Design Matters with Debbie Millman is one of the world’s very first podcasts. Broadcasting independently for over 15 years, the show is about how incredibly creative people design the arc of their lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Sep 28, 2026 · 1:11:03
Ada Limón—24th U.S. Poet Laureate and author of seven poetry books, including The Carrying and Bright Dead Things —joins to discuss her new book, Against Breaking: On the Power…
Sep 21, 2026 · 1:17:56
Kim Hastreiter—co-founder and longtime editor of Paper magazine—joins to reflect on a life at the center of downtown New York’s art, fashion, and nightlife, from scrappy…
Sep 14, 2026 · 1:20:52
Lidia Yuknavitch is the bestselling author of The Chronology of Water , Reading the Waves , and The Big M , and a writer whose work blurs genre to explore themes of memory,…
Sep 7, 2026 · 1:14:03
For over sixty years, Gloria Steinem has been at the center of American culture and political life, where she has been instrumental in shaping our ideas about feminism, humanity,…
Aug 31, 2026 · 1:11:09
C. Thi Nguyen—philosopher, professor, and author of Games: Agency as Art —joins to discuss his new book, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game , and how metrics,…
Aug 24, 2026 · 1:01:25
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega reflects on her pioneering career, the artistry behind her storytelling, and the lasting cultural impact of songs like “Luka” and “Tom’s…
Aug 17, 2026 · 1:22:16
Lulu Miller is a Peabody Award–winning journalist, co-host of Radiolab, founder of the podcast Terrestrials, and author of the acclaimed book Why Fish Don’t Exist. She joins to…
Aug 10, 2026 · 1:24:44
Tim Ferriss is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, a legendary podcaster with over a billion downloads, a prolific angel investor, and a relentless experimenter.…
Aug 3, 2026 · 1:01:50
Quiara Alegría Hudes is a Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright, composer, and novelist whose work has reshaped contemporary American theater. The co-creator of In the Heights and…
Jul 27, 2026 · 1:03:03
Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist and a poet of code who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. She joins to discuss her…
Jul 20, 2026 · 42:47
James Dyson is a visionary inventor, designer, educator, and founder of Dyson, a global company transforming ordinary household appliances into design and engineering marvels. He…
Jul 13, 2026 · 43:15
Laverne Cox—best known for her groundbreaking role as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black —is an Emmy-winning actor, producer, advocate, and one of the defining cultural…
Jul 6, 2026 · 1:22:31
Craig Mod is a writer, photographer, designer, and publisher whose work is rooted in attention—to the roads he walks, the books he creates, and the ways technology shapes our…
Jun 29, 2026 · 1:08:11
Piera Gelardi is a creative entrepreneur, writer, New York Times bestselling author, and co-founder of Refinery29, the media company that helped redefine digital media for a…
Jun 22, 2026 · 1:01:15
Maria Popova is the creator of The Marginalian , where for two decades she has traced the connections between science and poetry, astronomy and love, nature and consciousness,…
Jun 15, 2026 · 29:49
Ann Patchett is the bestselling author of ten novels, including Bel Canto , Commonwealth , The Dutch House , and Tom Lake , the co-owner of Parnassus Books, and the recipient of…
Jun 8, 2026 · 1:25:50
Spencer Bailey is a writer, editor, and cultural journalist whose work explores the intersections of design, architecture, memory, and human experience. He is the founder and…
Jun 1, 2026 · 1:00:23
Michael Arden is a Tony Award–winning director and actor whose productions, including Parade , Maybe Happy Ending , and Spring Awakening , blend intimacy, spectacle, and…
May 25, 2026 · 1:06:28
Julia Sweeney is a writer, performer, and actor whose work spans Saturday Night Live, acclaimed television roles, and a groundbreaking body of one-woman shows that blend wit,…
May 18, 2026 · 46:56
Bobby Hundreds is a designer, writer, and co-founder of the pioneering streetwear brand The Hundreds, and currently serves as Global Creative Director at Disney Consumer…
May 11, 2026 · 57:41
Manoush Zomorodi is an award-winning journalist, author, and host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour whose work explores how technology shapes our minds, bodies, attention, and sense of…
Apr 30, 2026 · 1:09:44
Mauro Porcini is the President and Chief Design Officer at Samsung, where he leads a global design organization shaping products, experiences, and ecosystems for billions of…
Apr 24, 2026 · 1:18:29
Jodi Kantor is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist at The New York Times whose reporting has reshaped our understanding of power, accountability, and the systems…
Apr 20, 2026 · 48:55
Cy Gavin is a painter whose work resists easy categorization, moving between figuration and abstraction, landscape and memory, and exploring perception through material,…
Apr 13, 2026 · 1:04:41
Pum Lefebure is the co-founder and chief creative officer of Design Army, an internationally acclaimed design studio known for blending art, commerce, and cultural storytelling…
Apr 6, 2026 · 55:30
Santiago Carrasquilla is a Colombian-born director, designer, and founder of Art Camp, a multidisciplinary creative studio known for blending hand-drawn illustration, 3D…
Mar 30, 2026 · 50:18
Timothy Snyder is a leading historian of Eastern Europe, the Holocaust, and political conflict, and the author of more than a dozen books, including Bloodlands , Black Earth , On…
Mar 23, 2026 · 1:10:58
Ada Limón—24th U.S. Poet Laureate and author of seven poetry books, including The Carrying and Bright Dead Things —joins to discuss her new book, Against Breaking: On the Power…
Mar 16, 2026 · 1:20:47
Lidia Yuknavitch is the bestselling author of The Chronology of Water , Reading the Waves , and The Big M , and a writer whose work blurs genre to explore themes of memory,…
Mar 9, 2026 · 42:21
Jack Schlossberg—writer, lawyer, political correspondent, and the only grandson of President John F. Kennedy—joins live at the On Air Fest to discuss political legacy, internet…
Mar 2, 2026 · 1:17:51
Kim Hastreiter—co-founder and longtime editor of Paper magazine—joins to reflect on a life at the center of downtown New York’s art, fashion, and nightlife, from scrappy…
Feb 23, 2026 · 1:11:04
C. Thi Nguyen—philosopher, professor, and author of Games: Agency as Art —joins to discuss his new book, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game , and how metrics,…
Feb 16, 2026 · 1:01:44
Quiara Alegría Hudes is a Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright, composer, and novelist whose work has reshaped contemporary American theater. The co-creator of In the Heights and…
Feb 9, 2026 · 1:21:34
Chris Duffy—comedian, writer, and host of the TED podcast How to Be a Better Human —joins to discuss how humor shaped his path from teaching and improv to podcasting and…
Feb 2, 2026 · 45:10
Ruth Ann Harnisch is an investor, philanthropist, social activist, media producer, and founder of Harnisch Foundation, which supports work that breaks down barriers to equality…
Jan 26, 2026 · 1:11:08
Brian Chesky is the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, a company that began with airbeds and grew into a worldwide community built on trust and belonging. He joins to discuss how…
Jan 19, 2026 · 46:02
For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits excerpts from her most memorable interviews. Featuring Jason Reynolds, Marina Abramović, Chris Ware, Richard…
Jan 12, 2026 · 55:27
For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with renowned poets Eileen Myles, Elizabeth Alexander, Sarah Kay, and Amber Tamblyn. These…
Jan 6, 2026 · 52:56
For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with distinguished actors Claire Danes, Ethan Hawke, Nick Offerman, Kyra Sedgwick, and Josh…
Dec 30, 2025 · 56:44
For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters , Debbie Millman revisits conversations with acclaimed directors Brian Koppelman, Thomas Kail, Mike Mills, Sarah Polley, and Siân…
Dec 22, 2025 · 51:54
For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters , Debbie Millman revisits previous episodes with activists and advocates Gloria Steinem, Anita Hill, Cindy Gallop, Sonya Passi, and Dr.…
Dec 15, 2025 · 46:33
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Design Matters , Debbie Millman shares excerpts from interviews with typographers and lettering artists Marian Bantjes, Oded Ezer,…
Dec 8, 2025 · 48:39
For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with theatre designers David Korins, Ina Mayhew, David Rockwell, Es Devlin, and Dane Laffrey.…
Dec 1, 2025 · 44:47
For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits past interviews with technology pioneers Bill Moggridge, Jason Kottke, Anil Dash, and Kevin Kelly. These…
Nov 24, 2025 · 30:31
As part of the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman shares Part Two of her most surprising first questions, the curious openings that sparked honesty, humor, and…
Nov 17, 2025 · 49:46
To celebrate 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits standout moments from past conversations with photographers Catherine Opie, Albert Watson, Pete Souza, Lynn…
Nov 10, 2025 · 52:15
To mark 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits standout moments with Julia Turshen, Christina Tosi, Gabrielle Hamilton, Fanny Singer, and Will Guidara—voices who…
Nov 3, 2025 · 51:34
To celebrate 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits standout moments from past conversations with illustrators Brian Rea, Maira Kalman, Barry Blitt, Edel Rodriguez,…
Oct 27, 2025 · 51:09
To celebrate two decades of Design Matters , Debbie Millman gathers favorite moments from past interviews with podcast hosts Krista Tippett, Ira Glass, Hrishikesh Hirway, Kara…
Oct 20, 2025 · 49:41
In honor of 20 years of Design Matters , Debbie Millman revisits unforgettable moments from her conversations with iconic musicians Kaki King, David Lee Roth, Lucy Wainwright…
Oct 13, 2025 · 1:09:58
Neil deGrasse Tyson—world-renowned astrophysicist, Emmy-nominated host, science communicator, and author—is one of the most influential voices in modern science. In this live…
Oct 6, 2025 · 35:21
In celebration of 20 years of Design Matters , Debbie Millman revisits one of the show’s most endearing traditions—the very first question. For years, she’s opened each…
Sep 29, 2025 · 54:08
In honor of 20 years of Design Matters , Debbie Millman revisits memorable conversations with memoirists Elissa Altman, Thomas Page McBee, Ashley C. Ford, Josh Brolin, and Isaac…
Sep 22, 2025 · 46:24
To celebrate 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits highlights from her conversations with groundbreaking artists Bisa Butler, Deborah Kass, Marilyn Minter, Amy…
Sep 15, 2025 · 1:25:02
Stephen J. Dubner is an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and co-creator of Freakonomics —the cultural phenomenon that, over the past 20 years, has grown into a…
Sep 8, 2025 · 1:01:50
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega reflects on her pioneering career, the artistry behind her storytelling, and the lasting cultural impact of songs like “Luka” and “Tom’s…
Sep 2, 2025 · 49:37
To mark 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits some of her most memorable conversations with acclaimed non-fiction writers Lisa Taddeo, Malcolm Gladwell, Anne…
Aug 25, 2025 · 40:16
In honor of 20 years of Design Matters , Debbie Millman revisits standout moments from her conversations with some of the most celebrated voices in graphic storytelling—Chris…
Aug 18, 2025 · 40:09
To celebrate 20 years of Design Matters , Debbie Millman revisits some of her most memorable conversations with design legends Massimo Vignelli, Michael Bierut, Paula Scher, Chip…
Aug 11, 2025 · 1:14:21
Betty Buckley—Tony-winning Broadway legend, Olivier nominee, and beloved “Voice of Broadway”—has spent nearly six decades in theater, film, television, and music. Best known for…
Aug 4, 2025 · 1:24:38
Tim Ferriss is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, a legendary podcaster with over a billion downloads, a prolific angel investor, and a relentless experimenter.…
Jul 28, 2025 · 51:11
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston has spent his career exposing corruption in business and government. A relentless muckraker, he’s written The Making of…
Jul 21, 2025 · 1:22:11
Lulu Miller is a Peabody Award–winning journalist, co-host of Radiolab , founder of the podcast Terrestrials , and author of the acclaimed book Why Fish Don’t Exist . She joins…
Jul 14, 2025 · 1:02:58
Dr. Joy Buolamwini is a computer scientist and a poet of code who uses art and research to illuminate the social implications of artificial intelligence. She joins to discuss her…
Jul 7, 2025 · 1:04:07
Jennifer Pastiloff is a bestselling author of the memoir On Being Human and travels the world with her workshop, blending writing, yoga, and radical honesty. She joins to discuss…
Jun 30, 2025 · 43:30
In celebration of Pride Month, we’re revisiting conversations with accomplished LGBTQ+ guests—Carol Leifer, Paul Tazewell, Sonya Passi, Leisha Hailey, and Kate Moennig—about the…
Jun 23, 2025 · 42:42
James Dyson is a visionary inventor, designer, educator and founder of Dyson, a global company transforming ordinary household appliances into design and engineering marvels. He…
Jun 16, 2025 · 54:45
Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering, and Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of Human Interface Design, are two of the most influential creative…
Jun 9, 2025 · 52:33
Dane Laffrey is a Tony-winning scenic and costume designer known for his bold, emotionally resonant work on productions like Parade , Once On This Island , and Spring Awakening .…
Jun 2, 2025 · 1:06:35
Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig—actors known for their iconic roles as Shane and Alice on The L Word, the reboot The L Word: Generation Q and co-hosts of the beloved podcast PANTS…
May 26, 2025 · 1:03:34
The works of artist Olafur Eliasson explore the relevance of art in the world at large. He joins to discuss his three-decade career creating sculptures, installations, paintings,…
May 19, 2025 · 1:07:11
Carson Ellis is the author and illustrator of the bestselling picture books “Home” and “Du Iz Tak?”. She joins to talk about her life living on a farm in Oregon and her…
May 12, 2025 · 1:00:26
With his expertise in enigmas and illusions, David Kwong delights and challenges audiences around the world with his intellectual brand of magic. He joins to discuss his one-man…
May 5, 2025 · 1:15:00
Anne Morriss and Frances Frei are best-selling authors and among the world’s most influential thinkers, speakers, and advisors. Their clients range from Fortune 10 companies to…
Apr 28, 2025 · 57:34
Since 1998, David Remnick has been the editor of The New Yorker and has written hundreds of pieces for the magazine, including reporting from Russia, the Middle East, and Europe…
Apr 21, 2025 · 1:05:42
From acclaimed pop spectacles to Super Bowl halftime shows to the Closing Ceremony for the London Olympics, artist and stage designer Es Devlin has transformed large-scale…
Apr 14, 2025 · 59:19
Renowned writer, cultural critic, and scholar of the demimonde Lucy Sante joins to discuss her career and a new memoir, “I Heard Her Call My Name,” reflecting on her transition…
Apr 7, 2025 · 1:14:38
Writer’s Guild Award winner and Emmy-nominated comedian, writer, and producer for television shows such as Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Saturday Night Live, The Oscars,…
Mar 31, 2025 · 1:05:00
Widely recognized as a musical genius and once-in-a-generation talent, Jon Batiste is one of history’s most brilliant, prolific, and accomplished musicians. The Grammy, Emmy, and…
Mar 24, 2025 · 41:04
Michael Goldberg is the Founder and CEO of Something Special Studios, a creative agency building brands, campaigns, and experiences designed to shape culture. He joins to discuss…
Mar 17, 2025 · 45:29
Todd Pruzan—a prolific writer, editor, and journalist—recently inherited a collection of several thousand New Yorker covers from his family spanning the past 77 years. He joins…
Mar 10, 2025 · 1:15:09
Throughout her prolific writing career, Nell Irvin Painter has published works on such luminaries as Sojourner Truth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Malcolm X. Her unique vantage on…
Mar 3, 2025 · 47:52
Named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Innovators for the Next New Wave,” Suzan-Lori Parks is the first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for…
Feb 24, 2025 · 50:42
Founder and Creative Director of the design consultancy HunterGatherer, Todd St. John, joins to discuss his career as a multi-disciplinary artist and designer working in…
Feb 17, 2025 · 1:04:38
For over thirty years, bestselling author, screenwriter, and New Yorker cover artist Adrian Tomine’s work has set the standard for contemporary storytelling. He has published…
Feb 10, 2025 · 53:10
Having designed costumes for film, television, Broadway, and regional theaters for more than three decades, Paul Tazewell is one of the industry’s most revered designers. He…
Feb 3, 2025 · 1:19:20
New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and educator Emily Nagoski is one of the most exceptional minds at work today on the science of sexual connection, intimacy, and…
Jan 27, 2025 · 1:02:34
Celebrated musician, comedian, writer, and director Carrie Brownstein joins to talk about her remarkable career as the co-founder, guitarist, and vocalist of the legendary punk…
Jan 20, 2025 · 1:01:40
Tiffany Shlain is a multidisciplinary artist, Emmy-nominated filmmaker, national bestselling author, and the founder of the Webby Awards. Ken Goldberg is the William S. Floyd…
Jan 13, 2025 · 51:45
Seth Godin—renowned author, entrepreneur, and speaker known for launching one of the most popular blogs in the world and writing 22 best-selling books—joins live at Creative…
Jan 6, 2025 · 44:51
On this special episode of Design Matters, we look back at the collective brilliance of artists interviewed in 2024. Best of Design Matters 2024 with Es Devlin, Olafur Eliasson,…
Dec 30, 2024 · 34:18
On this special episode of Design Matters, we look back at the collective brilliance of editors interviewed in 2024. Best of Design Matters 2024 with Stella Bugbee, Scott Dadich,…
Dec 23, 2024 · 37:37
Rick Griffith is a British-West-Indian designer, collagist, writer, educator, letterpress printer, and optimist futurist. He joins live from the HOW Design Conference to discuss…
Dec 16, 2024 · 54:40
Since 2003, Radiohead’s bassist, Colin Greenwood, has taken his camera to the studio and on stage to document the rise of one of the world’s most cherished bands. He joins to…
Dec 9, 2024 · 1:11:00
Sarah Lewis is a celebrated art and cultural historian and professor at Harvard University, focusing on the intersection of visual representation, racial justice, and democracy…
Dec 2, 2024 · 1:02:08
Sonya Passi is the Founder & CEO of FreeFrom, a national organization transforming our society’s response to gender-based violence. She joins to discuss her new documentary…
Nov 25, 2024 · 50:26
From his breakout role in The Goonies to No Country for Old Men to his recent appearances in the Dune films, acclaimed actor Josh Brolin brings unmistakable gravity and grit to…
Nov 18, 2024 · 44:45
Nicolas Heller—Commercial Director, Documentarian, and “Unofficial Talent Scout of New York” known as @newyorknico—joins to talk about his new book, a raw and authentic city…
Nov 11, 2024 · 1:08:43
For more than forty years, Ken Burns and his collaborators have created some of the most acclaimed historical documentaries ever made. Sarah Burns and David McMahon join him to…
Nov 4, 2024 · 1:03:39
The works of artist Olafur Eliasson explore the relevance of art in the world at large. He joins to discuss his three-decade career creating sculptures, installations, paintings,…
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