I was invited to join Andrea Pinchi, Alice Mela, and Alessandro Argenio on Conversations, a podcast that explores design through the voices of diverse practitioners. In this episode, I shared insights from my experience building spaces for collaboration and creativity within a large organization like adidas. The conversation focused on the challenges and opportunities of fostering a participatory culture inside a global company, and how design can act as a connector between people, ideas, and disciplines. Drawing from my work leading the MakerLab and other internal initiatives, I reflected on the role of facilitation, trust, and openness in nurturing a collaborative mindset at scale.
I’m Andrea Brena, a designer, strategist, and cultural researcher working across industries, disciplines, and communities.
My practice is driven by the curiosity for how systems shape behavior, how stories influence belonging, and how design can enable participation at every level.
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Cultural insights from the intersection of digital life, behavior, and belonging.
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A global snapshot of creative experimentation inside adidas MakerLab.
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A co-designed exploration of onboarding and engagement in corporate culture.
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Redefining community through co-creation and decentralized collaboration.
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Exploring how facilitation, trust, and design can foster collaboration within global organizations.
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Capturing a year of collective creativity within adidas MakerLab.
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Shaping a decentralized model for collaborative cultural insight generation.
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Designing a resilient and scalable framework for decentralized, transparent self-regulation.
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Reflective storytelling through walking and photography during lockdown.
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Materializing a refreshed identity through experimental physical branding.
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An editorial debut documenting adidas MakerLab’s creative culture.
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Visualizing invisible stress patterns in plastic through photoelasticity.
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Showcasing digital design capabilities to foster creative upskilling.
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Celebrating individuality and collaboration through internal storytelling.
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Hands-on prototyping and exhibition demystifying advanced manufacturing.
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Curating cross-disciplinary lectures and workshops to spark creative dialogue and continuous learning.
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Showcasing the personal passions of adidas employees and their impact on creative culture.
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Bridging Italian craft heritage with global design through sourcing, storytelling, and strategy.
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A lighting concept blending gesture, material, and color to create poetic atmospheres.
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A modular textile system reimagining adaptable living through material innovation and design.
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A bold furnishing series that pioneered the Arm Knitting trend through performative, sustainable craft.
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A formative exhibition design project blending scenography, storytelling, and social media-savvy staging.
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