This week I’m joined by Nikolaus Hafermaas — designer, educator, and the restless mind behind Transmedia Design at ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena.

Nikolaus grew up in Kassel as a “documenta child,” studied at UdK Berlin, built cultural experiences at TRIAD Berlin, and has spent decades pushing design education beyond screens, silos, and safe answers.

In this episode we cover a lot of ground: why he insists students unplug and work by hand before trusting any tool, what it means to teach discernment in an age of AI, and why the most important thing a design school can give a student is the ability to fail — and recover.

If you’re passionate about design, education, or the question of what creativity looks like under pressure, you’ll love this one.

▶️ Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1969986/episodes/18523741