Design Matters

Founded in 1998, kottke.org is one of the oldest blogs on the web. It’s written and produced by Jason Kottke and covers the essential people, inventions, performances, and ideas that increase the collective adjacent possible of humanity.

Michael Stipe joins to talk about his remarkable life, photography practice, and career as the lead singer and lyricist for the band R.E.M.

Roman Mars is the host and creator of 99% Invisible, a sound-rich, narrative podcast about the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.

A playwright, poet, actor, director, and producer–Keenan Scott II joins to discuss his powerful and captivating Broadway play “Thoughts of a Colored Man.”

Dr. Dori Tunstall joined OCAD University in 2016, as Dean of Design. She is a design anthropologist, public intellectual, and design advocate who works at the intersections of critical theory, culture, and design. She leads the Cultures-Based Innovation Initiative focused on using old ways of knowing to drive innovation processes that directly benefit communities.

Ai Weiwei joins to discuss his new memoir “1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows,” depicting a century-long epic tale of China told through a story of his family.

Rob Walker discusses his interest in death and how our digital records remain online, being shy and how this influenced his decision to become a journalist, writing about the sleeved blanket known as the snuggie, and the wish to brand the idea of "be happy for what you have."

Ashley C. Ford joins to discuss her memoir “Somebody’s Daughter,” capturing a complex childhood shaped by family secrets, incarceration, and resilience.

Shaped by music and activism, Toshi Reagon reflects on her upbringing and remarkable career writing, playing, singing, and producing music.

Reflecting on his remarkable life and career, Nick Offerman shares his insights on acting, marriage and the current state of the world.

Alisa Cohn—named Top Startup Coach in the World—shares her secrets, insights and strategies from nearly 20 years of turning startup founders into world-class CEOs.

Adam J. Kurtz delves into the human experience and explores the duality of time—everything changes, yet tomorrow isn’t promised—in his new book, “You Are Here (For Now).”

Amy Koppelman penned A Mouthful of Air, a powerful novel years ahead of its time—and now, 20 years on, she discusses the film version of it she directed that hits theaters this month.

Long a believer in the impossible, Rickie Lee Jones has lived an extraordinary life of song. Here, she reflects on five decades of making music.

What makes you feel most alive? Jonathan Fields is here to help you figure it out—and infuse it into your career in truly transformative ways.

In our short-term world, Dorie Clark is proof positive that there’s incredible power in long-term strategy—and here she riffs on her new book, “The Long Game.”

At 8 years old, Catherine Opie realized “that history is made within an image culture”—and here, she discusses her incredible life as a photographer driven by culture.

After surviving intense abuse as a child, V grew up to pen powerful prose and plays—and today fights for women suffering around the world.

In his third Design Matters interview, writer Seth Godin riffs on his 20th book—“The Practice”—a milestone text exploring creativity and the sheer power of doing the work and putting it out into the world.

From the Groundlings and “Chelsea Lately” to fashion illustration, textile work and beyond, Carly Kuhn—aka The Cartorialist—may not have set out to become an artist, but she became a brilliant one.

After dreaming of becoming a musician, Quiara Alegría Hudes found her true future on the page—and in such works as “My Broken Language” and “In the Heights.” Here, the Pulitzer winner meditates on the many muses that were instrumental in her becoming the creative she is today.

Forging on past failure, Suneel Gupta began to ask wildly successful people about their less-successful moments—and that laid the foundation for his own career highs, not to mention his new book that helps anyone with a great idea become Backable.

Bobbi Brown had a revolutionary idea: to create a natural-look makeup line that would make people feel like the best version of themselves. She launched it from her home to overnight success, and today is back with her blockbuster clean DTC brand, Jones Road.

At 10, she announced that money or no money, she would be true to her art—and there was no plan B. And, well, actress Claire Danes stuck to it.

Fiber artist Bisa Butler discusses the AfriCOBRA tradition, the artistic breakthrough that led to her finding her voice, and the process behind her amazing life-size works.