Future of XYZ
Presented in collaboration with Rhode Island PBS, Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we want to go. Through quick and candid conversations with innovative leaders and courageous changemakers, we share unique perspectives that provoke new thinking about what’s coming down the pipeline on topics ranging from business and technology, to art, science, and humanity broadly. Listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on ripbs.org/XYZ, and follow @futureofxyz on Instagram. More information available at future-of.XYZ.
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 fragile than ever. In this conversation, we discuss what the 21st century demands of us as stewards and leaders, and where we can find hope amid the challenges. Don’t miss it. | S7 E5
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
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. Happy belated Valentine’s. | S7 E4
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
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 Monotype- the “apex of typography” to geek out about this all-encompassing design discipline. | S7 E3
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
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 & Entertainment Technologies. If you’re a gamer or even just interested in the future of entertainment - this episode is for you! | S7 E2
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
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 positive customer experience and why it matters. | S7 E1
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
Tis the season for SNOW! And what better seasonal re-release than our amazing conversation from early 2023 about the ‘Future of Snow Sports’?! Our guest is the Founder of Snowboard Magazine and Tailgate Alaska, a former professional snowboarder and Olympic commentator. From the industry’s growth and the impact of climate change, to self-reliance in the backcountry and the power of presence, this is a holiday episode for everyone. Be sure to tune in! | S4 E4 Re-release
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
In our final new episode of the year, we have the privilege to speak with visionary architect and activist, Pascale Sablan, only the 315th living African American woman registered architect in the United States and the youngest African American ever to be inducted into the AIA College of Fellows. In addition to being President of the acclaimed Adjaye Associates’ NYC studio, Pascale has served in various capacities at the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA), including as Global President from 2023-2024. Her forthcoming book, ‘GREATNESS: Diverse Designers of Architecture’ builds on her work at NOMA and the nonprofit, Beyond the Built Environment, she founded to empower women and BIPOC designers. Pre-order today and hear more from Pascale in this excellent episode! | S6 E7
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
Digital has become such a part of our lives, intertwined with everything we do, that most of us- personally or professionally- never pause to think about the environmental impact of our online interactions. Our guest this week is an expert in digital strategy with an eye towards people and planet. In the Future of Digitality, we are provoked to think differently about our digital engagement and resulting carbon footprints. For anyone interested in sustainability topics, this is a don’t miss episode. | S6 E6
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
This fascinating episode begins with the etymology of the Italian word “mobilia”, then continues into the historical evolution of furniture design, current trends, material innovation, the complexities of sustainability, and the importance of deep research. Furniture is not singular or monolithic, and neither is this conversation with our guest, a renowned Icelandic industrial designer based in New York City, which explores what it means to design for human living in so many diverse public and private spaces. | S6 E5
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.
Our guest this week may have the world’s (or universe’s?) coolest job! As Creative Director at NASA, David Rager oversees the agency’s visual brand. From changing iconic logos to elevating design language on extraterrestrial transports, creating useful artifacts with high-profile artists to producing creative tools for public learning- his team is responsible for “communicating the value of NASA’s [amazing] work”. Also, Happy Halloween! Check out some spooky NASA-designed graphics imagining life on the exo planets: https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/immersive/galaxy-of-horrors/. | S6 E4
ABOUT THE SERIES: Future of XYZ is a bi-weekly interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design- host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD- Future of XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Follow @futureofxyz and @ifdesign on Instagram, listen wherever you get your favorite podcasts, watch on YouTube, or visit ifdesign.com/XYZ for show links and more.