Alternative Design

Attracting the New Higher Ed Learner

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

Discover Alternative Design: The Platform

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 wh...

Live, Work, Learn: The Lifestyle of a Forever Student

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 cl...

Education in 2030: Learning Is Everywhere, All at Once

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 ...

Season 4 Overview: The Future of Education

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...

Sitting is the New Side Hustle: The Workplace in 2030

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 o...

Upskill Uprising: Designing for Lifelong Learning

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 ne...

Sharing the Office: When Designers Play Matchmaker

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. It’s about discovering new revenue streams for businesses that also create meaningful connections and foster community building. We talk about their experience in transforming their office into a cultural hub during Toront...

Crafting Culture & Belonging: Part 2

In this second segment of Crafting Culture and Belonging, we revisit the microbrewery Ferndale Project. Join us to discover how their unexpected challenges allowed them 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 craft breweries to the...

Crafting Culture & Belonging: Part 1

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 Bartscht 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 ...

Designing Tomorrow: A 2026 Forecast

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 f...

Listen With Your Skin

We rethink acoustic design as we explore everything from vibro-acoustic nightclubs and generative music to ancient Egyptian sound chambers. Sound is more than what we hear in our ears, it’s what we feel with our entire body. 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 for some of the world’s most notable ...

Ignite Your Senses

Instead of debating whether commute reimbursements or paid lunches will get people back into the offices, we decided to explore a more alternative solution. Belonging is one the most desired outcomes in the workplace today, even more than productivity! We believe the power to motivate employees and support well-being could lie in the five 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 wit...

Paper Sanctuaries

Join us as we discuss alternative solutions for victims of climate change. 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 a massive amount 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 ...

The Mix Tape Vol.1

We know that '80s 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 hop...

Beyond Access

What if we are missing a transformational opportunity to rethink the experience of space by only “checking the boxes” on accessibility standards? 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 Group Executive P...

Give the Buildings Carbon

What if the answer to reclaiming our atmosphere lies in using more concrete? What if concrete could 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 Director of Mineralized CO2 Commercialization, Dougal Heap. Further Reading: https://foundationforclimatere...

Vessels of Light

What if personalized color therapy experiences could influence our body, mind, and emotions in a profound way? 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. A promising solution to creating personal experiences in a shared space is the Metaverse, and we are going to explore what ...

Actions That Open the Heart

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 communities ...

Get Out of Jail With Freedom

We explore a preventative, a restorative, and a deconstructive alternative in the current design and construction of carceral facilities. 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! We discuss if providing choices to inmates could positiv...

Get Out of Jail with Freedom

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 disc...

Pop-Ups to Breakdown Stigmas

Join us as we explore alternative solutions for short-term and long-term mental healthcare. 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 health...

Sacred Storytelling for Symbiotic Survival

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 also...

Waking Up on Mars

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 d...

Waking Up On Mars

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 discuss the newe...

Swimming in Sprinkles

We look at a Meditation Chamber, a Museum of Ice Cream, and a Sensory Cocoon to understand the value of experiential design that immerses the user into the narrative of the built environment. These case studies will shed light on the intersection of technology and architecture, revealing how the right mix of both can engage the physical senses and create deeper emotional connections to spaces we inhabit on a daily basis. We chat with Lane Rick and Katie Stranix from the Office of Things, Ari...

People Are Not Cars

Join us as we reveal some key learnings from Motown and compare their creative songwriting process to our industry's building design process. We're taking our listeners back to the days you could be "Dancing In the Streets" before you had to "Stop In the Name of Love". It's no secret that Motown had repeatable success in creating some of America's top hits. We speak with Allen Rawls, Board of Trustees member of Motown Museum and the legendary Funk Brother Dennis Coffey. Read the Alternative...

What You Don't See

From the impact of limited exposure to architecture at a young age, to not celebrating minority architects and designers more, guests Maya Bird-Murphy from Chicago Mobile Makers and Jake Heffington and Edwin Harris from Diversify Architecture help bring light to the often-unseen challenges for people of color. We go beyond what you don't see to discuss a range of leaks that occur along our profession's pipeline and highlight those taking action to plug them. Read the Alternative Design Blog...

Give the Buildings Yogurt

We discuss a concept that perhaps isn’t familiar in the design industry, but is thriving in the health and wellness community. A "microbiome" is simply the collection of micro-organisms in a particular environment, whether they be inside your gut, on your skin, or even the chair you're sitting on. We talk to Jack Gilbert, a microbiology professor from USCD on how the microbiome in the built environment can be manipulated and help to win the war for the "good bacteria". We also chat with Rosi...

Alternative Design Podcast - Trailer