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Radical Futures: What Could 2040 Really Look Like?
What happens when you gather some of the brightest minds shaping the future—from social researchers and design strategists to technologists and futurists—and ask them what 2040 might really look like?
In this season finale of Design Nerds Anonymous, host Amanda Schneider looks back at the defining insights from across Season 8: from Sydney to Seattle, data to design, AI to empathy. Each guest—Mark McCrindle, Tom Vander Ark, Costanza Cecconi, Alexandra Levit, Dani Mariano, Allison Stransky, and Marriott’s Aliya Khan and Jason Robertson—shares one word that captures their vision for the future. The result? A radical yet deeply human forecast for the decades ahead.
In this episode:
- The 11 words shaping our collective future—from emotional to bifurcated
- How AI and empathy can coexist in the next era of design
- The rise of human-centric innovation across work, home, healthcare, and hospitality
- Why tomorrow’s spaces must balance efficiency with emotion
- A look ahead to Season 9: how ideas become action in the built environment
- Sign up for ThinkLab’s Newsletter to keep up with industry trends.
- Follow Amanda on LinkedIn for more workplace insights.
Design Nerds Anonymous is a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network. Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Nerds Anonymous was produced and edited by SANDOW DESIGN GROUP, with music from Blue Dot Sessions. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Hannah Viti, Rob Schulte, and Rachel Senatore.
Special thanks to our podcast season sponsors, Kimball International and Mannington Commercial– companies doing big things to move the design industry forward.
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Design Nerds Anonymous is the only podcast of its kind – holding an engaged audience of architects, designers, CRE leaders, and end users – and delivering the most insights per minute on the forces shaping the built environment. With over 100K+ downloads, the show features industry powerhouses from brands like Chik-fil-A, Hilton, and StoryBrand, having bold conversations on what’s next in business and design—market shifts, process innovation, and the hidden dynamics driving change.
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