Design Matters

Michael Arden is a Tony Award–winning director and actor whose productions, including Parade, Maybe Happy Ending, and Spring Awakening, blend intimacy, spectacle, and extraordinary humanity. Across film, television, and theater, his work returns again and again to questions of belonging, connection, and what becomes possible when people truly feel seen. He joins to discuss the childhood experiences that shaped him, his journey from actor to acclaimed director, and the enduring power of live theater to change lives.

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, humor, intelligence, and inquiry to redefine personal storytelling. She joins to reflect on the unexpected turns of her career, how comedy became a way to navigate trauma and identity, and how embracing contradiction and reinvention shaped both her work and her life.

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 Products. Recorded live at Canva Create in Los Angeles, he joins for a conversation about growing up between cultures, building The Hundreds from the ground up, and why the strongest brands are built through storytelling, collaboration, and community.

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 humanity. She joins Debbie Millman live at the launch of her newest book, Body Electric, which examines the physical and psychological consequences of our increasingly screen-centered lives.

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 people through a deeply human-centered approach to innovation. He joins to reflect on his journey from Italy to global design leadership and to discuss the human side of technology amid financial instability, digital toxicity, and existential anxiety.

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 that govern our lives. She joins to discuss breaking the Harvey Weinstein story, her investigations into the Supreme Court, and how to build a meaningful career in a rapidly changing world.

Cy Gavin is a painter whose work resists easy categorization, moving between figuration and abstraction, landscape and memory, and exploring perception through material, atmosphere, and inquiry. In this live conversation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he joins to discuss his unconventional upbringing, his shift away from drawing, and what it means to embrace uncertainty in the creative process.

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 into visually striking, strategically driven work. She joins to reflect on her journey from a shy, art-obsessed child in Bangkok to a global creative leader, and to explore what the rise of AI means for the future of human creativity, vision, and value.

Santiago Carrasquilla is a Colombian-born director, designer, and founder of Art Camp, a multidisciplinary creative studio known for blending hand-drawn illustration, 3D animation, live action, and emerging technology to create work rooted in human emotion. He joins to discuss his global upbringing, creative evolution, and the relentless drive and optimism behind a career devoted to making work that truly moves people.

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 Tyranny, and, most recently, Unfreedom. He has spent his career using the past to help us see and understand the present with clarity, and joins to discuss how we misunderstand freedom, why truth and empathy are under threat, and what this political moment asks of us.

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 of Poetry, her childhood between two homes, her deep sensitivity to the natural world, and how poetry became a way to make sense of life’s strangeness, loss, and love.

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, embodiment, grief, and transformation. She joins to discuss her childhood, her early life as a competitive swimmer, the film adaptation of The Chronology of Water directed by Kristen Stewart, and how storytelling can reshape the narratives we carry.

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 culture, and the future of Democratic leadership. With humor and candor, he reflects on growing up in a historic political family, the power and peril of social media, the spread of misinformation, and why authenticity and risk-taking are essential to reaching a new generation of voters.

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 newsprint beginnings to the cover that “broke the internet.” She also discusses her memoir, Stuff: A New York Life of Cultural Chaos, and why artists must document culture before it’s rewritten.

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, from grades to likes, quietly reshape what we value and who we become. Together, they explore games as “libraries of agency,” the allure of scoring systems, and the vital question: Is this the game you really want to be playing?

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 author of Water by the Spoonful, she has consistently explored identity, family, and belonging across theater, music, memoir, and now fiction in her new book, The White Hot.

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 television. Together, they explore why laughing more isn’t about being funny, but about attention, vulnerability, and connection, and how humor helps us stay human.

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 and opportunity. She joins CreativeMornings live to reflect on her path from teen broadcaster to first female anchor, and how finding her voice in inequitable newsrooms shaped everything that followed.

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 imagination and design shaped his path from art school to entrepreneurship, and what it means to design the world you want to live in.

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits excerpts from her most memorable interviews. Featuring Jason Reynolds, Marina Abramović, Chris Ware, Richard Saul Wurman, Rick Rubin, and Roxane Gay, this episode gathers voices that challenged, surprised, and have continued to evolve in meaning over time.

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with renowned poets Eileen Myles, Elizabeth Alexander, Sarah Kay, and Amber Tamblyn. These excerpts reflect on language, identity, memory, and the lived experience that fuels their work. Together, they reveal poetry as an intimate practice that resonates beyond the page.

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with distinguished actors Claire Danes, Ethan Hawke, Nick Offerman, Kyra Sedgwick, and Josh Brolin. These excerpts explore how they approach their craft, work with directors and fellow actors, and what it means to inhabit a role and sustain a creative life on stage and on screen.

For the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits conversations with acclaimed directors Brian Koppelman, Thomas Kail, Mike Mills, Sarah Polley, and Siân Heder. These excerpts explore the director’s role as the central collaborator, guiding creative teams and shaping a project from vision to execution. Together, they reflect on the choices, pressures, and responsibilities of bringing a story to life.

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. Joy Buolamwini. These excerpts highlight conversations about power, accountability, and the urgent work of dismantling inequality across culture, institutions, and technology.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, Debbie Millman shares excerpts from interviews with typographers and lettering artists Marian Bantjes, Oded Ezer, Jessica Hische, Tobias Frere-Jones, Matthew Carter, and Kris Holmes, reflecting on legibility and expression, how letters behave, the discipline of refinement, and how type has evolved from hand-crafted processes to the digital tools we use today.

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. From Broadway landmarks to innovative film and live performance design, these excerpts reveal how sets and spaces shape emotion, deepen story, and draw audiences into the moment.

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 excerpts reflect on how technology emerged, how it shapes the way we live, and how these early thinkers imagined the future unfolding.

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 revelation. These excerpts highlight the unexpected moments that shaped some of the show’s most memorable conversations.

To celebrate 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits standout moments from past conversations with photographers Catherine Opie, Albert Watson, Pete Souza, Lynn Goldsmith, and Mary Ellen Matthews. These excerpts explore how they approach craft, capture truth, and use the camera to tell the stories that define us.

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 reimagined how we cook, write, and welcome. From recipe testing as poetry to tinkering with desserts, from building a neighborhood bistro to building a culture of “unreasonable hospitality,” these excerpts show how design shapes flavor, service, and the shared joy of a good meal.

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, and Christoph Niemann. These excerpts explore how ideas drive style, how collaboration and constraint shape the work, and how a single image can speak fast and stay with you.

20th Anniversary celebration with podcast hosts Krista Tippett, Ira Glass, Hrishikesh Hirway, Kara Swisher, and Jad Abumrad

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 Roche, Michael Stipe, and the Indigo Girls. Through their stories and songs, this special episode reflects on the meaning of a creative life and the artists who have shaped the sound of our time.

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 conversation, recorded at On Air Presents, he joins Debbie Millman to explore the role of science education and why defending science has never been more vital.

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 conversation with a playful, deeply researched inquiry: something personal, unexpected, and revealing. In this special anniversary episode, listeners will hear some of Debbie’s favorite first questions and the illuminating answers they inspired.

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 Fitzgerald. This anniversary collection reflects on the candor, resilience, and storytelling power of five voices who have turned personal experience into unforgettable art.

To celebrate 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits highlights from her conversations with groundbreaking artists Bisa Butler, Deborah Kass, Marilyn Minter, Amy Sherald, and Ai Weiwei. This anniversary collection brings together the voices of five visionaries whose work challenges conventions, sparks dialogue, and redefines the role of art in our culture.

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 global franchise, changing how millions think, revealing the hidden side of everything, and challenging us to question what we know.

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 Diner.” She joins to discuss her new album, Flying with Angels, which poignantly captures the struggles and resilience of our time.

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 Lamott, Maria Konnikova, and Alain de Botton. This anniversary collection captures the insight, candor, and wisdom of five extraordinary thinkers whose work continues to shape how we see ourselves and the world around us.

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 Ware, Alison Bechdel, Roz Chast, Seth, and Lynda Barry. This special retrospective highlights the artistry, humor, and humanity of five groundbreaking creators whose work has transformed the world of comics and beyond.

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 Kidd, and Louise Fili—icons whose voices and vision have shaped the field.

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 Cats and Sunset Boulevard, she is an American Theater Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the American Songbook Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She joins to discuss her remarkable career, enduring artistry, and the stories behind her most memorable roles.

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. During his fourth visit to Design Matters, he shares the story behind Coyote, a new card game he’s quietly been crafting—and the mindset that brought it to life.

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 Donald Trump and It’s Even Worse Than You Think, offering a searing look at the Trump administration’s impact on America. This archival episode with David Cay Johnston first aired in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term. The conversation remains just as urgent and relevant today.

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 discuss her career at the intersection of science, philosophy, and storytelling, inviting us to question how we understand the world and our place within it.

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 career as the founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, her best-selling book Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines, and her featured role in the acclaimed Netflix documentary Coded Bias.

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 turning pain into purpose, the power of vulnerability, and her new book, Proof of Life.

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 journeys that led them to fulfilling professional lives and the influences that shaped who they are today.

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 joins to discuss his iconic career, the role of failure in the creative process, and how good design can reshape the way we live.