ICYMI: Inclusive School Design Has Overlooked a Key User: Educators
Inclusive school design has traditionally focused on creating learning environments that accommodate the varied needs of students. But what about the educators who spend their working lives in those same spaces?
In this ICYMI episode of I Hear Design, we revisit an interiors+sources article exploring new research from Corgan and the ASID Foundation that examines how school environments affect educators with disabilities, chronic illnesses, sensory sensitivities, and other conditions.
The findings challenge designers to think about accessibility in a broader way—not simply whether someone can use a space, but how much physical and cognitive effort that space requires throughout the day. From storage and circulation to acoustics, flexibility, and restorative spaces, the research offers practical strategies for creating environments that better support educators of all abilities.
The lesson extends well beyond schools, too. Truly inclusive design begins by asking who may be missing from the design conversation.
30 Sept 2026
Product Talk | What Actually Makes a Product Innovative?
New doesn't always mean innovative. This episode of Product Talk explores how designers and specifiers can look beyond the “innovative” label to understand what a product actually changes. Lauren Brant examines examples that expand the function of familiar products, improve performance and material health, respond to human needs, introduce new creative perspectives, and integrate technology into the built environment. The result is a broader view of innovation as something that can happen through technology, refinement, application, design, and cultural storytelling.
Companies mentioned:
Kvadrat Acoustics
Foster + Partners
Designtex
Shaw Contract
KI
HBF Textiles
Momentum
Cisco
28 Sept 2026
Beyond the Hype: How AI Is Reshaping Interior Design Practice with Robert Nieminen
Artificial intelligence is quickly moving beyond image generation and into the everyday workflows of interior designers and architecture firms. But as AI becomes more capable, designers are also confronting questions about accuracy, privacy, intellectual property, creativity, sustainability, and how much trust to place in AI-generated information.
In this episode of I Hear Design, host Robert Nieminen draws on recent interiors+sources reporting to explore how firms are using AI for visualization, research, data analysis, storytelling, knowledge management, and other design tasks. He also examines what industry leaders are learning about the technology’s limitations, why AI literacy involves more than writing better prompts, and how designers can experiment without losing sight of the people and places their work ultimately serves.
The episode includes insights from Gensler, Mattoboard, Spectorgroup, Design Appy, ASID, and other voices examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping design practice.
Who has been a guest on I Hear Design: the i+s podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Sammy Rupp
Ben Glunz
Cheryl Durst
Kenn Busch
Lindsey Koren
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.2 / 5
5 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 62 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
91
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
82
Contact I Hear Design: the i+s podcast
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Questions about I Hear Design: the i+s podcast
Who hosts I Hear Design: the i+s podcast?
Robert Nieminen host the show. Published by interiors+sources.
How often do new episodes come out?
The show publishes daily, based on its RSS feed.
Does I Hear Design: the i+s podcast take guests?
Yes. Guests have been identified in episode analyses.
Host of I Hear Design: the i+s podcast?
Claim your podcast to manage its listing and keep your show details accurate.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
