Program Library
The NeoCon Program Library offers recordings of NeoCon 2025 Programming. To access past programming, click here
The NeoCon Program Library offers recordings of NeoCon 2025 Programming. To access past programming, click here
Design is the undercurrent to our lives. But how do you create experiences that touch myriad people, with different needs, goals, and interests? Today, innovation in design is critical to the lifeblood of creators, and a top priority for clients and consumers alike. Creating and designing inclusive spaces and experiences doesn't happen by accident.
Annie Jean-Baptiste is a business disrupting tech executive who builds for the 21st century needs of consumers. She transforms companies into human centered, authentic brands that can tap into unlocked growth opportunities. She’s brought her forward-looking, data driven approach to game-changing products serving billions of customers globally. Her talk demonstrated how designers of all kinds can leverage lived experiences to fuel innovation, creating more holistic experiences for everyone.
Design is one of the most powerful forces in our lives, and the most exciting. Alice Rawsthorn, author of Design as an Attitude and cofounder of the Design Emergency Podcast, shared her vision of design at NeoCon 2025 as an eclectic, open-ended agent of change that can help us all to live safely, fairly, and prosperously by developing ingenious solutions to the complex social, economic, and ecological challenges we face. She also explored how the NeoCon community can benefit from this new concept of design at a time when we are becoming increasingly sophisticated in our expectations of the spaces where we work and play.
What will the future of public space look like – and how will design address the evolving needs of the next generation, starting today? IIDA and our Futurist-in-Residence, Mark Bryan of the Future Today Strategy Group, convene an all-star panel for a research-based exploration of how the spaces of the future can create a sense of welcome and a sense of agency for all. They shared a deeply relevant discussion that ranges from neuroscience to cultural competence, and includes actionable insights and strategies that will shape public space for decades to come.
Four years after offices shut down for the pandemic and working from home became commonplace, the debate rages on as to whether employees need to return to a literal office to innovate.
For this lively discussion, we’ve assembled perspectives from an office designer, corporate end user and workforce strategist, who established, not just if we are returning to the old way of work but what a progressive future of work could be.
In this panel discussion, attendees discovered how the upper floors of the Macy’s building were transformed into office space for a food ingredients company and, how an old bank building in Chicago’s Financial District became the new HQ for a software firm. Both were designed to make employees truly want to get back to the office in this post-pandemic hybrid work environment.
Imagine stepping into a space that makes you feel calm and focused—a space that feels restorative. This is the profound impact of the ScienceDesignLab’s innovative work in fractal-based designs. Dr. Richard Taylor, Anastasija Lesjak and Martin Lesjak- founding members of the ScienceDesignLab, an international collaboration of scientists, artists and designers shared how they have channeled the power of these intricate, stress-reducing, and repeating patterns found in nature to create fractal-based designs scientifically proven to reduce stress, enhance creativity and promote wellbeing.
Achieving neuroinclusion in the workplace requires an integrated corporate culture built upon intentional strategies covering design standards through operational policies. In this featured presentation, subject matter experts drew upon their deep experience and research to share best practices in designing for a neuroinclusive environment and supporting a neurodivergent workforce.
Attendees gained insight on how creating a neuroinclusive environment celebrates various ways of thinking and the value this brings to a corporate culture.
Relevant topics such as inclusivity and connectivity are top of mind for interior designers and end users alike when creating spaces of consequence. What do these themes mean when put into action and practice through design? How can we co-create a new definition of design that encompasses these goals?
Attendees received an aspirational panel discussion with industry leaders from the ASIDx10 Collective. The collective is comprised of interior designers and industry partners that share insights about the A&D community through the lens of Live, Work, Learn, Play, and Heal.
Designing a Better Chicago highlights our city’s extraordinary design legacy — the local talent, resources, and community efforts that have long advanced civic good through design. Launched in 2020 with the NeoCon Design Impact grant program and expanded in 2024 through the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Built Environment grant program, this initiative celebrates the individuals, organizations, public art, and programs that shape Chicago. It invites residents and visitors to reflect on how design improves civic life. In this presentation, the 2025 grant winners shared their work, the impact they are making on Chicago, and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
In today’s evolving design industry, engaging Gen Z talent is key to building future-focused workplaces. This session explored the unique perspectives and skills Gen Z brings to the field, offering leaders actionable strategies to foster a productive, inclusive, and creative environment. This session included a panel of the winners of the FORM Student Innovation Competition by Formica, providing firsthand insights into what motivates and empowers the next generation of designers.
In this captivating 20-minute presentation, Susan explored the dynamic landscape of the contemporary workplace, unveiling the key factors that drove change across industries. As organizations grappled with unprecedented challenges, she delved into the fundamental shifts that reshaped how and where we worked. By the end of the talk, the audience was equipped with cutting-edge knowledge and practical insights to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace. Whether they were business leaders, facilities managers, or simply curious about the future of work, the presentation delivered valuable takeaways for creating more effective and adaptable work environments.
Participants discovered how to use podcasting to tell powerful brand stories, connect with their audience, and stand out in the marketplace. They learned practical tips to turn their voice into a tool for influence and innovation.
Participants discovered how doodling could unlock creativity, reduce stress, and spark new ideas. Simple sketches activated the brain’s relaxation response, improved problem-solving, and enhanced mental clarity. Doodling was a simple yet powerful tool for boosting creativity and generating breakthroughs, making it a valuable practice for anyone in design, business, and beyond.
Imagine a workplace where your desk nudged you to stretch, your chair adapted to improve focus, and your conference table seamlessly recorded every idea. Melissa Marsh, a leader in workplace innovation and founder of PLASTARC, teamed up with a collaborator from Logitech to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) was transforming workspaces into dynamic, responsive environments that engaged and supported users. AI was no longer just a tool for efficiency; it was reshaping how we interacted with our surroundings. Smart furniture, advanced devices, interconnected technologies, AI-driven building systems, and real-time data analytics were creating spaces that learned, adapted, and actively supported healthier, more productive behaviors. By balancing hardware and software, workplaces went beyond optimizing space and energy use to fostering creativity, movement, and collaboration.
What if architecture could intuitively respond to human thoughts and emotions? Filippo Lodi and Ren Yee from UNS delved into the transformative impact of merging cognitive psychology with cutting-edge technologies like eye-tracking and virtual reality. They explored how these groundbreaking innovations were reshaping the design process, crafting environments that actively adapted to improve well-being and productivity.
Attendees explored how sensory intelligence blended data, consumer behavior, and emotions to shape immersive environments. They learned how tools like biometric data and ethnographic studies revealed patterns to optimize design for personalized, impactful experiences. They discovered how mapping the "ideal experience" enhanced spaces like stadiums, retail stores, and cultural venues.
Imagine a workplace that was focused on technology while prioritizing human experience. This talk explored designing visionary office spaces for cutting-edge companies, emphasizing kinship and human-centered design. Attendees were inspired to move beyond outdated futuristic ideas and design workplaces that truly brought people together.
How could design transform lives within the justice system? The Nashville Youth Campus for Empowerment (NYCE) reimagined juvenile justice architecture, prioritizing healing, dignity, and community well-being. Jose Jordan shared how trauma-informed interior design reshaped intimidating environments into spaces that fostered resilience, reduced recidivism, and inspired positive change.
How could hospitality design principles enhance workplaces, healthcare facilities, and residential developments—spaces that increasingly needed to be reimagined? Using actionable insights and real-world examples, this session explored how to rethink traditional spaces by incorporating service-driven, comfort-focused design elements, and how flexible workspaces, luxury amenities, and smart technologies created more engaging, community-oriented environments.
Instead of doing what's easy, how can we do what's right? What can we learn from history that can help us navigate how we build in a meaningful way? What core values are shifting today and how can we take a moment to pause and evaluate the way we are pivoting? What is the future we aspire to build?
The physical office was once a status symbol of our professional identity. But in March 2020, that foundation was shaken, and there was a seismic shift in how we work. Next came WFH, hybrid models, and experimentation, along with office vacancies. Five years later, we are still navigating a complex, evolving relationship with our work environment. The big question is: where do we go from here?