Design Matters

Debbie talks to Michael Ovitz about his long and controversial career as a Hollywood power broker.

Debbie talks to Beth Comstock about her career at General Electric and how big companies can innovate.

Debbie talks to artist Deborah Kass about her long and extraordinary career. “My whole middle brow attachment to middle class entertainment is to me, one of the more radical things I do in art.”

On this archival episode Debbie talks to Brian Collins about why designers shouldn’t think of themselves as mere problem solvers. “If you’re going to be future facing you can’t wait for a problem, because by the time a problem shows up at your desk it’s too late.”

Debbie talks to Aaron Draplin about setting up his own shop, and about making money as a designer.

Debbie talks to therapist and author Esther Perel about marriage, polyamory, and adultry.

“To see your team achieve more than they thought they were capable of, that they will advance the organization further than you even imagined—because they believe, and they are grateful, and they’re inspired—it’s all worth it. All the sacrifices. It always is.”

Debbie talks to Hamilton director Thomas Kail about his career and about the joys of collaboration.

In this interview from the archive Debbie talks to Cindy Gallop about her career in advertising and about the trouble people have communicating about sex.

“Well you want to have your hand on the page, I mean there’s times I walk around and try to think of things, but three-quarters of the battle is scribbling.”

On this episode, Debbie brings the great English designer, typographer, and art director Neville Brody to the stage.

Debbie brings Paula Scher to the stage to discuss clients, career, and aging. “What’s good about it is that it doesn’t matter that you’re not growing because you’re in your fifties. And the thing about your fifties is you have power.”

Debbie Millman talk to author and art director Steven Heller live on stage.

Debbie talks to the great type designer Matthew Carter live on stage. “I sometimes get asked what's your favorite letter. And I say I’m not allowed to have a favorite letter, because if you favor one letter it suggests that you disfavor other ones.”

Debbie Millman brings artist Laurie Anderson live on stage to discuss her career, art, life, and politics.

Debbie talks to portrait painter Amy Sherald about her emotionally evocative work.

On this episode Debbie talks to Lewis Lapham about his long career in journalism and the media landscape today.

Debbie talks to writer Carmen Maria Machado about her writing, life, career, and the importance of ego. “It’s an essential element to being an artist because otherwise what are you doing? You have to have that investment in it.”

Debbie talks to Aminatou Sow about her podcast and her career in tech. "I think that especially in tech we fetishishe young people so much. Being the best at this thing at 30 is fine, but we're literally all idiots."

Debbie talks to musician, playwright, and activist Erin McKeown about the ups and downs in her career, and about writing a musical for the first time.

Debbie talks to author and conflict resolution mediator Priya Parker about meetings and gatherings and why so many of them don’t work.

Debbie talks to performance artist and dancer Jack Ferver about his career in dance theater and the politics in his work.

Debbie Millman talks with author and editor Pamela Paul about books and book reviewing.

Debbie talks to journalist Anand Giridharadas about his career, about tech monopolies, and about a divided America.

Debbie talks to astrophysicist David Spergel about the universe and about his career. “Luck is one of the most important things a scientist can have. He can have bad luck and the rocket explodes. There’s lots of stuff that can go wrong.”

On this episode Debbie talks to Edel Rodriguez about his celebrated illustrations of Donald Trump.

On this episode, Debbie talks to Simon Doonan about his unlikely career and his formula for creative window displays.

Debbie talks to Richard Haines about his late blooming career as an illustrator. “As I’m drawing and I’m not really thinking about it, but I’m always editing information. To not spell everything out. To bring it to someone else.”

On this episode Debbie talks to Nick Law about working through failure. “In some ways you’ve got to think of your work as a portfolio of experiments. Some of the high risk ones will not work, but you’ll learn from it.”

Debbie talks with set designer David Korins about his impressive career on Broadway, his design process, and his latest projects.

Debbie talks to Sukey Novogratz about meditation and recovery from trauma.

Debbie talks to interactive designer Edwin Schlossberg about his career, and about the time he asked a Vatican archivist why they had cataloged so little of their historical treasures.

Debbie talks to experimental psychologist and author Steven Pinker about measuring human happiness.

Debbie talks to Kaki King about her collaborations, her career, and performing and composing. “Ultimately, developing my own voice as a writer in an instrumental context, that’s the hardest thing to do.”

David talks to Debbie about the fun of investigative journalism. “The great thing about being a journalist, if you treat it seriously, is you are a perpetual graduate student, and the only difference is that the public reads your papers”.

Debbie looks back at some of her favorite highlights of 2017 including Thomas Kail, Elizabeth Alexander, Mike Mills, Sarah Jones, Anil Dash, and Brian Koppelman.

Debbie talks to New Yorker celebrated cover artist Barry Blitt about where his ideas come from.

Debbie talks to TED founder Richard Saul Wurman about learning and education. “You have a learning system your don’t have an education system. You have an education system, you don’t have a learning system. Education is from the top down, and learning is from the bottom up.”

Debbie talks to performance artist Marina Abramović about her career, her art, and her incredible body of work.

Debbie Millman talks to podcast host, comic, and comedy writer Catie Lazarus about comedy, and about the grey area of comedians telling off-color jokes.

Debbie talks to four time New York Times best selling author Tim Ferriss about depression, suicide, and major changes in his life.

Debbie Millman talks to artist and filmmaker Mike Mills about his career and his formative influences.

Debbie Millman talks to artist Deborah Kass about her long and extraordinary career.

Debbie Millman talks to writer Kenny Fries about living with, and writing about disability.

Debbie talks to novelist Emma Donoghue about gender, race, and the value of fiction.

Debbie talks to therapist and author Esther Perel about marriage, polyamory, and adultery.

Debbie talks to author and researcher Brene Brown about belonging, courage, and vulnerability.

Debbie talks to Hamilton director Thomas Kail about his career and about the joys of collaboration.

Debbie talks to James Victore about his apprenticeship in Graphic Design, about the role of opinion in his work, and about his suspicions of surface beauty and polish.

Debbie talks to Marian about her daring typography and her highly ornamental design.