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Whether you’re a long-time listener of the radio show or discovering us for the very first time—welcome!
We’re excited to introduce a new addition to our website experience, created to give you a deeper dive into the ideas, inspiration,
and conversations we bring to the air each week.
Inside this section you’ll find expanded show outlines, resources, and creative prompts designed to help you educate, empower, and elevate your life through and by design—a core philosophy of Design U. Design U is rooted in the belief that great design isn’t reserved for professionals alone; it’s a mindset and a skill set that anyone can cultivate. Our goal is to demystify the process, share practical tools, and inspire confident decision-making so you can shape spaces—and experiences—that truly reflect who you are.
Explore the topics that resonate with you, revisit past segments, and uncover new ways to bring creativity and intention into your everyday living. We’d love to hear from you—share your questions, thoughts, or topic ideas with us via email, and let us know what you’d like us to cover next.
Dive in. Listen along. Engage with the material.
Be part of the conversation and the creative journey.
Enjoy the show, the radio briefs, and our original perspective on interior design, construction, and the art of living well by design.
Design on,
Philip Sassano
Managing Principal | The Design Coach, LLC.
More Than Beautiful:
What's Really Shaping Interior Design in 2026
REFERENCE RADIO SHOW ON 3.15.26
In 2026, the interior design industry is being reshaped by technology, wellness, adaptive living, sustainability, sourcing pressures, and a growing expectation that designers serve as both creative leaders and strategic advisors. ASID’s 2026 Trends Outlook highlights technology, wellness, sustainability, workforce changes, and economic forces as defining pressures on the profession, while Houzz and NKBA point to client demand around wellness spaces, accessibility, warmer traditional detailing, and more intelligent kitchens and baths.
Healing by Design:
Project You
Your business, your leadership, and your life will only grow to the level of the patterns you’ve healed. This week on the show, we’re talking about something most people overlook when they’re chasing growth: internal capacity. You cannot outperform your unhealed patterns. The same distortions that show up in your personal life will show up in your leadership, your decisions, and the systems you build. And when you heal even one of those distortions, every system you operate begins to shift. Growth isn’t about adding more skills, tactics, or strategies. It’s about expanding the internal capacity that allows those things to actually work. The real question is: How much have you healed, and how much capacity have you created to hold the life you say you want?
REFERENCE RADIO SHOW ON 3.1.26
Creativity vs.
Performance
On this episode, we explore the difference between performative creativity — work that simply looks creative — and true problem-solving creativity grounded in critical thinking, curiosity, and iteration. The conversation dives into how educational systems, incentives, and time pressures influence the way creativity is developed and rewarded. We also discuss the important role families, mentors, and communities play in fostering deeper thinking, resilience, and meaningful innovation in the next generation.
REFERENCE RADIO SHOW ON 2.15.26
The Power of
Tactful Confrontation
We like to think staying polite keeps the peace—but in design (and in life), avoidance is usually just conflict on layaway. On today’s show, we break down why tactful confrontation beats “smile and nod… until you explode,” and how clear, direct communication actually protects relationships, budgets, and timelines. From client scope creep to spousal design standoffs, we’re sharing research-backed tools and real-world scripts you can use immediately—without burning bridges. Because the most beautiful spaces aren’t created by people who always agree, but by people who know how to disagree well.
