The Learning Objective

The Learning Objective

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The Learning Objective episodes

  • Liquid Architecture: How Water Shapes Our Wellbeing

    In this episode of The Learning Objective presented by Delta Faucet Company, ThinkLab explores the profound impact of water on our mental and physical health within the built environment. Our guests help us uncover the remarkable connection between exposure to water and improved psychological health, sharing intriguing statistics about the positive effects of water on creativity and idea generation.  We discuss the 15 patterns of biophilic design, ranging from nature in the space to natural analogs and nature of the space, and how architects and designers can apply them effectively to create environments that resonate with our innate connection to nature.  

    After listening, you will be able to:

    • Learn why water in the built environment can have a more significant positive effect on mental well-being than green spaces. 
    • Explore the future possibilities of water-inspired designs and how they can contribute to a more sustainable and well-balanced built environment. 
    • Uncover practical strategies for incorporating water features into architectural projects to enhance occupants' mental and emotional states. 


    Connect with our guests:

    • Dr. Wallace J. Nichols
    • Catie Ryan Balagtas 


    Here's how to complete your entire CEU podcast process in 3 simple steps:

    • Step 1: Listen to the episode. 
    • Step 2: Visit this link to take a short quiz.
    • Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion from the CEU provider 


    Accredited for: IDCEC, AIA | 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU

    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    35 min
  • Is Mentorship Dead?

    In this episode, presented by Teknion, ThinkLab interviews Dost Bardouille, Director of Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility of Swinerton, and Nina Johnson, Senior Commercial Insights Manager at Armstrong Craven. They discuss the pitfalls of traditional mentorship and explore three additional solutions for career development and upskilling your talent in a modern era. Accredited for: IDCEC | 0.5 CEU.  

    After listening, you will be able to:

    • Identify a key shift impacting career development today 
    • Compare three new methods used for engagement.
    • Assess the D.E.I. benefits of champions 
    • Summarize the 7 considerations needed in designing a shadow board.  


    In part one, we sit down with Dost Bardouille of Swinerton to evaluate the pitfalls of traditional career development and compare two new methods of connection: sponsorship and champions. In part two, we sit down with Nina Johnson of Armstrong Craven to identify how implementing a shadow board, a tactic that major fashion house Gucci used, can provide employees with high-level engagement and, in turn, prove long-term success for a company's growth.  

    Want CEU credit for listening? Take the quiz and earn your certificate of completion.

    • How it works: Step 1: Listen to the episode. 
    • Step 2: Visit this link to take a short, 5-question quiz. *Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU 
    • Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion from CEU provider Teknion. 


    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn:

    • Nina Johnson 
    • Dost Bardouille 


    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    34 min
  • Arrows to the Future of Design: What We Can Learn From Gen Z
    In this episode, ThinkLab interviews Amanda Schneider, president and founder of ThinkLab, and Jessica Jenkins, co-host of The Learning Objective and part of the research and development team at ThinkLab. Together, they discuss the findings of this year’s design hackathon, sharing their aha moments. They dismantle assumptions about what other generations think Gen Zers want from their workplace — and use data and interviews to uncover what Gen Zers actually want, what inspires them, and how to capture their loyalty.  
    Accredited for: IDCEC | 0.5 CEU 
    After listening, you will be able to: 
    Analyze how Gen Z is an arrow to the future of the design industry. 
    Contrast how the assumptions about Gen Z differ from what the data revealed. 
    Identify the five challenge areas for connecting with Gen Z. 
    Implement solutions for each of those five challenges. 
    In this episode, we dig into the findings of this year’s design hackathon, which included a survey of more than 1,800 designers, as well as more than 20 hours of focus groups on these topics. 
    Specifically, we focus on the following challenge areas: culture, creativity, relationships, loyalty, and learning. Each area revealed crucial ways in which Gen Zers differs from previous generations. This ranged from the practical, such as which way they prefer to communicate (no calls, please!) to the more profound: Gen Zers consider both physical and digital to be part of one unbroken experience, instead of two distinct and separate ways to work. Alongside these insights, Schneider and Jenkins describe concrete actions that firms can take to integrate Gen Zers and take advantage of their fresh perspective. 
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion.  
    How it works:   
    Step 1: Listen to the episode.  
    Step 2: Visit this link to take a short, 5-question quiz.  
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion. Look out for this at the end of the quiz. 
    Step 4: No need to self-report, the provider of this episode will do so for you.
    A huge thank you to our Design Hackathon CEU partners who made this episode possible: Mannington, 3form, Allsteel, Material Bank, and Milliken. 
    Visit here if you want them to bring these insights directly to your firm or if you want to take the digital on-demand CEU course.  
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn: 
    Amanda Schneider 
    Jessica Jenkins 
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    35 min
  • Getting “Phygital”: How Physical and Digital Converge in Design
    In this episode, presented by Panolam, ThinkLab interviews Amanda Schneider, president and founder of ThinkLab; Mardi Najafi, vice president of retail strategy and design at Figure3; and Kari Anderson, an interior designer–turned–UX designer. They discuss the blending of physical and digital and how to take the best of both worlds to supercharge projects, processes, and relationships with clients and customers. 
    Accredited for: IDCEC, AIA | 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU 
    After listening, you will be able to: 
    Interpret what “phygital” means. 
    Analyze the shifts happening in the specification process. 
    Examine the customer journey in retail for inspiration. 
    Relate phygital thinking to interior design. 
    Our first interviewee, Amanda Schneider, is president and founder of ThinkLab. She describes shifts in five key areas at the intersection of design and product: showrooms, libraries, events, product presentations and product discovery, and the role of the local rep. 
    Our second interviewee, Mardi Najafi, is vice president of retail strategy and design at Figure3. He discusses major changes to the B2B consumer experience from before, during, and after the pandemic and why interest in physical retail has bounced back. And he shares which B2B brands he considers cutting-edge in providing a harmonized buying experience. 
    Our third interviewee, Kari Anderson, is an interior designer–turned–UX designer. She shares three learnings from effective UX design that interior designers can use to optimize physical spaces, and she explains why AR and visualizers are the digital technologies most empowering designers today. 
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion. 
    How it works:  
    Step 1: Listen to the episode. 
    Step 2: Visit this link to take a short, 5-question quiz. 
    *Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU. 
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion from CEU provider Panolam. 
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn: 
    Amanda Schneider 
    Mardi Najafi 
    Kari Anderson 
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    38 min
  • On the Horizon: How Data can Empower Design
    In this episode, presented by Delta Faucet Company, ThinkLab interviews Mike O’Neill, lead of data science research for the Gensler Research Institute, and Mitch Dalton, chief innovation officer at Core Spaces. O’Neill discusses shifts in how we currently use data, how that will change in the future, and which technologies will have the largest impact on the design industry. Dalton speaks about how to leverage data throughout the design and development process, and how designers’ inherent empathetic mindset can unlock data’s insights. 
     
    Accredited for: IDCEC, AIA | 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU 
     After listening, you will be able to: 
    Contrast how we currently use data with how that will change in the future. 
    Analyze the role of designer and researcher. 
    Evaluate the two main types of data. 
    Examine which technologies have the largest implications for our industry. 
     
    Our first interviewee, Mike O'Neill, is leader of data science research for the Gensler Research Institute. He talks in detail about powerful new tools that are providing opportunities to analyze the complex interplay between people and their spaces. He urges designers to seek to understand these technologies better and also explains how designers and researchers can learn to meet in the middle.  
    Our second interviewee, Mitch Dalton is chief innovation officer at Core Spaces, a national student housing developer, owner, and operator. He explains how the developer gathers data with the goal of building better places for people to live. By creating personas specific to their end users, the designers can understand more about who it is that they are actually designing for and map their day-to-day use of the space. 
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion. 
     
    How it works:    
    Step 1: Listen to the episode.   
    Step 2: Sign in at this link to take a short, 5-question quiz.   
    *Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU.  
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion via email from CEU sponsor Delta Faucet Company.  
      
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn: 
    Mike O’Neill 
    Mitch Dalton 
     
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    34 min
  • How Industrialized Construction Will Shape the Future of Design
    In this episode, presented by DIRTT, ThinkLab interviews Daniel Hall, assistant professor at the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands, and Amy Marks, VP at Autodesk, on what industrialized design means, how it works, and how it can help designers and manufacturers collaborate more closely. 
    Accredited for: IDCEC, AIA | 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU 
    After listening, you will be able to: 
    Summarize what industrialized construction encompasses.  
    Contrast how industrialized construction differs from conventional construction. 
    Analyze how industrialized construction changes the traditional design process. 
    Examine how industrialized construction enables new product and process innovation. 
    Our first guest, Daniel Hall, assistant professor at TU Delft, provides his own definition of industrialized construction. He also explains how designers who adopt this holistic approach and move away from the conventional design process will experience three mindset shifts. Hall also stresses how industrialized construction can enable more circular design in the built environment.  
    Amy Marks, vice president of industrialized construction at Autodesk, shares her vision for the future of industrialized construction — especially as a way to connect designers and manufacturers earlier in the design process. She describes how industrialized construction requires thinking of the built environment as a product rather than a project, and that finding a way to “productize” process development can lead to better business and sustainability outcomes. 
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion. 
    How it works:  
    Step 1: Listen to the episode. 
    Step 2: Sign in at this link to take a short, 5-question quiz. We recommend you take this on a desktop.
    *Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU. 
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion via email from CEU sponsor DIRTT. 
     
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn: 
    Daniel Hall 
    Amy Marks 
     
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    30 min
  • Can Material Innovation Save Our World?
    After listening, you will be able to:
    Identify key themes in material innovation. 
    Contrast trends happening in the consumer goods space with those impacting the design industry. 
    Analyze how sustainability is impacting product design in interiors. 
    Examine how adaptability will be a key theme in the future.  
     
    Material ConneXion is a material insights company working to connect product designers with the right materials for whatever they’re creating. Jennifer Gumpert is Material ConneXion’s VP of business operations, and Dr. Andrew Dent is its EVP of material research. They give an insider’s look on the latest material innovations, as well as emerging trends both in and outside the design industry, including “material-minded design.” 
    Sustainability is becoming an ever-present concern, and Dent and Gumpert discuss the importance of working with both existing materials and simpler materials to keep environmental impact low. Gumpert also urges listeners to remember our shared responsibility around materials — as consumers, as specifiers, and as manufacturers. 
    ​​
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion.  
     
    How it works:   
    Step 1: Listen to the episode.  
    Step 2: Sign in at this link to take a short, 5-question quiz.  
    *Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU.  
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion via email from CEU sponsor Delta Faucet Company. 
     
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn: 
    Andrew Dent 
    Jennifer Gumpert 
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    31 min
  • New Rules for Communication and Collaboration
    In this episode, presented by Mannington Commercial, ThinkLab interviews author Gleb Tsipursky on best practices for adopting a hybrid-first model and how to guide clients no matter where they fall on the physical/virtual spectrum. We also share clips from a ThinkLab digital seminar with two leaders from top design firms: David Galullo, CEO of Rapt Studio, and Brett Shwery, senior vice president at AECOM. They discuss how their teams are staying connected regardless of distance.
    Accredited for: IDCEC, AIA | 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU 
    After listening, you will be able to:
    1.    Point out the four cognitive biases that exist around hybrid work.
    2.    Identify how virtual brainstorming can enhance innovation.
    3.    Examine methods for successful mentoring in a hybrid or remote environment.
    4.    Evaluate how to enhance communication with internal teams and with clients.
    Gleb Tsipursky is the author of Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams and an expert at guiding large organizations on how to implement hybrid work. He describes four mental blind spots that are hindering firms from realizing the full potential of a hybrid work model. He also explains the advantages of virtual “asynchronous” brainstorming, a process in which participants come up with ideas at their own pace, rather than at the same time.
    This episode also includes thoughts from two leaders at Interior Design Giants of Design firms on how their teams are staying connected, regardless of distance. David Galullo, CEO and chief creative director of Rapt Studio, stresses that organizations will need to experiment with new hybrid policies, such as virtual “office hours.” Brett Shwery, senior vice president and director of interiors at AECOM, mentions how his firm tested out taking a walk during a weekly hybrid call; instead of a PowerPoint presentation, participants shared photos of their walks as a way to introduce an interactive element.
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion. 
    How it works:  
    Step 1: Listen to the episode. 
    Step 2: Click this link to take a short, 5-question quiz. 
               * Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU. 
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion via email from CEU sponsor Mannington Commercial.
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn:
    Gleb Tsipursky
    David Galullo
    Brett Shwery
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    36 min
  • Cultivating Creativity
    In this episode, presented by Keilhauer, ThinkLab interviews designer Alanna Call and creativity researcher Keith Sawyer on how to foster the superpower of creativity and combat constraints on creative output.
    Accredited for: IDCEC, AIA | 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU 
    After listening, you will be able to:
    1.    Identify the constraints happening in the world around us that are impacting creativity.
    2.    Assess how design teams can find creativity and innovation despite outside pressures.
    3.    Examine real-life examples of harnessing creativity “on demand” in projects.
    4.    Evaluate ways that groups can have the greatest creative output.
    Alanna Call is the creative lead and storyteller at CID Design Group. She identifies the external pressures that are making it difficult for creativity to flourish in the design industry. And she shares the unique ways in which how her hospitality and branding firm is cultivating creativity — including placing a special importance on research and future-proofing.
    Keith Sawyer is a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a creativity researcher who has spent the past 10 years studying how people become designers and architects at universities. He describes common features of creative groups across disciplines and explains how four elements — technology, expectations, expertise, and deadlines — are currently constraining creativity.
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion. 
    How it works:  
    Step 1: Listen to the episode. 
    Step 2: Sign in at this link to take a short, 5-question quiz. 
               * Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU. 
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion via email from CEU sponsor Keilhauer.
     
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn:
    Alanna Call
    Keith Sawyer
    Special thanks to our CEU episode sponsor, Keilhauer, for partnering with us to provide valuable insights on compelling topics for the design industry.
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    38 min
  • Designing for Equity and Belonging
    In this episode, presented by Delta Faucet Company, ThinkLab interviews designers Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet and Susie Wise on how to reimagine current design practices to be more inclusive and to redefine what makes good design. 
    Accredited for: IDCEC, AIA | 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU  
    After listening, you will be able to: 
    1. Identify principles of designing for equity. 
    2. Evaluate how current design practices can be reimagined to design with equity in mind. 
    3. Define belonging, othering, and inclusion, and examine their importance. 
    4. Assess how to design with belonging as the main goal for projects. 
     
    Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet is vice president of Determined by Design, a firm which developed a framework of seven key principles for achieving design equity. She walks us through each of those principles and how they differ from the typical design process you might be used to.   
    Susie Wise is an educator at Stanford’s d.school and author of Design for Belonging. She describes how to consider belonging as the end point of a design — and how encouraging belonging is also a crucial part of helping your team members show up and contribute their best work. 
    Quiz: Want CEU credit for listening? Click here to take the quiz, and earn your certificate of completion.  
     
    How it works:   
    Step 1: Listen to the episode.  
    Step 2: Sign in at this link to take a short, 5-question quiz.  
    * Scoring an 80% or above on the quiz will earn you 0.5 CEU/0.5 LU.  
    Step 3: Upon passing the quiz, receive your certificate of completion via email from CEU sponsor Delta Faucet Company. 
     
    Connect with our expert guests on LinkedIn:  
    Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet 
    Susie Wise 
    Special thanks to our CEU episode sponsor, Delta Faucet Company, for partnering with us to provide valuable insights on compelling topics for the design industry. 
    See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
    44 min

About The Learning Objective

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to The Learning Objective, the first podcast for the architecture and design community where you can receive credit for listening on the go, from ThinkLab and SANDOW DESIGN GROUP.