Podcast Awesome

Where did the “All Your Base Are Belong to Us” meme come from — and why did it break the early internet? In this nostalgic deep dive, Matt explores the wackadoodle origin of one of the internet’s most gloriously awkward memes. Before “going viral” was even a phrase, this phrase from the 1992 Sega Genesis game Zero Wing somehow made its way from mistranslation to mass internet hysteria — with techn...

“Layouts are sexy but, you know, words still matter.”   In this solo rant-style episode of Podcast Awesome , Matt takes a silly, unhinged dive into the world of Lorem Ipsum — the gibberish placeholder text that’s haunted designers and writers alike since the 1500s. From Cicero’s scrambled Latin to zombie-themed mockups, we trace the wild history and the weird world of filler text. So ... why do we...

Design meets activism. Philosophy meets iconography. Wheelchairs meet graffiti. In this philosophy-packed episode of Podcast Awesome , Matt chats with professor, artist, and co-founder of the Accessible Icon Project, Brian Glenny . Together with colleague Sara Hendron, they took a bold journey to make a tweak to the accessibility symbol — which led to a humble street art sticker to statewide legis...

In this very special episode of The Nerd Show and Tell , we finally cornered the elusive co-founder of Font Awesome — Travis Chase! 🧢✨ From dialing into the web back in the modem days, to co-founding a company that powers millions of websites, Travis shares his unique journey from almost-accountant to accidental icon-company-boss. Or something. You’ll hear tales of telephony code, Star Wars devo...

Summary What does it take to shoot a high-energy, humor-packed, visually delicious Font Awesome marketing video? A 12-hour day, a diner full of chaos, and a guy in a hot dog suit. In this episode, Matt chats with Jory and Isaac, two key players behind the Font Awesome 7 video, about the hilarious mishaps, creative choices, and ridiculous amounts of pancakes that went into bringing the video to lif...

Learn why accessible web design matters for everyone — not just users with disabilities. Lindsay Miller joins Podcast Awesome to discuss WCAG, ADA, design best practices, and tools for accessible development. 🚨 In this insightful episode of Podcast Awesome, host Matt Johnson is joined by Lindsay Miller, accessibility advocate and member of the Web Awesome team, for a deep dive into the principles...

Font Awesome 7 Here We Come!  In this episode of Podcast Awesome, we’re serving up a heaping helping of new icons, fresh features, and ProPlus goodness with Font Awesome 7! Host Matt Johnson is joined by icon designers Jory Raphael and Noah Jacobus to break down what’s new — like seven all-new icon packs, a smoother-than-butter upgrade path, and under-the-hood improvements that make your icons sha...

🎬 Summary In this Nerd Show & Tell episode of Podcast Awesome, we finally catch up with the one and only Isaac Chase — the wizard behind our ever-growing library of video content at Font Awesome. From his early dreams of making it in film and television to becoming a full-time creator on our team, Isaac shares about the challenges of starting in the film industry during the COVID era, storyte...

Episode Summary What makes design hard? It’s not just pixels, software, or tools — it’s people. (Yep, you. And me. And all of us.) In this episode, I sit down with my friend Bryan Zug, co-author (along with Scott Berkun), of the book, Why Design is Hard , to talk about why good design is more than just good ideas — it’s about relationships, collaboration, and the messy, sometimes painful reality o...

Design engineer. UX engineer. Front-end dev with opinions. What does it all mean?! In this episode, we sit down with Dave Darnes to untangle the ever-evolving world of design and development ( And Dave is our first non-Font Awesomer on the pod!) . We talk about why job titles keep getting weirder, whether "engineer" is a fair title for folks who work on the web, and how design systems ca...

In this episode, Dave and Matt explore First LEGO League, where kids as young as third grade tackle robotics and engineering challenges. As a coach, Dave shares how he guides his team to embrace the golden rule of engineering: Keep it simple, keep it sturdy. Listeners will learn how to spot the difference between over-the-top complexity and straightforward solutions that just work. Practical beats...

It’s that time of year again! In this episode of Podcast Awesome , we’re reflecting on all the things that went down at Font Awesome in 2024. From expanding the Awesomeverse with Web Awesome and Eleventy to major product updates like the full release of Duotone Icons and shiny new branding, we cover it all. You’ll hear about the Web Awesome Kickstarter campaign (success!), the arrival of industry...

🍺 What’s the deal with the Ballmer Peak? Myth, meme, or just good old-fashioned developer humor? In this episode of Podcast Awesome, we unpack the hilarity and history behind this coding legend, complete with personal stories, team insights, and a responsible PSA. Whether you’re debugging at 3 a.m. or just love a good laugh, this episode has something for everyone. ( And check out the episode on...

In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt chats with Font Awesome co-founder Dave Gandy about building a workplace that doesn’t just work — but works for everyone. Whether you’re hustling in a startup, navigating open-source communities, or just trying to figure out if your boss actually values your humanity, this one’s for you.  Dave dishes on the magic of finding the right co-founder (hint: they...

Ready to geek out? In this episode of Podcast Awesome's Nerd Show and Tell, Matt sits down with none other than Zach Leatherman , the tech dynamo and creator behind Eleventy — the static site generator that’s got web devs buzzing. Zach’s tech-world experience is a wild ride of innovation, grit, and love for the open web. With a little help from our team here at Font Awesome, Zach’s pushing to...

🎙 In this episode, Font Awesome founder Dave Gandy joins our host Matt Johnson for an honest, unfiltered convo about what it means to build a *lifestyle company* (and wear that badge proudly 💪). This isn’t your typical startup hustle. We’re diving into the “people-first” culture that makes Font Awesome a standout, from character-driven hiring to redefining what success means beyond growth on char...

In this edition of Podcast Awesome , Matt sits down with Font Awesome founder, Dave Gandy, at the 2024 Snuggle in Bentonville, Arkansas. Between karaoke sessions and Hoobastank choruses (blame Ed), Matt and Dave discuss a topic on a lot of minds lately: How do you build a company where people actually want to stick around? With a tech industry average of just 18 months at a job, Font Awesome break...

In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt and Rob take you on a wild ride through the evolution of web icons — because who doesn’t love a good glow-up story? From the pixelated mess of Geocities and MySpace days (RIP low-res images) to the sleek world of custom web fonts and SVG's moment in the sun, they break down each tech's pros and cons so you don’t have to. Ever wondered how icons we...

💩⚡️ Hold onto your butts, folks, because this episode of Behind the Icon on Podcast Awesome is about to get ...  messy! We’re diving headfirst into the iconic history of one of Font Awesome’s quirkiest creations — the Poo-Storm icon. But if not for the creation of a stinker of a particular emoji, the poo-storm icon may never have come to fruition. It all starts with the legendary rise of the poo...

In this headbanging episode of Podcast Awesome, we explore the story behind the devil horns gesture—an iconic symbol in the world of heavy metal. 🤘 From its origins in ancient superstitions to its popularization by metal legend Ronnie James Dio, this gesture has a history as rich as the riffs that accompany it. We also chat with Font Awesome’s own Jory Raphael, the creative mind behind the hand h...

Ever wonder how a chaotic internet meme became an iconic design? Join us in this episode as we dive into the fascinating journey of the Dumpster Fire icon—from its fiery beginnings as a viral GIF to its status as a symbol of modern times. 🔥 ( And if you want ever more entertainment from this episode, make sure to check out the YouTube version!)   We’ll explore the history behind the phrase “dumps...

The Story Behind the Mullet Icon: Celebrating an Enduring Cultural Symbol 🎬 Join us as we delve into the resilient history of the mullet, from its uncertain origins to its pop culture prominence in the '80s and '90s. 🎸 Learn about the creation of Font Awesome's 'User Mullet' icon and enjoy entertaining stories from team members who sported mullets. ✂️ Discover the evolut...

In this deep dive into the creation of Font Awesome's Sharp Icon Set, designers Jory and Noah share the behind-the-scenes story of transforming a casual idea into a reality.  Jory recounts the unplanned inception of the Sharp Icon Set, initially just a bullet point on a whiteboard that evolved into a full-fledged project due to a promotional video. The discussion sheds light on the challenges...

Dive into the wild world of web development with the Web Awesome team! Listen as Matt, Lindsay, and the (podcast) elusive Corey dish about their successful Kickstarter, the alpha launch of Web Awesome, and the exciting future of web components. You'll get the inside scoop on their perfectionist struggles, theming API adventures, and how they're revolutionizing the way teams collaborate....

In this episode of Podcast Awesome, host Matt Johnson takes listeners behind the scenes of starting and producing Podcast Awesome. Despite being a newbie to podcasting, Matt shares his journey, from finding the initial idea buried in a Basecamp thread to releasing 20 episodes. He discusses capturing the podcast's vibe, and choosing the right software and equipment. Matt also shares insights f...