Future of Man-Made | Karen Korellis Reuther

Future of XYZ Podcast

Women are 73% more likely to be injured in a car crash than men. Across the trades, 90% of women cannot find properly fitting safety gear. In every public space everywhere, the lines for ladies’ restrooms are multitudes longer than for men. These aren't statistical anomalies — they are the predictable consequences of a world designed primarily by and for men. Karen Korellis Reuther is the author of MAN-MADE, a Design Lecturer at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and a Former Creative Executive at both NIKE & Reebok. A month before the release of her first book, the iF DESIGN AWARD Jury Chairperson and design advocate joins us to surface some uncomfortable design and economic truths that have long been felt but not named, and to present examples of opportunities to make it right so we can all play a part in building a world that fits everyone.

FUTURE OF XYZ is an award-winning interview series that explores big questions about where we are as a world and where we’re going. Presented by iF Design - host of the prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD - FUTURE OF XYZ is also a proud member of the SURROUND Podcast Network. New episodes every other Thursday.

Form Meets Function: Inside Footwear & Apparel Design

Nodes of Design Podcast

In this episode Karen Korellis Reuther shares her journey into design, emphasizing curiosity, continuous learning, and resilience as key for beginners. Karen delves into her design process, revealing a behind-the-scenes look at creating new collections, where balancing innovation with practicality is crucial. She highlights the necessity of balancing form and function, especially when designing products that are both aesthetically pleasing and performance-oriented.
Facing challenges head-on, Karen recounts overcoming obstacles through collaboration and a solution-focused approach keeping customer at the center.
Discussing the impact of fast fashion, Karen voices concerns over sustainability and envisioned a future where emerging technologies and AI play pivotal roles in creating personalized, sustainable fashion.

How Reebok Is Using Signals From Other Industries To Innovate & Transform It’s Products”

Disruptive Innovation Podcast

Karen Korellis Reuther, former VP Creative Design & Futures at Reebok and a woman pioneer in the male-dominated world of industrial design, spent the formative years of her career working in the Boston high tech sector with early disrupters Digital Equipment Corp & Wang Labs, where she was the first woman to ever be awarded a design patent. After a successful stint as an entrepreneur consulting for clients including Blaupunkt, Braun, Miehle & other iconic European design-centric brands, she spent 12 years as Creative Designer at Nike, and joined Reebok in 2018.

What Makes Design “Good”

Design Museum Everywhere Podcast

In this episode, Sam Aquillano chats with Karen Korellis Reuther, a former creative executive at corporations like Nike and Reebok and a 2021 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow to learn how design informs brand identity and how she characterizes good design. We learn more about Karen’s career leading creative teams and thinking about design in new ways. Later on in the show, they are joined by Ralph Wiegmann, the CEO of iF International Forum Design, the organization behind the prestigious iF Design Awards, to discover how design is judged. Ralph shares his practices, criteria, and the way the design field has changed over the span of his career. Together, they chat about the iF judging process and why design matters.