Are We at Peak Podcast?
Type and design have been a favorite topic of conversation in the rise of the podcast. We present a handful that reconnect us to the craft.
For the uninitiated, podcasts are short audio segments tailor-made for exploration into specific topics, and—along side long-form journalism and investigative television reporting—are one of the most potent forms of storytelling we have today.
“Podcasts can be as specific or general as you like and have been growing in popularity as an easy and accessible way to create content or find your tribe. ”
The world of design—especially typography—has been a favorite topic of conversation in the rise of the podcast, and has inspired new ways of reconnecting to our creative selves and spurring on our curiosity.
They say you never really leave school, and there seems to be a lot of truth to that. We put together a short list of some of the podcasts at the forefront of the type and design industries—rich with information to keep you learning more every day.
‘Design Matters’ with Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman has been hosting her interview-format podcast Design Matters, focusing on interesting design personalities, since 2005. Design Matters was one of the first ever design podcasts to be distributed on iTunes and has since produced over 270 episodes.
One of the secrets to her success is that Debbie does her homework. Her iconic style of discovering her guests’ little known histories delivers intelligent and insightful discussion and thought provoking ideas. Have a listen below to Debbie’s recent interview with “New York Times Magazine” Art Director Gail Bichler.
Monocle’s ‘The Stack’
This one’s for the print lovers out there. Monocle Magazine dove head first into the world of podcasts back in 2011 when it started linking together a variety of new themed podcasts into a 24 hour stream. One of those shows was a podcast called ‘The Stack’, a thirty minute presentation of the latest from the world of print magazines and newspapers.
Tune in and you’re likely to hear editors and print fanatics alike talking about everything from photography and illustration to type and layout as well as the recent trends in print publications.
99% Invisible: ‘Negative Space with Michael Beirut’
When it comes to creative insight and inspiration, 99% Invisible has all but cornered the market. This energetic and polished podcast presents a wide range of design topics. 99% Invisible has found the formula for engaging storytelling, and this episode specifically with Pentagram partner Michael Bierut is a highly entertaining example.
Listen in to Bierut discuss insider stories behind some of the world’s most iconic recent logos, both his and not, and the power that they have on our lives.
‘FontCast’ by FontShop
Typography does not escape the all-seeing eye of podcasts. FontShop has been producing insightful interviews with typographic movers and shakers for a few years now, bringing out some of the stories behind the fonts and lettering we see all the time.
Although FontCast is really a video series, they’re great to just listen to as podcasts.
FontCast hasn’t produced new features recently, but their archive is fully available online. Don’t miss the most recent Episode #26—an interview with Michael Hochleitner, co-founder of the Austrian graphic and type design studio Typejockeys or episodes 10 and 11: a two-part in depth tribute to Jim Parkinson with interviews with our own Roger Black and Jim Parkinson.
There are numerous design and typography podcasts that were not mentioned in this article. If you have your own favorites, feel free to let TYPE know on Twitter: @typemag_org - happy listening!
