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Jeanette & Luis Muñoz
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Why This Episode Matters
Jeanette and Luis Muñoz co-founded Bureau 105, combining architecture with brand strategy to reinvent how people experience spaces—where they live, work, and play. In this conversation, they discuss why story listening matters more than storytelling, how a client's aversion to purple stems from a traumatic job experience, and why good design goes completely unnoticed. For designers seeking deeper client relationships and anyone who believes spaces shape human behavior, this is a masterclass in the art of listening first.
Key Takeaways
Story listening before storytelling
Designers want to tell stories through their work. But the first step is listening. When you truly hear a client's story—their fears, their excitement, their past—the design almost falls into place on its own.
A client is a person, not a transaction
Strip away the monetary aspect. Ask what makes this person passionate. Understand their emotional state. Are they worried? Scared? Happy? Only then can you guide them somewhere better.
Good design goes unnoticed
You only notice design when something doesn't work—uncomfortable shoes, a knife that won't cut. If your design isn't being criticized, that might mean it's working perfectly.
Spaces are physical, mental, and metaphorical
World 105 works with physical spaces (buildings, rooms) but also mental spaces (mindsets, perceptions). Reframing how we live, work, and play means addressing all three.
Purple wasn't about purple
A client's mother hated purple—not because of the color, but because a previous employer who used purple never paid her properly. Understanding the why behind preferences unlocks breakthrough design.
Conversation Outline
00:00 — "A client is a person—understand their emotional space"
01:00 — Introducing Bureau 105: live, work, play
03:00 — Jeanette: architect and structural engineer turned space designer
04:00 — Luis: graphic designer and cultural intelligence facilitator
06:00 — Story listening vs. storytelling
08:00 — The purple story: why the mother hated the color
12:00 — Good design goes unnoticed—you only notice bad design
15:00 — Working with three stakeholders: councils, communities, businesses
18:00 — Feedback loops: why the design process takes longer but works better
22:00 — Sustainability starts at the first question: "Why do you want to build?"
25:00 — Raising children with curiosity—and not killing their imagination
30:00 — Being present in the moment—what children teach us about attention
33:00 — The Human Agenda podcast
Jeanette & Luis Muñoz
→ Co-Founders of Bureau 105 — reinventing spaces for living, working, playing
→ Jeanette: Architect and Structural Engineer
→ Luis: Graphic Designer and Brand Strategist
→ Cultural Intelligence Facilitators
→ Hosts of "The Human Agenda" podcast
→ Work spans urban planning, community engagement, and brand identity
Show Notes & Links
Mentioned In This Episode
→ Bureau 105 — their studio reinventing spaces
→ The Human Agenda — their podcast on design and human connection
→ Terminator — referenced for perspective (Sarah Connor vs. Terminator view)
Partner With This Podcast
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