Welcome to another fantastic crossover episode! This time we have the amazing podcast “Made for us” hosted by Tosin Sulaiman.

Made For Us is an award-winning podcast for anyone who’s curious about how to design for inclusivity. Join us each week for conversations with founders, designers, product inclusion leaders and other creative minds who are challening the status quo of how everyday products are designed. Each episode will bring you insights from people who've spent years thinking, perhaps even obsessing, about how to develop products or build companies that are inclusive from the start. In 2024, they were a Bronze winner for “Most Inspirational Podcast” and a 2024 International Women's Podcast Award winner.

This episode is called “Why isn’t all design inclusive?”

Over the past few months, guests on this podcast have shared some great examples of inclusive design and innovation, but these kinds of products aren’t the norm (yet).   Joining me to explore some of the reasons why is Scott Berkun, author of How Design Makes the World, a book that aims to demystify design for everyone. We discuss why it’s so hard to design well and what organisations can do to accelerate good ideas. Enjoying the show? Subscribe to the free Made For Us newsletter for exclusive content. If you haven’t yet left a 5-star rating or review, this would be the perfect time to do so (it will help others discover this podcast while Season 2 is in the works). In today’s episode, Scott and I discuss:

- Business and cultural reasons behind design choices

- Key questions to ask early on in the design process

- Why we should think twice before using words like ‘intuitive’ and ‘user-friendly’

- The ROI of inclusivity

This episode is our special holiday gift to you! Happy holidays! In fact, it’s all about you. Shi, an energy economist (and an avid Climify fan) was selected amongst many listeners like you to be featured on our program to talk all things Climify and, of course, climate action.

Joining Shi and Eric are awesome members of the Climify team (Bhavna and Jacqui) to discuss Shi’s climate work and solarpunk dreams. Throughout this forty minute conversation, Shi reflects on her journey from studying oil and gas markets to promoting sustainable living, solar for all, and the role of individual actions in driving systemic change.

We hope you all realize how important you are to the success of the show (and the climate movement) and hope to speak with you again in the new year! Happy 2025! Let’s keep fighting for climate!

In this episode, Jackie, Bhavna, and Adam join Eric to discuss their journey of creating season four of Climify. Each reflects on the challenges and successes of planning an action-based podcast and shares what inspired them from the guest interviews. The episode also explores future directions for Climify including more audience participation to further the impact on climate action and systemic change.

This is a special three-part series for season four that you suggested to our listeners! We’ve entitled it “Changing the System - Back to School.” All of our guests and organizations in this special series want to impact climate in the classroom or through the school itself (think renewable energy!) We hope you enjoy this bonus series as it came from you – our listeners!

In this third episode of our Back to School series of Climify, Eric welcomes Stevie Bales and Zoë Edington as they discuss the New Wave Research Project, a Climate Designers initiative aimed at integrating climate awareness into design education. They share insights from their research on students' engagement with climate issues, the systemic challenges faced by design educators, and their vision for an inclusive, action-oriented climate design curriculum.

This is a special three-part series for season four that you suggested to our listeners! We’ve entitled it “Changing the System - Back to School.” All of our guests and organizations in this special series want to impact climate in the classroom or through the school itself (think renewable energy!) We hope you enjoy this bonus series as it came from you – our listeners!

In this second episode of the series, Eric Benson welcomes Tish Tablan from Generation 180 to discuss how to “be the spark” to help install solar on your school. Tish shares her journey into sustainability, inspired by William McDonough, and her work at Generation 180 promoting clean energy solutions. They delve into the organization's programs like 'Electrify Our Schools,' which aims to help schools save and then reinvest their money in addition to teach sustainability by integrating solar energy. The conversation highlights successful solar case studies, the impact of school-based solar projects, and ways community members can advocate for solar energy in their local schools.

This is a special three-part series for season four that you suggested to our listeners! We’ve entitled it “Changing the System - Back to School.” All of our guests and organizations in this special series want to impact climate in the classroom or through the school itself (think renewable energy!) We hope you enjoy this bonus series as it came from you – our listeners!

In this first episode of the series, Eric talks with representatives from College to Climate, an organization founded by students and recent graduates that aims to empower young people to pursue careers in climate tech.

Co-founders Jessica Harrington and Larson Burack and designer Kevin Lu discuss their roles in the organization, its mission, and the impact of their inspiring work. They detail the importance of forming a climate community, the value of mentorship in climate fields, and the growing opportunities in climate tech. In addition, they share their favorite success stories from College to Climate and future plans for expanding their reach to create more climate-related job opportunities for the next generation of young leaders.

In this episode of Cimiify, Eric welcomes Thais Mantovani, co-founder of Eco-Universidade, to discuss her journey from a career in marketing to becoming a regenerative strategist and educator. The episode delves into the impact of globalization on local cultures, emphasizing the need for localized solutions and education to foster systemic change. Mantovani shares insights from her holistic science studies at Schumacher College, her work with indigenous communities, and the importance of embracing diverse worldviews and education for sustainable transformation.

After the interview, design researcher Jacqui Himmel joins Eric to unpack the episode providing the most important calls to action from the discussion that you can implement today!

In this episode of Cimiify, Eric welcomes Scott Boylston the graduate coordinator of the Design for Sustainability program at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). Scott shares his expertise on systems thinking, the importance of community engagement in design, and highlights various impactful projects, including Repurpose Savannah. The discussion underscores the role of education in fostering environmental and social justice, providing a rich resource for designers aiming to effect long-term systemic change.

After the interview, design researcher Bhavna Bhavanishankar joins Eric to unpack the episode providing the most important calls to action from the discussion that you can implement today!

In this episode of Cimiify, Eric welcomes Michelle Moore, a distinguished climate policy expert and former federal environmental executive under the Obama administration. Michelle shares insights from her journey growing up in rural Georgia to impactful roles in national climate policy, including reducing the government's energy bill by $11 billion. The episode delves into her motivations rooted in community and faith, her work with the non-profit Groundswell to promote community power and clean energy projects in underserved areas, and the importance of values-based system change. Michelle's philosophy of 'doing well by doing good' and her latest book, Rural Renaissance, are highlighted. The conversation also explores actionable steps individuals can take to support climate justice and policy changes.

After the interview, design researcher Jacqui Himmel joins Eric to unpack the episode providing the most important calls to action from the discussion that you can implement today!

The guests in our commercial series, are experts focused on how our collective system is organized. We’re not talking about which produce to pick at the grocery store – although these lifestyle choices are critical. Our guests in this second series play pivotal roles in the organization of our society, disrupting the economy at the institutional level and changing how products are imagined and created.

In this episode of Climify, Eric welcomes Dr. Tanya Beer, a seasoned stage designer and senior lecturer at Queensland College of Art and Design, Griffith University (Australia), to discuss her innovative approach to sustainable stage design. Tanya shares her journey into sustainable stage design, the creation of the term 'Ecoscenography,' and her pioneering project, the Living Stage, which combines horticulture, community engagement, and performance. The episode also highlights educational strategies to promote sustainability in design and the importance of questioning the environmental impact of one's work and passions.

After the interview, design researcher Jacqui Himmel joins Eric to unpack the episode providing the most important calls to action from the discussion that you can implement today!