Design Matters

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 band Sleater-Kinney, her role in the iconic TV series Portlandia, and her new memoir.

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 Distinguished Chair in Engineering at UC Berkeley and an award-winning roboticist, filmmaker, and artist. They join to discuss the life they share together and their many artistic collaborations.

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 Mornings to talk about his new book, This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans.

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, Carson Ellis, and Nell Irvin Painter is live!

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, Adam Moss, and David Remnick is live!

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 his career and MATTER—a design consultancy, letterpress/typography workshop, and retail bookstore he runs with his partner, Debra Johnson.

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 discuss his legendary musical career and his beautiful new book, How to Disappear, capturing intimate photographs of his bandmates at work.

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 in the United States. She has published multiple bestsellers and joins to discuss her new book, The Unseen Truth.

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 SURVIVOR MADE and her advocacy work, creating a community where survivors of intimate partner violence can heal, thrive, and drive change together.

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 all his films. He joins to talk about his life on and offscreen and his new memoir, From Under the Truck.

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 guide of Nick’s can’t-miss eateries, shops, bookstores, and so much more.

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 discuss his legendary career, new film, and the people and events that molded our history.

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, photographs, and film utilizing natural elements—light, color, water, and movement—to alter viewers’ sensory perceptions.

Building worlds in motion pictures through graphic props and typography—Annie Atkins joins to discuss her career designing set pieces for films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and her new book, “Letters from the North Pole.”

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 remarkable career illustrating numerous award-winning books for children.

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 show, The Enigmatist, and his career as a magician, crossword puzzle constructor, and writer.

Oscar-nominated screenwriter, director, actor, and author Sarah Polley, who began her career as a childhood actress more than three decades ago, joins to talk about her life’s work and newest film, “Women Talking.”

Celeste Ng—New York Times bestselling author of three novels, Everything I Never Told You, Little Fires Everywhere, and Our Missing Hearts—joins a live audience to talk about her illustrious career exploring complex family dynamics and themes of identity, race, and culture.

Former Editor-in-Chief and President of New York Magazine’s The Cut and current Styles Editor of The New York Times—Stella Bugbee joins to discuss her remarkable career in the media industry, covering fashion, beauty, and culture as a journalist, editor, and creative director.

Alexandra Horowitz—a canine psychologist and authority on how dogs perceive the world—joins to talk about her latest book, ‘The Year of the Puppy,’ and share her knowledge about the relationship between humans and our canine friends.

Best of Design Matters: Kara Swisher by Design Matters

Singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright joins to discuss her latest album and new memoir about growing up in a family of rock ‘n’ roll royalty and her experiences with love, loss, motherhood, divorce, and the music industry.

Exploring Rick Rubin’s production discography is like taking a tour through the commanding heights of American music over the past few decades. From Run-DMC to Jay-Z to Adele, the record producer joins to talk about his legendary career making classic songs with the best musicians in the world.

Known for her elaborate paintings composed of rhinestones, acrylic, and enamel, Mickalene Thomas draws on art history and popular culture to create a contemporary vision of female sexuality, beauty, and power.

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.