Alternative Design

Kimball International proudly hosted Alternative Conversations: Attracting the New Higher Ed Learner, drawing together a panel of designers and industry leaders to discuss the future of academia. Against the backdrop of an ever-evolving educational landscape, the discussion illuminated key insights shaping the direction of higher education. Listen to this episode for the highlights of the conversation that promise to inform and inspire designers and educational leaders alike.

Panel Recording

Get ready for the launch of Alternative Design, a groundbreaking multimedia platform that empowers designers to become catalysts for positive change. Through thought-provoking podcasts, blog articles, immersive videos, and conversations, Alternative Design showcases the latest trends, innovations, and best practices in design, sustainability, technology, and social responsibility. We feature interviews with industry leaders, visionaries, and change-makers who are pushing the boundaries of what's possible and shaping the future of design. Alternative Design is your go-to destination for staying ahead of the curve and making a positive difference. Join us as we launch Alternative Design, your gateway to a world of possibilities in design and beyond.

Join us as we explore the landscape of lifelong learning and the evolution of educational spaces. Heather McGowan, future-of-work strategist, keynote speaker, thought leader, researcher, and author, leads us through a paradigm shift away from a linear model of learning and career paths toward a lifestyle characterized by perpetual growth and adaptability. This “Live. Work. Learn.” lifestyle will feature learning that is lifelong and personalized to the student and will change the way both classrooms and public spaces are designed.

Heather's Website: https://heathermcgowan.com/

Heather's YouTube Channel of Talk Clips: https://www.youtube.com/@heatheremcgowan/videos

Welcome to Season 4 of the Alternative Design podcast! Join us as we envision a future where education seamlessly integrates into daily life. Explore the changes that will reshape how we live, work, and learn, from AI mentors guiding task prioritization to children testing different aspects of the corporate experience while still in school. In the year 2030, colleges and businesses come together to connect students to potential employers and mentors within their field of interest and ensure educational programs create job-ready graduates. Discover how popular campus spaces may be reimagined as libraries are transformed into immersive technology upskilling centers and outdated dormitories are reconfigured into hotels aimed at guests participating in “micro-sabbaticals”. Education will extend beyond classrooms and learning will take place in unlikely places. Listen in to witness the emergence of a new era of lifelong learning, where education is everywhere, all at once.

Read the blog, Education in 2030: Four Forecasts Shaping the Future of Learning.

A brand new season of Alternative Design is dropping March 6th on the Future of Education. We're discussing what the latest global trends mean for the future of education and why it matters to creatives who will be designing learning environments!

The season will, of course, include a forecast of what we think the education industry could look like by 2028 and include topics like lifelong learning, climate change, corporate upskilling, gamified curriculum, and everyday activism. We'll have innovators, thought leaders, educators, and fellow futurists help us focus on what's next and how your education projects can be more "future-ready".

Come shape the future with us!

Join us for our Season Finale, where uncover our Future of Work Forecast, exploring how the role of designers has transformed in the landscape of 2030. Join us as we uncover how designers have become pivotal "placemakers," shaping environments that extend beyond physical spaces. We discuss ethical advocacy, data-driven innovation, and the fluid transformation of spaces, showcasing the evolution of design into a force that not only accommodates human needs but enriches and elevates the human experience. Tune in for insightful conversations that redefine the intersection of design, ethics, and progress in the quest to craft tomorrow's spaces.

Imagine earning college credits by watching Youtube videos on your phone – that’s the reality Study Hall is crafting! Born out of a partnership between Youtube, Arizona State University, and Crash Course, Study Hall is breaking down barriers to education and signals a coming shift in the modern workplace. That’s right, in the not-so-distant future, your office won’t just be where you work, it’ll be where you learn and your boss may become your professor. In this role twist, designers will need to understand how to design personalized learning journeys in both digital and physical spaces that support upskilling of employees to adapt to new technologies. Join us as we give you the tools you need to design workplaces of the future to support lifelong learning.

Imagine walking into your office, but only 20% is dedicated to traditional workspaces. The rest is a community hub with places for workshops, a pay-what-you-want café, a library, an art gallery, and a children’s center. Welcome to the future of office spaces, as seen through the eyes of Stanley Sun from Mason Studio. Stanley's innovative approach brings a new perspective on how offices can be co-owned by employees and the community. Stanley’s vision goes beyond redefining physical spaces. It’s about discovering new revenue streams for businesses that also create meaningful connections and foster community building. We talk about their experience in transforming their office into a cultural hub during Toronto's DesignTO festival, a space that truly reflected their company's values. Get ready for an exciting conversation that challenges the conventional workspace and brings the future of shared office spaces to life.

In this second segment of Crafting Culture and Belonging, we revisit the microbrewery, Ferndale Project, with Dayne Bartscht to learn more about how their unexpected challenges set them up to discover their culture. At Kimball International, we know culture can make or break our sense of belonging. It’s no wonder Ferndale’s taproom redesign translated their values and 100% of employees reported they felt they could be themselves at work. But how do we translate the welcoming atmosphere of craft breweries to the workplace? We share the findings of our latest behavioral study conducted with Arigami as guest Ari Peralta ties belonging, culture, and furniture together through the lens of neuroscience. Turns out furniture has a lot to do with belonging!

In this special two-part episode of the Alternative Design podcast, we're taking a tour of the craft beer world, starting with my local brewery, Ferndale Project. Dayne Bartsch joins us as the Founder and Managing Partner of Ferndale Project to share how they intentionally built a symbiotic relationship with the local community, a concept that Colleen Myles, a political ecologist and beer geography expert, refers to as "fermented landscapes". We'll make some interesting connections between microbreweries and the workplace by exploring how the shared ideas of craft, community, and culture can elevate our sense of belonging. As we see an emerging trend of companies relocating to smaller mixed use environments, including the move to Fulton Market in our own industry, it begs an important question for the future of work. Could inviting the local community into the office experience amplify our sense of belonging? This is Episode 18: Crafting Culture and Belonging Part 1.

Check out Colleen's author pages on The Conversation and Forbes.com
Her Website
To check out her book "Fermented Landscapes" click here.