Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for Gen X music, even well beyond the long shadow of Nirvana's Nevermind. We flipped through the crates to prep for this episode. With sore fingers and tired eyes we walk through iconic albums by Bjork, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Pixies. Grab your favorite concert t-shirt and a cool PBR. It's time once again to join us in the bar. - - - - - Visit...

Gen X was coming of age during cynicism and ironic detachment. A DIY attitude rooted in authenticity coupled with increasing access to personal tech and an explosion of choices in alternative media. And most importantly, lack of trust in corporations. Companies (and their marketing departments) had to think of ways to sell to those who didn’t want to be sold to... Advertisers like Benetton, the Ga...

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Bum-bum-ba-bum-bummm…Nothing brings the world together every couple of years like the Olympic Games. With such a large stage and a chance to influence audiences around the globe, designers jump at the chance to create something great. In this episode we discuss what did (or didn’t) happen in Denver in 1976 and the Technicolor vibrancy of Los Angeles in...

Let’s plop down on the couch in your favorite record store or skate shop for a few minutes. It’s time to relive the end of the 1980s and begin a new decade of cultural change. In this episode we discuss what was in the news, the invention of the "slacker" character, the mood of skepticism, irony and emotional detachment that grew out of the glossy 80s, culture jamming and not selling out even as p...

Record albums. You know 'em. You love 'em. But do your favorites fall short when art overshadows music (or vice versa)? We invited a couple of buddies to the bar — Joe Watson and Toby Brazwell from the Riffs on Riffs podcast — for a conversation about a handful of desert island-level albums: how they sound, what they look like and if, ultimately, the combination works. We talk earworms, visual pun...

History repeats itself... There are no new ideas… Everything old is new again… Sure, we get excited when we have custom meal kits delivered to our homes or when we see amazing food in farmer’s markets and grocery stores near our homes. But food marketing has been around for a really long time. Today we discuss a couple of popular approaches from yesterday that continue to reappear in pop culture t...

Did you ever look at a building with a business inside and think, “Yeah…that totally used to be something else” and wonder how you knew that? You know, the jewelry store that used to be a pizza parlor or the drive-up coffee shop that was once a spot to drop off film are peppered in towns all across the country. Today we’re talking about a couple of businesses that, in their respective heydays, cou...

There are visual icons that have symbolized professions for so long their origin stories are unknown to the very customers served by them. These independent businesses are owned by all kinds of people serving millions on a daily basis throughout the world, all using these same basic signs outside their establishments. We're discussing barber poles and pawnbroker balls, two icons that, unless you’r...

We were lucky enough to have Donovan Beery of the long-running design podcast The Reflex Blue Show pull up a stool next to us. We talk about some of our shared pop culture influences, listening to vinyl (and the creative opportunities record albums afford) and where we go to find inspiration (hint: Wikipedia addictions). We also found out Reflex Blue was inspired by bar conversations as well! Bott...

There are some products so iconic that you know what they are as soon as you lay your eyes on them. The color, the shape or some other distinctive brand feature says, “Accept no substitute. There is no equal.” Pour yourself a drink on the rocks, kick back against the bar and listen as we uncork the stories of the bottles from Coca-Cola and Absolut Vodka. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for s...

Video may have killed the radio star, but it poured gasoline on the spark of New Wave. As MTV exploded, youth culture moved to center stage and companies making wearables were more than happy to cater to changing tastes. In this episode we focus on Vans and Swatch, a couple of iconic fashion accessories found on the wrists and feet of Gen X. As we wrap-up our season on New Wave, let us know if you...

Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, the creators behind the hit design and pop culture show Two Designers Walk Into a Bar, announced last week at the PodFest Expo Upfronts the release of their newest investigative true-crime series, Design Crimes: Comic Sans, Who’s Laughing Now?, set to drop on April 15, 2024. The five-part show, hosted by Strunk and Coats, will explore the history of Comic Sans and Vin...

If New Wave was a style and attitude, television was how it was delivered to the masses. In this episode, we talk about two important touchstones during one of pop culture’s signature eras: the launch of MTV and the debut of Miami Vice. It's all pastel wonder and neon glow in our latest episode as New Wave meets the boob tube. Turn on, tune in and enjoy. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for s...

Bold colors. Funky haircuts. The Cold War and the Cola Wars. Video games and MTV. Japanese electronics and European fashion. Iconic music and movies... If New Wave was a style and attitude, then music was the delivery device. In this episode we discuss the political climate, creative activity and DIY attitudes that led to the formation and rise of one of pop culture’s signature eras. - - - - - Vis...

February 28: This week marks a quirky moment in pop culture (and soft drink) history. Michael Jackson's hair caught fire back in 1984 while shooting an ad for Pepsi, which was, to put it mildly, a production challenge. In this mini-episode we talk about the origins of the original Pepsi Challenge and a foolproof way to make small children cry. Drink. It. Up. - - - - - Visit our full episode page f...

February 21: This week marks the anniversary of an event that was made famous by one of the world’s most iconic photos: the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima. We talk about how the photo came to be and why it's still instantly recognizable today. - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more! https://www.twodesigner...

February 14: This week marks the anniversary of an accident. Not a normal accident. A blimp accident. The USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-filled airships ever created, crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and sank. This reminds us of one of our favorite company icons floating over a stadium near you: The Goodyear Blimp. Float on. - - - - - Visit our full episode page...

February 7: Logos and graphics are an important part of sports. This week marks the moment back in 1988 when Michael Jordan made his signature slam dunk from the free throw line, inspiring the Air Jordan brand and, more specifically, the Jumpman logo. But there are logos we love that don’t have the same iconic status. Here's the explosive story behind one of our hard working favorites that hasn’t...

January 31: Way back in 1973, KISS played their first show at the Popcorn Club in Queens. Now, it's no secret that Todd is a member of the KISS Army, so we felt highlighting their coming out party was appropriate for this week's mini-episode where we talk about the artwork for their landmark album “Rock ‘n Roll Over." - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we dis...

January 24: This week marks an important pop culture moment when Bob Dylan arrived in New York in 1961 after dropping out of college, playing a show at Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village. His performance reminds us of the Beats, one of our favorite eras. We take a few minutes to jump into our origin story about that movement and its impact on post-WWII American culture. - - - - - Visit our full episod...

January 17: It's only appropriate that we talk sports this week. Why? This was when the first Super Bowl was played in L.A. back in 1967, with the Green Bay Packers defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10. Speaking of Wisconsin athletics, the first thing that comes to mind four us is the Famous Racing Sausages from Milwaukee! If you haven't listened to this episode yet, it's time to ketchup. - - -...

January 10: Remember when the iPhone was first announced? Well, it happened this week back in 2007. Now, the iPhone is one of the world’s most successful products. Most tech never hits that milestone. Some comes before its time, and sometimes it goes sideways and gets creepy. Here’s an excerpt from one of our episodes about a tech product with lofty aspirations that didn’t quite make the cut: Goog...

January 3: This week, way back in 1979, the double-album soundtrack to the film Saturday Night Fever reached sales of 25 million worldwide, making it the then best-selling LP in history. To honor this milestone, it’s only appropriate we highlight one of our episodes that celebrated a temple of the disco scene: Studio 54. Beautiful people, bumping tunes and an anything goes atmosphere with Andy War...

In this episode, rubber is the name of the game as we discuss two products that held the promise of endless hours of entertainment and were found in the pages of comic books for, literally, decades. It’s the visual humor of the rubber chicken versus the sonic disturbance of the whoopee cushion. Dig some quarters out of your piggy bank. We’re all about to learn a thing or two… - - - - - Visit our f...

In this episode, we discuss two products that held the promise of self improvement and were found in the pages of comic books for, literally, decades. It’s Charles Atlas and his Dynamic Tension versus the Art Instruction Schools. Sneak one of your dad’s beers from the garage. We’re all about to learn a thing or two… - - - - - Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discu...