Imagine a Place

Dealer designers play a vital role in shaping the workplace experience, yet many navigate their careers without a strong professional network or a clear roadmap for growth. In this engaging conversation, Maria VanDeman sits down with Alexandra Tseffos, founder of The Design POP, to discuss the evolving role of dealer designers and the power of building community within the industry. Together, they...

What happens when two design leaders sit down after one of the industry's biggest events and tell the truth about how they're really feeling? In this candid episode, Maria VanDeman, Director of Design Strategy, and Christina Jameson, Director of Workplace, reflect on Design Days and NeoCon, discussing burnout, working motherhood, authenticity, workplace design, career passion, and the future of hu...

What happens when art, wellness, and design come together? In this special Design Days Chicago episode, Maria VanDeman sits down with artist Liz Flores and Alkemis co-founder Price Latimer to explore the partnerships shaping the OFS showroom experience. Liz shares the stories woven into her vibrant artwork, from the symbolism of an acorn growing into a tree to her celebration of imagination, commu...

Recorded live from ICFF 2026, Wesley Edmonds sits down with Sabrina Lippman, CEO of Habitat for Humanity NYC & Westchester, for a powerful conversation about housing, dignity, and the life-changing impact of homeownership. From transforming underutilized spaces across New York City into thriving communities, to helping working families build generational stability, Sabrina shares how Habitat for H...

Recorded live at ICFF in New York City, Wesley Edmonds sits down with Tana Hovland of Rockwell Group to talk about what design really means today. Tana shares how her work has shifted from skyscrapers to experience-driven spaces and why hospitality is about more than just how things look. From healthcare clinics that feel like home to designing spaces that engage all five senses, this conversation...

In this episode of Imagine a Place, Maria VanDeman and Wesley Edmonds reflect on a powerful start to the year, highlighting authentic conversations with women in design, ICFF, the growing importance of human connection in the workplace, and insights from the Power of Choice research. As Design Days in Chicago approaches, they share what to expect from OFS’s “Imagine a Place” showroom experience: a...

In this inspiring episode, interior designer Natasha Brewer, Senior Interior Designer and Associate Principal of Perkins Eastman shares her perspective on leadership, creativity, and the evolving role of connection in the design industry. The conversation explores the importance of mentorship, representation, and creating space for diverse voices, while highlighting how authenticity and vulnerabil...

This episode features Morgan Maples, a Chicago-based Senior Project Manager, who brings a real and refreshingly honest perspective to the realities of working in the design industry. The conversation explores themes of setting boundaries, managing expectations, and navigating the balance between saying yes and protecting your time. Morgan shares reflections on collaboration, emphasizing how creati...

In a profession shaped by increasing speed and complexity, how do we reclaim the creativity at the heart of great design? In this episode of Imagine a Place, Abby Rolla, Vice President and Principal at ASD | SKY, shares her perspective on protecting creative thinking, leading with intention, and building studio cultures that support both performance and wellbeing. From designing without constraint...

In this episode, Christina Jameson, Director of Workplace at OFS, and Lydia Moya, Brand Manager at OFS, reflect on conversations with workplace leaders from organizations like Warner Music Group, PepsiCo, Eli Lilly, Microsoft, UT Health San Antonio, and TDECU at WorkX Dallas 2026. One message came through clearly: The office is no longer required. It must be earned. Together they unpack themes tha...

From architecture school to leading design at global coworking brand Industrious, Jean Chandler has seen the workplace from every angle. In this episode, we explore how coworking spaces create buzz, why people “vote with their feet,” and what it takes to design offices that feel more human. Connect with Jean on LinkedIn Connect with Wesley on LinkedIn Connect with Maria on LinkedIn . Follow Imagin...

In this episode, Maria sits down with Melissa Borman, Interior Design Director at Niles Bolton Associates in Atlanta, to talk about leadership, listening, and designing with intention. Melissa shares how seeing projects through a client’s business lens reshaped her approach to design. Along the way, she discovered that her greatest superpower isn’t just creativity, but listening. Together, they ex...

In this episode, Maria sits down with Mike Sewell, Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Gresham Smith, to explore what happens when engineering, interior design, and artificial intelligence intersect. From a life changing moment on a bicycle that reshaped how he thinks about designing for people, to his role as Chief Digital Transformation Officer guiding firm wide digital innovation, Mike shar...

In this episode, Kala Fagan, a Senior Associate and Design Director at OTJ Architects, joins us for an honest and energizing conversation about what it means to lead in design today. From navigating post recession pressures to pushing back on unrealistic timelines and race to the bottom fees, Kala speaks candidly about advocating for people, protecting teams from burnout, and why designers must re...

In this episode of Imagine a Place , host Wesley Edmonds shares a few standout moments from her conversation with Hector Kolonas , founder of This Week in Coworking . From coworking spaces in train stations to the role automation and AI are playing in furniture manufacturing, they explore what it really means to create human-centered work experiences, and why flex is so much bigger than a single m...

Naoko Oguro , Design Director of IA Interior Architects , reflects on what it means to build a career rooted in purpose, community, and care. From growing up in New York after moving from Tokyo, to finding confidence as an introvert in a relationship-driven profession, Naoko shares why designers are drawn to this work not for prestige, but for impact. This conversation explores leadership through...

What happens when enterprise workplace needs meet the flexibility, hospitality, and humanity of coworking? In this episode, host Wesley Edmonds sits down with Caroline Hecht from Preferred Office Network to unpack how flexible workspace can simplify complex real estate portfolios while putting people first. From streamlining multi-market office solutions to elevating operators, rethinking partners...

What happens when a designer refuses to follow a traditional path? In this episode, Veronica Gilliams, Senior Interior Designer at HOK, shares how her journey through video game design, physical spaces, and creative exploration shaped her perspective on people, place, and possibility. From biophilia to bold career moves, this conversation is about curiosity, creativity, and designing beyond the ex...

Sometimes the best conversations happen when two design-minded people realize they share the same passion for creating better places to work. In this episode, Mara Hauser, founder and CEO of 25N Coworking and Founding Principal of Workplace Studio , alongside host Wesley Edmonds, talk about coworking, corporate offices, and why designing for humans, not just density, makes all the difference. Join...

In this year-end episode of Imagine a Place, Maria brings together her co-hosts and longtime friends, Wesley Edmonds and Christina Jameson , to look back on the lessons, surprises, and standout moments of 2025. The trio reflects on how the workplace is evolving, why choice and neuroinclusivity are becoming essential design drivers, and how communication, optimism, and human connection shaped their...

In this episode, Wesley talks with Aflac’s Office Design & Planning Supervisor, Lelitha Williams and Meta Workplace Designer, Emily Burchill about what it really means to create employee-centric spaces. Together they unpack how empathy, flexibility, and a little bit of hospitality thinking can turn workplaces into environments where people actually feel seen, supported, and inspired to do their be...

Design for Belonging: Good design is good for business What does belonging look like in healthcare — and can design help create it? In this thought-provoking conversation, Maria VanDeman sits down with Jessica Radecki , Healthcare Director at NBBJ, and Lauren Cole , System Director of Design Strategy with Providence Healthcare, to explore how the built environment can foster connection, comfort, a...

What does “flex work” really mean today? In this conversation, Wesley Edmonds (Director of Workplace at OFS ) sits down with top leaders from Switchyards , 25 North Coworking , Everything Coworking , and the Global Workspace Association to explore the future of coworking and flexible office spaces. From the rise of neighborhood work clubs to the pitfalls of landlord partnerships, this episode dive...

In this episode, host Maria sits down with Charmaigne Haley, an interior designer at SmithGroup whose story beautifully blends culture, creativity, and compassion. From her Filipino roots to her journey into healthcare design, Charmaigne shares how her heritage, family, and personal experiences with neurodiversity have shaped the way she designs for empathy and connection. Together, they explore w...

Join our guest host, Roby Issac from Mannington Commercial, as he sits down to talk with Alexandra Bonner from FCA. A West Philadelphia-born interior designer, Alex's heart and passion for healthcare spaces are rooted in empathy, personal experience, and a lifelong love of design. She shares how her firsthand experiences inform her approach to creating neuro-inclusive healthcare spaces and designi...