Podcasts are here to stay, and they are gaining more and more territory. The charm of podcasts is that you can be on the way to work, cooking or even resting and listening to them at the same time. Design podcasts are a great way to get inspired – no photos needed.
There is much to learn and enjoy about visual arts and architecture through recorded conversations. The topics are equally varied and you can be a beginner to get carried away by any of them – conversations transport, educate and entertain. We leave you here with ten design podcasts that span the field, covering everything from architecture to interior design, fashion, furniture, urban planning and much more.
99% Invisible
99% Invisible is a sound-rich, narrative podcast hosted by Roman Mars about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.
It explores topics ranging from the history of the fortune cookie to gerrymandering, to the graphic design of the Mexico ’68 Olympics. Basically, 99% Invisible finds a design thread through any topic.
Design and Architecture
Los Angeles’ KCRW is the home to DnA Design and Architecture, a podcast hosted by Frances Anderton that takes a thoughtful look at architecture and design. Named one of the top design podcasts by Architectural Digest and by Dezeen, DnA has been featured in many outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Curbed, Angeleno, and Metropolis Magazine, who called Frances the “voice of design for the city.” Many episodes tackle issues and topics pertaining to Los Angeles, but there are others that address the field as a whole.
Archispeak
Archispeak is a casual conversation about all things architecture. Evan Troxel, Neal Pann, and Cormac Phalen host this twice-monthly discussion on all things architecture and interior design. They’re focused just as much as what it’s like to work in the field as on the design itself.
Scratching the Surface
Jarrett Fuller hosts Scratching the Surface, a design podcast about the intersection of criticism and practice (and no, you don’t need to know anything about either to enjoy it). Each episode features wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with designers, architects, writers, academics, artists, and theorists about how design shapes culture. New episodes every other Wednesday. Recent guests include Peter Mendelsund, Shannon Mattern, and Bryan Boyer.
GSAPP Conversations
From Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP) come Conversations, a podcast hosted by the school’s dean that explores the growing field of contemporary architectural practice through discussions with guests from emerging and well-established practices, as well as the school’s faculty and alumni.
Clever: A Podcast About Design
Clever: A Podcast About Design is hosted by designer Amy Devers and Design Milk’s founder and executive editor, Jaime Derringer – a podcast about design; actually, it’s about designers, too. Each episode is generally focused on an interview with someone influential in the design industry, whether that’s of cars, architecture, fashion, interiors, furniture, or the like.
The Observatory
Legendary graphic designer Michael Bierut and founding editor of Design Observer, Jessica Helfand host this podcast that touches on timely topics—hello, pop culture buffs—meanders into different design professions, and explores the field’s intersections with technology. No topic is off-limits!
Monocle on Design
Monocle covers global fashion, furniture, and architecture. Monocle on Design delves more deeply into each field – Everything you need to know about the world of design, from furniture to fashion and craft to architecture. Expect fresh stories, new finds and designers, and all the latest news from the world’s most exciting studios.
Design Matters
Debbie Millman started Design Matters in 2005, way ahead of the podcast boom we know today. The world’s first podcast about design and an inquiry into the broader world of creative culture through wide-ranging conversations with designers, writers, artists, curators, musicians, and other luminaries of contemporary thought. Guests on Design Matters come from a variety of disciplines, and you can sort them by that category on the website—an easy way to get to what you want since there are over 200 episodes.
About Buildings and Cities
With Luke Jones and George Gingell, this podcast focus on architecture, buildings and cities, from the distant past to the present day. Plus detours into technology, film, fiction, comics, drawings, and the dimly imagined future. About Buildings and Cities explores topics such as Aldo Rossi’s buildings and the Barbican Estate, and deep dives on Le Corbusier and Michelangelo.
We hope you liked our article. Feel free to pin all the images to your favorite Pinterest board. Meanwhile, you can also visit our Pinterest boards to get more inspiration.
Also, get more ideas for your projects and find functional, stylish, and sizable lighting and furniture choices:
