Design Notes is a podcast about creative work and what it teaches us, hosted by Google's Liam Spradlin. Each episode we talk with people from unique creative fields to discover what inspires and unites us in our practice. Find episodes on your favorite platform: pod.link/designnotes
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A show about the people behind podcasts, and the messy process of actually getting one made. Hosted by Anchor Co-Founder and CEO, Michael Mignano.
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Facing Our Interfaces: Matías Duarte, Google
44:42
44:42
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This season begins with a special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design, which will explore the inception, evolution, and future of Google’s design approach. The first episode features the founder of Material Design and Design VP Matías Duarte, whose work on the system has pushed design forward at Google and across device…
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Designing Better Code: Connie Shi + Matvei Malkov, Google Material Design
42:08
42:08
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42:08
Liam speaks with Googlers Connie Shi, a software engineer on Material Design, and Matvei Malkov, a software engineer on Jetpack Compose, and the trio unpack what makes coding a creative practice, and which creative choices are required when you build a design system for other developers around the world. The wide-ranging conversation turns from com…
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How Fonts Change the World: Dave Crossland, Google Fonts
36:57
36:57
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36:57
Liam and Google Fonts Specialist Dave Crossland explore what digital type can teach us about digital production, emotional expression, and where we fit in the world as designers; and how – with a little imagination – we might unlock new possibilities. 📑 Read a full transcript 📻 Subscribe to Design Notes…
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Coding (and Decoding) Social Spaces: Judith Donath, Founder, MIT Sociable Media Group
36:46
36:46
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36:46
In this episode, Liam speaks with Judith Donath, the founder of MIT’s Sociable Media Lab, inventor of e-cards, and author of The Social Machine: Designs for Living Online. Donath’s work offers crucial insights into the sociality of digital products and platforms, and the opportunities we have as digital producers to make things that truly meet soci…
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Fearless Design: Aline Borges, The Florist
28:36
28:36
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28:36
Liam speaks with Aline Borges, a Zürich-based floral designer who’s made the leap from fashion coordination for magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar to independent floral design and installations. The conversation covers what it’s like to move between different creative fields (and countries), how to think about composition to tackle almost any…
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⏮️ How Machines Help Us See Ourselves: Harvey Moon, New Media Artist
30:59
30:59
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30:59
In this episode, we revisit a conversation from Season 1 with new media artist Harvey Moon, recorded in his San Francisco studio. Liam and Harvey discuss how Moon’s work reveals unseen properties of the world around us, the process of creating one’s own creative tools, and the kind of art that’s only made possible through collaboration with machine…
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The Impact of Shared Space: Ignacio Ciocchini, Public Furniture Designer
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44:44
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44:44
Liam speaks with streetscape and public space designer Ignacio Ciocchini, who’s created much of the public furniture that New Yorkers encounter every single day – from benches that provide personal space, to entire built landscapes for Bryant Park, to chargers for electric vehicles and more. The conversation ranges from the materiality of the built…
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⏮️ Learning From Your Virtual Twin: Kerry Murphy, Co-founder, The Fabricant
23:03
23:03
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23:03
In this episode, we revisit a conversation from Season 1 with Kerry Murphy, co-founder of digital fashion house The Fabricant. We uncover how data are spun into virtual threads, and how virtual embodiment can foster self-actualization. In designing couture that doesn’t—or can’t—exist in physical space, The Fabricant also explores ideas of embodimen…
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Digital Anthropology: Tom Boellstorff, "Coming of Age in Second Life"
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33:47
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33:47
Liam speaks to Tom Boellstorff, Anthropologist and UCI Professor, whose ethnographic work in Second Life (documented in his book, Coming of Age in Second Life) provides important insights into how virtual space – and our interface with it – informs and interacts with our lives in actual space. In virtual worlds like Second Life, inhabitants exist o…
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Welcome Back to Design Notes: Season 2 Trailer
1:33
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It's been a while, but Design Notes is coming back for Season 2 uncovering even more of what inspires and unites us in our work. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss new interviews with practitioners working on public furniture, the culture of virtual space, and more. Follow @DesignNotespod on Twitter for updates! Subscribe to Design Notes 👉Goo…
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Fashion from Another Planet: Julian Zigerli, Zürich Fashion Designer [SF Design Week]
33:34
33:34
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33:34
In this episode, part of San Francisco Design Week's Digital Edition, Liam speaks with Julian Zigerli, a designer in Zürich, Switzerland creating clothing that allows everyone to decide how what they wear expresses who they are. In the interview, Zigerli describes how the rich culture of Switzerland impacts his work, what it means when someone asks…
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Theming with Moooi - 2020 Material Design Awards
21:02
21:02
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This episode is part of a special series of three interviews, recorded remotely with the winners of the 2020 Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Moooi, winning the award for Material Theming, focuses on aesthetic fundamentals like type, color, and imagery to create an immersive and expressive experience f…
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Dark Theme with KAYAK - 2020 Material Design Awards
21:16
21:16
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21:16
This episode is part of a special series of three interviews, recorded remotely with the winners of the 2020 Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. KAYAK has taken their comprehensive price comparison and travel booking experience to the next level by translating their brand into a dark theme. In the intervi…
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Motion Design with Epsy - 2020 Material Design Awards
20:15
20:15
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20:15
This episode is part of a special series of three interviews, recorded remotely with the winners of the 2020 Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Epsy uses motion meaningfully, guiding users living with Epilepsy through critical tasks to better their quality of life. In the interview, Liam is joined by Jen…
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The Surprising Poetry of AI: BJ Best, ArtyBots
32:23
32:23
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32:23
In this episode, Liam speaks with BJ Best, a poet who teaches computers to do what humans can’t in the name of art. His network of ArtyBots is part of a vibrant scene of robots creating, sharing, and collaborating with one another on virtual art. In the interview, Best describes the reflective opportunities and editorial impact created by a bot-cre…
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The Magic Question for Creativity: Laurie Rosenwald, Illustrator and Author
30:13
30:13
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30:13
Design Notes is a show about creative work and what it teaches us. In this episode, Liam speaks with illustrator, editorial designer, and author Laurie Rosenwald about how she’s managed to cultivate an aesthetic—and a career—around “making mistakes on purpose.” Learn how chaos and collage can come together to reveal unexpected creative potential, a…
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Learning From Your Virtual Twin: Kerry Murphy, Co-founder, The Fabricant
22:17
22:17
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22:17
In this episode, Liam speaks with Kerry Murphy, co-founder of digital fashion house The Fabricant, to learn how ones and zeros are spun, woven, and stitched into virtual couture. In designing couture that doesn’t—or can’t—exist in physical space, The Fabricant also explores ideas of embodiment and self-actualization. Murphy pushes these concepts ev…
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A Prompt for Creative Renewal: David Reinfurt, "A *New* Program for Graphic Design"
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35:26
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35:26
Design Notes is a show about creative work and what it teaches us. For the first episode of 2020, Liam speaks with David Reinfurt, founder of O-R-G, half of Dexter Sinister, and author of A *New* Program for Graphic Design. Together they explore the fluid notions of personal, corporate, and graphic identity throughout Reinfurt’s career, the importa…
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This episode is part of a special series of four interviews with the winners of this year’s Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Reflectly, a unique journaling app, won this year’s award for innovation by pushing the boundaries of Material Design and bringing it to life with fluid animations, a novel eleva…
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This episode is part of a special series of four interviews with the winners of this year’s Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Ruff is a focused note-taking app that won this year’s award for theming, building an expressive identity through the consistent application of color, typography, and shape. In t…
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This episode is part of a special series of four interviews with the winners of this year’s Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Trip.com is a travel app that won this year’s award for universality by accounting for users around the world with over a dozen supported languages and custom imagery. The interv…
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This episode is part of a special series of four interviews with the winners of this year’s Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Scripts won this year’s award for Experience, with creative interactions, navigation, and content presentation. In the interview, I spoke with the Scripts team about using a colo…
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The Psychedelic Spark: GMUNK, Designer/Director
30:16
30:16
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30:16
In this episode, Liam speaks with Bradley Munkowitz, also known as designer/director GMUNK, unpacking Munkowitz’s scintillating psychedelic aesthetic — inspired by actual psychedelic experiences — and why it’s important as a designer to continually challenge and be challenged, maintaining a healthy discomfort with one’s own work. Subscribe to Desig…
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Vulnerability, Technology, and Art: Qianqian Ye, Artist and Creative Coder
26:40
26:40
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26:40
In this episode, Liam speaks with interdisciplinary artist and creative coder Qianqian Ye in her San Francisco studio. The duo traces her journey from wielding calligraphy brushes to building a hand-holding glove, unpacking the vulnerabilities we all share as humans, how creative intent is communicated, and the importance of imagining other futures…
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How Machines Help Us See Ourselves: Harvey Moon, New Media Artist
30:01
30:01
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30:01
In this episode, Liam speaks with new media artist Harvey Moon in his San Francisco studio. The duo discuss how Moon’s work reveals unseen properties of the world around us, the process of creating one’s own creative tools, and the kind of art that’s only made possible through collaboration with machines.Read a full transcript 👉Transcript Subscribe…
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In this episode, Liam speaks with Conor Grebel about how lived experiences inform and are conveyed through creative work.Our conversation traces Conor’s journey toward creative work and the “ingredients” that help him craft soothing art for himself and others.Note: The first half of this episode deals with topics of panic attack disorder, anxiety, …
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I Hate Music Videos (But I Love Making Music): Katie Garcia & Dustin Payseur, Bayonet Records
31:15
31:15
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31:15
In this episode, Liam speaks with Katie Garcia and Dustin Payseur, who together run independent music label Bayonet Records.Garcia and Payseur (who also leads the band Beach Fossils) break down the complex relationship between a record label and the creative work it supports, the qualities of sonic design, and the magic of releasing an album on you…
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What We Can Learn From Our Work: Liam Spradlin, Host of Design Notes
32:24
32:24
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32:24
In this episode, guest host Barbara Eldredge turns the tables, interviewing regular host Liam Spradlin about his own creative journey and reflecting on the themes that unite the first 25 episodes of Design Notes. Read a full transcript 👉 Transcript Subscribe to Design Notes 👉Google Podcasts 👉iTunes 👉Spotify 👉Pocket Casts 👉RSS…
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The Most Transformative Job in the World: Rob Giampietro, Design Director at MoMA
25:45
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25:45
In this episode, Liam speaks with Rob Giampietro, Design Director at the Museum of Modern Art. Giampietro shares his journey from studio designer to design manager, explores the unseen details of a museum experience, and describes the responsibility designers have to create impact. Download a PDF transcript 👉Download Subscribe to Design Notes 👉Goog…
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What Do You See; How Do You Feel? Clinton Cargill, Visual Director at Vanity Fair
27:51
27:51
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27:51
In this episode, Liam speaks with Clinton Cargill, the current visual director at Vanity Fair and former photo director at Bloomberg Businessweek. Cargill describes how he mastered the art of critically looking at pictures, what it takes to craft a compelling story with the expressive capabilities of photography, and why intent is central to creati…
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Owning Your Values: Ksenya Samarskaya, Type Designer
26:21
26:21
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26:21
In this episode, Liam speaks with New York-based type designer Ksenya Samarskaya, exploring how type absorbs influence from its place in time, space, and culture. Samarskaya unpacks how typography represents the histories and complexities of the world around us, while revealing our own identities in the process.Download a PDF transcript 👉 Transcrip…
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You Cannot Be What You Cannot See: Bee Grandinetti & Hedvig Ahlberg, Panimation
32:11
32:11
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32:11
In this episode, Liam speaks with Bee Grandinetti and Hedvig Ahlberg—two thirds of the trio that founded Punanimation, a community and platform for women, trans, and non-binary folks working with animation and motion design.Bee and Hedvig unpack the ways in which motion design is influenced by the music and movement of the world around us, and how …
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In this episode, Liam sits down with the winners of the 2018 Material Design Awards—Anchor, KptnCook, Lyft, and SimpleHabit—to discuss how they each adopted and extended Material to build expressive, inspirational experiences. Download a PDF transcript 👉Transcript Subscribe to Design Notes 👉Google Podcasts 👉iTunes 👉Spotify 👉Pocket Casts 👉RSS…
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Maya is a podcaster and host of several podcasts, including The Derry Connection, a show about all-things Stephen King books and the many connections between them. She is also the VP of Product at Anchor, which means she is responsible for building all the stuff... our apps, web tools, etc. I learned a lot about how Maya got started with her podcas…
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"We Should Do Something Together." Tuuli & Kivi Sotamaa, Ateljé Sotamaa
24:07
24:07
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Tuuli and Kivi Sotamaa are the brother and sister team behind Ateljé Sotamaa, a studio creating emotionally-appealing objects and holistic architectural environments. In the episode: Tuuli and Kivi Sotamaa recount their very first collaboration (back in 1999!) and discuss a shared interest in experiences that aren’t stripped of their friction. Lear…
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Marko Ahtisaari is the artistic director of the Helsinki Festival, a former product design lead at Nokia, and co-founder of Dopplr and Sync Project. In the episode: Marko Ahtisaari expands on his journey as a designer and entrepreneur, explaining powerful lessons learned across three continents. By taking a holistic perspective on the Finnish desig…
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AI, Identity, and Storytelling: Stephanie Dinkins [LIVE]
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19:40
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A transdisciplinary artist, Stephanie Dinkins focuses on AI’s intersection with race, gender, and social equity. In the episode, recorded live onstage at SPAN: Stephanie Dinkins unpacks how and why we should actively engage with artificial intelligence. Dinkins also discusses her experience befriending the AI robot Bina48. Learn more 👉 design.googl…
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What It's Like to Really Know: James Bridle, "New Dark Age"
24:21
24:21
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24:21
James Bridle is an artist and author working across technologies and disciplines. His artworks have been commissioned by galleries and institutions, and exhibited worldwide. In the episode: James Bridle explores the importance of having agency in—and working knowledge of—the complex systems in which we live. Learn more 👉 design.google/podcast…
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Asking, "How Does It Make You Feel?" Isabelle Olsson, VP of Design, Google Home
24:49
24:49
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24:49
A design director working on Google Home and wearables, Isabelle Olsson also oversees CMF (color, material, and finish) for all Google hardware. In the episode: Isabelle Olsson explains how she discovered the discipline of industrial design and explores the approach that lead to the unique aesthetic of Google hardware. Learn more 👉 design.google/po…
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Absolutely Everything Is a Lesson: Jesse Reed, Standards Manual
32:45
32:45
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32:45
In this episode, Liam speaks with Jesse Reed, identity designer and co-founder of Standards Manual—a publishing imprint known for preserving and republishing historic design style guides and assemblages of designed artifacts. In the interview, Reed explores his experiences working at Pentagram, and how identity design is related to time, truth, and…
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Liam Spradlin, Google Design Advocate and host of Design Notes
35:05
35:05
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35:05
In this episode, we talk to Liam Spradlin. His podcast, Design Notes, is a show about creative work and what it teaches us.We learn about Liam's journey from journalist, to public speaker, to designer, to podcaster (and how he ended up at Google!).You'll also hear about how Liam taught himself to become a podcaster, and why he believes that podcast…
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In this episode, Liam speaks with Ryan Snelson about his experience redesigning MySpace, championing a gritty and expressive experimental aesthetic, and understanding the constraints of technology and design. Learn more 👉 https://design.google/podcasts
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Matt Hartman of TLDR Daily and Betaworks Ventures
41:42
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41:42
Matt Hartman is a partner at Betaworks Ventures, focused on investing in product-focused, seed-staged companies. Matt is also a podcaster, most recently hosting TLDR Daily, a new show with a unique format.In this episode, we talk about Matt's constant experimentation with podcasting. From his first podcast Doing Business, to his new, daily podcast …
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jeffstaple of Business of HYPE and HYPEBEAST Radio
41:55
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41:55
jeffstaple is a New York City-based street wear legend. From his early days of running t-shirts in his free time to building his own iconic agency and globally renowned brand, few have helped drive the culture of street wear to the heights that jeff has over the years.Now, he's also producing and hosting his own podcast, the Business of HYPE on HYP…
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Megan Collins of Undressed and Style Girlfriend
46:04
46:04
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46:04
Megan Collins is the founder and CEO of Style Girlfriend and host of the podcast Undressed, a podcast that explores what it means to live your life with style.Megan and I talk about the moment in her career where she decided to leave her safe, comfy, full time job in advertising to go all-in on her side project, Style Girlfriend. Later, we explore …
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Darian Symoné Harvin is the creator of 'Am I Allow to Like Anything?', a podcast that serves as a space for people to feel good about shouting out the stuff in culture they’re into, during a time when it’s easier to riff about the things we hate.Listen and subscribe here:https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/am-i-allowed-to-like-anything/id1019767867…
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A show about the people behind podcasts, and the messy process of actually getting one made. Coming soon. Hosted by Anchor Co-Founder and CEO, Michael Mignano.
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In this episode, Liam speaks with interdisciplinary designer Sang Mun of YAW Studio. In the interview—recorded in Seoul, South Korea—Liam and Sang explore how the ZXX typeface, which was born from Sang’s experience in special intelligence, tells a story that helps us consider our privacy and the nature of the information that shapes our lives, how …
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Design, Humor, and Social Change: Libby VanderPloeg, Illustrator
25:18
25:18
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In the twelfth episode, Liam speaks with illustrator Libby VanderPloeg about how she relates to her uniquely illustrative work, deciding what to share with the world, and what happens when the work takes on a life of its own. Learn more 👉 https://design.google/podcastsBy Google Design
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Can Robots Be Curious? Madeline Gannon, Design Researcher and Robot Tamer
20:09
20:09
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In the eleventh episode, guest host Aaron Lammer speaks with “robot tamer” and founder of the research studio ATONATON, Madeline Gannon, about how to make robots more approachable, how to design their personalities to work alongside humans as “machinic creatures,” and how she created Mimus, an industrial robot outfitted with sensors that bring out …
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