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Clever

Amy Devers

Clever is a window into the humanity behind the design of the world around us. In each episode, designer Amy Devers has candid and revealing conversations with the visionaries, culture-makers, and creative forces who shape our world and inform our society. Through raw candor and honest shop-talk, Clever peels back the layers to unearth the gritty, authentic and sometimes surprising details of their creative paths.



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Episodes

Ep. 212: HODINKEE’s Ben Clymer on Agency, Permanence, and the Talismans of Life [rebroadcast]
5d ago
Ep. 212: HODINKEE’s Ben Clymer on Agency, Permanence, and the Talismans of Life [rebroadcast]
Ben Clymer grew up in a New York suburb, raised by middle-class public school teachers and enamored by his grandfather’s swagger and style. An Omega Speedmaster, a gift from said grandfather, is the piece that captured his heart and sets his story in motion. A painstakingly shy student, he began to gain self-confidence in high-school and a need to differentiate in college. In 2008 he started a tiny blog, HODINKEE, a passion-project about watches that gained traction and sent him on a mission to get a Master’s in Journalism. Since then, HODINKEE has led to creative collaborations with the most prestigious watch brands and famous rockstars, and grown into a multi-channel platform that has transformed the world of luxury watches. Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more evergreen episodes! Please complete our Listen Survey, it really helps us out! cleverpodcast.com/surveySubscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever ResourcesPlease say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf 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 Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clever Confidential Ep. 5: Eileen Gray and the Aura of E-1027
26-11-2024
Clever Confidential Ep. 5: Eileen Gray and the Aura of E-1027
Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.In Ep. 5 we explore the haunting tale of E-1027, an architectural masterpiece born of love but marred by betrayal, obsession, and tragedy. From its creation by Eileen Gray to its desecration by Le Corbusier, and its descent into decadence during World War II, this house has borne witness to some of humanity’s darkest and most beautiful moments. Hosts Amy Devers and Andrew Wagner uncover the secrets etched into its walls and the spirits that linger within.Many thanks to this episode’s guest expert Anthony Flint, author of Modern Man: The Life of Le Corbusier, Architect of Tomorrow and host of the Land Matters podcast.See images and read the transcript!Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEYHead to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes of Clever, and the 4 previous episodes of Clever Confidential.Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf you enjoy Clever Confidential 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! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 219: Federico Negro on Making Tools to Empower and Scale Sustainable Design
12-11-2024
Ep. 219: Federico Negro on Making Tools to Empower and Scale Sustainable Design
Founder and CEO of Canoa, Federico Negro, was born in Uruguay during a time of political turmoil and lived in four countries by age 14. As a teenager in Chicago, he used music as a means of learning English, and during college became fascinated by forensic architecture, which informed his fixation with “how we build with what we build.” An Architect, designer, toolmaker, and entrepreneur, his first company, CASE, was acquired by WeWork. From there he served as the Global Head of Design for Wework during the company’s rapid expansion, and witnessed first-hand the pain points and environmental challenges that could be mitigated with better tools. So in 2019, he founded Canoa, an AI-driven, collaborative software aimed at revolutionizing the interior design and furniture industries by addressing environmental issues and becoming a tool to help us build a better future. Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEYSubscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever ResourcesPlease say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf 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 Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Clever Confidential Ep. 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer
29-10-2024
Clever Confidential Ep. 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer
Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series, where we dig into the darker side of design - the shadowy, sometimes sordid tales hiding under a glossy topcoat of respectable legacy.In Episode 4: Olivetti and the Race to Create the First Personal Computer, host Amy Devers and writer Andrew Wagner unravel a captivating story that challenges our assumptions about the origins of the personal computer. Many credit Silicon Valley with this innovation, but should we really look elsewhere?Olivetti was founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti. This Italian powerhouse thrived under his son Adriano, who revolutionized industrial design with a human-centered approach, merging aesthetics with user experience. Olivetti became a titan in office machines and desktop computing, poised to lead the charge into a new technological era.But as Olivetti rises, dark clouds gather. Adriano and brilliant engineer Mario Tchou meet mysterious and untimely fates, shrouded in Cold War intrigue and fierce corporate rivalry. Despite these tragic losses, Olivetti unveiled the Programma 101 in 1965, hailed as the world’s first desktop computer, forever altering our perception of technology.So why has Olivetti’s remarkable legacy faded into obscurity? We peel back the layers of this enigma, revealing a web of intrigue—mysterious deaths, hostile takeovers, potential CIA involvement, and hidden narratives that reshaped the tech landscape and distorted our collective cultural memory. Many thanks to this episode’s guest expert Barry Katz. Audio clips courtesy of Luca Cottini from his Italian Innovators youtube video - CAMILLO & ADRIANO OLIVETTI. At the Origins of the Computer Age. You can find him on Linkedin and instagram @italianinnovatorsSee images and read the transcript!Head to cleverpodcast.com for over 200+ more episodes! Subscribe to our substack newsletter for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, and Linkedin - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf you enjoy Clever Confidential please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Writing and research: Amy Devers, Andrew Wagner, Ilana NevinsEditing and Sound Design: Camille Stennis and Mark ZurawinskiTheme Music: “Astronomy” by Thin White Rope courtesy of Frontier RecordsProduction: Devers Endeavors Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 218: The Exquisite Love, Magic and Maximalism of Londubh Studio
16-10-2024
Ep. 218: The Exquisite Love, Magic and Maximalism of Londubh Studio
Custom surface artists Lisa Donohoe and Brynn Gelbard met and fell in love in the queer underbelly scene of San Francisco in 2002, a time before bi-national same-sex marriage was legal. Their diverse community was built on love, curiosity and celebrating each other's differences. In an evolution that was equal parts organic maturity and cosmic intervention, Brynn and Lisa moved to Los Angeles and founded Londubh Studio, specializing in elaborate and maximalist hand-applied surface designs. Now the duo, oft considered the design world’s secret weapon, are translating their wildness, love, magic, and the sacred, through exquisite artistry and pristine craft, into visual celebrations that vibrate with love and emanate joy.  ***SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Clever is a finalist for the Signal Awards in the Curators Shaping Culture category! This means we’re also eligible for a Listener’s Choice Award! Will you please vote for Clever? It would mean the world to us!Now through Oct. 17 - 💥 VOTE for Clever in The Signal Listener’s Choice Awards! 💥***Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever ResourcesPlease say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf 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 Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 170: Deem Journal’s Nu Goteh on Facilitating All Things Awesome [rebroadcast]
01-10-2024
Ep. 170: Deem Journal’s Nu Goteh on Facilitating All Things Awesome [rebroadcast]
Co-Founder of Deem Journal, designer Nu Goteh was born in Liberia and came to the US with his family as a refugee at the age of 3. His first career ambition, as a model son of African parents, was to become a doctor / lawyer. But as a sneakerhead, skater, and early-adopter of the internet, he kept making opportunities for himself in marketing, promoting, and graphic design. He even landed a job at Puma while he was only a Sophomore in college. After successful roles at Red Bull and Sonos, he was comfortable in his talent for adding value and creating desirability for brands, but uncomfortable with being fast-tracked to the top of “cool black guy stuff,” a pigeon-hole that felt too small for his aspirations and skills. So he went back to school for a Master’s in Strategic Design and Management. Now, as a founding principal of Room For Magic, Nu is using his unique talents to address complex creative challenges and facilitate equitable exchange between brands and communities. As if that weren’t enough, Nu along with Marquise Stillwell and Alice Grandoit (his partner at Room for Magic), have founded Deem Journal, a deeply thought-provoking publication centered on design as a social practice. Now, with issue 3 Envisioning Equity, recently released, Deem is leading the way in presenting meaningful narratives around the process of design, and helping us all grow, heal, and imagine new possibilities in the process.  Images, links and more from Nu Goteh! Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 217: Design Researcher Amanda Schneider on the Art of Contextualizing the Data
17-09-2024
Ep. 217: Design Researcher Amanda Schneider on the Art of Contextualizing the Data
Founder and President of ThinkLab, Amanda Schneider, grew up outside of Chicago, inspired by a blend of engineering and design. Now a self-described “designer by degree, journalist by accident, and researcher by choice” at the helm of ThinkLab, she examines the ecosystem of the design world, unearthing and synthesizing the social and cultural shifts and drivers that impact the interiors industry. Together with her team, she offers insights and context that can empower better decision-making while also bridging the communication gap between creatives and the business sector. A keynote speaker (catch her recent TEDx talk) and the host of the podcast Design Nerds Anonymous, Amanda shares her wisdom on topics like communication strategies, storytelling, and the future of work.Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever ResourcesPlease say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf 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 Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 213: The Quiet Rebellion of Biodesigner Natsai Audrey Chieza [Rebroadcast]
03-09-2024
Ep. 213: The Quiet Rebellion of Biodesigner Natsai Audrey Chieza [Rebroadcast]
Natsai Audrey Chieza spent her youth in Zimbabwe in a close-knit extended family where she and her cousins were “in each others’ pockets.” In her teenage years the national economy crashed, necessitating a family relocation to the UK, and she began learning the skill of “not belonging.” Architecture studies proved alienating so she found a way to combine them with her love of fashion (to the consternation of her professors.) Rejecting the prescribed path of a professional architect, she instead pursued a postgraduate program in Material Futures that set her on a path of designing with bacteria. Now, she’s founded Faber Futures, a biodesign studio, and Normal Phenomena of Life, an artful lifestyle and fashion brand that also functions as a working prototype of a new model bioeconomy. She’s spent her whole life quietly not doing what was expected of her, and in this space of outsiderness she’s been very busy creating new paradigms for how we might collaborate with nature and new models for the equitable stewardship of these new biotechnologies. So, in terms of cultural infrastructure, she is an architect after all! Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more evergreen episodes! Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever Resources Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 206: Love by Design’s Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh on the 6 Ingredients of Emergent Love [Rebroadcast]
06-08-2024
Ep. 206: Love by Design’s Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh on the 6 Ingredients of Emergent Love [Rebroadcast]
Here’s my Valentine to you, Clever listeners. This episode is all about love and how to intentionally design and build the long-lasting, mutually fulfilling, loving relationships you desire. Dr. Sara Nasserzadeh, author of Love By Design: 6 Ingredients to Build a Lifetime of Love unpacks her paradigm-shifting model of Emergent Love, and helps us with exercises and epiphany-inducing re-defines of attraction, respect, trust, compassion, shared vision, and loving behaviors. Along the way we learn to spot and avoid the common misfires and disconnects, and how this new way of thinking and behaving serves to benefit ALL of your relationships. When we’re intentional with our creative agency in our relationships, it ripples out to benefit all of humanity. *swoon For a transcript and images from Sara head to cleverpodcast.comCheck out a bonus Q&A with Dr. Sara on our free substack newsletter. Subscribe to our substack! Please say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf 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 Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 215: Kinfolk’s Idris Brewster Uses AR to Empower Collective Memory Building
11-06-2024
Ep. 215: Kinfolk’s Idris Brewster Uses AR to Empower Collective Memory Building
Artist, creative technologist, and educator, Idris Brewster grew up in Brooklyn, being filmed for a documentary about his education as a black student at a prestigious, primarily white, school. His coming-of-age, only partially caught on camera, included a lot of basketball and hands-on artistic development. A grant awarded in college gave him early access to VR technology which opened a path to combining all of his talents and interests and expressing them through new media. Now, as co-founder and Executive Director of Kinfolk Foundation, he’s harnessing augmented reality, location-based technology, and community to engage in placing digital monuments in public spaces, memory building, and foregrounding the Black, Brown and Queer histories that have been intentionally silenced. Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever ResourcesPlease say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf 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 Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ep. 214: Architect & Designer Marc Thorpe on Relationships, Responsibility, and Uncertainty
28-05-2024
Ep. 214: Architect & Designer Marc Thorpe on Relationships, Responsibility, and Uncertainty
Architect & designer Marc Thorpe spent his youth, just outside of Washington DC, drawing and learning to navigate a destabilizing home environment. The son of two academics, he learned discipline, rigor, and resilience from his mom, while his dad, a critical thinker, taught him to challenge and interrogate everything. Always knowing he’d be an artist, he studied Industrial Design and Architecture, and instinctively flexed his ability to seize every opportunity, as well as create them from scratch. Now, as the founder & principal of Marc Thorpe Design, a multidisciplinary studio, and (along with Claire Pijoulat) Edifice Upstate, a design & build architecture agency, he’s worked with world-renowned designers, led groundbreaking projects, and is leading the charge toward more responsible architecture. And while he has always been certain he’d be a professional creative, it is uncertainty that is his greatest inspiration.Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! Subscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.For info, resources, and special offers from our guests and sponsors: Clever ResourcesPlease say Hi on social! X, Instagram, Linkedin and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf 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 Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.