Clever

Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of ManvsMachine, Mike Alderson, grew up on the outskirts of Liverpool, England, getting into mischief, playing sports, and spending the many rainy days inside drawing ferociously. More practical than academic, Mike started off in a mechanical engineering apprenticeship before learning it was absolutely not for him. Then, after a short stint as a pro BMX racer, his best friend’s brother turned him on to design and he was hooked. He made his way to London, decided it was time to be an adult, and threw himself whole-heartedly into his studies, graduating from Ravensbourne with a degree in Moving Image Design. In 2007, after a series of events that included a night at the pub with his recent ex-boss, Tim Swift, Mike and Tim founded ManvsMachine. Since then, he’s moved to LA, led projects for a world-class client list, and managed burnout, all while remaining a big thinker, a master tinkerer, and continuously punching above his weight.Images, links and more from Mike Alderson!

Industrial designer and founding partner of Barber Osgerby, Jay Osgerby, grew up in a small town in England, with his close-knit multi-generational family and the backdrop of his grandparents’ experiences through WWII. His childhood was filled with making things - inspired by his Swiss ancestors’ stories of watch and camera making. His parents were incredibly resourceful, whether it was opening a shop together or repurposing curtains when the local cinema closed. This pioneering spirit is something that Jay has carried with him throughout his career - from his studies at RCA where he met long-time business partner and friend, Ed Barber, to designing the 2012 Olympic Torch, to revolutionizing how people work remotely with Soft Work seating. Now, 25+ years into design, Jay reveals the triumphs and tragedies that lined his path and forged his character with candor, humor, and an unflagging optimism that burns bright and steady like the inextinguishable flame of the Olympic Torch. Images, links and more from

Illustrator Yuko Shimizu was born in Tokyo, Japan and began drawing from an early age. As a preteen, her family moved from Japan to the US, a huge culture shock that included learning an entirely new language and navigating social norms in 7th grade. This experience gave her an even deeper love for drawing - something that transcends any language barrier. After college, Yuko spent 11 years at a prestigious corporate PR firm in Japan before she decided to pursue her lifelong dream. At 34, she enrolled in art school in New York City. Since then, she’s received numerous accolades for her beautiful illustrations. A staunch supporter of going after what you want, Yuko certainly doesn’t regret any choices she’s made to draw a new path forward for herself.  Images, links and more from Yuko Shimizu!Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilkIf you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a spo

A writer, speaker, and women’s creative leadership coach, Majo Molfino is a champion for smashing the patriarchy (both within and outside each of us!) and supporting women in harnessing their creative confidence and power. A precocious child, she was born in Argentina and moved with her family across the US and Canada, eventually landing in San Francisco. As an immigrant, she grew up trying to uphold the “Good Girl Myth” sacrificing her identity, her creativity, and her confidence to counteract the feeling of not belonging. After a windy path through a few stuffy 9 to 5s, she went on a few mind-blowing voyages and began to reconnect with herself. Now, Majo is the host of the HEROINE podcast, author of “Break the Good Girl Myth,” and is a role model and a leader in designing a life and career that is a perfect fit. Images, links and more from Majo!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsor:Gild InsuranceHave you ever wondered if you have the insurance you need to be fully protected as a business owner? Gi

Robyn Kanner’s personal story is twisty and beautifully American. Largely self-taught, she fought hard to find her voice, and has battled bullies, addiction and self-doubt on her path to purpose. She, alongside Carahna Magwood, led a design team that effectively imbued the Biden Harris ticket with an uplifting, hopefulness that stressed reliability, inclusive values and unification. From the hot pink Biden & Lady Gaga promos, to unifying red-blue gradients. Robyn’s is a story of acceptance, healing, hard work, creativity and community - and feels as bright and hopeful as a victory gradient.Images, links and more from Robyn Kanner!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsor:Gild InsuranceHave you ever wondered if you have the insurance you need to be fully protected as a business owner? Gild is a nationally licensed, digital, independent insurance agency for small business owners, entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, microbusinesses and freelancers. Available online 24/7, Gild’s one-of-a-kind digital insurance process i

Former CEO of Design Within Reach and business consultant, John Edelman grew up on a horse farm in Connecticut. The youngest of 6, his childhood was filled with love, surrounded by his parents’ big dreams, in a home filled with visitors, from Andy Warhol to fashion executives. A hustler and daredevil from an early age, he excelled at flipping cars and riding dirt bikes but struggled in school. After college, John joined the family leather business, sorting buffalo skins in Thailand, worked for his brother at Esprit, and lived in Brazil to work in the shoe business. From 2010 - 2019 John served as CEO of Design Within Reach, during his tenure he pulled the company out of a downward spiral, transformed it into the world leader in authentic design, and led a highly publicized sale to Herman Miller. Now, Co-Founder of Fourth & Pride vodka, John’s life has been one great story after another - from adventure to romance, hardships to triumph, and a future that looks just as thrilling. Images, links and more

We'll be back with new episodes in 2022. To close out the year, we're rebroadcasting some of our favorite episodes of the year.Dr. Natalie Nixon grew up in Philadelphia playing double dutch and hopscotch on the street. Listening to jazz with her dad and exploring art with her mother taught her the value of improvisation and emotional resonance. Flexing her academic excellence while also being subjected to racial bigotry and red lining helped to hone her ability to see systems and span boundaries. Her experiences are vast and varied, from running a hat business in New York city to earning her PhD in Design Management in London. Today she's the president of Figure 8 Thinking, a Creative Strategy & Design Research consultancy that helps leaders apply creativity & foresight to achieve transformative business results, and the author of The Creativity Leap: Unleash Curiosity, Improvisation, and Intuition at Work.   Many thanks to this episode's sponsor:Gild InsuranceHave you ever wondered if

Industrial designer & entrepreneur, Yves Béhar, grew up in Switzerland on a steady diet of punk and windsurfing. After graduating from ArtCenter in California he moved to the Bay Area and got his professional start designing for The Burdick Group, LUNAR and frog. He founded fuseproject, his industrial design and branding firm, in 1999 and since then has been responsible for groundbreaking contributions to the design landscape across the fields of product design, brand development, business strategy, environments, and social impact. A pioneer of the “design venture” business model, he has also had a hand in redefining the way designers do business, enabling early-stage creative investment in startup projects. His new book, Yves Béhar: Designing Ideas is a comprehensive retrospective of his 20+ year career. Images, links and more from Yves Béhar!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:InfratechInfratech outdoor comfort heating systems combine eco-friendly, ambient warmth with unparalleled design versati

Live experience & interior designer Willo Perron grew up in Montreal surrounded by creativity. An industrious kid, he dropped out of high school at 14 to follow his own entrepreneurial and creative path. He got his start around the nightclub scene in Montreal doing everything from designing flyers, to lighting, to scouting DJs, and designing streetwear. Since then he’s gone on to design the now-famous aesthetic for American Apparel retail stores, as well as collaborate with many of pop music’s biggest stars, including Kanye, Drake, Lady Gaga, and St. Vincent. With partner Brian Roettinger, he’s built a multidisciplinary design firm, Perron-Roettinger, that works across Interior design, live experience, print, and identity. A firm believer in life having a way of working out, Willo continues to embrace entrepreneurship, creativity, and collaboration in an intuitive and exhilarating way. Images, links and more from Willo Perron!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:InfratechInfratech outdoor comf

For this Clever Extra, Amy Devers sat down with Kent Parker and Paul Wilkinson of the design studio Formway in New Zealand and Giulio Bonazzi, who leads Italian synthetic materials producer Aquafil, to discuss their design collaboration. Together, they unpack the story behind a truly remarkable chair, the noho move chair. The noho move chair is revolutionizing residential seating design by addressing issues of health, movement, multifunction, and sustainability in monumental ways, while also pushing the boundaries and performance capabilities of the material it’s made from. Get a behind the scenes look at the innovation, collaboration, and experimentation that goes into creating the future of furniture design. Images, links and more from Econyl and Aquafil!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:This episode of Clever is brought to you by Aquafil, makers of ECONYL, a regenerated nylon derived from 100% recycled waste. Learn more here. Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @Clever

Information designer and advocate for data humanism, Giorgia Lupi, spent her childhood in Italy organizing buttons in her grandmother’s tailor shop, a data collector already in the making. The teenage years had her expressing herself through the punk rock and heavy metal scene in her town. After receiving her master’s degree in Architecture, she began her PhD in Design at Politecnico di Milano while founding Accurat, an internationally acclaimed data-driven design firm. Now a partner at Pentagram, and author of personal projects such as Dear Data, she continues to push for a humanistic approach to data as a path to understanding our complex realities. Images, links and more from Giorgia!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:Yellow ImagesYellow Images is a marketplace of over 70,000 high-quality premium mockups, creative fonts, PNG Images, and a creative store full of amazing graphic assets like lettering, icons, presets, brushes, and more. With Yellow Images, you can finish your projects faster without

On the afternoon of August 14th, 1915, fire ripped through Taliesin, the Spring Green, Wisconsin home of the world’s most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. When the smoke cleared seven people would be dead, murdered with an axe at the hands of Julian Carlton, a servant of Wright’s. But why? The motive remains a mystery to this day. But there are so many other questions. Why does seemingly everyone know Frank Lloyd Wright but strangely, very few seem to know this much darker side of his story? In this episode we’ll investigate all of that as well as the great state of Wisconsin, Wright’s never-ending battle with societal norms, and the interplay between critics and creative professionals. Happy Halloween! Images, links and more about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Murders at Taliesin!If you like Clever Confidential and want to hear more, please support us by telling your friends and letting us know what you think! You can find us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilk

Interior designer and self-described “cocktail,” Yasmine Ghoniem has lived a whirlwind life across continents, cultures, and careers. Born in Kuwait to Australian and Egyptian parents, she lived throughout the Middle East before moving to the United States to attend Savannah College of Art and Design. She always had a deep love for music, feeling destined to be a performer, she formed indie rock bands with family and friends throughout the years. Yasmine eventually put down roots in Sydney, Australia where she founded and leads YSG Studio, an interior design studio focusing on residential and hospitality. She brings her eclectic influences and flair for the theatrical drama of staging and storytelling to all of her spaces. Intoxicating indeed! Images, links and more from Yasmine!Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilkIf you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introduc

On this Clever Extra, Amy Devers sits down with Kari Pei, Interface VP of Global Product Design; David Oakey, founder of David Oakey Designs; and Bill Browning, founding partner of Terrapin Bright Green and co-author of Nature Inside: A Biophilic Design Guide. Together, they unpack the science, practical applications, and ROI of creating happier places with biophilic design. They dive into how diversity can inspire fabric patterns, how “evidence-based design” can improve cardiac patients' health, and the ‘psychoacoustics’ of moving water. Kari, David, and Bill discuss their favorite patterns, the power of biophilic design to create a better world, and how design and technology can continue to draw from the world around us to create happier places. Images, links and more!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:Interface, Inc. is a global flooring company specializing in carbon-neutral carpet tile and resilient flooring, including luxury vinyl tile (LVT), vinyl sheet, and nora® rubber flooring. Our products

Sarah Stein Greenberg, Executive Director of the Stanford d.school, spent her childhood in Philly running bases, reading books, and getting lost in her vivid imagination. After getting an undergraduate degree in History, she embarked on an MBA at Stanford, which resulted in her introduction to the d.school and into the dynamic and fascinating world of design. As a lover of complexity and intersections, she found her tribe. Now she’s authored Creative Acts for Curious People, a rich and visual resource filled with innovative exercises aimed at helping everyone unlock their own creative potential.Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:Yellow ImagesYellow Images is a marketplace of over 70,000 high-quality premium mockups, creative fonts, PNG Images, and a creative store full of amazing graphic assets like lettering, icons, presets, brushes, and more. With Yellow Images, you can finish your projects faster without wasting time on unnecessary revisions so you can get back to doing what you love. Use promo code CL

In this Clever Extra, Amy Devers sits down with Oliver Grabes, Head of Design at legendary design brand Braun. Known for iconic design, innovation, and the unique ability to be both revolutionary and relevant for a century, Braun’s focus on simple, easy-to-use design has led the way for functional, elegant, and enduring products. Oliver reflects on Braun’s legacy and its future, including their global study with Gen Z - confirming inclusive and sustainable design is what matters most to future generations. Committed to investing in the future of design, Braun is also paving the way for young designers, students, and inventors through the 21st BraunPrize International Design Competition. With a theme of Shape Tomorrow, the BraunPrize aims to support and encourage innovative ideas that address the challenges we face today and in the years to come.Images, links and more from Braun and Oliver Grabes!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:This year, iconic design company Braun is turning 100! Learn more about Brau

A writer, speaker, and women’s creative leadership coach, Majo Molfino is a champion for smashing the patriarchy (both within and outside each of us!) and supporting women in harnessing their creative confidence and power. A precocious child, she was born in Argentina and moved with her family across the US and Canada, eventually landing in San Francisco. As an immigrant, she grew up trying to uphold the “Good Girl Myth” sacrificing her identity, her creativity, and her confidence to counteract the feeling of not belonging. After a windy path through a few stuffy 9 to 5s, she went on a few mind-blowing voyages and began to reconnect with herself.  Now, Majo is the host of the HEROINE podcast, author of “Break the Good Girl Myth,” and is a role model and a leader in designing a life and career that is a perfect fit. Images, links and more from Majo!Clever is a proud member of the Airwave Media podcast network. Visit airwavemedia.com to discover more great shows.Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Insta

In this special episode, we are shining some light on color. Brought to you by Ultrafabrics, this presentation was recorded in May 2021 as part of CLOSEUP, a liive & virtual 2-day design showcase event presented by WantedDesign Manhattan and ICFF. We dive into color - its power to influence our perception, our mood, even our consciousness with several experts. We hear from Kimberle Frost, a color specialist for Ultrafabrics; Larah Moravek, founder and design director of Dutch East Design; Malene Barnett, artist and founder of the Black Designers + Artists Guild; Anna Murray, designer and co-founder of Patternity; and Patrick O’Donnell, international brand ambassador for Farrow & Ball. The conversation touches on how the pandemic has influenced our appetite for color, how to be more creative with color and how we can break some of the “rules” around color and explore new inspiring ways to bring color into our everyday life. Images, links and more from the CLOSEUP Chromatic Consciousness

People-centered designer Marquise Stillwell spent his youth in Ohio learning to be a good neighbor and going to art museums with his grandfather. Always part of a community of makers—auto factories, steel plants, engineers and industrial designers—his curiosity for people and spaces grew into a passion for creating systems and formulas that make built environments better for all people. Not surprisingly, his ability to be open, vulnerable, listen and hold space is at the center of his design practice.Images, links and more from Marquise Stillwell!Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilkAll past Clever episodes are available here in our archive. (Free, of course!)If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Please fill out Clever’s listener survey. Thank you for your input!Clever is hosted by Amy Devers and produced by

Born and raised in Chicago IL, Kara Mann was steeped in an environment of creativity, elegance, and resourcefulness. An entrepreneur at heart, Kara would sell CDs to fund projects and lie about her age to work restaurant shifts. Now she runs her own studio and has racked up clients like Virgil Abloh, Goop and several luxury hotels. She’s just launched a collection with CB2 and a line of home essentials called Kept. The Wall Street Journal aptly calls her a “spark plug in the world of design.”Images, links and more from Kara Mann!Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilkIf you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted by Amy Devers and produced by 2VDE Media, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, and music from El Ten Eleven.Clever is proudly distributed by Design Milk. Support this show http://supporter.acast.