From Busywork to Better Work | Kieran Luke of Cerulean

From Busywork to Better Work | Kieran Luke of Cerulean

What happens when a former consultant, startup operator, and self-described “anxious overachiever” discovers the contract furniture industry for the first time? In this episode, Alexandra sits down with Kieran Luke [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieranluke/], founder of Cerulean [https://www.joincerulean.com/], to discuss how AI is being thoughtfully applied within dealer workflows and why the goal isn’t replacing people, but helping them reclaim their time. Kieran accidentally found himself in contract furniture after growing up in Australia and building startups in New York. During this path, he realized that highly skilled dealer designers were spending hours each week on repetitive, manual tasks. Alexandra and Kieran unpack the realities of AI in our industry: the skepticism, the ethical concerns, the fear around jobs, and the opportunities to create more sustainable and fulfilling work. Whether you’re AI-curious, AI-cautious, or already experimenting with new workflows, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about what technology should actually do for people. REGISTER NOW for POP Into Excellence [https://www.thedesignpop.com/pop-into-excellence-2026] Connect with Kieran Luke on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieranluke/] Learn more about Cerulean [https://www.joincerulean.com/] Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-tseffos/] Follow The Design POP on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-design-pop/] Access on-demand training at The Design POP [https://www.thedesignpop.com/]. Questions? Email info@thedesignpop.com [info@thedesignpop.com] The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production (presented by OFS) [https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

POP In: Five Years In and Still Asking Questions

After celebrating five years of TheDesignPOP.com [https://www.thedesignpop.com/] (with a full cake, not just a cupcake), this month's POP In reflects on milestones, AI, environmental concerns, design workflows, and the surprisingly human conversations happening behind the scenes in our industry. Alexandra gives us a first look at Pop Into Excellence 2026, new training, and some thoughts on innovation with regards to sustainability and humanity in design. Oh...and yes, there’s also a story about compostable diapers. No script. No guest. Just a thoughtful industry check-in from inside the Design POP community. Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-tseffos/] Follow The Design POP on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-design-pop/] Access on-demand training at The Design POP [https://www.thedesignpop.com/]. Questions? Email info@thedesignpop.com [info@thedesignpop.com] The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production (presented by OFS) [https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

POP In: What 800 Designers Taught Me

This first “POP In” episode is a quick check-in—no guest, no script, just a few thoughts worth sharing. This episode is less about answers and more about observations. After hosting two recent Design POP webinars with designers—Alexandra reflects on personality tendencies, designer struggles, and workflows. Think of this as a quick pulse check on the industry and an open invitation to keep the conversation going. Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-tseffos/] Follow The Design POP on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-design-pop/] Access on-demand training at The Design POP [https://www.thedesignpop.com/]. Questions? Email info@thedesignpop.com [info@thedesignpop.com] The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production (presented by OFS) [https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Configura’s New CEO | A Conversation with Steven Jenkins

Before Steven Jenkins [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenjenkins2025/] officially steps into the role of CEO at Configura [https://www.configura.com/], Alexandra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-tseffos/] is taking time to introduce him to The Design POP [https://www.thedesignpop.com/] community. She reconnects with Steven who she worked with years ago during her time as a Configura trainer. He was known for his steady, practical approach and his ability to truly hear what users needed. In this conversation, Steven shares how he first joined Configura as one of the company’s early employees, what he learned after leaving to build leadership experience in larger global organizations, and what it’s been like returning as a board member before stepping into the CEO role. While Alexandra plans to talk about the future in a later conversation, this episode is a chance to get to know the person behind the title. Configura's Experience 2026 will be in Cincinnati. Stay tuned for more details by following Configura [https://www.linkedin.com/company/configura/]. Connect with Steven on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenjenkins2025/] Learn more about Configura [https://www.configura.com/] Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-tseffos/] Follow The Design POP on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-design-pop/] Access on-demand training at The Design POP [https://www.thedesignpop.com/]. Questions? Email info@thedesignpop.com [info@thedesignpop.com] The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production (presented by OFS) [https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Strategist by Day, Artist by Night | Designer Duality with Rebekah Jacobi of Pivot Interiors

What happens when a commercial interior designer falls in love with Excel spreadsheets and watercolor painting? In this episode, Alexandra [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-tseffos/] sits down with Rebekah Jacobi [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-jacobi/], Design Director at Pivot Interiors [https://www.pivotinteriors.com/] in San Francisco, to explore what it means to be a whole creative human in the commercial interiors industry. From leading high-level workplace design strategy and tracking performance metrics to rediscovering watercolor painting and surface pattern design, Rebekah shares how embracing her duality has transformed the way she leads. We talk about data, design time tracking, decision making, creative identity, and the courage it takes to evolve beyond your job title. If you’re a design leader, interior designer, or creative professional navigating the balance between business and artistry, this conversation will leave you rethinking what it really means to thrive in this industry. Sometimes the most strategic thing you can do is make space to create. Join a Design POP Circle [https://www.thedesignpop.com/circles] Connect with Rebekah on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebekah-jacobi/] Check out Rebekah's art on Lavender Canyon Co [https://www.instagram.com/lavendercanyonco/] Learn more about Pivot Interiors [https://www.pivotinteriors.com/] Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-tseffos/] Follow The Design Pop on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-design-pop/] Access on-demand training at The Design POP [https://www.thedesignpop.com/]. Questions? Email info@thedesignpop.com [info@thedesignpop.com] The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production (presented by OFS) [https://ofs.com/imagine-a-place] Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.