Program Library

As the design and business worlds look to navigate today’s disruption while preparing for the complexities of the future, world-renowned quantitative futurist and tech leader, Amy Webb, provides the strategic foresight and forecasting that is crucial for organizations to adapt and position themselves for sustained success in this era of unprecedented transformation. Amy leads an extraordinary exploration into the emerging trends and technologies that will turn industries on their heads and reshape every aspect of our lives.

Michael Murphy is co-founder of MASS Design Group, the award-winning architecture and design collaborative, and a designer, writer and teacher whose work investigates the social and political consequences of the built world. With a focus on how environments shape behavior, Michael’s research and writing advocate for a new empowerment in architecture that calls on architects to consider the ethical nature of their design decisions while simultaneously searching for beauty and meaning.

Known as the “The Hip Hop Architect,” award-winning architect and academic Michael Ford is on a mission to promote diversity in the architecture, engineering and construction fields through culturally relevant pedagogy. Joining Michael is Wasalu Jaco, professionally known as Lupe Fiasco, a Chicago born, Grammy award-winning rapper and currently a visiting professor at MIT. Together, Michael and Lupe will discuss their explorations in extracting the rhythms, textures, and patterns of Hip Hop as a source of design innovation in theory and in professional practice.

Mark Bryan, Senior Foresight Manager at Future Today Institute, leads this panel of futurists and design strategy leaders to break down the essential components of thinking and working like a futurist, starting today. This program helps us to understand how to adopt and apply futurism and the ways it can impact the built environment and help us be more connected, engaged, and collaborative, with a clear vision for personal and professional growth.

The return to occupancy creates an opportunity to reset previous workplace strategies and expectations with new approaches to address the paradigm shift. These conversations provide new opportunities to include additional stakeholders early in the process to respond to growing requirements around sustainability, wellbeing, and technology; themes that are driving the new evolution of the built environment.

The Time For Change Is Now. This powerful panel examines the role design plays in solving social justice issues as well as the lack of diversity and representation in the profession. Novità Senior Vice President Joseph Cephas hosts the panel alongside black design industry leaders: Angelita Scott, Ph.D. (Director and Community Concept Lead for the WELL Building Standard and WELL Equity Lead at the International WELL Building Institute), Maya Bird-Murphy (founder, Chicago Mobile Makers), and Ronnie Belizaire, IIDA (Vice President, JLL). The discussion examines the problems facing African Americans both in society and in the design industry, including institutional racism and discrimination, reviews changes made in recent years, and focuses on a path toward equity.

This invited panel will bring together four esteemed international professionals to explore the interdependencies between the spaces we inhabit and the products that bring them to life. The conversation will be moderated by one of the legends of design, Carl Magnusson, acclaimed industrial designer who has dedicated his career to product innovation for human environments. You won't want to miss this dynamic session hosted by BIFMA and IFI, two organizations devoted to advancing the built environment.

ASID believes that design has the power to impact lives, and the spaces we create in the built environment work best when they are accessible, inclusive and sustainable. There is an intrinsic connection between sustainable design and social equity. Whether we are talking about fence line communities struggling to thrive against challenging toxic and unsustainable conditions or access to health and wellbeing, the design profession can create spaces that have the capacity to regenerate our environments and rejuvenate our health and wellness. Join Khoi Vo, ASID CEO, George Bandy, President and CSO of Fiber Industries and Sequoyah Hunter-Cuyjet, Vice President + Advocate for Design Equity at Determined by Design in a panel discussion moderated by Mark Wilson, Global Design Editor of Fast Company, to address the social equity and sustainability challenges that affect the interior design profession.

Designing a Better Chicago shines a light on our city’s extraordinary design legacy — the local talent, assets and community that have long supported civic good through design. Launched in 2020 with a Design Impact grant program, this initiative showcases individuals and organizations, public art and programs across the city, inviting residents and visitors to consider the many ways design improves civic life. Join the new 2023 grant winners (yet to be announced) as they discuss their work, the impact they are making on Chicago, and lessons they have learned along the way. This conversation will be moderated by the 2022 Designing a Better Chicago grantee, Quilen Blackwell, president of Chicago Eco House.