Imagine a Place

In this episode Doug sits down with Sascha Wagner —President and CEO of Huntsman Architecture —to discuss the importance of in-person interactions, mentorship, and workplace. To put it bluntly, these things can't be replicated virtually. So what are we going to do? What is the case for "return to office"? Sascha makes the point that the physical workplace plays an important cultural role in bringi...

In this episode, Doug sits down with 5 guests at the Pittsburgh MiniCon convention put on by Franklin . The topic—change readiness. Every person and every organization is grappling with change readiness in some way. At the organizational level we discuss the importance of listening, bringing elements of nostalgia into new spaces, involving multiple generations in decision-making, and maintaining a...

The career path of Ebehi Ijewere has not been easy, however—by trusting her instincts—Ebehi has found herself as an architect at Jacobs and host of the Layers of Design podcast. Ebehi grew up in Lagos, Nigeria where her creative influences were her mother and aunt who was an architect. These influences pushed her to move to the U.S. at the age of 17 for college. Being an international student pres...

In this episode, Doug talks with architect and author Gary Vance whose career is split between the pre-computer and post-computer era of the industry. Not only has Gary's workflow changed tremendously, but his client interactions have changed as well. The transition to CAD and email in the workplace caused a notable shift—it changed the way clients viewed and commented on design drawings. Before c...

Joining Doug this week is Vijay Gupta , violinist and speaker. As a live performer it's not about being perfect—that's what practice is for. Live performance art is authentic. It's about being present and connecting with the audience. Vijay doesn't want to preach, he wants to connect and understand his audience's values and stories. Through this music and conversations, Vijay aims to facilitate th...

We are a few months in to The Design Pop joining the Imagine a Place network and it's been a major success. This is in part due to Alexandra's willingness to stay nimble and reactive with content. Her goal is to provide perspective even without definitive answers, and focusing on technology convergence and its impact. Alexandra's website— The Design Pop —has grown into an education and training ec...

Jose Jordan leads interiors focused on justice and civic spaces at DLR Group in Florida. Justice and civic space interiors are often overlooked, but Jose believes they can be thoughtfully designed to empower and inspire. One example of this approach is a recent juvenile detention center project in Birmingham, Alabama where the history of steelwork was implemented to motivate residents toward a new...

During NeoCon 2023, Doug sat down with Stefanie Ince—a career coach who helps people find their passion and purpose in work. The conversation goes all the way back to the basics of sleeping enough, eating healthy, and getting enough exercise. These three basics tend to fall to the wayside when people get wrapped up in their work. But more than the basics, what makes you happy? It's important to be...

In this episode, Doug interviews Adam Goodman— the third generation CEO of Goodmans Interior Structures . The Black Lives Matter movement deeply affected Adam and spurred him to confront systemic racism within his own company. Goodman gives you his game plan on confronting systemic racism inside his company and it comes with a heavy dose of self vulnerability and a heaping side of courage. He unco...

Creating environments that support your health, your happiness, and your well-being is a passion for Erin Peavey,—Architect and Health & Well-being Design Leader at HKS. She's also well known for her TEDx Talk "Can design heal loneliness?" Her passion was born from personal experience as Erin cared for her mother during her battle with cancer. Daily walks in the community with her newborn daughter...

Recently Doug came across an article in Work Design Magazine by Kendra Linton—Senior Associate at NELSON Worldwide—that grabbed his attention. Kendra's article is about using sensory design to create engaging workspaces for the new hybrid workplace. As the world continues to grapple with making hybrid work more efficient and human-friendly, thinkers like Kendra cut through the noise and help us un...

Yahir Sarmiento is Cushman & Wakefield’s Senior Managing Director for Latin America. When it comes to hiring, Yahir believes the best "fit" is someone who will work with the already existing team soul. A leader must consider the team's soul when making decisions. It's easy to make decisions when feeling strong emotions, but making decisions based on motivation and good intention is best for a team...

Today, we have a special treat for you  –   Lisa Kahn is an expert in building " sanctuary spaces " and her story of how and why she’s decided to dedicate her life’s work to this is incredible. As you'll hear in this episode, now more than ever, we long for spaces that nurture us emotionally and allow us to feel a sense of well-being, tranquility, and joy - because as Lisa says, “When designed wit...

For 9 years, Tracy Hawkins led workplace strategy at Twitter as they scaled from 700 to 13,000 employees.  Today, she's Grammarly ’s Global Head of Workplace Experience and Connection.  In this episode, she will share Grammarly 's formula for hybrid work and how deeper levels of research and experimentation help them create better outcomes for work and the workforce. Tracy also explains how impact...

Paul Shahriari is a visionary and a do-er – It’s a powerful combination.  Today, he shares the mission and vision behind the company he cofounded Ecomedes . You’ll hear his inspiring story behind what set him down this path of sustainability - if you’ve ever had a college professor you loved, you’ll appreciate Paul’s story.   Paul and the Ecomedes tribe are determined to make more informed choices...

David Ulrich is a university professor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant. With over 30 books that have shaped the HR profession, he is widely regarded as the father of modern HR thinking.  David has been ranked as the #1 Management Educator & Guru by BusinessWeek, he's been selected by Fast Company as one of the 10 most innovative and creative leaders and was named the most influential think...

In this episode, we chat with Byron Morton, Vice President & Co-Head of Leasing at the Mart. Byron shares what to look forward to at NeoCon 2023 and gives us a sneak peek at the future plans for the show.  If you are heading to NeoCon we want to pass along a special invitation: Monday, June 12 at 4pm at the OFS Showroom :  We’ll be hosting an Imagine a Place alumni cocktail party which you are all...

Amanda Schneider is a researcher, writer, and founder of ThinkLab , a phenomenal source of creative insight for the industry of interior design.  Recently, Doug and Amanda met in Chicago to see what new thinking she has for us.  As expected… it was a thought-provoking discussion that finishes off with 3 bold predictions for the future of our industry.  Click here to get your FREE copy of the Imagi...

Dianne Murata , Furniture Chief and Founder of Kimiko Designs has a big announcement - She just launched the Kimiko Green Playbook for Sustainable Decommissioning . It's a guidebook to help you make better choices when it comes to the afterlife of your furniture. It was developed through hard work and through listening to a community of facility managers. Tune in to learn more about the playbook a...

Roy Abernathy is the EVP of Workplace Strategy and Human Experience at Newmark . He is known for his big-picture mindset and creative thinking.   Today, we do some dreaming out loud around and explore concepts for the future of business and real estate. One of them: The 4-day workweek. Towards the end of the episode, we learned that Roy went to veterinary school in college. You’ll be surprised whe...

We brought furniture designer Brian Graham back on the show for a laughter-filled and insightful bonus episode! Together we review a handful of powerful quotes from previous episodes. "It's not your job's job to make you happy." —Cheryl Durst "If you are waiting for regulations to change the way we design it will be far too late." —Jane Hallinan "If everyone is doing neutral, then of course, we'll...

On today's episode, join Doug as he sits down with Jorge Colón, Associate Principal and Interior Design Studio Head at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) . They dive into some important topics, such as the power of attentive listening, the art of understanding client's needs and recognizing the unsung heroes in the design community. Jorge also shares insightful advice on navigating a successful care...

Back by popular demand, Regan Donoghue , Senior Principal of Strategy for Unispace joins our very own VP of Workplace, Molly Prior for a deep discussion on designing the space and the work culture for the new hybrid workforce. Together, they give you a checklist of how to think bigger about what today’s workplace needs are from the employee experience to how the physical space can respond. Click h...

In this episode, we have Ben Christensen , the founder of Cambium Carbon which exists to reimagine the supply chain for wood and wood products. Cambium Carbon saves fallen trees from landfills and decomposition, transforming them into valuable products with place-based impact. The size and scope of the problem they are seeking to solve is extraordinary and it's likely a problem you never knew exis...

This episode features Metaverse expert, Christopher Neff , the Global Head of Emerging Experience & Technology for Anomaly —Adweeks 2022 Creative Agency of the year. Not very long ago, we chose when to connect. Now, we have to choose when to disconnect. Doug and Chris explore how the Metaverse is the next logical step in our technological evolution, and how it could revolutionize the way we intera...