Welcome back to "Unlocking Your World of Creativity." In this episode, host Mark engages in a captivating conversation with Joana Sa Lima, an architect and designer based in Oslo, Norway. They explore the multifaceted nature of creativity, delving into the process of getting inspired, organizing ideas, and building confidence to make impactful connections.

Joana's Website

@comte_bureau on Instagram

Highlights:

1. **Diverse Creative Background:** Joana shares her unique journey from Portugal to Italy, Berlin, Holland, and finally, Oslo. Each experience enriched her creative thinking, providing a unique blend of architectural influences and technical expertise.

2. **Impact of Design on Sustainability:** The discussion focuses on the societal impact of design, particularly in addressing environmental causes and sustainability. Joana emphasizes the importance of research-driven design and how it extends beyond creating aesthetically pleasing structures.

3. **Social Sciences in Design:** Joana's company, Comte Bureau, is a bridge between architecture and social sciences. They use design thinking, sociology, anthropology, and psychology to inform their decisions, solving societal issues through innovative and thoughtful design.

4. **Collaboration and Innovation:** Collaboration emerges as a key theme, both in the academic realm and in addressing global challenges like COVID-19. Joana underscores the need for continued collaboration to overcome societal issues, encouraging a shift from individual achievements to collective impact.

5. **Challenges in the Current Climate:** Joana addresses the challenges posed by the current geopolitical climate, emphasizing the importance of sustained innovation and investment in solving societal problems. She warns against the dangers of defunding innovation and the potential loss of progress made during critical times.

6. **Encouragement for Creatives:** The conversation concludes with a call for creatives to listen actively, break out of echo chambers, and embrace diversity. Joana emphasizes that, now more than ever, understanding different perspectives is crucial for personal and societal growth.

Key Quote from Joana Sa Lima:

*"More than ever, we should be listening. We are in these echo chambers, and we are creating even deeper echo chambers. We only care about those that actually speak the same tone of voice that we do and that care about the same colors that we do. And that is the wrong thing to do, in my opinion. We should actually be much more aware, making this cross or opening up to the differences that we all have is what's going to make us better and what's going to make us survive, in a way."*

In this insightful episode, Joana Sa Lima provides a thought-provoking perspective on the intersection of creativity, design, and societal impact, urging listeners to consider the broader implications of their creative endeavors.

Joana, educated in Porto, Rome, and Berlin, has had a dynamic career with experiences in the Netherlands, New York, and Norway. Working with OMA-Rem Koolhaas, she developed a passion for research-driven design. In 2008, she co-founded 'CONDITIONS,' a Scandinavian architecture magazine, shortlisted for the CICA Pierre Vago Journalism Award and participating in the III Moscow Architecture Biennale and Venice Biennale. In 2012, Joana co-founded Comte Bureau to address societal challenges. This consultancy integrates social sciences and design thinking with architecture to foster conscious innovation and human-centric solutions, shaping policies, services, and urban spaces. Joana's impact extends to academia and architectural competitions, lecturing, and serving as a jury member. She...