Alternative Conversations: Design Expressions Shaping Today’s Environments


We don’t need another trend list. We need a translation.


Design Expressions are the real-time signals of cultural, behavioral, and technological change already taking shape in the built environment. Listen in as Kimball International Design Futurist, Kaelynn Reid, joins Kimball International A&D Director, Kristine Braunecker, to unpack the patterns appearing across environments and experiences, and the forces behind them. Together, they’ll move beyond observation to interpretation, translating these signals into meaningful insight and examining what they reveal about strategy, design choices, and the near-term decisions shaping the future of the built environment. Join the conversation for a pulse on what’s unfolding now and leave with a point of view you can act on.

Kristine Braunecker

Director of A&D Marketing

Kimball International


As Director of A&D Marketing, Kristine helps shape research-driven content and resources that support the design community. With a background in design and a focus on workplace and hospitality environments, she works closely with designers to translate emerging signals and behavioral shifts into practical insights that inform future projects.

Kaelynn Reid

Applied Insights Strategist and Certified Futurist

Kimball International


As a Certified Futurist and the Host of Kimball International's Alternative Design Podcast, Kaelynn encourages designers to make creative decisions today for a more promising human experience tomorrow.