I Hear Design: the i+s podcast

What does “commercial grade” really mean when a piece of furniture lands in a hotel lobby, guest room, or restaurant? In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen talks with Hayley Pernsteiner, Director of Hospitality at Empire & Co. , about the gap between product specifications and real-world performance. Drawing on her experience across design and procurement, Pernsteiner explains...

Inclusive school design has traditionally focused on creating learning environments that accommodate the varied needs of students. But what about the educators who spend their working lives in those same spaces? In this ICYMI episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an interiors+sources article exploring new research from Corgan and the ASID Foundation that examines how school environments affect educ...

New doesn't always mean innovative. This episode of Product Talk explores how designers and specifiers can look beyond the “innovative” label to understand what a product actually changes. Lauren Brant examines examples that expand the function of familiar products, improve performance and material health, respond to human needs, introduce new creative perspectives, and integrate technology into t...

Artificial intelligence is quickly moving beyond image generation and into the everyday workflows of interior designers and architecture firms. But as AI becomes more capable, designers are also confronting questions about accuracy, privacy, intellectual property, creativity, sustainability, and how much trust to place in AI-generated information. In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Niem...

Technical knowledge and creativity are essential to becoming a successful interior designer, but another skill can determine whether a great idea gains traction: communication. In this ICYMI episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an article by Rachel Robinson , Creative Director and Design Principal at Ted Moudis Associates and Co-Chair of IIDA NY’s In-Studio Committee, examining why firms are placi...

In the third and final episode of the Future Ready by Design series, host Robert Nieminen concludes his conversation with Mark Bryan, chief research and strategy officer at IIDA, about the provocative ideas emerging from IIDA’s Certified Design Futurist program and Futures Readiness Index . Following Part 1’s focus on Prove It and Part 2’s focus on Feel It, this episode turns to Sustain It—a broad...

What can the world’s largest design fair tell us about where interior design is headed? In this ICYMI episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit the trends and innovations that stood out at Salone del Mobile. Milano 2026 based on an article published by interiors+sources . The show reflected an industry increasingly focused on longevity, material integrity, sustainability, and technology tha...

In Part 2 of the Future Ready by Design series, host Robert Nieminen continues his conversation with Mark Bryan, chief research and strategy officer at IIDA , about the ideas emerging from IIDA’s Certified Design Futurist program and Futures Readiness Index . Following Part 1’s discussion of proof, accountability, and outcomes-based design, this episode shifts into the theme Feel It: how the built...

Lighting can do more than illuminate a space—it can influence how people see, feel, focus, interact, and respond to the passage of time. In this episode of Product Talk, Lauren Brant talks with Robert Soler, founder and chief scientist of BIOS Lighting , about what wellness-focused lighting actually means and what designers should consider when specifying it. They discuss circadian lighting, dayli...

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an article from  interiors+sources  that explores how Hendrick designed Synovus Place, a 122,000-square-foot downtown Columbus, Georgia, headquarters, around community, change, and employee experience. The project brought several locations together under one roof while using workplace strategy, change management, interi...

In the first episode of a three-part I Hear Design series titled, "Future Ready by Design," host Robert Nieminen speaks with Mark Bryan, chief research and strategy officer at IIDA , about the organization’s Certified Design Futurist program and Futures Readiness Index . Part 1, Prove It, explores how the built environment industry is being asked to move beyond beautiful finished spaces and toward...

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an article from interiors+sources that explores how airport design is evolving in 2026 as modernization takes precedence over building entirely new terminals. Today’s airport projects are balancing operational performance with a more thoughtful passenger experience, incorporating hospitality-inspired lounges and seating...

Colleges and universities are under pressure to prove their value as they navigate enrollment challenges, affordability concerns, student retention, and changing expectations around the campus experience. In this episode of the I Hear Design podcast, host Robert Nieminen speaks with Martin Kimmel, founding principal and chief creative officer of Kimmel Architecture , about how the physical campus...

Sound influences every space we design, yet acoustics are often treated as an afterthought. In this episode of Product Talk, Lauren Brant sits down with Dr. Robert MacMeccan, President of Turf Design, to explore why acoustics should be considered one of the foundational elements of architecture and interior design—not simply a finishing touch. Together they discuss evidence-based design, neuroincl...

The language of sustainable materials is getting more complicated. Terms like bio-based, bio-sourced, bio-attributed, and USDA BioPreferred® are increasingly common in product literature, but they don’t necessarily mean the same thing—or provide the same level of verification. In this ICYMI episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an interiors+sources article that breaks down the terminology designers...

What does it really take to build a healthy design practice today? On this episode of I Hear Design, Robert Nieminen speaks with David Shove-Brown, co-founder and partner at Washington, D.C.-based architecture and design firm //3877 , about the systems, values, and leadership habits that help firms stay resilient over time. Their conversation explores how culture, accountability, transparency, and...

When should interior architects join a project team? According to this article , the answer is simple: at the very beginning. In this In Case You Missed It episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an interiors+sources feature exploring why interior architects should be involved from the earliest planning stages rather than after key architectural decisions have already been made. The article examines...

In the third and final installment of the Foundations of Community series, I Hear Design host Robert Nieminen speaks with Joshua Zinder, managing partner of JZA+D and co-founder of Landau | Zinder Architecture , about the evolving role of worship spaces in contemporary community life. Zinder shares how growing up in a Percival Goodman-designed synagogue helped shape both his faith and his path int...

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, Product Talk explores the enduring impact of American manufacturing on commercial design. Lauren Brant sits down with Joseph Namyst of Davis Furniture and Casey Baxter of HBF + HBF Textiles to discuss craftsmanship, domestic manufacturing, sustainability, and the partnerships shaping the future of American-made furniture and textiles. Discover how herit...

In this In Case You Missed It episode of I Hear Design, we revisit a recent interiors+sources article on Unilever’s newly reimagined North American headquarters in Hoboken, New Jersey. Designed by Perkins&Will, the 111,000-square-foot workplace consolidates Unilever’s former 350,000-square-foot suburban headquarters into a more compact urban campus built for discovery, testing, collaboration,...

In this episode of I Hear Design, Robert Nieminen continues the three-part Designing the Foundations of Community series with a look at K-12 school design and what it takes to create better learning environments for students and communities today. Joining the show are Albert Aronov, principal at RKTB Architects and head of the firm’s educational studio, and Nelya Sachakova, who leads RKTB’s new sc...

In this special sponsored bonus episode of the I Hear Design podcast, host Robert Nieminen speaks with Oxana Dallas, principal designer of commercial at AHF Products , about how Armstrong Flooring®’s Kaleido™ Color Lab is reimagining the flooring specification process as a more creative, flexible, and digitally driven design experience. Rather than treating flooring as a finish selected near the e...

In this In Case You Missed It episode of the I Hear Design podcast, we revisit an interiors+sources article exploring how performance-based fire modeling can help architects and designers resolve one of the most difficult tensions in adaptive reuse and renovation work: preserving design intent while meeting life safety and egress requirements. The article explains how prescriptive code requirement...

Affordable multifamily housing is one of the most urgent design and development challenges in the U.S., but the reasons it remains so difficult to build go far beyond simple supply and demand. In this episode of I Hear Design, Robert Nieminen speaks with Peter Bafitis, managing principal at RKTB Architects , and Alex Brito, principal and leader of the firm’s affordable housing studio, about the fo...

Today’s commercial products are being asked to do more than ever before. Joined by Steve Kooy and Anthony Serge from BIFMA, Lauren Brant explores how wellness, modularity, emotional performance, and experiential lighting are shaping Chicago Design Week 2026. Key Moments in This Episode 1:12 — Why Chicago Design Week 2026 feels different Lauren Brant introduces the major themes shaping this year’s...