Our guest this week is a talented designer who is redefining the world of hospitality design. With over 25 years of experience, she has lent her expertise as an Adjunct professor at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Please welcome to the show Senior Director, Design & Project Management at Marriott International, Linda Laucirica!

Linda joins Host Dan Ryan for an in depth conversation on design philosophy. Linda shares the importance of starting with a cohesive design strategy before creating a narrative, the necessity of having an elevator pitch, and how the hospitality industry can create more welcoming spaces in the healthcare industry.  

Takeaways: 

• Hospitality is the desire to give comfort and joy. True hospitality comes from a celebration of shared human experience, and a desire to connect through that humanity with others
• The intersection of storytelling and design, with an emphasis on editing and conveying clear messages, is crucial in creating impactful narratives. This is important in full-service lifestyle brands, where aspirational design plays a key role in brand identity.
• When conducting research and designing for a brand, it is essential to effectively summarize the concept in a concise elevator pitch. This helps align design decisions with the brand's vision and ensures unique project outcomes.
• Creating successful narratives for "soft brands" requires a different approach than for "hard brands". Designers must create a strategy that directly connects with the brand's vision, ethos, and personality, before jumping into crafting a compelling narrative.
• Technology has impacted the design process, shifting from manual creation to digital tools and 3D visualization. This transformation emphasizes the need for designers to adapt, understand scale, and create spaces that resonate with our human experience.
• Hospitality focused design has an important role in the healthcare industry. By creating welcoming hospitals and treatment centers, you can leave a positive impact on someone’s journey to healing. 
• For Mariott’s W Hotels there are three tenets of design: form follows fantastic, tactile materiality, and clean maximalism. These three elements combine to create unique experiences for guests. 

Quote of the Show:

• “That message also wants to have an emotional connection to who you're speaking with, right? Otherwise why write the story? Why share your thoughts?” - Linda Laucirica

Links:

• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lindalaucirica/ 
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauciricadesign/ 
• Website: https://www.marriott.com/marriott/aboutmarriott.mi 

Shout Outs:

• 01:38 - McCartan Design: http://www.mccartan.com/ 
• 03:26 - The Peanuts
• 04:10 - NJIT: https://www.njit.edu/ 
• 06:07 - Cornell: https://www.cornell.edu/ 
• 09:22 - Starwood Hotels
• 09:49 - Westin Hotels: https://westin.marriott.com/ 
• 09:49 - Autograph Collection Hotels: https://autograph-hotels.marriott.com/ 
• 09:50 - Le Méridien Hotels: https://le-meridien.marriott.com/ 
• 09:51 - Renaissance Hotels: https://renaissance-hotels.marriott.com/ 
• 09:52 - Design Hotels: http://designhotels.com/ 
• 09:53 - Tribute Hotels: https://tribute-portfolio.marriott.com/ 
• 09:56 - Gaylord Hotels: https://www.gaylordhotels.com/ 
• 10:19 - W Hotels: https://w-hotels.marriott.com/ 
• 19:31 - Dune
• 20:59 - Rockwell Group: https://www.rockwellgroup.com/ 
• 21:01 - Barnes And Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/ 
• 21:29 - Pinterest
• 21:30 - Instagram
• 22:01 - Revit
• 27:04 - Woolly Mammoth Theatre: https://www.woollymammoth.net/ 
• 27:05 - Arena Stage: https://www.arenastage.org/ 
• 28:17 - New York School Of Interior Design: https://www.nysid.edu/ 
• 29:50 - Mohegan Sun: https://mohegansun.com/ 
• 30:10 - David Rockwell
• 30:46 - Children’s Hospital at Montefiore: https://www.cham.org/ 
• 31:43 - Carl Sagan
• 34:32 - Lionel Ohayon: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lionelohayon/ 
• 34:35 - Memorial Sloan Kettering: https://www.mskcc.org/ 
• 36:58 - W Union Square: https://www.whotelsnewyork.com/property/w-new-york-union-square/ 
• 44:02 - Steve Higgins
• 44:08 - Theresa Fatino: https://www.fatinodesign.com/ 

Ways to Tune In: 

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A2XOJvb6mGqEPYJ5bilPX
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/defining-hospitality-podcast/id1573596386
• Google Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGVmaW5pbmdob3NwaXRhbGl0eS5saXZlL2ZlZWQueG1s
• Amazon Music: ​​https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8c904932-90fa-41c3-813e-1cb8f3c42419