Design History
Get your bearings on the history of design with these essential episodes.
In 2023 we started two new series for Design Better, on design history and the creative process. In this post, we’ve put together the design history episodes so that you can find them easily and share with other folks who want to learn more about some of the foundational movements and figures in the history of design (we’ll continue to add to this list as new episodes air).
LLisa Demetrios, granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames
Mid century modern design aesthetics are enduring and as relevant today as ever. Perhaps no designers influenced those philosophies more than Charles and Ray Eames whose body of work transcends media and is still being produced today.
It’s hard not to think of the Eames’ as monolithic design heroes, but today we’re taking a different look at them as human beings. We’re talking with Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator of the Eames Institute and the granddaughter of Charles and Ray.
In this interview, we get to know some of the personal stories behind the legendary designers, from how they met, to Llisa’s experience having two of the most creative grandparents a child could wish for.
Listen to the episode with LLisa
Paula Scher on design, persuasion and embracing mistakes
Paula Scher’s work and kinetic typography sits in the canon of graphic design history. Described as the “master conjurer of the instantly familiar,” Scher straddles the line between pop culture and fine art in her work.
She’s been a partner at Pentagram since 1991 where she has led the redesign of numerous major brands including Citi and Tiffany & Co.
One other fun story from the show…we learn the real backstory behind the Citibank logo that Paula created, and the story isn’t the same one you’ll find if you Google it.
Listen to the episode with Paula
Barry Katz on the history and philosophy of design in Silicon Valley and beyond
We bet you don’t know where the term “interaction design” comes from, but Barry Katz does. Katz’s book, Make It New, captures the lost history of digital design that should be required reading for all in the software design industry.
In our conversation with Barry we learned when exactly design became an essential part of technology businesses, and the origin story behind some of the challenges designers commonly have with engineering teams. This is an eye opening episode.
Listen to the episode with Barry
Paola Antonelli on how design shapes culture
The Museum of Modern Art brings to mind images of Van Gough’s Starry Night, Salvador Dali’s Persistence of Memory, and Andy Warhol’s Campbell Soup Cans. But thanks to Paola Antonelli, senior curator in the Department of Architecture and Design, MoMA exhibitions also encompass the role design has played in shaping culture and the human experience.
We talk with Paola about how we can look at digital design through a historic lens, some of the most important design movements in the past 100 years, and how the creative process has evolved through these different movements.
We also talk about the history of the “@” symbol, why craftsmanship is necessary to experimentation, and some of the current challenges in design education.
Listen to the episode with Paola
Jonathan Hoefler on type history, philosophy, and entrepreneurship
Chances are you have a few fonts on your computer designed by Jonathan Hoefler. Since 1991, Apple has included Hoefler Text on every Mac. Ideal Sans, Knockout, Archer, Verlag, and Sentinel—are a few more of Hoefler’s well known typefaces —each is steeped in history and timelessly beautiful. It’s no wonder that Jonathan was featured in the Netflix series Abstract, which explores design and creativity, as he is truly a typography legend.
We talk with Jonathan about his typographic influences, his philosophical views on the value of presentation and why he views entrepreneurship as an invitation, and some of the themes in his work like “Unfinished Business” and “Conservation and Preservation.”