Marley Labishak sits down with host Adam Fromme in this episode of the Thinking through Design podcast. 

“The self doubt is very real, but know that, especially now, it might be very important to get over that and really nail down our purpose and the necessity of the designer.” Marley Labishak

In this Student Spotlight episode, third-year interior design student Marley Labishak reflects on her journey from planning a career in dentistry to discovering a passion for designing spaces that shape how people think, feel and connect. Marley discusses how the first year in Design Foundations challenged her assumptions about design, strengthened her interest in interior design and taught her to think intentionally about the relationship between people and the built environment. She shares her most memorable projects, including an innovative modular system for sustainable furniture reuse, that reinforced her interests in thoughtful, human-centered design.

The second half of our conversation explores Marley’s growing passion for designing spaces that improve quality of life. She walks us through a recent wellness center project for older adults that focused on lifelong learning through culinary and maker spaces, explaining how research into aging deepened her empathy and revealed how seemingly small design decisions can impact everyday experiences. We also discuss the value of curiosity, collaboration, supportive faculty relationships and the responsibility designers have to create spaces that respond thoughtfully to an increasingly complex world.

This episode is part of the Student Spotlight mini-series. During the summer, we sit down with students at Ohio State DESIGN, giving them a chance to share their experiences and talk about the ideas that inspire them.

You can also listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts.