Design Notes

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 accessible tools can empower users, and how to think about the practical constraints we all face as designers. Learn more 

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 

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 its curious personality. Learn more 

Guest host Amber Bravo speaks with architecture critic and author Alexandra Lange about her new book, The Design of Childhood: How the Material World Shapes Independent Kids. Together, they examine how design changes childhood—discussing everything from street design and playgrounds, to what makes building blocks a “good” toy, and why cardboard is an inviting canvas for creative exploration. Show notes

In this episode Liam speaks with Cameron Koczon, a Partner at Fictive Kin, a New York-based design and engineering studio whose unique approach to product development starts with “a Seinfeld” - an app that does nothing. In the interview, Liam and Cameron explore what it means to own content online, the difficulties of learning product design, and how designers can change the world by focusing on the impact of their work. Show notes

In this episode, guest host Aaron Lammer speaks with Deeplocal CEO Nathan Martin about the work of an innovation studio, how Deeplocal’s ownership of its design process makes work like punk rock, and how communication and collaboration help the studio avoid failure. Show notes

In this episode, Liam speaks with game designer, professor, and philosopher Bennett Foddy about  using frustration as a design pattern, positioning games at the intersection of art and software, and who he had in mind when creating Getting Over It. Show notes

In the sixth episode, guest host Aaron Lammer speaks with designer and professor Molly Wright Steenson about pattern languages, the important similarities between architecture and AI, and the publication of her new book Architectural Intelligence. Learn more

In the fifth episode, Liam speaks with Mitch Paone, Principle and Creative Director at DIA Studio, about creating a jazz solo out of the creative process, using a beginner’s mindset to unlock new possibilities in design, and the difference between intuitive and analytical creativity.

The fourth episode is a special edition featuring Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of DuoLingo, recorded at SPAN 2017 in Pittsburgh. In the interview, Luis and guest host Aaron Lammer discuss why von Ahn chooses projects that can make an immediate impact and how language skills picked up from DuoLingo can increase earning potential in the developing world. Learn more

In the third episode Lizzy and Darlene Okpo, the designers and sisters behind New York-based fashion label William Okpo, detail what gives their line its identity, the personas that shape a collection, and the intersection of expression and utility in fashion design. Hear the full interview

The second episode features the winners of this year’s Material Design awards, who sat down to talk with Liam while being honored for their work at SPAN Pittsburgh. Listen as the creative teams from NPR One, Eventbrite, Momondo, and Blinkist detail how they each built experiences with distinct personality, and discuss elevating content, the emotive qualities of white space, and using the Material Design system as a springboard for unique expression. Learn more at design.google/podcast

In the premiere episode, Liam speaks with Mark Talbot and Youngjin Yoon of Talbot & Yoon, a New York-based design firm focused on objects, furniture, and home goods. The designers discuss making play a central tenet of their practice, how objects evolve, recontextualizing architecture to make it more accessible, and what happens when you put a seashell in a jewelry box. Learn more at design.google

Design Notes is a show about creative work and what it teaches us. Each episode, host Liam Spradlin talks with people from unique creative fields to discover what inspires and unites us in our practice.