Clever

Michael Ford is the designer and activist known as The Hip Hop Architect. Born in Highland Park, Michigan the son of a minister, Michael was raised to be inquisitive and question the world around him to find deeper truth. Early on, he found his passion for design and music, expanding it into a practice of architecture and design through the lens of Hip Hop culture. This led to his founding of The Hip Hop Architecture Camp®, a camp that positions Hip Hop Culture as a catalyst to introduce architecture and design to underrepresented youth. He’s also working with some of Hip Hop's greatest names as he leads the design of The Universal Hip Hop Museum in The Bronx. Images, links and more from Michael Ford!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 Dever

Designer Antionette Carroll, born, raised, and based in St. Louis, Missouri, is a natural born leader who has been on a mission since day one. She’s the founder of Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit educating and deploying youth to challenge racial and health inequities impacting Black and Latinx populations. Antionette co-pioneered an award-winning form of creative problem solving called Equity-Centered Community Design and in doing so has received several recognitions and awards including being named an ADL and Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, TED Fellow, SXSW Community Service Honoree, and Essence Magazine Woke 100, among many others. She’s also a classic Taurus, the mother of twins, a fan of Mexican food, and a proud granddaughter! Images and more from our guest!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 t

Airbnb Co-Founder & CEO, Brian Chesky, grew up playing hockey and asking Santa for poorly designed toys so he could redesign them. A self-described “peculiar” kid obsessed with art, no one pegged him as a future CEO. He studied industrial design at RISD where he also met his future business partner. After soaring global success, Airbnb, having suffered dramatic losses due to coronavirus, is getting back to its creative values and making meaningful contributions in the modern crisis of connection.For images and more from Brian Chesky, read the show notes!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, production assistance from Laura Jaramillo and music by El Ten Eleven.Clever is proudly

Chandra Robinson is a Principal at LEVER and Portland Design Commissioner. A Portland native, she grew up with a great love for outdoor education, inspiring her to spend years as a sea kayaking guide and to study geography and physics. From an early age though, she was always fascinated by buildings and developed a deep love for spaces that felt safe, welcoming, and comfortable. She eventually found her way to Boston Architectural Center where she earned her MArch and found exceptional opportunities to work at firms of all sizes. Returning to Portland, she found her professional home at LEVER. First as an architect and now as a Principal, she’s led groundbreaking projects such as the Meyer Memorial Trust in Lower Albina. She is resourceful, brilliant, and dedicated to making her hometown feel welcoming, beautiful, and accessible to all.  Images, links and more from Chandra!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:GrovemadeGrovemade believes that your workspace is just as important as any other space i

Founder of Design Milk and Clever co-creator Jaime Derringer grew up in New Jersey. An only child until 8, she was fiercely independent with an artistic streak, drawing inspiration from her quirky Nana. During college, she fell in love with Japanese and Asian culture, which still influences the artwork she does today, ranging from digital art to painting to tufted art. After college, she worked in project management, having a natural skill for coordinating and love for new challenges. In 2006, she founded Design Milk, a website featuring all things art and design that she loved. Now, 15 years later, Design Milk has expanded into a Shop, wide-reaching social media presence, and a growing team. In 2019, Jaime sold Design Milk to AHALife, remaining involved as CCO. She is a vibrant leader, brilliant artist, and a wonderful mom, friend, and wife. Her years of following her own artistic streak have certainly paid off. Images, links and more from Jaime!Clever is a proud member of the Airwave Media podcast netw

Designer Brian Rice currently serves as the Chief Brand and Design Officer for 3M. A self-identified “hybrid coast kid”, Brian was born in South Jersey and grew up in central Florida. A child of divorce, he acquired a greater appreciation for the different perspectives, culture, and environments he was exposed to from an early age. A curious student, he started down the engineering path but quickly realized that wasn’t the right fit, and switched to design. After college, he has worked for iconic brands such as Proctor & Gamble, The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Pacific and Bristol Myers-Squibb. He understands design as an essential connective tissue, a powerful tool to create space for artistic expression and to embrace greater diversity and inclusion. Brian knows that if we use design as a force for good, we can not only move in the direction of justice, but we can create compelling, creative products for consumers worldwide. Images, links and more from Brian!Clever is a proud member of the Airwave Me

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

On May 12, to kick off WantedDesign Online 2021’s online International Schools Show, host Amy Devers sat down with three brilliant, inspiring thought-leaders to discuss opportunities, advice, and insight for design students' next steps. Amy was joined by Natalie Nixon, Founder of Figure 8 Thinking; Diane Domeyer, Executive Director of The Creative Group; and Rosanne Somerson, President of RISD. The conversation looks beyond the portfolio to frame the value of creative training, stresses the importance of curiosity, and reminds us that the career path is itself a creative endeavor. With their creative tool kits, design students have everything they need to design their own opportunities. Images, links and more!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:Dunn-Edwards The Dunn-Edwards Emerging Professionals Design Competition is calling all emerging professionals, currently enrolled students of architecture and interior design! This is the time to practice your developing skills in commercial and residentia

Principal of Commune Design, Roman Alonso grew up in Caracas Venezuela, often traveling around in a motorhome with his family to escape to nature, before moving to Miami as a teenager. He attended Boston University, with the underlying fantasy of getting to New York. After college, he got a job at Barney’s in New York, wrote for the style section of The New York Times, and started a publishing company, Greybull Press. Commune was founded in 2004 in Los Angeles and since then Roman and partner Steven Johanknecht have grown it into a vibrant community of creatives, a Commune Shop, and impressive international hospitality projects, including many Ace Hotels, that have the adventurous, warm spirit Roman brings to everything he does. Images, links and more from Roman Alonso!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:Dunn-Edwards The Dunn-Edwards Emerging Professionals Design Competition is calling all emerging professionals, currently enrolled students of architecture and interior design! This is the time to

Sculptor and furniture designer Jonathan Trayte, a native of Yorkshire, UK, spent his early childhood in a campervan with his family in rural southern South Africa. Back in the UK, his childhood was filled with weekend picnics in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, sparking his love for sculpture. He went to Canterbury for his BFA and worked in kitchens on the side, a job that continues to influence his work today. Jonathan graduated from the Royal Academy in Art and was quickly met with success around his bronze sculptures but was itching to experiment more. And experiment he certainly has - from collaborating with Kit Neale on a café commissioned by the British Fashion Council to creating a desert road-trip inspired show at Friedman Benda, he melds together materials, concepts, and memories to create exceptional works of art. Images, links and more from Jonathan Trayte!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:EditorXEditorX is a platform built specifically for designers, where you can create complex sites whil

Civic and service designer Sarah Brooks grew up in Manhattan, the daughter of an actress and doctor. With a voracious imagination, she spent her days running around with the neighborhood kids or watching her mom on stage. As a teenager, she found her tribe in the punk rock scene, inspired by the DIY attitude and creative expression. After getting started professionally in TV production, sudden and profound tragedy struck, sending Sarah’s life on a radical detour through grief, healing, and rebuilding herself. The journey led her to a greater appreciation for emotional honesty, human connection and presence - qualities she also brings to her creative work as design executive at IBM, and as an advocate for social impact and regenerative design.Images, links and more from Sarah Brooks!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:PorkbunIf you’ve ever tried to find the perfect url for your design firm or freelance practice, you’re probably painfully aware of how many domain names are already taken. That’s why we’re exc

Designer Edward Barber grew up in a small UK village running around with his brothers, making tree houses, bows and arrows, and drawing. As a teenager, he fell in love with sailing, fixing boats, and photography. He eventually landed in the architecture program at Royal College of Art where in the first week he met Jay Osgerby. The two became fast friends, collaborators and founding partners of Barber Osgerby. In the early years, with some “engineered luck” in the form of Giulio Cappellini, Edward and Jay were fast-tracked in the world of international furniture design. Since then, they’ve gone on to found Universal, an architecture and interior design studio, and Map, focused on tech and industrial design. Having designed everything from stacking chairs with a dynamic tilt aimed at improved learning in schools, to experiential sound installations... carving out his own path has worked out just fine!Images, links and more from Edward Barber!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:HelixTo all our designer frien

Product designer Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, grew up in rural New Hampshire in a family with a rich tradition of craft. By the second grade, she was making all her own clothes and knew how to use all the power tools in her grandfather’s woodshop. Her high school track coach worked for Nike, which meant the team got to test out the goods and she had a front row seat to the R&D of performance wearables. She’s racked up over 25 years of experience designing products for athletes at companies like Nike, Champion and Fila. Now, as founder of Interwoven Design Group, she combines her expertise in wearable technology and functional apparel for clients ranging from startups to NASA, and runs circles around mere earthlings designing award-winning human-centered environments for outer space with SEArch+ (Space Exploration Architects.) And yep, she burns fiercely and brightly, just like the superstar she is.Images, links and more from Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:Yellow ImagesYellow

Michael Ford is the designer and activist known as The Hip Hop Architect. Born in Highland Park, Michigan the son of a minister, Michael was raised to be inquisitive and question the world around him to find deeper truth. Early on, he found his passion for design and music, expanding it into a practice of architecture and design through the lens of Hip Hop culture. This led to his founding of The Hip Hop Architecture Camp®, a camp that positions Hip Hop Culture as a catalyst to introduce architecture and design to underrepresented youth. He’s also working with some of Hip Hop's greatest names as he leads the design of The Universal Hip Hop Museum in The Bronx. Images, links and more from Michael Ford!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:StoryBlocksVideo can be expensive and time-consuming, and that’s where StoryBlocks can do the heavy lifting. Whether you’re a new or experienced creator, or part of a creative team, Storyblocks will help you bring all your stories to life through their affordable stock

Designer Antionette Carroll, born, raised, and based in St. Louis, Missouri, is a natural born leader who has been on a mission since day one. She’s the founder of Creative Reaction Lab, a nonprofit educating and deploying youth to challenge racial and health inequities impacting Black and Latinx populations. Antionette co-pioneered an award-winning form of creative problem solving called Equity-Centered Community Design and in doing so has received several recognitions and awards including being named an ADL and Aspen Institute Civil Society Fellow, TED Fellow, SXSW Community Service Honoree, and Essence Magazine Woke 100, among many others. She’s also a classic Taurus, the mother of twins, a fan of Mexican food, and a proud granddaughter! Images and more from our guest!Special thanks to our sponsors:EditorXEditorX is a platform built specifically for designers, where you can create complex sites while feeling like you’re working on visual design software, in which you get total CSS control powered by s

Lighting design plays an enormous role in supporting mood, feelings, perceptions and even human connection and romance. In this time when we’re suffering the side effects caused by extreme deprivation of social interaction and human connection we thought it would be a beautiful thing to talk about how lighting can be designed to soothe our minds, uplift our spirits and help us find clarity, depth and meaning in our day, in our surroundings, in ourselves. To help us visualize and understand both the science and the poetry of lighting design we talked to two experts at the top of the lighting game: Drew Stuart, Field Director and Partner at multi-disciplinary architecture and design studio, INC, and Cecilia Ramos, Senior Director - Architectural Market for Lutron Electronics. This conversation is brought to you by Lutron, and was recorded in October of 2020 as part of  CLOSEUP, a live & virtual two-day design showcase event presented by WantedDesign Manhattan and ICFF.For more information on Lutron, vi

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 episodes sponsors: HelixTo all our designer friends out there, Helix is one of the only “mattress in a box” companies that offers a designer trade discount—and it’s a good one at t

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 sponsors:HelixTo all our designer friends out there, Helix is one of the only “mattress in a box” companies that offers a designer trade discount—and it’s a good one at that! Just go to http://helixsleep.com/clever, sign up for the trade program, and once approved you will receive 25% off all products at all three of their brands.For regular customer

In the heart of downtown Los Angeles sits Hollywood’s undisputed architectural superstar — the Bradbury Building. The imposing structure’s character is definitive. Its origin story, however, is much murkier… How did a young draftsman design one of the most remarkable buildings in the world? Why did he never again do anything of note? Or did he? Was all his creativity spent on this one masterpiece? Was this a case of stolen intellectual property? Or could this have even been a brush with the supernatural?See images and read the show notes!Clever Confidential is our offshoot series where we dig into the lesser told stories of the darker side of design; the shadowy, sometimes sordid, tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.Many thanks to this episode’s guest experts Kim Cooper and Richard Schave!More about Esotouric: Although Esotouric's in-person tours have been paused since March 2020, Kim and Richard can be found every Saturday at 12p PST, presenting an all-new immersive cultural histo

We hope you're all enjoying a happy and healthy end to an extremely challenging year. We'll be back with an exciting new year of episodes in 2021. Until then, enjoy this rebroadcast from the archives!Potter and home decor mogul, Jonathan Adler reveals to Jaime and Amy how he found refuge from a tortured adolescence in clay and the potter’s wheel, and then how getting out from behind the wheel engendered a personal creative explosion. He also shares the origin of his very first store in Soho, and the story behind the design of the Parker Palm Springs. Images and more from our guest!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 created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and Jaime Derringer, aka 2VDE Media, with music from El Ten Eleven and editing by Chris Modl.Clever i