From smart technology and creative process to business insights and emerging trends, the Connected Design Podcast explores the ideas, projects, and people pushing design forward—across residential, commercial, and everything in between.
Latest Episode
Forge CEO Talks Future of CEDIA Expo and More
Forge – the new name for the combined Emerald Expo-Questex venture – is barely a few weeks old, but CEO Paul Miller is already doing the rounds to check out portions of the new and much-expanded portfolio. That included a stop at CEDIA Expo in Denver, where we had the
Latest Episode
Forge CEO Talks Future of CEDIA Expo and More
Forge – the new name for the combined Emerald Expo-Questex venture – is barely a few weeks old, but CEO Paul Miller is already doing the rounds to check out portions of the new and much-expanded portfolio. That included a stop at CEDIA Expo in Denver, where we had the chance to sit down with Miller.
More Episodes
Designing Before Digging: Boca Tech’s Innovative Smart Home Pitch
We sit down with Boca Tech and Automation Founder and CEO Jeff Galea and Marketing Director Marcio Gomes to explore how the company is using what it calls ‘digital twin technology’ to transform the way it designs, sells, and installs high-end automation systems and other luxury technology.
TheCoTeam’s Chris Smith Wants Integrators to Stop Unicorn Hunting
Drawing on more than two decades in the CI channel and hundreds of successful placements through TheCoTeam, Chris Smith breaks down why “unicorn hunting” is holding companies back, where integrators can find talent beyond the obvious candidate pool, and how a more intentional hiring process can help businesses grow stronger teams.
How Southtown AV Turned Relationships Into a Stadium-Sized Opportunity
Heather Sidorowicz, president of Southtown AV, talks about the company’s evolution from a local hi-fi shop into one of Buffalo’s leading commercial AV firms.
Force AV is Building Luxury Experiences All Over South Florida (and Beyond)
From luxury estates in Palm Beach to custom projects across the country, Rosenberg shares how Force AV approaches technology integration as a full-service experience centered on problem-solving, storytelling, and client trust.
Putting AI to Use in Floor Plan Generation with Drafted
Drafted, an AI-based platform that launched earlier this year, is a free-to-use tool that lets users dream up their ideal house plan with just a few simple prompts. Founder Nick Donahue sat down with us to talk about how the tool works, where he plans to expand its capabilities, and the role of AI in all areas of the homebuilding process.
Keder Screens on the Obstacles and Opportunities in the Shading Business
We pick the brain of Kim Parker, a partner at Keder Screens, to learn about the challenges and opportunities integrators face getting into the outdoor shade business.
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More Episodes
Forge CEO Talks Future of CEDIA Expo and More
Forge – the new name for the combined Emerald Expo-Questex venture – is barely a few weeks old, but CEO Paul Miller is already doing the rounds to check out portions of the new and much-expanded portfolio. That included a stop at CEDIA Expo in Denver, where we had the chance to sit down with Miller.
Kinetics Noise Control on Making Rooms Sound as Good as They Look
Jason Ehrlich, business development manager of room acoustics in the home market at Kinetics Noise Control, sits down with us for a conversation about why acoustics deserve a much earlier place in the design process.
Phoenix Marketing Group is Bringing Technology Further Upstream in Design Discussions
Bret Jacob at Phoenix Marketing Group discusses how the company is helping bridge the gap between integrators and the design-build community. The conversation explores why integrators need to be brought into projects earlier, how builders and designers can better understand technology’s role in luxury homes, and the tools Phoenix is building to support those relationships.
Why Builder-Integrator Relationships Matter in the Modern Custom Home
Jason Bourg, owner of Bourg Builders + Design in North Central Arkansas, sits down to discuss how technology has become a natural part of his custom homebuilding process.
Bourg shares his path from medicine to construction, how his lifelong interest in building shaped his company, and why home automation has become central to the way he thinks about custom homes. The conversation also explores his relationship with Brad’s Home Entertainment, the value of bringing an integrator into the process early, and how builders can use technology to improve security, convenience, aesthetics, and the overall client experience.
Bourg’s perspective offers a practical look at what collaboration can make possible when technology is treated as part of the home from the beginning.
Mitch Klein Looks Back on CEDIA, Design-Build Progress and the Channel’s Next Chapter
Mitch Klein joins the Connected Design Podcast to reflect on more than three decades in the custom integration industry and his long-running work with CEDIA.
The Death of the Touch Panel is Highly Overstated
The touchscreen has taken a few shots lately, as design and technology conversations swing back toward buttons, switches, and voice control. But for Crestron’s Giles Sutton and Michael Short, the question is not whether one interface wins. The real story is how the right mix of touch, tactile control, voice, sensing, and automation makes a connected home easier to live in.
On this episode of the Connected Design Podcast, Sutton and Short join Editor in Chief Rob Stott to discuss why the touchscreen remains an important part of the professional smart home, where tactile controls are the better answer, and why design-build conversations should focus less on screen count and more on the user experience each interface is meant to support.
