Doom and Bloom

We sit down with our friends John Bielenberg and Brandt Williams, creators of Thinknado, to explore how creativity, AI, and a willingness to “think wrong” can unlock more innovative solutions in taking climate action. Together, they discuss why AI shouldn’t replace human creativity, but instead challenge our default thinking, generate unexpected ideas, and spark entirely new possibilities.John and Brant discuss the power of small bets, or low-risk experiments that build momentum for bigger change. They share practical strategies for helping designers navigate organizational roadblocks, gain buy-in, and make climate-forward decisions the norm instead of the exception.If you’ve ever felt like your best ideas get shut down before they have a chance, this conversation is for you. Solving the climate crisis won’t come from doing what we’ve always done. We must question assumptions, embrace curiosity, and have the courage to think differently. The best way forward is to think wrong.

In episode two, we talk to Drew Wilkinson, former Microsoft employee who turned a two-person sustainability group into a ten-thousand-person climate movement inside the company. We get into why sustainability dies the second it becomes a checkbox at the end of a project and where the real creative decisions happen.Drew breaks down his “buffet” approach to getting a whole company on board, not just the one person who cares. Why that person (the designer who feels like the only one) is really never alone. And why courage might be the best trait we need in changing the culture within our work places.

In season two of Doom & Bloom we’re focusing on how designers can shift the culture within the design industry to prioritize climate-forward design decisions.We kicked off the new season during San Francisco Climate Week, interviewing Dr. Renee Lertzman, climate psychologist and strategist.Listen to Renee and Marc discuss the gap between how much designers care about climate and how little they're actually able to integrate it into their work and why the usual moves (educating, persuading, making the case harder) don’t work. They also explored how shifting from “yell, tell, sell” to attunement and guiding can help designers actually move culture inside their organizations.

We are back with a new season of Doom & Bloom!This time, we're unpacking how designers can shift the culture within the design industry. We all know designers want to make their work more climate positive, but too often this desire is met with resistance or roadblocks. Transforming the entire design industry starts with changing the culture where designers work.This season, we'll tap back into the Thinknado process to brainstorm ways to make climate action the default at any studio or company. We're inviting professionals in and outside of the design industry to help us crack the code on changing design culture from the inside out.

Join the Doom & Bloom team for the final episode of Season 1 as they look back on everything, from Jolly Sand to Unlikely Peaches to Gorilla Hard and beyond. The crew digs into key ideas, challenges, and takeaways, pushing some frameworks even further with their own raw interpretations. Then, in true Doom & Bloom style, they turn the mic on themselves for a full-on Thinknado process, brainstorming what Season 2 could become. It’s unfiltered, reflective, and full of possibility.