Summary
In this conversation, Evan Troxel and Candace Kitchen sit down with Sandra Olave, chair of Interior Design at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) in Detroit. Sandra traces their path from a civil engineering start in Colombia to studying design in Barcelona and ultimately building a career that blends practice, education, and community-centered design.
The discussion explores how culture and travel influence design instincts, why experience design requires attention to the full spectrum of human senses (and the memories and identities attached to them), and how designers can create spaces that feel both fresh and familiar by working with cues that register at an “unconscious” level.
- Experience design is about all five senses
- AI is a tool, not a replacement for critical thinking
- Adaptive reuse must honor a building’s DNA
- Cultural roots shape design thinking
Sandra Olave
Associate Professor and Chair of the Interior Design Department at the College for Creative Studies
Sandra Olave has served as an Associate Professor and Chair of the Interior Design Department at the College for Creative Studies (CCS) for 15 years. During her tenure at CCS, she facilitated the Interior Design department advancement, through sponsored projects, accreditations, recruitment efforts, professional accomplishments, and above all, teaching. Olave has led sponsor projects with companies such as Quicken Loans, Ford, dPOP, 36th District Court, Toray, Czarnowski, Shinola, Detroit Public Library, and Henry Ford Cancer Institute. Thanks to organizations like these, students are receiving real-world experiences that develop their critical thinking skills and business acumen.
Learn more about CCS Detroit and Sandra Olave:
CCS DetroitConnect with Sandra Olave
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