Ep. 224: Charlotte McCurdy is Charting the Path to a Very Desirable Bio-Based Future

Charlotte McCurdy is a designer, researcher, and educator working at the intersection of climate change, futures, and materials. She shares how her work—"charismatic objects" such as a carbon-negative raincoat and a high-fashion algae sequin dress—offers more than just striking aesthetics. They are rigorous, tangible experiments in building a bio-based future that doesn’t just reduce harm but actively supports planetary healing and human well-being. In the process, she paints a vivid picture of a bright and desirable world that is not about personal sacrifices or backward motion. We discuss regenerative materials, shifting manufacturing paradigms, and the exponential hopefulness embedded in these actionable possibilities.Special thanks to our sponsor: Wix Studio:Web designers, Wix Studio lets you deliver your vision with less friction. Built for agencies and enterprises, you get total creative control over every last pixel, with no-code animations, tons of AI tools, reusable design assets, and advanced layout tools. Check out Wix Studio for your next project: https://www.wix.com/studio.Head to cleverpodcast.com for a transcript (with links!) of this episode, images, resources, and over 200+ more episodes! Please help us out by completing a short LISTENER SURVEYSubscribe to our free substack for updates, bonus content, and new episode alerts.Please say Hi on social! Instagram and Linkedin - @CleverPodcast, @amydeversIf you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted & produced by Amy Devers, with editing by Mark Zurawinski, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music by El Ten Eleven.SUBSCRIBE - listen to Clever on any podcast app!SIGN UP - for our Substack for news, bonus content, new episode alertsVISIT - cleverpodcast.com for transcripts, images, and 200+ more episodesSAY HI! - on Instagram & LinkedIn @cleverpodcast @amydevers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Clever is an award-winning, independent podcast that offers a window into the humanity behind the design of the world around us.In each episode, designer Amy Devers has candid and revealing conversations with the visionaries, culture-makers, and creative forces who shape our world and inform our society. Through a disarming mix of raw candor and honest shop-talk, Clever peels back the layers to unearth the gritty, authentic and sometimes surprising details of their creative paths.Clever Confidential is Clever’s offshoot series where we dig into the lesser told stories of the darker side of design; the shadowy, sometimes sordid, tales hiding under a glossy top coat of respectable legacy.Visit our website:cleverpodcast.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.