believe the power to motivate employees and support wellbeing could lie in the 5 senses and how they could be leveraged to create places to belong. Our Ignite Your Senses event we recently held in Atlanta featured a Panel Discussion with...

In this episode of the alternative design podcast, we're talking about the world's forgotten victims, also known as climate refugees. There will be massive amounts of people who will be forced to move their home, their family, and their community to a safer location due to climate change. Some of them will have the choice. Others won't. But what we need are alternative design solutions like floating cities and paper partition shelters that will offer them a place to belong. We're chatting...

We know that 80's throwbacks are having a moment right now, and so in the spirit of the retro trend we decided to make you a mix tape. It's essentially our greatest hits album of our most alternative, boundary breaking design ideas that we explored in Season 1. But what about the awesome jams? I mean, it is a mixtape after all! Don't worry, the highlight reel is set to our brand new Alternative Design music album. So you'll get the very best of all things podcast and all things music! We hope...

What if we are missing a transformational opportunity to rethink the experience of space by only “checking the boxes” on accessibility standards? In Episode 12, we take a deep dive into the etymology of “normal” and discuss how this term has propped up power structures that have continued to limit how marginalized bodies experience space. Tune in as we discuss how the built environment can go “beyond access” to embrace equity and support differences.  Our guests are AJ Paron, SANDOW Design...

What if the answer to reclaiming our atmosphere lies in using more concrete? Specifically, the kind of concrete that can mineralize billions of tons of carbon and store it permanently in the built environment? In this episode we're featuring the COO of the Foundation for Climate Restoration and eco-anxiety expert, Dr. Erica Dodds. We also speak to the CEO of Blue Planet Systems, Dr. Brent Constantz, and dDirector of Mineralized CO2 Commercialization, Dougal Heap....

As designers, we prescribe colors in the built environment to promote positive human outcomes. We know humans are deeply sensitive to the energy of color, but what you may not know is that your unique perception of color is dictated by much more than your eyes. What if personalized color therapy experiences could influence our body, mind, and emotions in a profound way? A promising solution to creating personal experiences in a shared space is the Metaverse, and we are going to explore what...

In Episode 9, we explore an architectural experiment in the middle of the Nevada desert known as Black Rock City. Every summer, Burning Man Project hosts a temporary city that draws thousands of people to celebrate the ceremonial burning of a human effigy known as “the Man”. Attendees are invited to test their limits, embrace a spirit of gifting, and radically express themselves in Black Rock City for nine days. Many designers and urban planners see the city as a potential blueprint for local...

In the workplace strategy world, we often design for the “power of choice”. Employees can choose how, when, and where they work in order to support productivity and wellness. But, is it only employees who deserve the “power of choice”? Who should have the right to choose? The answer may surprise you!    In this Season Finale Episode of the podcast, we explore a preventative, a restorative, and a deconstructive alternative in the current design and construction of carceral facilities. We...

As our U.S. Olympian, Simone Biles, reminded us during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games, we must prioritize the fitness of our minds and our emotions. Much like the "spikes" in viral cases during the pandemic, we are now encountering a "spike" of those who are struggling with mental illness and require treatment. The numbers are staggering, and some predict a wave of patients that our already taxed healthcare system will struggle to accommodate. What we need is an alternative solution that...

What if the technologies and innovations that we have deemed as low-tech, primitive, and unsophisticated could actually hold the keys to solving climate change?  In Episode 6, we look at Radical Indigenism as a movement that seeks to explore indigenous philosophies in relation to design and harness that wisdom to build a more resilient world. We talk with Designer, activist, academic, and author Julia Watson who just released her bestselling book, Lo-Tek: Design by Radical Indigenism.   We...

In Episode 5, we go beyond the current exploration of space to unveil the first potential settlement on Mars. We chat with Alfredo Munoz, architect and owner of ABIBOO studio, and Miquel Sureda, Master Coordinator of the Space and Aeronautical Engineering program at Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya.  Alfredo, Miquel, and their team of scientists have brought their creative dream into reality by proposing a vertical city that is innovative, inclusive, and will be stunning to look at. We...