In this special Clever extra we teamed up with Paintzen to talk wall power. Walls are the backdrops of all our spaces. They are in the prime position to set the vibe and ambience of our lives. Paint and wallpaper have the power to transform, brighten, warm, refresh, and personalize a space. Two experts help break down the style and execution of wall treatments, Casey DeBois, Interior Designer and Meghan Stewart, color consultant, with inspiration, trends, how-to and services that will make it easy and fun.

These are strange and difficult times. People are feeling anxious, isolated, and frightened. *raises hand* We reached out to friends and familiar voices you know and love from previous Clever episodes to bring you messages of solidarity, hope and coping strategies. Now, we really want to hear from you - How are you doing with all this? To leave us a voice message: call (323) 387-3329 (inside the U.S., anytime 24/7) OR record a voice memo and email it to [email protected] (anywhere in the world.)

This special Clever Extra, recorded live at RISD as the keynote presentation of Design Week RI, four creative thought leaders come together for a discussion on the power of creativity. As a social value, creativity often gets dismissed as “making things pretty” rather than being understood as the fundamental impulse and effort behind every creation. Here, with Panelists Rosanne Somerson, Sara Ossana, Umberto Crenca and Sophie Chien, we are discussing creativity as a core component of personal empowerment.

We teamed up with Tarkett for this Clever Extra to unpack the idea that we can consciously impact our wellbeing through design choices. We spoke with Mausi McDaniel of Tarkett about the cultural drivers that are influencing our collective consciousness, and with joy expert, Ingrid Fetell Lee, about our unconscious emotional responses to cues in our surroundings. Goal: We can work with all of this knowledge to design spaces that truly support the health and wellbeing of humanity. Yay!

In this special Clever Extra, we’re sharing a rebroadcast of another podcast 2VDE Media produces for Neocon called NeoConversations. What does it take to effectively design brand character into a space? How can brand values and purpose be communicated through materiality, visual language, ambiance and experience? What’s in the tool kit needed to implement a design program company-wide? Amy Devers explores these questions with Renee Hytry Derrington, International Design Lead for Formica Group, and Abbott Miller, a partner at world-renowned design studio, Pentagram.

In this special Clever Extra, taped live at a Be Original Americas event in Los Angeles, we conducted 6 lightning round interviews with leaders in different areas of design and architecture. Our central question of the night: How is original design and authentic voices important to the growth and ecosystem of your industry? Our guests included Gegg Buchbinder, Elena Manferdini, Bret Englander, Amanda Dameron and Barbara Bouza. Have a listen and join the conversation with us on social media.

In this Clever Extra, we talk to Phil Prestigomo, Director of Industrial Design for Legrand, for an illuminating discussion on the subject of lighting. It’s been a while since we’ve given much thought to the trusty old light switch. Phil enlightens us with the research he’s been conducting on how we use lighting today, and how we can easily switch it up to integrate modern, customizable solutions to fit every need. He’s full of bright ideas! Sorry (not sorry) for all the puns - we couldn’t help ourselves!

After our last episode with Madeline Weinrib we had a lot more to say. This mini-episode is an extension of our usual Amy & Jaime post-interview debrief and a venture into the murky waters of social media. It’s also an invitation to you, our listeners, to engage with us in the grander dialogue about what it means to be a creative in the modern world. This conversation is just a starting point, we’d love to hear your thoughts.

We teamed up with COS for this Clever Extra to celebrate the exquisite art of Dorothea Rockburne. Courtney J. Martin, Chief Curator of Dia Art Foundation, elaborates on Rockburne’s conceptual approaches and techniques while offering us a view of her curatorial methods in mounting a long-term exhibition of her work. Karin Gustafsson, Creative Director for COS, reveals how her admiration for Rockburne’s work - the lines, textures and simplicity of materials, inspired the direction of the current collection.

We teamed up with Tarkett for this Clever Extra to take a deep dive into Neoculture - a term coined to describe the way diverse cultures are coming together as never before to create entirely new cultures with new values. Suzanne Tick, a product and textile designer, and Chris Stulpin, Chief Creative Officer for Tarkett have done extensive research into the attitudinal shifts and megatrends that inform Neoculture, how it impacts the future of the built world, and why it matters to the design community.