I Hear Design: the i+s podcast

16:58

ICYMI: Inclusive School Design Has Overlooked a Key...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/10/05

Inclusive school design has traditionally focused on creating learning environments that accommodate the varied needs of students. But what about the educators who spend their working lives in those same spaces?In this ICYMI episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an interiors+sources article exploring new research from Corgan and the ASID Foundation that examines how school environments affect educators with disabilities, chronic illnesses, sensory sensitivities, and other conditions. The findings

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18:31

Product Talk | What Actually Makes a Product Innovative?

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/09/30

New doesn't always mean innovative. This episode of Product Talk explores how designers and specifiers can look beyond the “innovative” label to understand what a product actually changes. Lauren Brant examines examples that expand the function of familiar products, improve performance and material health, respond to human needs, introduce new creative perspectives, and integrate technology into the built environment. The result is a broader view of innovation as something that can happen through

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21:11

Beyond the Hype: How AI Is Reshaping Interior Design...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/09/28

Artificial intelligence is quickly moving beyond image generation and into the everyday workflows of interior designers and architecture firms. But as AI becomes more capable, designers are also confronting questions about accuracy, privacy, intellectual property, creativity, sustainability, and how much trust to place in AI-generated information.In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen draws on recent interiors+sources reporting to explore how firms are using AI for visualization,

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8:59

ICYMI: Why Firms Are Prioritizing Communication...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/09/21

Technical knowledge and creativity are essential to becoming a successful interior designer, but another skill can determine whether a great idea gains traction: communication.In this ICYMI episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an article by Rachel Robinson, Creative Director and Design Principal at Ted Moudis Associates and Co-Chair of IIDA NY’s In-Studio Committee, examining why firms are placing greater emphasis on communication training for emerging designers. From explaining the “why” behind

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29:44

Future Ready by Design (Part 3): Sustain It with Mark...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/09/14

In the third and final episode of the Future Ready by Design series, host Robert Nieminen concludes his conversation with Mark Bryan, chief research and strategy officer at IIDA, about the provocative ideas emerging from IIDA’s Certified Design Futurist program and Futures Readiness Index.Following Part 1’s focus on Prove It and Part 2’s focus on Feel It, this episode turns to Sustain It—a broader look at how design can create longer-lasting value by reducing churn across workplaces, products,

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11:45

ICYMI: Design Innovation at Salone 2026: Embracing...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/09/07

What can the world’s largest design fair tell us about where interior design is headed? In this ICYMI episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit the trends and innovations that stood out at Salone del Mobile.Milano 2026 based on an article published by interiors+sources.The show reflected an industry increasingly focused on longevity, material integrity, sustainability, and technology that works quietly in the background rather than demanding attention. We also explore the rise of

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74:35

Product Talk | Designing Lighting for Wellness with...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/08/25

Lighting can do more than illuminate a space—it can influence how people see, feel, focus, interact, and respond to the passage of time.In this episode of Product Talk, Lauren Brant talks with Robert Soler, founder and chief scientist of BIOS Lighting, about what wellness-focused lighting actually means and what designers should consider when specifying it. They discuss circadian lighting, daylight integration, individual differences in energy rhythms, glare and visual comfort, controls,

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8:40

ICYMI: How Hendrick Designed Synovus Place Around...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/08/24

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an article from interiors+sources that explores how Hendrick designed Synovus Place, a 122,000-square-foot downtown Columbus, Georgia, headquarters, around community, change, and employee experience. The project brought several locations together under one roof while using workplace strategy, change management, interior design, and environmental graphic design to help employees navigate the transition. The design centers

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57:09

Product Talk | Acoustics as Architecture: Why Sound...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/07/29

Sound influences every space we design, yet acoustics are often treated as an afterthought. In this episode of Product Talk, Lauren Brant sits down with Dr. Robert MacMeccan, President of Turf Design, to explore why acoustics should be considered one of the foundational elements of architecture and interior design—not simply a finishing touch. Together they discuss evidence-based design, neuroinclusive environments, workplace productivity, healthcare healing spaces, and how thoughtful acoustic

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10:04

ICYMI: A Designer’s Guide to Bio Material Terms

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/07/27

The language of sustainable materials is getting more complicated. Terms like bio-based, bio-sourced, bio-attributed, and USDA BioPreferred® are increasingly common in product literature, but they don’t necessarily mean the same thing—or provide the same level of verification.In this ICYMI episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an interiors+sources article that breaks down the terminology designers and specifiers should understand when evaluating renewable material claims. Learn how ASTM D6866

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14:50

How Armstrong Flooring® Kaleido™ Color Lab Is...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/06/19

In this special sponsored bonus episode of the I Hear Design podcast, host Robert Nieminen speaks with Oxana Dallas, principal designer of commercial at AHF Products, about how Armstrong Flooring®’s Kaleido™ Color Lab is reimagining the flooring specification process as a more creative, flexible, and digitally driven design experience.Rather than treating flooring as a finish selected near the end of a project, Kaleido invites designers to become co-creators—experimenting with pattern, color and

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10:14

ICYMI: Performance-Based Fire Modeling: Unlocking...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/06/15

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an interiors+sources article exploring how performance-based fire modeling can help architects and designers resolve one of the most difficult tensions in adaptive reuse and renovation work: preserving design intent while meeting life safety and egress requirements. The article explains how prescriptive code requirements can sometimes force costly or disruptive design changes, from added exit stairs and wider corridors to

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47:02

Foundations of Community (Pt. 1): Affordable...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/06/08

Affordable multifamily housing is one of the most urgent design and development challenges in the U.S., but the reasons it remains so difficult to build go far beyond simple supply and demand. In this episode of I Hear Design, Robert Nieminen speaks with Peter Bafitis, managing principal at RKTB Architects, and Alex Brito, principal and leader of the firm’s affordable housing studio, about the forces shaping the housing crisis today—from approvals, zoning, financing, and public-private partnerships

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8:58

ICYMI: When Architecture Listens: Community Spaces...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/05/18

In this In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an article by Nicholas McWhirter, AIA, NCARB, design principal and studio head at SHM Architects, on what it means for architecture to truly listen. Through projects at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Society and in Crested Butte, Colorado, McWhirter examines how community spaces can be shaped by history, landscape, and long-term use.Rather than replicate historic architecture or impose a disconnected

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6:23

ICYMI: Swan Dive Design Studio Transforms a Sam’s...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/05/04

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an interiors+sources article by Janelle Penny on Relish Food Hall + Pickleball, an 88,000-square-foot adaptive reuse project in Louisville, Colorado, designed by Swan Dive Design Studio. Once a former Sam’s Club (and briefly used as a community center after the 2021 Marshall Fire), the building has been reimagined as a year-round destination with 19 indoor pickleball courts, two outdoor courts, eight locally driven food

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16:09

Product Talk | The Future of Textiles: Why Soft is Power

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/04/29

Textiles are no longer just a finishing touch—they’re a high-performance design solution. In this episode of Product Talk, Lauren Brant explores how textiles are shaping acoustics, wellness, and sustainability while influencing how people feel and interact within a space.From antimicrobial and acoustic fabrics to the rise of tactility and wellness-driven trends like “soft-clubbing,” this episode breaks down why materials matter more than ever. Plus, a look at evolving sustainability standards,

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16:48

Earth Month 2026: What the Sustainability...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/04/27

What does sustainable design actually look like when you strip away the rhetoric? In this Earth Month episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen takes a thoughtful (and at times provocative) look at the state of the sustainability conversation in architecture and design. Drawing on reporting from interiors+sources, BUILDINGS, Architectural Products, and Building Design+Construction, he explores why the strongest case for sustainability has never been moral perfection, but better buildings:

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7:12

ICYMI: From Classroom to Career: The People Who Shape...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/04/20

In this In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) episode, we revisit an interiors+sources article titled, "From Classroom to Career: The People Who Shape a Designer's Path," about the vital role mentorship plays in shaping the next generation of designers. While formal education builds technical knowledge, this conversation highlights why soft skills like communication, teamwork, and time management are often what determine early-career success. Drawing on insights from leaders at ASID, //3877, and FCA, the

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32:44

How to Build an Interiors Team From Scratch with...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/04/13

What does it take to build an interiors team from scratch and make it a true strategic partner to architecture, not a “finishes at the end” function?In this episode of I Hear Design, we sit down with Christina Franklin, Partner and Director of Interior Design at Generator Studio in Kansas City. Christina shares what it was like joining as a team of one and how she established the foundations that allowed an interiors practice to scale, which included defining a clear point of view, clarifying the

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69:02

Product Talk | Material Intelligence: Why the Future...

I Hear Design: the i+s podcast ·

2026/04/01

In this episode of Product Talk, host Lauren Brant speaks with sustainability journalist and material expert Kenn Busch about the growing importance of material intelligence in product specification.As more architecture and design firms begin collecting materials data through initiatives like the American Institute of Architects Materials Pledge, designers are gaining new insight into how products impact human health, climate, and the built environment. But carbon metrics only tell part of the

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