Future of XYZ

S7 E19 (150 overall): Acclaimed industrial designer and recent author, Nick Foster RDI, joins XYZ for our 150th episode of the series! In this special episode, we celebrate not only 150 episodes of future exploration, but also Nick’s recently released book ‘COULD SHOULD MIGHT DON’T: HOW WE THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE’ by MacMillan. And we’re going meta here to talk about the ‘Future of Thinking About the Future’. As musician, f...

S7 E18: If you were to read Brittan Heller’s CV, you might wonder why we’re speaking with her about the ‘Future of 3D Computing’. A Yale-educated lawyer who prosecuted war crimes in Rwanda and the Congo, supported refugees from North Korea and Afghanistan, and served in the U.S. Dept. of State and Dept. of Justice before becoming a Teaching Fellow & Law Lecturer at Stanford University’s Law, Science & Technology pr...

S7 E17: Off the shelf or highly bespoke, interior designers know that the choice of floor coverings is one of the most important decisions they can make for the feel of a finished space. From throw rugs to area rugs, wall-to-wall carpeting or other wovens – this is a highly-specialized industry where local and global mills and weavers work hand in hand with designers to produce products based on material, color, pattern, w...

S7 E16: The fashion industry is one of the world’s largest polluters, responsible for 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions and with 87% of textiles ending up in landfills or incinerators every year. Recent forecasts suggest that the trend is rapidly continuing in a negative direction with the resulting climate change impact anticipated to displace tens of millions around the world. Other than consumers consuming FAR less,...

S7 E15: John Roescher and I met at SXSW earlier this year. When asked what he wanted to speak about on XYZ- the Founder and CEO of the Austin-based design agency, Raw Materials, which was named 2024's D&AD Design Agency of the Year- thought long and hard, ultimately deciding on the ‘Future of Different’. In this episode, the creator, investor, design leader, and former US Marine who taught himself to code as a child in...

S7 E14: You may never have heard of a Passive House, or the Passive House movement, but building to Passive House standards means meeting specific criteria related to heating and cooling demand, airtightness, and thermal comfort to achieve certification. It’s an approach to building and construction that significantly reduces energy consumption, carbon footprint, and operational costs. Curious yet? This week, we learn all ...

The hospitality industry encompasses various sectors including hotels, restaurants, entertainment, and tourism. Our guest this week is Neil Jacobs- a seasoned entrepreneur with a journey through hospitality including running hotels and building them from the ground up, financing venture deals and closing successful sales. He has been CEO of Six Senses since 2012 and oversaw its sales to InterContinental Hotels Group, a mul...

S7 E12: Global toymaker Mattel knows a thing or two about Play. Operating in 35 countries with products sold in over 150 countries, the toy giant who employs over 30,000 people across its Barbie®, Hot Wheels®, Fisher-Price®, American Girl®, UNO®, Polly Pocket and other brands – is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year! Tied to the release of a large new study called the “The Shape of Play”, XYZ speaks with Chris Down,...

Ever wonder how the “mouse” evolved? Or, how the graphical interface that introduced clicks and drags and the hover state changed the human-computer relationship? Learn about the history, evolution, and future of the most famous "pointing device” out there from the very international, cross-disciplinary designer who oversees user experience (UX) design for both physical and digital products at Logitech’s Personal Workspace...

Neuroaesthetics is all about how human-focused design affects our wellbeing. Our guest is an award-winning architect guided by the philosophy that "form follows feeling". Integrating neuroscience and architecture, her New York City-based studio creates environments that push the boundaries of architectural tradition to shape a more empathetic, equitable, and enriching built environment that positively influences human expe...

This May 1st- known in Europe as May Day or International Workers' Day- we’re exploring the intersection of capitalism, people, and planet. A distinguished leader, academic, and researcher from New York University's Stern School of Business joins us to explore 10+ years of quantitative research that evidences bottom line benefits for companies who integrate social and environmental sustainability as a core part of business...

Of the world’s 8.2 billion population, nearly 6 in 10 people live in urban areas. By 2050, it’s expected to be 7 in 10, and closer to 8 in 10 by 2100. What does this mean for the future of cities, of nature, of climate change, of business, of humanity? And moreover, what is the role of architecture and urban planning in addressing the present and preparing for the future? Hear from an award-winning architect whose New York...

What is sexier than a beautifully-designed car? From vintage classics to newer EVs and autonomous vehicles, this episode explores the many ways that car design brings value to customers, how brands can harness this, and the complexity of managing across sophisticated technical and emotional requirements. Our guest, Sam Livingstone is a car and mobility design strategist, Principal at Car Design Research in Cambridge, Engla...

Starting in the last mid-century, companies and consumers began moving away from commonly reusable/refillable packaging for goods like milk, eggs, liquor, shampoo, detergent, etc. into buying branded, single-use versions from grocery and drug store shelves. Then at the turn of this century came even greater variety and convenience through globalization, e-commerce, and Amazon. We probably don’t have to convince anyone of t...

Fascinated by the intersection of tech, business, society and our own expanding consciousness- with experience ranging from frozen foods to reinventing the internet– our guest is a bestselling author, sought-after speaker, founder of a consultancy that “helps visionaries play bigger”, and recognized as one of the world’s top female futurists. It’s 2025, and we find ourselves living in a world where everything feels more fr...

It’s a week after Valentine’s Day, the annual hallmark of romantic love, and we’re exploring a related idea- that of pleasure. Our guest is an award-winning industrial designer who pioneered the category of pleasure jewelry with the aim of honoring the female perspective. This episode is all about how we can create emotional experiences through beautiful product design. Watch, listen, and learn more at www.lovecrave.com. H...

Typography is a graphic art that involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line spacing, letter spacing, and spaces between pairs of letters. It affects how we perceive and comprehend written words, phrases and ideas from historical documents to books, advertising posters to TikTok reels. This week, we speak with Charles Nix – designer, typographer, educator, and Senior Executive Creative Director at Monotyp...

Worldwide video gaming revenue was estimated at nearly $455 billion in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.4% expected through the end of the decade. This big and growing business is fast-changing – calling in new ideas, technologies and talent. Our guest is a designer himself with serious street cred with many of the industry’s biggest players, as well as being a passionate educator in Arts & Enterta...

Welcome to a new year! For our first episode of 2025, we are speaking about customer experience. Our guest is the Global Head of Design Strategy in the CX Office of Samsung Mobile Experience based in Seoul, South Korea, where he directs all aspects of enterprise design- elevating the multitude of touchpoints that make an ‘experience’ in the modern commercial world. Join us to learn how brands and designers can ensure a pos...