Can design save us?

'Can design save us?' is a series exploring design as a pioneering force for good. We dive into the most pressing problems of our time and meet inspiring people using design to solve them. We explore the good, bad, complex and controversial.

Episode 16: Farewell fake news! 12/31/2021

Episode 16: Farewell fake news! Fake or altered media is an accepted norm of our daily lives, but not only does it spread misinformation and enable fraud – it has completely eroded public trust in digital media as a whole. Truepic is tackling the problem head-on by using revolutionary technology to ensure we can trust what we see online. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/21282887

Episode 15: The magic of mushrooms 11/02/2021

Episode 15: The magic of mushrooms Beyond soulful dishes to psychedelics, mushrooms and their root systems, known as mycelium, are proving to be critical to our survival. And London-based studio BIOHM is tapping into their true potential. This month, we talk to Director of Design Oksana Bondar about BIOHM’s mission to revolutionise the built world. Writer & Host: Lesley Price. Producer: Sidsel Kaae Nørgaard. Composer: Kristina Lilleskov. Soundbites: Undecided with Matt Ferrell (YouTube), Vox. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/20981714

Episode 14: Oui! to women's health 10/05/2021

Episode 14: Oui! to women's health More than 922 million women worldwide use contraceptives, yet the area has seen limited innovation. We sit down with Design Manager Marie Lyhne from Cirqle Biomedical, the Danish company behind the world’s first hormone-free contraceptive. OUI is a tiny clear capsule, that works just a few minutes after insertion. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/20586245

Episode 13: Avantgarde avatars 08/31/2021

Episode 13: Avantgarde avatars Our online identities are becoming the most important way we interact with society. So why not get creative with our clothing? We take a deep dive into the endless possibilities of digital fashion with pioneers, The Fabricant. The studio’s Creative Strategist Michaela Larosse explains how they’re already helping big names make supply chains more sustainable and how soon we’ll all be dressed to the nines for the digital universe. Writer & Host: L.Price. Producer: S.K.Nørgaard. Composer: K.Lilleskov /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/20281850

Episode 12: The smell of tomorrow 07/27/2021

Episode 12: The smell of tomorrow This month, we meet Osh Agabi, Founder and CEO of Koniku, the Silicon Valley company using synthetic biology to design and develop an army of 'smelling cyborgs'. But, why? By replicating the world's most exceptional noses, we'll be able to sniff out danger and disease at unprecedented levels, from explosives to COVID-19, thereby revolutionising healthcare and safety. Writer & Host: L.Price, Producer: S.K.Nørgaard, Composer: K.Lilleskov /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/19942523

Episode 11: A play for press freedom 06/29/2021

Episode 11: A play for press freedom This month, we sit down with the great minds behind The Uncensored Library, an initiative that tackles censorship through gaming. Tobias Natterer and Nina Martinelli explain how they're using Minecraft, the world's most popular computer game, as an effective publishing loophole to get essential facts and stories into the hands of those who need them most. Writer & Host: L.Price, Producer: S.K.Nørgaard, Composer: K.Lilleskov /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/19641662

Episode 10: Discover, design, survive 05/25/2021

Episode 10: Discover, design, survive This month, we sit down with design icon Yves Béhar to chat about his futuristic underwater habitat PROTEUS, designed with renowned ocean explorer Fabien Cousteau. Béhar shares his sustainability journey, from swimming in a revived Lake Geneva as a child to designing for some of the world's biggest brands and organisations, and how he hopes PROTEUS will activate a new generation passionate about conservation. Writer & Host: L.Price, Producer: S.K.Nørgaard, Composer: K.Lilleskov /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/19309400

Episode 09: Data doomsday 04/27/2021

Episode 09: Data doomsday This month, we chat with Sean Mihm, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Boston-based tech firm CATALOG. CATALOG is hacking DNA to use it as the next-gen medium for data storage and computing. Mihm explains why DNA is the perfect solution and how their tech can compress whole data centres into the size of a sugar cube. Writer & Host: L.Price, Producer: S.K.Nørgaard, Composer: K.Lilleskov, Soundbites: War Games & Netflix. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/18953639

Episode 08: Restoring lost voices 03/30/2021

Episode 08: Restoring lost voices Stephen Hawking's robotic voice from the '80s is a universally-recognised trademark. But since, speech synthesis has seen little innovation, meaning millions still speak with a generic computerised voice. This month, Founder of VocaliD, Dr Rupal Patel, shares how her team uses AI to restore this critical piece of personal identity: giving them a voice that's uniquely theirs. Writer & Host: L.Price, Producer: S.K.Nørgaard, Composer: K.Lilleskov /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/18533558

Episode 07: Design vs diversity 02/23/2021

Episode 07: Design vs diversity This month, we chat with up-and-coming designer Mitzi Okou, Founder of 'Where are the Black Designers?' Okou candidly shares her experiences as a young designer pushing for systemic change, moving the Black design narrative away from tragedy, and why prioritising diversity in design is the biggest opportunity we have as an industry — both for society and business. Writer & Host: L.Price, Producer: S.K.Nørgaard, Composer: K.Lilleskov, Soundbites: Vanity Fair & TEDx Talks /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/18056651

Episode 06: The (new)clear vision 01/19/2021

Episode 06: The (new)clear vision This month, we meet Ask Løvschall Jensen, COO and Co-Founder of Seaborg Technologies; the company redesigning nuclear power to make it completely safe and sustainable. Jensen shares his journey from growing up in the Danish anti-nuclear movement to becoming a nuclear energy pioneer. We hear how his team is reviving a reactor design from the 60s, combined with masses of computing power, to break the planet’s reliance on fossil fuels. Writer & Host: L.Price, Producer: S.K.Nørgaard, Composer: K.Lilleskov /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/17604650

Episode 05: Let them eat steak! 12/14/2020

Episode 05: Let them eat steak! From fried chicken to foie gras, meat inevitably comes with cruelty and environmental cost. Yet, the world can’t seem to suppress its appetite. This month, we meet pioneer in cellular agriculture Didier Toubia, CEO and Founder of Aleph Farms. We hear how his team are designing with cells and explore why, in the not so distant future, our meat will be 'reared' in vats rather than factory farms. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/17108903

Episode 04: Climate on the menu 11/16/2020

Episode 04: Climate on the menu This month, we pick the brain of Pasi Vainikka, CEO of Solar Foods behind pioneering product Solein; a superfood “made from thin air”. We discuss why he calls himself a “possibilist” when it comes to fighting global warming, the death of industrialised meat production, and how Solein could offer the biggest disruption to the food industry we’ve ever seen. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/16751876

Episode 03: The sacrifice for style 09/28/2020

Episode 03: The sacrifice for style From the Birkin bag to the bargain bin, is fashion killing us? This month, we meet Travis Peoples, COO of the Global Fashion Agenda. Peoples shares the thrill of living out his 17-year-old “sneakerhead dream” at Adidas, how the wildfires turned him onto sustainability and making the trip across the pond to work for the world’s leading organisation for sustainable fashion. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/16180811

Episode 02: Activism rebooted 08/31/2020

Episode 02: Activism rebooted This episode we meet Bahraini activist and writer Esra'a Al Shafei, behind non-profit organisation Majal. Al Shafei is a celebrated pioneer for freedom of speech and has fought for marginalised voices for more than a decade — all while remaining anonymous. We talk about the current state of activism and how technology is driving meaningful progress, as well as feeding the dangers of slacktivism and surveillance. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/15818126

Episode 01: A Martian perspective 07/28/2020

Episode 01: A Martian perspective We meet AI SpaceFactory Founder and CEO, David Malott, behind Mars habitat MARSHA. Mallot is an architect and self-professed space geek, who after spending years designing some of the world's tallest towers, turned his attention to the extraterrestrial. We chat about designing for the red planet, the possibility of interplanetary living, and why space exploration is critical to achieving quantum leaps in design and tech. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/15297149

Episode 00: Design or die? 06/29/2020

Episode 00: Design or die? 'Can design save us?' is a series exploring design as a pioneering force for good. We dive into the most pressing problems of our time and meet inspiring people using design to solve them. We explore the good, bad, complex and controversial. /episode/index/show/candesignsaveus/id/14737367

Can design save us?

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