Visit our Substack for the transcript, additional show notes and links, and more: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/jonathan-hoefler
Chances are you have a few fonts on your computer designed by Jonathan Hoefler. Since 1991, Apple has included Hoefler Text on every Mac. Ideal Sans, Knockout, Archer, Verlag, and Sentinel—are a few more of Hoefler’s well known typefaces —each is steeped in history and timelessly beautiful. It’s no wonder that Jonathan was featured in the Netflix series Abstract, which explores design and creativity, as he is truly a typography legend.
As part of our series on design history, we talk with Jonathan about his typographic influences, his philosophical views on the value of presentation and why he views entrepreneurship as an invitation, and some of the themes in his work like “Unfinished Business” and “Conservation and Preservation.”
This is the first episode of our 10th season of Design Better. We’ll be continuing our exploration of design history and the creative process, but also adding new themes like how we can design a better future, and the secrets of living a more creative life, with guests like potter and designer Jonathan Adler.
Bio
Jonathan Hoefler (pronounced &quot;HEFF-ler&quot;) is a typeface designer, typographer, writer, and inventor, and the creator of some of the world&#39;s most influential fonts such as Gotham, Knockout, Mercury, Sentinel, and Hoefler Text. He founded the distinguished type foundry Hoefler&amp;Co in 1989, which he sold in 2021, after publishing more than eleven hundred original tyepfaces. He&#39;s currently enjoying a sabbatical, and writing about typography and visual culture on his website, JonathanHoefler.com.
***
Subscribe to DB+ to get episodes a week early and ad-free. Plus, every month, you&#39;re invited to exclusive AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with big names in design and tech, from companies like Nike, Netflix, and the New York Times who will answer your questions directly.
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓. We have our very own Design Better roast at Methodical, grab some here to fuel your creativity: https://methodicalcoffee.com/products/design-better-coffee
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a speci

Jonathan Hoefler: Typography legend on type history, philosophy, and entrepreneurship

Visit our Substack for the transcript, links, and more: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/hamish-smyth
Design systems have been on the minds of those of us in the software industry for more than a decade now and for good reason. To create large scale software with a consistent experience, standards are needed to guide contributors. 
This is not a new problem, though. Before software designers created design systems, brand and print designers created design standards to guide creative collaboration. We had a chance to talk with Hamish Smyth, co-founder of the popular tool Standards, and we relished the opportunity to nerd out with him on this subject.
We spoke with Hamish about what design standards are and how they differ from design systems, some examples of famous standards like Massimo Vignellli’s NYC Subway map and NASAs Standards Manual, and also about what Hamish learned about getting corporate buy-in from working with famed designer Michael Beirut from Pentagram.
Bio
Hamish Smyth is the co-founder of Standards and partner at Order. Prior to co-founding Order, Hamish worked as an associate partner the New York office of Pentagram Design under partner Michael Bierut.
In 2014 he co-founded Standards Manual, an independent publishing imprint focusing on the preservation of graphic design history.
***
Subscribe to DB+ to get episodes a week early and ad-free. Plus, every month, you&#39;re invited to exclusive AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with big names in design and tech, from companies like Nike, Netflix, and the New York Times who will answer your questions directly.
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓. We have our very own Design Better roast at Methodical, grab some here to fuel your creativity: https://methodicalcoffee.com/products/design-better-coffee
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a special deal by visiting UPLIFTDesk.com. Use the code DESIGNBETTER at checkout for 5% off your order. Free shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty. They’re a great company.
Gusto: We’re big fans of Gusto, who make it easy to run payroll, set up healthcare and other benefits for your business. They’ve made setting up the HR infrastructure for Design Better a br

Bonus: Hamish Smyth of Standards

Find a transcript and more show notes on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/hiroki-asai
Airbnb and Apple have a few things in common: They’re both design-centric companies, they sell products through best-in-class marketing, and they’ve achieved incredible success by focusing on the customer. There’s one more thing they have in common—Hiroki Asai who currently leads marketing at Airbnb and formerly led marketing at Apple during their most historic product launches.
We spoke with Hiroki about his time at Apple and the key elements of their marketing playbook, as well as how he reinterpreted Apple’s values in Airbnb’s culture. We also spoke about the importance of dogfooding, or as John Maeda calls it, “wine tasting,” your own products. And we learn how Airbnb shifted away from traditional product managers, and how that affected their marketing and design processes.
Bio
Hiroki Asai oversees all of Airbnb’s marketing efforts, as well as Airbnb's in-house creative teams. Hiroki is responsible for maintaining Airbnb's strong global brand and sharing the story of our millions of hosts who offer unique homes and experiences to guests around the world.
***
Subscribe to DB+ to get episodes a week early and ad-free. Plus, every month, you're invited to exclusive AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with big names in design and tech, from companies like Nike, Netflix, and the New York Times who will answer your questions directly.
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓. We have our very own Design Better roast at Methodical, grab some here to fuel your creativity: https://methodicalcoffee.com/products/design-better-coffee
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Gusto: We’re big fans of Gusto, who make it easy to run payroll, set up healthcare and other benefits for your business. They’ve made setting up the HR infrastructure for Design Better a breeze. Gusto is also one of the best designed SaaS tools out there.
Design Better listeners get 3 months free once they run their first payroll - Go to gusto.com/designbetter to sign up.

Bonus: Hiroki Asai, Global Head of Marketing at Airbnb

Find the transcript and full show notes on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/vanessa-gennarelli
Change at work is tough, and it’s seemingly constant. New leadership, new boss, new role, new responsibilities, new strategies. Suddenly, everything you thought was certain has been upended and you’re left fretting about what’s next. 
Though change at work is a constant, the stress and confusion it often induces doesn’t have to be. Our guest today is Vanessa Gennarelli, author of Surviving Change at Work, has navigated difficult work situations herself and has practical guidance that can help you get your bearings. 
We speak with Vanessa about dealing with uncertainty, and how to decrease the odds that you’ll be laid off. We also discuss what happens when the mission of your organization has changed, and how to know when it’s time to go.
You can get 10% off Vanessa’s book Surviving Change at Work by entering the code BETTER10 at checkout
Bio
Vanessa Gennarelli is the principal of Fortuna, a change management firm, and the chief operating officer for Raise.dev. She has led cross-functional teams at rapidly growing organizations, including GitHub Education through its acquisition by Microsoft. While at one of the largest tech companies on the planet, she learned how to navigate cultural differences, integrate new processes, and help direct reports thrive through change.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a special deal by visiting UPLIFTDesk.com. Use the code DESIGNBETTER at checkout for 5% off your order. Free shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty. They’re a great company.
Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service, can help you fuel up fast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with chef-prepared, dietitian-approved ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. You’ll save time, eat well, and stay on track with your healthy lifestyle while tackling all your holiday to-dos. https://factormeals.com/designbetter50 (use code &quot;designbetter50&quot; for 50% off ).
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com (use code &quot;designbetter&quot; for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind do

Vanessa Gennarelli: Surviving Change at Work

With a more than 100 year history, movie making has a lot to teach us about collaboration and creativity in complex environments. How do directors bring together so many people with such different skills for months, sometimes years, to make a movie that holds together as a story that entertains and makes a profit?
That’s exactly what we asked Scott Rice, an Emmy-award winning film and television director, who has been teaching film at the University of Texas at Austin for 25 years. He teaches a course called “Script to Screen” with Academy-award winning actor Matthew McConaughey.
We chat with Scott about how to get your creative process unstuck, how to find collaborators that amplify your skills and bring the right energy to a project, and the essential components for telling a compelling story, whether it’s a feature-length movie or short, convincing pitch.
Bio
Scott Rice is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and commercial director whose clients include Mastercard, Subway, Vegas Tourism, Shell, Sears and the American Heart Association. He’ s worked with talent like Glenn Close, Brett Favre and Matthew McConaughey with whom he co-teaches a film course at the University of Texas. He’ s collaborated with agencies including JWT, R&amp;R Partners, McGarrah Jessee, Archer Malmo, TM, Commerce House, Fenton and GDC.
Scott’s narrative work holds a staggering film festival record of 300 Official Selections and 85 Awards, including two Student Academy Award nominations. Comedy Central, CBS, Showtime, Hulu, Blockbuster and PBS have distributed his films. He has also directed projects for A&amp;E, the Mental Health Channel, MTV Networks and Sony Pictures.
Design Better “Office Hours” with Automattic: Dave Lockie
This episode is sponsored in part by Automattic, the people behind WordPress.com, Woo, Pocket Casts, Jetpack, and more. Stay tuned after the interview where we chat with Dave Lockie, Web3 Lead at Automattic. Automattic is a fully distributed company with the goal of democratizing publishing and commerce so that anyone with a story can tell it. Dave talks about why he sees crypto as an extension of the heart of open source, and his perspective on how Automattic is a mission-driven business that cares about people&#39;s freedoms online.
To learn more about working at Automattic, including current job opportunities, visit dbtr.co/automattic.
***
Subscribe to DB+ (50% off)
Subscribe to DB+ to get episodes a week early and ad-free. Plus, every month, you&#39;re invited to exclusive AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with big names in design and tech, from companies like Nike, Netflix, and the New York Times who will answer your questions directly.
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, a

Scott Rice: Creative lessons learned teaching film with Matthew McConaughey

Find more show notes and the transcript on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/autumn-durald-arkapaw-cinematographer
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has dominated the box office and streaming platforms for years, and our guest, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, has played a significant role in shaping the look of the series. Autumn was the cinematographer for Wakanda Forever—the critically acclaimed second Black Panther film—the series Loki released on Disney+, along with a documentary on the Beastie Boys and music videos for Rihanna and Arcade Fire.
We chat with Autumn about her creative process, including any “rules” she has (and when she breaks them), the overlap between photography and design, and how technology including AI and pre-visualization is changing the process of making films and television.

Bio
Autumn Durald Arkapaw grew up in the Bay Area and moved to Los Angeles to complete a course in Art History from Loyola Marymount University. She then went on to study at the American Film Institute before beginning her career as a cinematographer. She has travelled all over the world and worked with both Film Directors, Commercials Projects and Fashion Houses. In 2022, she became a member of the American Society of Cinematographers.

Design Better “Office Hours” with Automattic
This episode is sponsored in part by Automattic, makers of WordPress, which powers more than 40% of all websites around the world. Stay tuned after the interview (or hear the segment in the embedded player below) for a special glimpse inside Automatic, where we chat with Josepha Hayden Chomphosy, Executive Director of the WordPress Project, about the advantages of open source and what makes Automatic a special work environment.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a special deal by visiting UPLIFTDesk.com. Use the code DESIGNBETTER at checkout for 5% off your order. Free shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty. They’re a great company.
Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service, can help you fuel up fast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with chef-prepared, dietitian-approved ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. You’ll save time, eat well, and stay on track with your healthy lifestyle while tackling all your holiday to-dos. https://factormeals.com/designbetter50 (use code &quot;designbetter50&quot; for 50% off )

Autumn Durald Arkapaw: Cinematographer for Wakanda Forever and Loki on the overlap between design and photography

We hope that you’re having a festive holiday season, and that you’re able to take some time off to be with friends and family. Today we’re rewinding to our interview with Robin Petravic, co-owner of Heath Ceramics.
We love Heath Ceramics. They&#39;re the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you&#39;d want to put on a beautiful holiday table.
Speaking of which, If you have a little holiday money to spend, you can support our show, bring Heath home and get 15% off between now and December 31st . Just go to dbtr.co/heathceramics and use code DBholiday23.
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If you’re a fan of architecture and design, you’re probably familiar with the mid-century modern movement. It brought a simple, clean aesthetic inspired by the Bauhaus and International movements to the US. Heath Ceramics, founded by Edith Heath in 1948 and influenced by mid-century modern principles, is still making beautiful hand-crafted tableware and architectural tile in Sausalito, California. 
We wanted to chat with Heath’s current owner, Robin Petravic, to find out how they approach designing within the legacy of the Heath brand, as well as the story of how he and his partner and co-owner Catherine Bailey came to be owners of the company. 
We also talk with Robin about how the pandemic affected their business, and some of the collaborative challenges and opportunities they faced in transitioning to a hybrid-remote scenario.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a special deal by visiting UPLIFTDesk.com. Use the code DESIGNBETTER at checkout for 5% off your order. Free shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty. They’re a great company.
Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service, can help you fuel up fast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with chef-prepared, dietitian-approved ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. You’ll save time, eat well, and stay on track with your healthy lifestyle while tackling all your holiday to-dos. https://factormeals.com/designbetter50 (use code &quot;designbetter50&quot; for 50% off ).
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com
(use code &quot;designbetter&quot; for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use i

Rewind: Midcentury modern design principles and Heath Ceramics

Find the transcript, show notes, and more on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/barry-katz
We bet you don’t know where the term “interaction design” comes from, but Barry Katz does. Katz’s book, Make It New, captures the lost history of digital design that should be required reading for all in the software design industry.
Eli first got to know Barry Katz as a professor at Stanford during his undergrad education in product design, where Barry taught one of his favorite classes: The History and Philosophy of Design. Typically, Eli was drawn toward the more project-based classes where he got to spend late nights in the machine shop making things, but Barry’s humor and knowledge of the depths of design history brought the academic side of design to life for him.
In our conversation with Barry we learned when exactly design became an essential part of technology businesses, and the origin story behind some of the challenges designers commonly have with engineering teams. This is an eye opening episode.
Bio
Barry M. Katz is Professor of Industrial and Interaction Design at California College of the Arts, Consulting Professor in the Design Group, Department of Mechancial Engineering, at Stanford University, and Fellow at IDEO, Inc. He is coauthor of Change by Design, with Tim Brown, and NONOBJECT, with Branko Lukić (MIT Press).
***
Subscribe to DB+ to get episodes a week early and ad-free. Plus, every month, you&#39;re invited to exclusive AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with big names in design and tech, from companies like Nike, Netflix, and the New York Times who will answer your questions directly.
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a special deal by visiting UPLIFTDesk.com. Use the code DESIGNBETTER at checkout for 5% off your order. Free shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty. They’re a great company.
Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service, can help you fuel up fast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with chef-prepared, dietitian-approved ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. You’ll save time, eat well, and stay on track with your healthy lifestyle while tackling all your holiday to-dos. https://factormeals.com/designbetter50 (use code &quot;designbetter50&quot;

Barry Katz: The history and philosophy of design in Silicon Valley and beyond

Find the transcript, show notes, and more on our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/dorrian-porter-vestaboard
The sound and movement of a split flap display mesmerizes us like few things can. There’s a charm to these things. Travelers linger in front of them in train stations anticipating new information, happy to stick around to watch the magic.
Dorrian Porter’s encounter with a split flap display in Paris inspired a product idea that would later turn into a company—Vestaboard.
In our interview with Dorrian, we learn about the arc of his career, from corporate lawyer to serial entrepreneur, co-founding two software companies before taking on the new challenge of a company making a sophisticated hardware product. 
We talk about what inspired him to create Vestaboard, as well as their mission and vision, and how people are using the product in unique ways both at home and in the office.
This is a sponsored bonus episode we’re excited to share as Vestaboard is a brand we love. Their mission to inspire and connect people resonates with us and we think it will with you too.
Why we love Vestaboard
Vestaboard’s mission is to build products that can inspire others, which resonates with us here at Design Better as it aligns with our own mission to educate and inspire.
We also love how the product uses design to connect us to one another. In a world where so many of us, including our kids, are often glued to screens, the Vestaboard creates a space for sharing inspiring quotes or creative imagery that causes us to look up and reflect.
Design Better listeners can get $200 off one of these magical displays from Vestaboard. Visit Vestaboard.com and use the code “DESIGNBETTER” at checkout to save $200.

Bonus Episode: Dorrian Porter, CEO of Vestaboard

Find show notes, transcripts, and more at https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/paola-antonelli
The Museum of Modern Art brings to mind images of Van Gough’s Starry Night, Salvador Dali’s Persistence of Memory, and Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans. But thanks to Paola Antonelli, senior curator in the Department of Architecture and Design, MoMA exhibitions also encompass the role design has played in shaping culture and the human experience. 
We talk with Paola about how we can look at digital design through a historic lens, some of the most important design movements in the past 100 years, and how the creative process has evolved through these different movements.
We also talk about the history of the @ symbol, why craftsmanship is necessary to experimentation, and some of the current challenges in design education.
We hope you enjoy this episode which is a part of our series on design history, with upcoming episodes on typography with Jonathan Hoefler, and the history and philosophy of design with Professor Barry Katz.
Bio
Paola Antonelli joined The Museum of Modern Art in 1994 and is the Museum’s Senior Curator in the Department of Architecture and Design, as well as MoMA’s founding Director of Research and Development. Her work investigates design in all its forms, from architecture to video games, often expanding its reach to include overlooked objects and practices.
***
Subscribe to DB+ to get episodes a week early and ad-free. Plus, every month, you&#39;re invited to exclusive AMAs (Ask Me Anything) with big names in design and tech, from companies like Nike, Netflix, and the New York Times who will answer your questions directly.
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Uplift Desks: For people like us who spend countless hours at our desk, ergonomics are an essential consideration. A standing desk from Uplift Desk can help you avoid the negative effects of sitting all day by improving circulation and reducing strain. Design Better can get a special deal by visiting UPLIFTDesk.com. Use the code DESIGNBETTER at checkout for 5% off your order. Free shipping, free returns, and an industry-leading 15-year warranty. They’re a great company.
Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service, can help you fuel up fast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with chef-prepared, dietitian-approved ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. You’ll save time, eat well, and stay on track with your healthy lifestyle while tackling all your holiday to-dos. https://factormeals.com/designbetter50 (use code &quot;desi

Paola Antonelli: How design shapes culture

As designers, we can’t help but be particular about the gifts we give and receive. We’ve put together a list of beautiful and useful gifts at varying price ranges to help you satisfy everyone on your holiday shopping list this year, including yourself.
Wishing you and yours a happy, safe holiday season filled with love, gratitude, and connection.
Your pals,
Aarron and Eli
***
For the full gift guide, visit our Substack: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/design-better-holiday-gift-guide#details
***
Gift ideas that support our sponsors and the show
Eli: I&#39;m kind of a coffee heathen, and tend to like really dark roast coffees, old school…and so I was a little skeptical because a lot of Methodical’s coffees tend to be a little lighter or medium roast. But this one that Aarron picked out is just great and I drink it all the time. 
Design Better coffee, $22
Eli: You&#39;ve probably heard us talk about American Giant. They&#39;re a clothing company based here in the US. They&#39;re all manufactured here in the States. We actually had their CEO Bayard Winthrop on an episode that got a really good reception from folks.
Aarron: It was one of our more popular episodes this year. Bayard&#39;s an amazing person. And the company is just so cool.
Eli: And their mission is great about revitalizing manufacturing here in the U. S., and they make great clothing.
American Giant hoodie (m) (w), $138 but get 20% off with code DESIGNBETTER
Eli: Heath Ceramics is another brand that we&#39;re really close to. A few years back we had on Robin Petravic who&#39;s the current co-owner of Heath ceramics. Their brand is rooted in the Bay Area, another local manufacturer, and they just make these beautiful, very handmade feeling dinnerware, tableware, vases...they&#39;re beautiful.
Heath Ceramics: Small Modern Cup $24 dbtr.co/heathceramics get 15% off between now and December 31st with code DBholiday23
Aarron: We’ve been talking with our friends over at Vestaboard, and in this list of awesome gifts, this is like right there at the top. If you&#39;re familiar with a split flap display: when you go to an airport, a train station, and you see those [mechanical] displays that show what time your departures and arrivals are, that’s a split flap display.
This is a great office thing as well, and could be a holiday gift to the office. So what&#39;s cool about VestaBoard is there&#39;s a mobile app that&#39;s associated with it. You can connect it to different data sources, like amazing quotes, latest scores in a game that you&#39;re watching.
It&#39;s wonderful for families to be able to communicate with each other. If you&#39;re not at home and you&#39;ve got a kid that&#39;s just gotten home, you can send them a quick message on this. There&#39;s so many different creative and cool things you can do.
Vestaboard $3,295
Eli: Some people can&#39;t listen to any kind of music while they&#39;re writing or focusing on a task but, brain.fm has actually done the scientific

Design Better Holiday Gift Guide

Find the episode transcript and show notes on designbetterpodcast.com
Our show starts with a little sample of the music that fuels our creative work. Eli’s been listening to Tycho, aka Scott Hansen, since 2006. It just happened to coincide with the first time he took the leap into being a creative entrepreneur, starting his own small design consultancy as well as co-founding a magazine about underwater photography. Tycho’s music was a constant, motivating soundtrack to his work, and it has been for the past 17 years.
In our conversation with Scott, we talked about his childhood influences, his enduring nostalgia for the 80s, how graphic design led him to music, and the importance of cultivating attention and observation as a foundation of his creative process.
At the end of the episode, we’ll share a post show discussion with takeaways from the conversation and you’ll get to hear Tycho’s new single, Small Sanctuary. You can find all his music at tychomusic.com.
Bio
Scott Hansen, known professionally as Tycho, is an American musician, record producer, composer, and songwriter based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also known as ISO50 for his photographic and design work.
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DB+ is our new premium service that gives you access to ad-free versions of the show released a week early. Subscribers will be invited to AMA (Ask Me Anything) conversations with big names in design and tech from companies like Nike, Netflix, and The New York Times who will field your questions about compelling topics. 
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months of DB+. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Factor, America’s #1 Ready-To-Eat Meal Delivery Service, can help you fuel up fast for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with chef-prepared, dietitian-approved ready-to-eat meals delivered straight to your door. You’ll save time, eat well, and stay on track with your healthy lifestyle while tackling all your holiday to-dos. https://factormeals.com/designbetter50 (use code &quot;designbetter50&quot; for 50% off ).
Heath Ceramics: We love Heath Ceramics. They&#39;re the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you&#39;d want to put on a beautiful Thanksgiving table: dbtr.co/heathceramics
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com (use code &quot;designbetter&quot; for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down

Tycho: The soundtrack for creative work

Find the transcript and episode notes here: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/gil-gershoni#details
October is dyslexia awareness month, and we were recently introduced to Gil Gershoni, who is on a mission to help us all recognize dyslexia as a creative superpower.
Gershoni runs an influential agency that’s been reshaping brands with the power of dyslexic design thinking for decades.
One in five people have dyslexia, and there are many other kinds of neurodivergent thinkers out there.
We hope this bonus episode opens your eyes to other modes of creative thinking. Thanks for listening.
Books &amp; Links

The Dyslexic Advantage

The Bigger Picture Book of Dyslexics and the Things They Do

Dyslexic Design Thinking Podcast

Bio
Gil Gershoni is the founder and creative director of Gershoni Creative in San Francisco and Dallas.
For more than 25 years, Gil has worked with clients like Google, Apple, Spotify, Deloitte, Patrón, San Francisco Art Institute, BBC and Nike, and he has presented at the Whitney Biennial, Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest, Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, Contemporary Jewish Museum and San Francisco Design Week.
Gil is an advocate for the reframing of dyslexia as a hyper-ability and regularly speaks on neurodiversity’s influence on design thinking.
***
Last week we launched DB+, our new premium service that gives you access to ad-free versions of the show released a week early. Subscribers will be invited to AMA (Ask Me Anything) conversations with big names in design and tech from companies like Nike, Netflix, and The New York Times who will field your questions about compelling topics. 
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
isiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Heath Ceramics: We love Heath Ceramics. They&#39;re the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you&#39;d want to put on a beautiful Thanksgiving table: dbtr.co/heathceramics
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com
(use code &quot;designbetter&quot; for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down at night when we need to rest. As a Design Better subscriber, you can take 30% off of your subscription: https://www.brain.fm/designbetter
***
Help us make the show even better by taking a short survey: www.dbtr.co/survey
If you&#39;re interested in sponsoring the show, please contac

Bonus Episode: Gil Gershoni on Dyslexic Design Thinking

Show notes and transcript: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/ok-go
Not many bands hire Russian pilots to film a Zero-G video on their cosmonaut training plane, known as the “vomit comet”. But those are the kinds of extremes that OK Go will go to in the pursuit of creativity.
Tim Nordwind and Damien Kulash, the band’s founders, met at camp as pre-teens in search of a fellow creative nerd, and founded the band in 1998. Over the past 25 years, they’ve created 3 Grammy-nominated music videos, and won Best Music Video for Here It Goes Again.
From the perfectly timed explosions filmed in slow-motion for their song The One Moment, to the immensely elaborate Rube Goldberg contraption they created for This Too Shall Pass, OK Go is almost like a performance-art troupe that just happens to be a fantastic rock band.
In this episode on the creative process, we talk to Tim and Damian about how they come up with ideas, the macro and micro elements of their creativity, and achieving the impossible.
One more thing…last week we launched DB+, our new premium service that gives you access to ad-free versions of the show released a week early. Subscribers will be invited to AMA (Ask Me Anything) conversations with big names in design and tech from companies like Nike, Netflix, and The New York Times who will field your questions about compelling topics. 
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months. Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Heath Ceramics: We love Heath Ceramics. They're the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you'd want to put on a beautiful Thanksgiving table: dbtr.co/heathceramics
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com
(use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down at night when we need to rest. As a Design Better subscriber, you can take 30% off of your subscription: https://www.brain.fm/designbetter

OK Go: Making the impossible possible

Over the seven years doing the show, we noticed a pattern in those who achieve their career goals fastest—they consciously invest in themselves by building skills and knowledge. And one of the best ways to learn is to have direct access to people who inform and inspire.
Today, we’re launching a premium service called DB+ designed to help you learn faster and grow your career. Subscribers to the Power Listener plan get access to episodes ad-free and a week before everyone else for the price of your daily coffee.
For folks who want direct access to some of the guests we’ve had on the show and industry experts, we have another tier for Accelerated Learners. Each month, we’ll invite you to AMA (Ask Me Anything) conversations with big names in design and tech from companies like Nike, Netflix, and The New York Times. 
We’ll dive into topics most relevant to your work to help you learn from those with deep experience. You’ll have a chance to ask questions about UX research, UI design, the creative process, getting ahead in your career, and more.
Here are some of our upcoming AMAs:

Meredith Black, DesignOps superstar at the New York Times
Greg Hoffman, former Chief Marketing Officer at Nike
Brad Frost, author of Atomic Design
Felix Lee, founder of ADPList

If you’re unable to attend, no sweat. You’ll get a private feed of every AMA so you never miss an opportunity to learn. And it’s also affordable. For less than what you’d pay for a sandwich at your local deli, you can become a DB+ Accelerated Learner.
Also, entire teams can get access to DB+ too. To learn more, get in touch with us at contact@thecuriositydepartment.com.
We love this show, and we’re excited to continue to expand Design Better to feed your passion for design. We want to help you learn more and stay inspired. Subscribing to DB+ is one of the best ways to do that.
Early bird subscribers get 50% off for the first three months (until November 17th when the sale ends). Visit designbetter.plus to learn more and subscribe. You’ll also get early access to our interview with one of the most creative bands in the world, OK Go.
Thank you so much for your support, and for being a fan of the show.
-Eli & Aarron

Announcing something new…

Aarron first met Paula Scher as a grad student in Philadelphia. He worked at the Temple University gallery and was hanging an exhibition of her posters when they first spoke about her work. He didn’t know at the time how significant her influence on graphic design was, but her work made an impression on him.
Paula’s work and kinetic typography sits in the canon of graphic design history. Described as the “master conjurer of the instantly familiar,” Scher straddles the line between pop culture and fine art in her work.
She’s been a partner at Pentagram since 1991 where she has led the redesign of numerous major brands including Citi and Tiffany &amp; Co.
One other fun story from the show…we learn the real backstory behind the Citibank logo that Paula created, and the story isn’t the same one you’ll find if you Google it.
This is the second episode of our series on design history, to be followed by interviews with legendary designers like Jonathan Hoefler, design curators like Paola Antonelli, and design historians like Barry Katz.
After the interview, stay tuned for another special conversation with Heath Ceramics, which was founded by Edith Heath in the 1940s and played a major role in defining the mid-century modern aesthetic.
Learn about the origins of Heath Ceramics and bring the history home with a special discount that we&#39;ll share at the end of the conversation.
Heath Ceramics is one of our sponsors for this series on design history. Bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st.Heath Ceramics is one of our sponsors for this series on design history. Bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
Heath Ceramics: We love Heath Ceramics. They&#39;re the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you&#39;d want to put on a beautiful Thanksgiving table. You can support our show, bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st: dbtr.co/heathceramics
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com (use code &quot;designbetter&quot; for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down at night when we need to rest. As a Design Better subscriber, you can take 30% off of your subscription: https://www.brain.fm/design

Paula Scher: Pentagram legend on design, persuasion & embracing mistakes

Show notes and transcript: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/bonus-episode-matt-d-smith#details
We’ve got a special bonus episode for you today. Matt D. Smith, better known as MDS, is the founder of Shift Nudge, and he has a mission to lead a new generation of interface designers to build the digital products of the future.
Matt’s courses on Shift Nudge have helped thousands of students at top companies like Apple, Figma, Lyft, Slack, and more, learn the visual skills of interface design, even when they didn’t start with a design background. 
In today’s episode, we talk about the elements of a great UI, typography, color theory, and where people often go wrong in UI design.
One more thing before we get to the show. Design Better listeners can get access to 3 free lessons from shift nudge for a limited time. Just go to shiftnudge.com/designbetter to get free access.
Bio
Matt D Smith earned his BFA in Graphic Design from UGA in 2005 and has specialized in interface design ever since. He’s led projects around the world, served as an adjunct design professor, guest lectured at Harvard, and taught workshops at conferences all over the US.
***
Visiting the links below is one of the best ways to support our show:
Heath Ceramics: We love Heath Ceramics. They're the types of objects you pass on from generation to generation, the kind of gift you bring to a wedding, or the dishes that you'd want to put on a beautiful Thanksgiving table. You can support our show, bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st: dbtr.co/heathceramics
American Giant: Makers of the best hoodie on the planet, their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for? Save 20% off your first order with American Giant using our promo code DESIGNBETTER at checkout. dbtr.co/americangiant
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com/ (use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down at night when we need to rest. As a Design Better subscriber, you can take 30% off of your subscription: https://www.brain.fm/designbetter
Freehand by InVision: The intelligent whiteboard that's half the price of Miro and Mural: https://freehandapp.com/
***
Help us make the show even better by taking a short survey: www.dbtr.co/survey
If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: sponsors@thecuriositydepartment.com
If you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: contact@thecuriositydepartment.com

Bonus Episode: Matt D Smith from Shift Nudge on the elements of a great user interface

Show notes and transcript: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/llisa-demetrios#details

Mid century modern design aesthetics are enduring and as relevant today as ever. Perhaps no designers influenced those philosophies more than Charles and Ray Eames whose body of work transcends media and is still being produced today.
It’s hard not to think of the Eames’ as monolithic design heroes, but today we’re taking a different look at them as human beings. We’re talking with Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator of the Eames Institute and the granddaughter of Charles and Ray.  
In this interview, we get to know some of the personal stories behind the legendary designers, from how they met, to Llisa’s experience having two of the most creative grandparents a child could wish for.
This is the first episode of our series on design history, to be followed by interviews with legendary designers like Paula Scher and Jonathan Hoefler, design curators like Paola Antonelli, and design historians like Barry Katz.
After the interview, stay tuned for a special conversation with Heath Ceramics, founded by Edith Heath in the 1940s and which played a major role in defining the mid-century modern aesthetic.
Learn about the origins of Heath Ceramics and bring the history home with a special discount that we'll share at the end of the conversation.
Heath Ceramics is one of our sponsors for this series on design history. Bring Heath home and take 15% off your online order using code “DesignBetter” between now and October 31st.

Bio
Llisa Demetrios is the Chief Curator for the Eames Institute, a non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity that aims to equip everyone with the lessons of Ray and Charles Eames, so that anyone can solve problems through design.
Llisa has also been a bronze sculptor for over twenty years. She makes mainly in bronze material sculptures for contemplative retreats set in homes, private gardens and corporate spaces.
Additionally, Llisa has worked as an archivist for both the Eames Office and MOMA.
Please visit the links below to help support our show:
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com/
(use code "designbetter" for 10% off of your order).
Brain.fm: Music scientifically proven to increase focus. We use it to focus on important work, tap into our creativity, and wind down at night when we need to rest. As a Design Better subscriber, you can take 30% off of your subscription: https://www.brain.fm/designbetter
Freehand by InVision: The intelligent whiteboard that's half the price of Miro and Mural: https://freehandapp.com/
Help us make the show even better by taking a short survey: www.dbtr.co/survey
If you're interested in sponsoring the show, please contact us at: sponsors@thecuriositydepartment.com
If you'd like to submit a guest idea, please contact us at: contact@thecuriositydepartment.com

Llisa Demetrios: Ray and Charles Eames's granddaughter on their legacy and influence on mid century modern design

Hey everybody, we have a special bonus episode for you today. We're having a conversation with Bayard Winthrop, the founder and CEO of American Giant, one of our favorite clothing companies.
This episode is all about the intersection of design and entrepreneurship. Designers often hear that they need to develop business acumen: they need to know how a business works, and how a product makes money. And Bayard shares some of those insights here in our conversation.
This episode is different in one other way: it's our very first sponsored episode. We want to occasionally bring you stories from brands that we love, who share our values, and who we feel have something to teach us about design.
Why we love American Giant
American Giant’s mission is threefold: to make clothing that stands apart, grow jobs for people who need them, and revitalize local communities. They also care deeply about sustainability, and makes clothes that are durable, not disposable. Bayard speaks in depth about their mission in this episode, and it’s one of the reasons we love the brand.

Another reason is the clothing itself. Sometimes being a designer can be painful, because we pay attention to all the details: we check into a hotel room and the faucet doesn't work right, or the light switch is in the wrong place, or they don't have space in the closet for your luggage. So when we encounter a company like American Giant— where it’s clear that every little detail from the zippers to the stitching has been cared for immensely—it’s something that we want to bring into our lives.
We love everything about American Giant, and we know you will too. Their clothing is American-made, ethically produced, and built to last. What more could you ask for?
We’ve got a special partnership running with American Giant, where Design Better listeners can get 20% off your first order. Just go to dbtr.co/americangiant  and use the code “DESIGNBETTER” at checkout.

Bonus Episode: Bayard Winthrop, CEO of American Giant

Welcome to our second Design Better episode on the creative process. You may not know Ed Catmull’s name, but there’s almost no doubt you’re familiar with his work. As the co-founder of Pixar, he’s responsible for helping to create movies ranging from the original Toy Story on through The Incredibles, Wall-E, Moana, and Inside Out. 
Ed has a background in computer science, and as someone who pioneered many of the computer graphics and digital animation techniques that we now take for granted, he has a unique perspective on the intersection of technology and creativity.
We chat with Ed about his transition from creating things himself, to leading creative teams; the elements of a sustainable creative culture, and how to give people feedback so they’ll actually listen to you.
Ed also collaborated with Steve Jobs longer than probably anyone else who knew him—for over 30 years—and we hear some stories that haven’t been told anywhere else. 
One more quick thing before we go: we have some amazing guests lined up for our upcoming AMAs, like Judy Wert Debbie Millman, which are filling up quickly. Go to our events page and you can register for free.

Show notes: https://designbetterpodcast.com/p/ed-catmull-the-journey-from-lucasfilm#details

Bio
Dr. Ed Catmull is co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios and the former president of Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Disneytoon Studios. For over twenty-five years, Pixar has dominated the world of animation, producing #1 box office hits that include iconic works such as Toy Story, Frozen, Cars, and The Incredibles. Pixar’s works have grossed more than $14 billion at the worldwide box office, and won twenty-three Academy Awards®, 10 Golden Globes Awards, and 11 Grammys, among countless other achievements.
Dr. Ed Catmull’s book Creativity, Inc.—co-written with journalist Amy Wallace and years in the making—is a distillation of the ideas and management principles he has used to develop a creative culture. A book for managers who want to encourage a growth mindset and lead their employees to new heights, it also grants readers an all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation Studios—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history have been made.
Dr. Catmull has been honored with five Academy Awards®, including an Oscar of Lifetime Achievement for his technical contributions and leadership in the field of computer graphics for the motion picture industry. He also has been awarded the Turing Award by the world’s largest society of computing professionals, the Association for Computing Machinery, for his work on three-dimensional computer graphics.

Please visit the links below to help support our show:
Methodical Coffee: Roasted, blended, brewed, served and perfected by verified coffee nerds 🤓 : https://methodicalcoffee.com/products/design-better-coffee
(use code &quot;designbetter&quot;

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