Forming Function

We collect more quick stories from the local design community in partnership with the Detroit Design Festival and DesignCore to celebrate 10 years since Detroit’s induction as a UNESCO City of Design! Festival-goers from last year’s events shared off the cuff remarks on a wide range of topics from works of architecture, different design fields, and design-based businesses. Get a taste and then che...

For the season 2 finale, Brian and Sam have a lightning round of quick design stories that were too short for full episodes with special guest Paul Corsi as the judge. We’ll hear about equestrian statues, mansard roofs, coffins, clothing, and more! Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio editing and mixing by Julia Sikora. Guest starring Paul Corsi. Follow us on Facebook and...

Roller skating and Skateboarding create completely new ways for us to experience the city. Sam talks about her newfound hobby with skating and how it changes the way that you experience motion in your environment. And then Brian gives a short history of skateboarding and talks to some professionals from The Skatepark Project about the design of skateparks. Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sa...

Standards and measurements may seem boring on the surface, but they are what allow design concepts to manifest into reality. Brian and Sam explore stories behind the units of the metric system (specifically the kilogram, the meter, and the candela) and bring a little life to these otherwise mundane numbers. Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio editing and mixing by Julia...

It’s football season and guest reporter Kelsey Reynolds joins us to talk about how broadcasting, fashion, and the Olympics influence the design of sports jerseys. Then she throws the ball over to Sam to talk about footballs themselves. Go sports! Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Story reported by Kelsey Reynolds and Sam Malott Brown. Story Editing by Jeffrey Brown and Julia...

In our latest Bonus BS (Brian and Sam), we are joined by Michael Enomoto and Nicole Lawson from Gruen Associates to follow up on our episode about Victor Gruen and shopping mall design. We discuss the impact of Victor’s legacy on the firm today, the future of shopping malls, urban design initiatives, and the many famous architects that passed through Gruen’s office. Produced and hosted by Brian Mo...

The shopping mall is as American as apple pie and the magnetic draw of the one-stop shop is difficult to escape. Yet for all the influence malls have had, they started out practically as the vision of one man. From New York’s Fifth Avenue, to big box stores, to the mall, we explore how Victor Gruen’s design of retail changed the way we shop, socialize, and experience public life. Produced and host...

For our Halloween special, Sam answers a guest question about the design behind witch costumes from classic fashion motifs to modern interpretations. Niki Tischler joins us to learn more about the historical significance and folklore behind witches hats, shoes, and more.  Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Guest starring Niki Tischler. Story Editing, Audio engineering, and mi...

Sam gives us the deal on playing cards for part two in our pair of stories about decorated pieces of paper. From the artwork on the face, to the composition of the numbers and pips, playing cards come in many forms and act as an open source to imagine games. Sam comes flush with history and gives it to us straight for this full house of an episode. If you haven’t yet, go check out Part 1 of the st...

Tarot has been used as a tool for divination for hundreds of years, but one illustrator in particular changed the face of the game - literally. We explore Pamela Colman Smith’s contributions to the famous Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck and the cult origins of the commission. Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Story Editing, Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora. Special...

Our first-ever guest reporter, Lindsay Hansmann, takes us on a journey through the design evolution of toilets and how sanitation helped the human race survive. Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Story reported by Lindsay Hansmann. Story Editing, Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to...

We kick off season 2 with an exploration of the color purple through design history. And then we uncover the meaning of Prince’s “Love Symbol” with art director Mitch Monson. Also: the interpretations behind color theory and Olympics TV branding. Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Story Editing by Jeffery Brown, Audio engineering and mixing by Julia Sikora. Guest starring Mit...

Our theme song creator, Paul Corsi, joins us on the show to talk about the art of creating music and a countdown of design fails. From architectural solar death rays, to useless social media devices, we discuss a number of projects where the designs didn’t fully work out. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Story Editing by Jeffery Brown, Audio engineering and Mixing by Julia...

Turtles, porpoises, and horses! Our season one finale is a profile of two artists and the inspirations for their work. The first is Jim Miller Melberg, whose concrete animal playground structures ushered modern designs into the lives of children around the globe. And then to end the season we have a discussion with Craig Friend, a Michigan illustrator who created a work of art that our listeners s...

Why DOES green mean go? Go behind the blinking lights to discover the history of traffic lights - including some design innovations that didn’t stand the test of time. Then a look behind the wheel to chase the scent of an iconic car accessory - Little Tree air fresheners. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown. Follow us on Facebook and I...

A little plastic toy brick built a worldwide brand... but how did the simple concept of LEGO become so iconic? Sam breaks down how the empire was built and why it continues to thrive. Meanwhile, Brian maps out the brand's homestead heritage and how Bjarke Ingles Group brought the ideas to real life. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown....

Did you know the French aristocracy influenced most of the furniture we sit on today? Our first guest, Korey Morris, joins us in the studio for a listener-submitted question to ask about contemporary couches that springboards into a journey to the very beginnings of comfort in design, the chaise longue, and the elaborate history of the Rococo movement.  Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam M...

What makes blue jeans a timeless staple of comfort? How did paisley became an iconic pattern, weaving (pun intended) its way across the world? How did the textile industry lead to modern computing? All this and more in our fashion forward episode!

In this free-wheeling and sciency bonus episode, Brian and Sam imagine the Great Chicago Potato Massacre, revisit some fifth-grade physics lessons about radio waves, debate some recent controversy regarding electric vehicles, and offer some new features for automotive designers to consider. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown. Follow u...

What do cars have to do with buildings? In Part 02 of this double episode, Brian focuses in on the General Motors Tech Center to see how the architect's team solved construction and design problems with an unlikely alliance - collaboration with General Motor’s automotive engineers. These innovations would go on to literally change the face of architecture, and are still used today! Produced and Ho...

In Part 01 of this double episode, Brian digs into the origins of the corporate campus and how it impacts the architecture of business today. Find out why businesses started to leave the city for greener pastures. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to s...

Sam goes solo to explore the surprising origins and advancements of the raincoat. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to suggest a topic at FormingFunctionPodcast.com. Forming Function Season 1 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architec...

Listen in as Sam details the artistry and elegance of Jell-O molds, and Brian unravels the history and significance of the plastic lawn chair. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to suggest a topic at FormingFunctionPodcast.com. Forming Function Season 1...

In our first episode, Brian explores the gruesome origin story of barber poles, along with the intertangling history of barber surgeons. And Sam dives into the history of a similarly striped sweet: candy canes. Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown. Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to sugg...

Join Brian and Sam as they explore the impact of design on everyday lives.