What shapes the feeling of a place? And how does a life spent moving between cities, countries and creative worlds influence the way you design for others?

For interior architect Simone McEwan, co-founder of international design studio Nice Projects, the thread has always been the same — creating spaces that make people feel something.

From a childhood spent moving between eight homes before the age of 12, to studying architecture at 17, to an unplanned move to London that opened the door to a global career, Simone’s path is anything but linear. Her work with Anouska Hempel, Richard Horden Soho House, Selfridges, and Studio Ilse has shaped some of the world’s most iconic hospitality and retail experiences.

Today, she leads projects across London, Singapore, Japan and Sydney — designing with empathy, intuition and a deep understanding of how people live.

Listen in as Vince and Simone explore her nomadic childhood, the craft behind world-class hospitality, and how designing for life — not ego — creates spaces that truly connect.

https://niceprojects.work/

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What does it take to lead one of the UK’s oldest and most respected architectural practices into the future?

As CEO of Scott Brownrigg, Darren Comber has steered the 115-year-old practice through change, challenge and reinvention. From its early roots in Guildford to a network of studios spanning Amsterdam, London, New York, Singapore and Riyadh, Darren has played a pivotal role in shaping its global presence.

With a career defined by persistence, vision and curiosity, he reflects on the power of reinvention, the evolution of design, and why keeping energy alive is fundamental to sustaining a business over decades.

Listen in as Vince and Darren explore the art of leadership, the role of architecture in shaping society, and how to stay relevant in a fast-changing world.

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What if the true measure of success isn’t scale, but connection?

From a childhood spent in expat compounds of Saudi Arabia to founding one of Australia’s most admired design studios, Jeremy Bull, founder and principal of Alexander &CO., has designed far more than homes, he’s designed a life rooted in meaning, craftsmanship and human connection.

After overcoming years of illness and self-destruction in his twenties, Jeremy rebuilt himself – mind, body and practice – with a philosophy centred on people. Today, his award-winning studio is recognised globally for its distinct sense of authenticity, materiality and feeling. Whether it’s a handcrafted home, a hospitality space or his own live-work studio in Bondi Junction, every project begins with one question: how does it make you feel?

Listen in as Vince and Jeremy discuss designing for emotion, redefining success, and the future of how we live, work and connect.

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What does it mean to create objects that tell stories, that shape how we feel, live, and connect?

For Gabriel Hendifar, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of APPARATUS, design is about more than beautiful lighting and furniture, it’s about creating the container for human experience.

Born in Los Angeles to Iranian immigrants, his early world was filled with music, memory, and craft, influences that continue to inform his deeply human approach to design. After a career in fashion, he co-founded APPARATUS in New York in 2012, building it into a 100-person studio renowned for its emotionally charged interiors and sculptural lighting.

Listen as Vince and Gabriel discuss the poetry of light, the craftsmanship behind his creative acts, and the importance of designing not just spaces, but a life filled with meaning, discipline, and care.

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How do you go from almost joining the Marines, to leading the world’s largest hospitality design firm?

Born in Yorkshire and now based in Singapore, Chris Godfrey’s story is one of creative grit, adaptability and quiet determination. From humble beginnings as a teenage print boy in an architectural practice, to founding his own studio, to now serving as Co-CEO of HBA, the global design powerhouse behind some of the world’s leading hotels and residences, his career has been shaped by curiosity and craft in equal measure.

Listen in as Vince and Chris explore his remarkable rise through design, the future of global hospitality and wellness, and how his early lessons in resilience continue to shape the way he designs for life.

HBA: https://hba.com/

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What does it mean to shape culture through design?

For Peter Saville CBE, one of the most influential designers of our time, it has always been about perception. From his early work at Factory Records, crafting the visual identities of Joy Division and New Order, to collaborations with fashion houses like Yohji Yamamoto, Burberry, Calvin Klein and Chanel, Saville has consistently redefined how we experience music, fashion, and culture.

Now in his late sixties, he reflects on a career that blurred the lines between art, design and branding, sometimes to his dismay, as he laments the loss of authenticity in today’s brand-saturated world.

Listen as Vince and Peter explore his iconic album covers, his transition from music to fashion and cultural institutions, and why, in his words, he has “always been designing himself.”

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How do you build a design career that spans continents, cultures and scale, and then redesign your life after a wake-up call?

Rido Pin is a Director at Plus Studio, a solutions company for the built environment, with 11 studios across Australia and New Zealand and projects worldwide. Originally from the Netherlands, Rido’s journey has taken him from cycling the fields of Holland, to island life in Curaçao, to New York skyscrapers, and finally to Sydney, where he now helps lead Plus Studio’s rapid growth.

This conversation comes at a milestone moment: last week, Frost* unveiled Plus Studio’s new brand refresh, reflecting its collaborative culture and future vision.

Listen in as Vince and Rido talk about the launch of the new brand identity and what it means for Plus Studio, his career, and how resilience and well-being have shaped his leadership and outlook on life.

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What happens when you combine a love of design with a mind for business? For Ajaz Ahmed, it meant building one of the world’s most successful creative companies from scratch before starting all over again.

Ajaz is the visionary founder of AKQA, the global digital agency that he grew to 5,000 staff across 30 countries. After three decades at the helm, he stepped down and launched Studio One, an agile new venture built for the AI age, where creativity is unleashed and hierarchy stripped back.

Born in the Thames Valley and inspired by architecture from an early age, Ajaz began working at a software company as a teenager, driven by obsession with design and a fascination with business. His story is one of ambition, humility and reinvention.

Listen in as Vince and Ajaz unpack the role of AI in creativity, the myth of scaling and mediocrity, and why having taste still matters more than ever.

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