The Learning Objective

In this episode, ThinkLab’s hospitality research takes center stage as Amanda Schneider and Erica Waayenberg unpack how decision-making is shifting across hotel and hospitality projects. From rising risk aversion and burnout to growing expectations around business acumen and the practical role of AI, this episode explores what hospitality end users need most right now and how teams can move forward with more clarity and co...

Live from the Healthcare Design Conference in Kansas City, this episode explores how healthcare end users are navigating increasingly complex decisions for the built environment. Hear why early problem-spotting beats crisis response, what’s breaking alignment at the start of projects, and how clearer communication and stronger partnerships can help healthcare teams move faster with more confidence. 

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Live from Chicago, this episode of Design Nerds Anonymous dives into how corporate end users are making decisions differently in today’s built environment. Hear real conversations straight from ThinkLab’s Corporate Hackathon on why flexibility matters more than cost, what’s slowing projects down, and how clearer, more empathetic partnerships can move work forward faster.

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End-User Decision Making

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Explore the evolving role of sustainability in architecture and design with our guest, Avi Rajagopal, Editor-in-Chief at Metropolis, as we dive into key metrics, material selection, and the power of collaboration to drive meaningful change.

After listening, you will be able to: 

·     Explore the Evolution of Sustainability in Architecture and Design  

·     Iden...

In this episode, we dive into the emotional and sensory connections people have with water and address rising concerns about its quality. Experts Mike Sale (Delta Faucet) and Dr. Elena Berg (The American University of Paris) discuss water conservation, thoughtful design, and innovations like tankless reverse osmosis. Discover how sustainable water use and design impact water systems and our collective responsibility in tac...

In this episode we explore how technology is transforming real estate strategy and design processes. Our guests, Brian McCourt from Cisco and Michael Gordon from Deloitte, discuss the critical role of tech in enhancing end user experience, indoor environmental quality, and informing strategic real estate decisions. Listeners will learn about the importance of early tech integration in the design process, and how leveraging...

In this episode, we explore the future of customer decision-making in the built environment. Our guests, Amanda Schneider and Meredith Campbell, share insights from their Design Hackathon project which encompassed six months of intensive research. Engaging with end users across various sectors, their research worked to uncover the challenges and changes taking place in the end user decision-making processes. Listeners will...

In this episode of The Learning Objective presented by Baresque, we discover how to up our awareness of noise in every sensory domain—exploring solutions for designing inclusively to provide higher levels of comfort and function for the everyday user.  In part one, you’ll learn from Steve Orfield, researcher and President at Orfield Labs, as he analyzes multi-sensory experiences and their impact on human cognitiv...

In this episode of The Learning Objective presented by BlueScope Building, we focus on the challenges and opportunities in the commercial construction industry. Exploring topics such as trust-based team formation, early collaboration, off-site construction, the role of technology, and team dynamics in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) industry. This episode goes into how teams can adapt and work effecti...

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 t...

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.  ...

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...

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...

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 through...

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 constru...

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 mater...

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 ...

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...

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 de...