The Hive Five podcast explores new perspectives on the stages of the Human-Centered Design process by hosting conversations with experts in a variety of fields. The five stages of the design process (Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, Test) serve as launchpads as our guests take us on a journey through their work and insights, tell us stories, recommend books and make us laugh. Conversations on the show range from an improv comedian’s perspective on ideation to a clinical nurse specialist's take on problem definition, with lots of unexpected and delightful stops along the way.
Collaborators: Kaitlyn Paulsen, Nick Endicott, Isa Berardo
Roles: Host of Season 2, Host of select episodes of Season 1, Producer, Cover Art Designer
Season 2
Episode 1: Getting Real
Asha Srikantiah and Werner Zorman share the fundamentals of getting real. Asha and Werner co-teach a class at The Hive called Interpersonal Dynamics. In this conversation, they show us what it means to put empathy into action by sharing how others make you feel, being being vulnerable and honest, and creating space for silence.
Episode 4: Trusting Yourself
In this episode, Shannon Randolph and Kim Griffin explore what it means to treat life like a prototype, the role of authenticity, and what it means to define vulnerability on your own terms. In this conversation, they share how their own personal and professional experiences have impacted how they see the world today. Shannon Randolph is an environmental anthropologist, human-centered designer, and professor at The Claremont Colleges. Kim Griffin is a podcast host, improv extraordinaire, coach for emerging creatives, and close friend of the Hive.
Episode 2: Digging Deeper
Fred Leichter and Dabney Hailey share about defining and synthesis through the practice of Visual Thinking Strategies. Fred Leichter and Dabney Hailey co-taught an Advanced Topics in Human-Centered Design class at the Hive in the Fall of 2021. In this conversation, they share how Visual Thinking Strategies can be used to help you uncover your underlying assumptions, listen more than you speak, and discover what more you can find.
Episode 5: Opening Up
Kaitlyn Paulsen and Olivia Hewitt explore the practice of reflection, self-defined vulnerability, and what it means to invite someone into your world. In this conversation, they share personal experiences as a vehicle to process and understand the value of reflection. Kaitlyn Paulsen is a graduate in Human-Centered Design and Engineering from Harvey Mudd College. Olivia Hewitt is a graduate in Human-Centered Design from Pitzer College, an Experience Designer at the Hive, and the host of the Hive Five.
Episode 3: Breaking Rules
Ken Fandell and Sal Plascencia discuss how boredom might be the perfect recipe for creativity, how deep emotion should have a place in the syllabus, and how art is sometimes about breaking all the rules. In this conversation, they share how they learned their own creative processes and how they pass these pedagogies on to their students. Ken Fandell is an artist and professor of art at Harvey Mudd College, and Sal Plascencia is an author and creative writing professor at Harvey Mudd College.
Season 1
Episode 1: The First Word of Your Story
In this episode, we talk with identity architect John B Johnson from a small studio. He shares with us his understanding of how everything starts with identity. We discuss what's in a name, how to design from a place of understanding, and what it means to be an identity architect.
Episode 4: Working with Your Hands
In this episode, we talk with contractor and small-business owner John Paulsen of Sparrow Builders. He shares with us what it means to problem-solve, the value of working with your hands, and reflections on good design.
Episode 2: How Are You Really?
In this episode, we talk with clinical nurse specialist Margaretta Page from the UCSF Brain Tumor Center and creator of the Gordon Murray Caregiver Program. She shares with us her perspective on the world of nursing, how to slow down and ask the important questions, and what it means to put caregivers at the center of care.
Episode 5: The Key to a Good Story
In this episode, we talk with Tom Doelger, former English teacher at Seattle’s Lakeside school and unmatched storyteller. In our conversation, we talk about the joys of teaching, the power of reflection, and how the key to a good story is…
Episode 3: Life is Hysterical
In this episode, we talk with actor, teacher, director, and improv-er Ernie González Jr. He shares with us his story of discovering the world of improv, what it means to listen, and why authenticity and honesty is so important in our interactions and relationships.