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May 03, 2021 By IIDA HQ
Designer Picks Part 2: Engaging Entertainment
Designers who joined IIDA’s recent Industry Roundtable discussion, share the books, movies, tv, music, art, and guilty pleasures that have been keeping them engaged and excited.
By IIDA HQ May 03, 2021

Earlier this year IIDA "Industry Roundtable" members and alumni convened virtually to discuss what the past year revealed about life, work, and what the future might hold for the design industry, for our clients, and for ourselves.

IIDA also took a moment to survey this inspiring group to find out what art, design, literature, culture, and media have kept them engaged and excited. Who doesn’t love a great cultural resource list?

We received so many great recommendations we are going to share them in a three-part series. Part two of three—our group shares here their favorite books, music, podcasts, art, and guilty pleasures.

Dina Griffin
President & Architect, Interactive Design Architects


What have you been reading?
Physical book: A Promised Land by Barack Obama
Audio books: The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi, The Martian by Andy Weir (even though I've read the physical book, seen the movie adaptation many times, I love listening to the audio version).

What music have you been listening to?
Jazmine Sullivan and other artists that I hear on the nerd's source of music, NPR—I also enjoy the playlists on Peloton!

What podcasts have you been listening to?
ArchDaily for architecture and interior design projects around the globe.

Guilty pleasures?
The Formula One archived races (can't get enough of Lewis Hamilton winning world championships!), tennis matches featuring Roger Federer, Bridgerton, Disney+, and I re-watched Schitt's Creek.

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Dina Griffin, President & Architect, Interactive Design Architects
Dina Griffin, President & Architect, Interactive Design Architects

Mark Shannon, Ind. IIDA
Executive Vice President of Sales, Crossville, Inc

What have you been reading?
Aside from WIRED, Harvard Business Review, and McKinsey Quarterly, I have gone off trail: Sci-fi, The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu, This Is How you Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar, and The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi.

What music have you been listening to?
I have gone retro listening to Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, and of course my Cousin Louie Belson. Drifting to Andrea Bocelli, and Luciano Pavarotti, with a little Bob Dylan and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

What podcasts have you been listening to?
Not much, after being plugged in all day it's hard—I don't do audio books either, I like the feel of pages.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
My friend Scott Heideman gives me a good dose which helps quite a bit. Checking out what he shares is cool.

Guilty pleasures?
Nerd alert, a way too deep a dive into etymology, it's a fly fishing addiction. I love to sail so I have been watching the PRADA Cup, America's Cup, and Vendée Globe races.

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Mark Shannon, Ind. IIDA, Executive Vice President of Sales, Crossville, Inc
Mark Shannon, Ind. IIDA, Executive Vice President of Sales, Crossville, Inc

Brian K. Graham, IIDA, IDSA
Founder, Creative Director, ‎Graham Design LLC

What have you been reading?
I'm not into reading fiction because it only sets you up for disappointment when they make the movie. I have been looking (no words, mostly pictures) at design monographs, which are always a source of inspiration, especially given how (comparatively) little they had to work with 50-75 years ago. Ward Bennett, Finn Juhl, and Alvin Lustig.

What music have you been listening to?
I’m all over the map here: Zero 7, Morcheeba, Foo Fighters ('nach). After watching The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart documentary on HBO I've been rediscovering the Bee Gees...which is when Nancy tells me to "put your headphones on please!"

What podcasts have you been listening to?
Fresh Air (NPR), Pivot (Vox Media), Sway (The New York Times), the Prof G Show with Scott Galloway, Marketing Over Coffee with John J. Wall and Christopher S. Penn, Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin (NPR), and as we’re just finishing up an NFL season The Herd with Colin Cowherd, and 49ers Talk.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
We haven't really done the virtual art thing, though we've thought about it. I’ve attended a few virtual concerts. Does David Byrne's American Utopia count as art? It was terrific, also a lot of fashion documentaries like Dries and Halston.

Guilty pleasures?

We've been watching so much Apple TV+, Disney+ (we have all the plusses), Netflix and Amazon Prime. We didn't get sucked down the Tiger King rabbit hole but did enjoy Tiger, and well as The Last Dance about Michael Jordan. Recently Nancy is getting into foreign-based series like The Tunnel, Bordertown, the Lupin series and Call My Agent! Reading all those subtitles is a workout...but hey does that count as reading?

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Brian K. Graham, IIDA, IDSA, Founder, Creative Director, ‎Graham Design LLC
Brian K. Graham, IIDA, IDSA, Founder, Creative Director, ‎Graham Design LLC

Libby Gillen, Ind. IIDA
Director, Design & Development at Tarkett

What have you been reading?
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, A Promised Land by Barack Obama, and cookbooks like Milk Street and Cookish by Christopher Kimball and Flavorwalla by Floyd Cardoz.

What music have you been listening to?
The Go-Go’s and old school R&B to reminisce, Hamilton the musical—there's lots of music in the home office when I’m not on Zoom.

What podcasts have you been listening to?
The 1619 podcast (New York Times), OFS’s Imagine a Place, and Design Nerds Anonymous.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Designer friends who have been laid off are picking up their craft and selling pieces, portraits and photography of travel like Slim Aarons.

Guilty pleasures?
Schitt’s Creek
, Girlfriends, The Queen’s Gambit.

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Libby Gillen, Ind. IIDA, Director, Design & Development at Tarkett
Libby Gillen, Ind. IIDA, Director, Design & Development at Tarkett

Mike Johnson II, IIDA, AIA, LEED AP
Senior Associate & Senior Interior Project Designer, Perkins+Will

What have you been reading?
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Design is Storytelling by Ellen Lupton

What music have you been listening to?
Gary Clarke Jr, Childish Gambino

What podcasts have you been listening to?
How Did This Get Made?

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Kadir Nelson, Kehinde Wiley, Christoph Niemann

Guilty pleasures?
Golfing, learning to play a guitar, working on my car.

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Mike Johnson II, IIDA, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate & Senior Interior Project Designer, Perkins+Will
Mike Johnson II, IIDA, AIA, LEED AP, Senior Associate & Senior Interior Project Designer, Perkins+Will

Frances Bruns, Assoc. IIDA
Managing Director, IA Interior Architects

What have you been reading?
I am in a book club and we have been meeting virtually—my favorites in the last few months have been: Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao, Circe by Madeline Miller, and Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb.

What music have you been listening to?
The Yacht Rock and Yacht Club channels on Sirius and Pandora!

What podcasts have you been listening to?
I am a podcast-a-holic...here are a few I am currently loving: 99% Invisible, Brought to You By…, Code Switch (NPR), Even the Rich, How I Built This (NPR), Kamala: Next in Line, Nice Try!, Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR), Generation Why, The Happiness Lab, UnErased, Unfinished, and You're Wrong About.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
I have been searching for a theme for our dining room art, to do a big collage wall. Right now it's the Mona Lisa, in many different styles and interpretations. I'm having fun finding options!

Guilty pleasures?
I just finished the first season of Cobra Kai on Netflix...AND OMG IT'S SO GOOD! I can't seem to stop watching YouTube videos about repurposing and remaking clothing (i.e. how to make joggers out of wide leg sweatpants...gotta love updating your loungewear).

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Frances Bruns, Assoc. IIDA, Managing Director, IA Interior Architects
Frances Bruns, Assoc. IIDA, Managing Director, IA Interior Architects

Chris Stulpin
Chief Creative Officer at Mosaic/ Walker Zanger/ Surfaces

What have you been reading?
The New York Times Book of Movies: The Essential 1, 000 Films to See - it's of our stay at home times—and watching 1,000 films actually seems doable.

What music have you been listening to?
The Vixen’s Commercial Break, Oklahoma! (2019 Broadway Cast Recording), Lizzo (everything Lizzo, did I mention I love Lizzo?)

What podcasts have you been listening to?
Sibling Rivalry with Bob The Drag Queen & Monét X Change, if you are not listening to this you are missing out. Politics, pop culture and more, and Be Kind Rewind, an amazing YouTube series on film with a feminist point of view.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Irwin Miller and Jim Williamson's additions to their homes—two colleagues I love and admire.

Guilty pleasures?
Evan Ross Katz. He is the moment. If you do not have him in your life, you are not living.

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Chris Stulpin, Chief Creative Officer at Mosaic/ Walker Zanger/ Surfaces
Chris Stulpin, Chief Creative Officer at Mosaic/ Walker Zanger/ Surfaces

Diana Farmer-Gonzalez
Assoc. Managing Director, Principal, Gensler

What have you been reading?
A Promised Land by Barack Obama, The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin, Massimo Vitali retrospective book of photographs.

What music have you been listening to?
The Gilberto Gil Radio and Thanksgiving Day Radio channels on Pandora

What podcasts have you been listening to?
I’ve been doing more audio books, but my favorite apps are Daily OM and Calm.

What design and art have you been viewing virtually (or maybe some in person) that’s kept you energized and creative?
Photography (Massimo Vitali), graffiti (Wynwood Arts District), Museum of Graffiti (Wynwood Arts District), Fashion (Miami Design District), my new favorite fashion designer Maison Margiela

Guilty pleasures?
The Queen’s Gambit, Bridgerton, Cobra Kai and re-watching anything with Chadwick Boseman in it (can't help it).

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Diana Farmer-Gonzalez, Assoc. Managing Director, Principal, Gensler
Diana Farmer-Gonzalez, Assoc. Managing Director, Principal, Gensler
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