Episodes

  • Ep. 227: Designer Cas Holman is Giving Us All Permission to Play
    Sep 23 2025
    Cas Holman grew up playing make-believe in the woods and helping her mechanic step-dad fix cars and dune buggies. Always knowing that she didn’t check the stereotypical gender boxes, she never gave any of the other arbitrary “boxes” much credit either, instead preferring to focus on the outside-the-box possibilities that could be accessed through play, curiosity, and exploration. While getting her MFA, she began working on Geemo, a building toy, which kicked-off her life’s mission of designing for play. Since then, she’s established herself as a champion of open-ended play, designing notable play systems like Rigamajig. She’s worked with global business leaders to incorporate play into company culture, leading to more innovative outcomes, greater trust and safety, and improved resilience. With her upcoming book, Playful, she is on a campaign to help adults reconnect with play throughout their lives because she knows, and has the research and science to prove it, that with play we ALL become more creative, joyful, and productive. Ain’t that good news!Images and more from Cas Holman on our website!Special thanks to our sponsor:Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alertsVISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodesSAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydeversSpecial thanks to our sponsors!Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/cleverCozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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    58 mins
  • Ep. 226: Neuroaesthetics Pioneer Suchi Reddy on How Form Follows Feeling
    Sep 9 2025

    Architect, artist, and designer, Suchi Reddy, grew up in India where her home played a critical role in her appreciation of how environments shape our experiences. Now, at the helm of her architecture firm + design studio, Reddymade, she’s built a body of work spanning residential, large-scale commercial environments, and immersive interactive public art installations. As a leader in the practice of neuroaesthetics, a neuroscientific study of the impact of art and aesthetics on brain and body, all her work follows her guiding philosophy: “form follows feeling.”

    Integrating neuroaesthetics into her architecture and design work is an ongoing endeavor in the art of making the invisible visible, as in the physiological responses to spaces or the sounds plants emit in response to stress, and pushing the boundaries of of how we can use design to create spaces that truly nurture our wellbeing.


    Images and more from Suchi Reddy on our website!


    Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.


    SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!

    SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alerts

    VISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodes

    SAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers


    Special thanks to our sponsors!

    • Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
    • Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/clever
    • Cozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!
    • Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 hr
  • Ep. 225: Norman Teague on Cultural Storytelling Through Design
    Aug 26 2025

    Designer, craftsman, artist and educator, Norman Teague, grew up in Chicago absorbing the sounds, colors, textures and vibes of his “hood,” fancy cars, and Auntie Aretha’s painting. A highschool Drafting elective was his first real step into the design field, which he then traversed with aplomb through an MFA at SAIC, to the Venice Architecture Biennale, to MoMA, to the design team of the Obama Presidential Center. At the helm of his namesake design studio, he’s built a storied, critically acclaimed career, and a powerful legacy of challenging the design canon, cultural storytelling, and educating generations of future designers.


    Images and more from Norman Teague on our website!


    Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.


    SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!

    SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alerts

    VISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodes

    SAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers


    Special thanks to our sponsors!

    • Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
    • Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/clever
    • Cozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!
    • Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    58 mins
  • Ep. 158: Bringing Data to Life with Information Designer Giorgia Lupi [encore]
    Aug 19 2025

    Information designer and advocate for data humanism, Giorgia Lupi, spent her childhood in Italy organizing buttons in her grandmother’s tailor shop, a data collector already in the making. The teenage years had her expressing herself through the punk rock and heavy metal scene in her town. After receiving her master’s degree in Architecture, she began her PhD in Design at Politecnico di Milano while founding Accurat, an internationally acclaimed data-driven design firm. Now a partner at Pentagram, and author of personal projects such as Dear Data, she continues to push for a humanistic approach to data as a path to understanding our complex realities.

    Images, links and more from Giorgia!


    Clever is hosted and produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.


    SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!

    SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alerts

    VISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodes

    SAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers




    Special thanks to our sponsors!

    • Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
    • Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/clever
    • Cozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!
    • Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    46 mins
  • Ep. 76: Todd Oldham [encore]
    Aug 12 2025

    Everyone’s most beloved DIY hero, fashion designer, and creative maverick Todd Oldham grew up experimenting at the family craft table and stabbing his sister (volunteer fit model) with pins. A self-described little weirdo, he learned early on to eschew the arbitrary boundaries that society uses to stratify and separate. He values process over outcome and honors his curiosity while staying committed to excellence. This has earned him brand permission and a ton of wisdom for living a full, creative life.

    Images and more from our guest!


    SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!

    SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alerts

    VISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodes

    SAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers


    This episode of Clever is created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and Jaime Derringer, with music from El Ten Eleven and editing by Jennie Josephson.


    Special thanks to our sponsors!

    • Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
    • Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/clever
    • Cozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!
    • Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    54 mins
  • Ep. 183: Determined by Design’s Kia Weatherspoon is a Champion of Design Equity [encore]
    Aug 5 2025

    Interior Designer Kia Weatherspoon spent her youth making frequent trips to visit her brother in prison - a deeply dehumanizing experience that left a big impression. In the military, she was deployed shortly after 9/11 and awakened her innate designer in the need to create privacy and comfort. Now, Kia is delivering on a quest to ensure that interior design is accessible for all, especially those in economically challenged communities.

    Images, links and more from Kia at cleverpodcast.com


    SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!

    SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alerts

    VISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodes

    SAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers


    Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.


    Special thanks to our sponsors!

    • Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
    • Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/clever
    • Cozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!
    • Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Ep. 207: Creative Pep Talk’s Andy J. Pizza on ADHD, the heroine’s journey, & Invisible Things [encore]
    Jul 29 2025

    Illustrator, graphic designer, speaker and picture book-maker Andy J. Pizza grew up in the Indiana suburbs, the child of two diametrically opposite parents - dad in corporate finance and mom an artist. Often feeling out of place, he learned to cope by drawing and smoking cigarettes, before finding indie music, and from there gig posters and graphic design. Now, he’s a wildly successful illustrator and beloved podcaster who remains exceptionally honest, open, and real about the inner workings of being a neurodivergent creative.

    For a transcript and images from Andy head to cleverpodcast.com.


    SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!

    SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alerts

    VISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodes

    SAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers


    Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.


    Special thanks to our sponsors!

    • Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
    • Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/clever
    • Cozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!
    • Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    57 mins
  • Ep. 189: Clodagh on the Twist & Turns of Her Extraordinary Life & Career [encore]
    Jul 22 2025

    Interior designer, Clodagh, grew up in the Irish countryside running barefoot through the woods, riding horses, and rebelling. A near death experience lit a fire in her to pursue fashion and she opened her first shop at age 17. After a career pivot and 50+ years of designing spaces that make people feel good, she’s considered a true pioneer in biophilic and sustainable design, and a living legend.

    Images, links and more from Clodagh on cleverpodcast.com!


    SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!

    SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alerts

    VISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodes

    SAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers


    If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!


    Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.


    Special thanks to our sponsors!

    • Wix Studio is a platform built for all web creators to design, develop, and manage exceptional web projects at scale.
    • Saily: get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code “clever” at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/clever
    • Cozy Earth: head to cozyearth.com/pages/clever to get 40% off!
    • Incogni: Clever listeners can claim a special offer of 60% off at incogni.com/clever

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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    50 mins