How We Future with Lisa Kay Solomon

Can graphic design be a force for good?
In this episode of How We Future, Lisa sits down with Franzi Sessler, the co-founder of global design agency Kreatives, to explore how design, storytelling, and creativity can shape better futures.
Recently, Franzi, and her team have made stunning sports explainers for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. Their collaboration with Allianz and the International Paralympic Committee started in 2024, when her team created animated explainers for all 22 Paralympic sports, helping millions of viewers understand and enjoy the amazing athletes and games.
The conversation also touches on projects like All Vote No Play and Futures Happening, revealing how design can activate civic imagination, build momentum, and turn uncertainty into possibility. Throughout, Franzi shows what’s possible when constraints are treated as creative fuel and when imagination is taken seriously.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
How design can close the gap between confusion and connection
Why constraints often unlock the best ideas
What it takes to design with trust, empathy, and impact
Links from the episode:
Kreatives
Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Sports Explainer Videos
Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Sports Explainer Videos
Franzi’s favorite Paralympic Disciplines to Design for: Boccia and Swimming
Paris 2024 Paralympic Sports Explainer Videos
Franzi’s All Vote No Play designs
The Team

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
For our first-ever live audience recording of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon sat down with architect and author Chad Oppenheim at Book Passage in San Francisco.
The conversation centers around Chad’s book RIDE: The Iconic Wheels of the Silver Screen and the vehicles that became emotional anchors in film history. From the Back to the Future DeLorean to Ferris Bueller’s Ferrari, these cars were modes of transportation, meaning, and possibility.
Chad shares how childhood Matchbox cars sparked a lifelong fascination with design and storytelling, and how those early influences still shape his architecture today. This live episode explores the importance of imagination and why the things that once made us feel limitless can still guide how we build the future.
You’ll hear:
Why movie cars function as emotional characters
How nostalgia shapes creative vision
Chad’s favorite movie car
This week, take Ferris Bueller’s advice and slow down. Revisit a movie that meant something to you as a kid.
Ask yourself:
What did this story, or this machine, make me feel back then?
What part of that feeling do I want more of in my future?
And if you’re up for it, share with us: What was the iconic ride that changed how you saw the world?
Links from the show:
Oppenheim Architecture
LAIR: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains
RIDE: Most Iconic Wheels of the Silver Screen
Watch 1 minute Trailer: RIDE

Film's most iconic cars are also invitations to the future.
On January 28, Lisa will be hosting a live taping of How We Future featuring architect and cultural visionary Chad Oppenheim, celebrating his new book RIDE: The Iconic Wheels of the Silver Screen. They'll be gathering at Book Passage in San Francisco's Ferry Building for an evening that blends design, film, and imagination.
Chad’s work explores how bold ideas come to life, whether through architecture, storytelling, or the unforgettable vehicles that have defined cinema. From the DeLorean to the Batmobile, these cars are visions of possibility. Together, Lisa and Chad will dig into how imagination shapes the futures we hope for.
If you’re curious about how creative worlds are designed, we'd love to see you there.
The full conversation will be released next week (February 3rd). If you want to get involved, we would love to hear what questions YOU have for Chad. Plus, we'll send you a free RIDE postcard!
Fill out this short survey to be a part of an unforgettable evening.

As always, thank you for tuning in to How We Future.

Sometimes the fastest way to clarity is to start drawing.
In this episode of How We Future, Lisa Kay Solomon sits down with visual thinking pioneer Dan Roam to explore how simple sketches can bring clarity to complexity. Dan, author of The Back of the Napkin and five other bestselling books, shares how visual thinking strengthens problem-solving, communication, and our sense of agency in an uncertain world.
In this conversation, you’ll learn:
Why drawing helps us slow down and make sense of complex problems
How Dan’s “six by six” framework supports clearer thinking and communication
What visual thinking has to do with personal agency and influence
Dan's philosophy on AI and its impact on storytellers
Lisa and Dan trace the roots of visual thinking back to how our brains naturally process the world, then bring those ideas into real life. The conversation also looks ahead as they reflect on what visual thinking means in an era of generative AI, and why human judgment, ethics, and curiosity still matter deeply.
Links from the show
The Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas by Dan Roam
Blah, Blah, Blah: What to Do When Words Don't Work by Dan Roam
Show and Tell: How Everybody Can Make Extraordinary Presentations by Dan Roam
Napkin Academy

In serious times, play can be one of our most powerful tools.
In this episode of How We Future, Lisa talks with Jill Vialet, social entrepreneur, author of Why Play Works, and founder of Playworks, about why play belongs at the center of how we lead, learn, and navigate complexity. Jill covers her journey to building an organization that transformed recess into a source of connection, trust, and resilience for millions of kids.
Their conversation explores how play helps people regulate their nervous systems, build relationships across differences, and see new possibilities when problems feel stuck. Jill shares lessons from Playworks, why trust is a prerequisite for learning, how unstructured play supports emotional growth, and what leaders can borrow from playgrounds.
You’ll hear about:
How play helps us navigate chaos and uncertainty
The connection between play, trust, and feeling safe
How small, unexpected tweaks can unlock entirely new futures
This episode proves that creativity, empathy, and experimentation often emerge when people feel safe enough to engage. If you are leading through uncertainty or looking for new ways to bring people together, Jill offers practical insight and hopeful perspectives on how play can help us move forward.
Links from the episode:
Jill Vialet personal site
Jill’s Substack, “Workswell”
Jill’s Tee’s Shop
Why Play Works by Jill Vialet
Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul by Stuart Brown