Design Matters with Debbie Millman

Anne Morriss and Frances Frei are best-selling authors and among the world’s most influential thinkers, speakers, and advisors. Their clients range from Fortune 10 companies to tech founders to political leaders working to build national competitiveness. They join to talk about their new book, Move Fast and Fix Things, outlining a practical process leaders can implement to drive change.

Punk singer, artist, and the front-woman of the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, Kathleen Hanna has spent the last three decades as a trailblazer in the punk feminist movement. She joins guest host Roxane Gay to talk about her new memoir and storied career making art and music. 

Adam Moss is widely known as one of the great magazine editors of his generation, remaking and reshaping The New York Times and New York magazine into the most significant print and digital publications of our time. He joins to discuss his illustrious career as an author, editor, and artist.

Named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Innovators for the Next New Wave,” Suzan-Lori Parks is the first African American woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for Topdog/Underdog. She joins to discuss her long and illustrious career as a playwright, musician, and novelist.

New York Times bestselling, award-winning author and educator Emily Nagoski is one of the most exceptional minds at work today on the science of sexual connection, intimacy, and arousal. She joins to discuss her remarkable career and new book, “Come Together.”

Writer Amy Lin deconstructs grief in her new memoir ‘Here After,’ a beautifully visceral and emotionally intimate depiction of young widowhood. She joins to discuss the science of grief and how she coped in the wake of her inexplicable loss.

Throughout her prolific writing career, Nell Irvin Painter has published works on such luminaries as Sojourner Truth, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Malcolm X. Her unique vantage on American history pushes the boundaries of personal narrative and academic authorship and asks readers to reconsider ideas of race, politics, and identity. She joins to discuss her legendary career as a distinguished historian, award-winning author, and artist.

Since 1998, David Remnick has been the editor of The New Yorker and has written hundreds of pieces for the magazine, including reporting from Russia, the Middle East, and Europe and Profiles of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Katharine Graham, Mike Tyson, Bruce Springsteen and more. He also hosts the magazine’s national radio program and podcast, “The New Yorker Radio Hour.” He joins live at the On Air Fest to talk about his legendary life and career...

Renowned writer, cultural critic, and scholar of the demimonde Lucy Sante joins to discuss her career and a new memoir, “I Heard Her Call My Name,” reflecting on her transition and self-actualization in her sixties.

David Bryne views life through many lenses. He’s a musician, author, filmmaker, curator, conservationist, digital music theorist, bicycle advocate, visual artist... the list goes on. But through his many trajectories – from co-founding the acclaimed band Talking Heads to his later solo career, moving into theater and beyond, David is always trying to capture the indescribable. In this episode of The TED Interview, another podcast from the TED Aud...

From acclaimed pop spectacles to Super Bowl halftime shows to the Closing Ceremony for the London Olympics, artist and stage designer Es Devlin has transformed large-scale performative sculptures and environments transporting audiences. She joins to discuss two decades of design spanning opera, theatre, and stadium extravaganzas.

Impostor syndrome is one of many therapy-speak words that have gone mainstream in the past few years — but what is it, really? Aparna Nancherla knows all about it. Aparna is a comedian and the author of "Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself, and Impostor Syndrome.” Despite her success as a performer, she isn’t immune to self-doubt. In this episode from another TED Audio Collective podcast, How to Be a Better Human, Aparna talks about the ways she’s le...

The Critic's Daughter is an exquisitely rendered portrait of a unique father-daughter relationship and a moving revelation of family and identity. Author Priscilla Gilman joins to talk about her memoir, a candid account of loss and grief, forgiveness, and love.

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.

New York Times bestselling author and journalist Suleika Jaouad began writing her Emmy Award-winning column, “Life, Interrupted,” from her hospital room, chronicling her experiences as a young adult with cancer. She joins to discuss her remarkable life, career, and bestselling memoir, Between Two Kingdoms.

Aminatou Sow discusses her extraordinary journey that took her from Africa to Texas, from a job in a toy store to Google to co-host of one of today’s most brilliant podcasts, Call Your Girlfriend.

As a child, Thelma Golden dreamt of a life in art museums—and that’s exactly the path she followed, breaking brilliant and historic new ground along the way.

The daughter of folk-music royalty, singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche joins to talk about her life, family, and multi-decade career in the music industry.

James Clear has been writing about habits, decision making, and continuous improvement for over a decade. Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits, he joins to talk about his career and how we can stop sabotaging our efforts with insurmountable goals.

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

Iconic graphic designer, typographer, author, and educator Stefan Sagmeister joins live on the CreativeMornings stage to talk about his multi-decade, ever-evolving career and his newest book, Now is Better, transforming facts about the state of our world into abstract data visualizations.

Working in painting, bookmaking, illustration, collage, performance, and sculpture, Oliver Jeffers joins to talk about his career making art and telling stories. His new book, Begin Again, explores humankind’s impact on itself and our planet, asking the big question: Where do we go from here?

On this special episode of Design Matters, we take a look back at the collective brilliance of filmmakers interviewed in 2023. Best of Design Matters 2023 with Siân Heder, Sarah Polley, and Kyra Sedgwick is live!

On this special episode of Design Matters, we take a look back at the collective brilliance of writers interviewed in 2023. Best of Design Matters 2023 with Alexandra Horowitz, Rick Rubin, and Kevin Kelly is live!

Roy Wood Jr. is an Emmy-nominated comedian, writer, producer, actor, radio personality, and podcaster known for his stand-up comedy and work as a correspondent on Comedy Central’s The Daily Show. He joins the Design Matters Live Tour to discuss his career, entertaining millions across the stage, television, and radio.

The legendary Audie Cornish—anchor, correspondent, journalist, host, and interviewer—joins live from the Design Matters Tour to talk about her career in journalism, covering national, political, and breaking news for over two decades.

For decades, Rosanne Cash has soared through the ranks of music with her powerhouse poetic skills and wistful reflections on her past. She has released 15 albums, won four Grammys, and authored four books, including a best-selling memoir. She joins to talk about her life and legendary career as a singer, songwriter, and author.

Isaac Fitzgerald has been a firefighter, worked on a boat, and was once given a sword by a king. He is also the New York Times bestselling author of Dirtbag, Massachusetts, a coming of age memoir recounting his early years in Boston, an ongoing search for forgiveness, and a more expansive definition of family and self.

One of the most influential art directors, design thinkers, and cultural critics of our time, Steven Heller, and his son Nicolas Heller, an acclaimed commercial director and documentarian, better known to his social media followers as New York Nico, join live at the AIGA Conference to talk about their remarkable careers and shared love for New York City.

Neville Brody is one of the most celebrated graphic designers of his generation—a leading typographer and internationally recognized art director and brand strategist. He joins to discuss his third monograph, which showcases projects from the last thirty years of his illustrious career.

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.

Kip Thorne, Nobel Prize winning theoretical physicist known for his pioneering work in astrophysics, and Lia Halloran, multi-award-winning artist and photographer, join to talk about their cosmic collaboration—a book of poetry and paintings called “The Warped Side of Our Universe: An Odyssey through Black Holes, Wormholes, Time Travel, and Gravitational Waves.”

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.

Tech journalist, opinion leader, and disruptor—Kara Swisher has hosted hundreds of newsmaking interviews tracking tech and media's changing power dynamics, often going head-to-head with the most prominent figures in the technology industry. She joins a live studio audience to talk about her inimitable career covering the ever-evolving world of technology.

MacArthur Fellow, Peabody Award winner, iconic public radio host and creator of one of the most successful shows, Radiolab—Jad Abumrad joins a studio audience in New York for the Design Matters live tour.

From pop stars to sports legends to rock gods, Mary Ellen Matthews has been crafting iconic images as an entertainment portrait photographer for over two decades. She joins to talk about her career as the chief photographer for Saturday Night Live and how she’s created the distinctive look for the show’s images since 1999.

Design royalty Paula Scher, Emily Oberman and Michael Bierut join this special live episode to celebrate and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the legendary, multi-disciplinary, independently owned design studio, Pentagram with a new, two-volume book, PENTAGRAM AT 50: LIVING BY DESIGN.

Digital visionary, bestselling author, founder of the popular Cool Tools website, and Co-Founder and Senior Maverick of Wired magazine—Kevin Kelly joins to talk about his career, his new book, and his radical optimism about the future of our world and humanity.

For over sixty years, Gloria Steinem has been at the center of American culture and political life, where she has been instrumental in shaping our ideas about feminism, humanity, and equal rights for all people. She joins to talk about her legendary career as an award-winning journalist, New York Times best-selling author, co-founder of one of the most significant magazines of the 21st century, and an activist whose work has impacted the place wo...

Jessica Nordell—science and cultural journalist—explores ways of changing pernicious thought patterns to eliminate unconscious bias for a more just world.

Steven Heller—legendary writer and author—joins to discuss his new book “Growing Up Underground,” an entertaining and humorous coming-of-age story at the center of New York’s youth culture in the 1960s and 1970s.

Author of the bestselling book “Queenie”—Candice Carty-Williams joins a very special guest host, Roxane Gay, to talk about her latest novel “People Person” which follows the Pennington family, a cadre of five half-siblings forced together in the wake of a dramatic event.

Rising to the top of tennis stardom, Chris Evert talks about her groundbreaking career as a legendary athlete and recent creative endeavor in jewelry design.

Chip Kidd—award-winning designer, musician, author, and all around rock star—joins for his fifth time to talk about his recent projects and so much more.

Joan Wasser shares her musical journey from a classically trained violinist to a solo singer, songwriter, and rock star known as Joan As Police Woman.

A love for craftsmanship, design, and baseball brings music legend Jack White and design entrepreneur Ben Jenkins together. In 2016, Jack White became an investor in Ben Jenkins's sporting goods brand, Warstic. Today the company does so much more than manufacture artisan baseball bats.

As Vice President of Human Interface Design at Apple, Alan Dye has spent much of his career working for a company that has done perhaps more than any other to make design sexy, essential, and highly coveted. He joins to discuss his lustrous creative path working with Ogilvy’s Brand Integration Group, Kate Spade, Apple and the brand new, highly anticipated Apple Vision Pro.

The author of the award-winning novels “Pachinko” and “Free Food for Millionaires,” Min Jin Lee, discusses her remarkable career and the long journey and intention behind her Korean diaspora novels.

Over the course of his storied career as a designer and educator, Dr. D’Wayne Edwards has created more than 500 footwear styles for premier entertainers such as Tupac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, and Notorious B.I.G. His designs have been worn in six Olympics and graced all MLB, NFL, and NBA stadiums. He joins to talk about his remarkable career and current role as President of Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design.

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.

Best-selling author, scientist, and trailblazer in autism research, Dr. Temple Grandin’s new book “Visual Thinking” draws on cutting-edge research and her own lived experience to reframe the conversation on neurodiversity and different types of thinkers.

Best known for her controversial novels featuring extreme situations and characters, A.M. Homes discusses her most recent book, The Unfolding, and her remarkable career authoring thirteen extraordinarily original books.

Jason Reynolds—award-winning author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature—discusses his prolific writing career that inspires young readers to discover their own stories.

Described as a darkly funny meditation on creativity and family, Brad Listi joins to talk about his new book, “Be Brief and Tell Them Everything.”

Amy Ray and Emily Saliers talk about their extraordinary 30-year creative collaboration as the music duo, Indigo Girls.

With her blog, Dooce, Heather Armstrong ushered in a new genre of confessional writing online, inspiring millions of readers and creators. To honor her legacy, we are replaying the episode from 2011. Among many things, we talked about suicide and depression, so please be forewarned.

Best known for her Emmy and Golden Globe-winning role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer, Kyra Sedgwick joins to discuss her remarkable acting career and new directorial debut, Space Oddity.

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.

Best known for her role as Bond girl Pam Bouvier in the James Bond movie License to Kill and ADA Jamie Ross in the television series Law & Order, Carey Lowell joins to discuss her career as a model, actress, and ceramicist.

Neil deGrasse Tyson—world-renowned astrophysicist, Emmy-nominated host, and author—is one of the most popular and influential figures in modern science. He joins to discuss his cosmic career and new book, “Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization.”

Peter Arnell has built an unparalleled reputation creating groundbreaking, boundary-averse work for many of the world’s most celebrated brands. He joins to discuss his new book and storied career as a designer, branding executive, photographer, founder, and CEO.

A founding member of the Bangles, a solo artist, and a collaborator, Susanna Hoffs boasts one of pop music’s most striking and beloved voices. She joins to talk about her prolific music career and her new book, “This Bird Has Flown.”

American actress and playwright Kirsten Vangsness joins to discuss her role as bespectacled tech kitten Penelope Garcia on the long-running CBS crime drama Criminal Minds.

Don Norman, the Godfather of UX Design and Cognitive Science’s foremost pioneer, joins to discuss his new book “Design for a Better World” and how human behavior can save the world from its dire predicament.

Today we’re sharing a preview of A Slight Change of Plans, from Pushkin Industries. Cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Maya sits down with Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves. Kacey has never been willing to change herself or her music for anyone else. But a psychedelic trip allowed he...

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.

Best known for writing and directing the Academy Award-Winning film CODA and her work on the television series Orange Is the New Black—Siân Heder joins to talk about her remarkable career as a writer, producer, and filmmaker.

Lynn Goldsmith has documented over five decades of American culture, photographing stars from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to David Bowie and Iggy Pop. She joins to talk about her legendary career behind the camera and new book, “Music in the ‘80s.”

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.”

Sitting at the nexus of art, fashion and academia, Dario Calmese is an artist, urbanist, director and brand consultant. He shares his thoughts on photography and the design of the world around us on this very special live episode.

Having won an Olympic gold medal and two Women’s World Cups, Megan Rapinoe is among the most decorated and world famous athletes of our time. She joins to talk about her legendary soccer career, activism, and New York Times Best-Selling book.

Delivering soulful vocals over warm, atmospheric synth productions, young music prodigy King Princess joins to talk about their career and the double-edged nature of early success in the music business.

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.

Will Guidara—an elite New York restauranteur and author—talks about his storied career as a leader in modern luxury dining, delivering service that transforms a meal into a magical experience.

Guy Kawasaki—author, educator, and Chief Evangelist of Canva—talks about his career in Silicon Valley and his experience working for Steve Jobs as Chief Evangelist of Apple.

On this special episode of Design Matters, we look back at the collective brilliance of the musicians and performers interviewed in 2022. Best of Design Matters 2022 with Jack White, Indigo Girls, Joan As Police Woman, Dylan Marron, and Chris Evert is live!

On this special episode of Design Matters, we take a look back at the collective brilliance of fiction writers interviewed in 2022. Best of Design Matters 2022 with Brad Listi, Jason Reynolds, A.M. Homes, Candice Carty-Williams, and Min Jin Lee is live!

Best known for starring in the film “The Hobbyist,” Daniel Mitura discusses his multi-hyphenated career as an actor, writer, producer, and playwright and his new science-fiction short film “Launch at Paradise.”

The author of the award-winning novels “Pachinko” and “Free Food for Millionaires,” Min Jin Lee, discusses her remarkable career and the long journey and intention behind her Korean diaspora novels.

Over the course of his storied career as a designer and educator, Dr. D’Wayne Edwards has created more than 500 footwear styles for premier entertainers such as Tupac, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog, and Notorious B.I.G. His designs have been worn in six Olympics and graced all MLB, NFL, and NBA stadiums. He joins to talk about his remarkable career and current role as President of Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design.

James Clear has been writing about habits, decision making, and continuous improvement for over a decade. Author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits, he joins to talk about his career and how we can stop sabotaging our efforts with insurmountable goals.

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.

Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer are the co-founders of Sight Unseen, an online magazine where designers and tastemakers go to find what’s new and next in design and the visual arts. They join to share insights and secrets unveiled in their new book, “How to Live With Objects: A Guide to More Meaningful Interiors.”

Hailed the “Father of Modern Branding,” David Aaker has received numerous awards for his contributions to the science of marketing and authored some of the most influential books in business. He joins to talk about his new book, “The Future of Purpose-Driven Branding,” and his legendary career.

PepsiCo’s award-winning Chief Design Officer, Mauro Porcini, reveals the secret to creating life-changing innovation in his new book, a manifesto for a genuine, authentic, and deeply humanistic approach to design.

As founder of the Rockwell Group, an award winning, cross-disciplinary architecture and design practice, David Rockwell has designed countless visual and spatial heartstoppers ranging from restaurants, hotels, airport terminals, and hospitals, to festivals, museum exhibitions, and Broadway sets. He joins to talk about his remarkable life and upcoming projects.

Michael Kimmelman has been the architecture critic of The New York Times since 2011, writing about cities, public space, infrastructure, community development, public housing, equity, and the environment. He joins to talk about his extraordinary career in journalism and his new book, “The Intimate City: Walking New York.”

Best-selling author, scientist, and trailblazer in autism research, Dr. Temple Grandin’s new book “Visual Thinking” draws on cutting-edge research and her own lived experience to reframe the conversation on neurodiversity and different types of thinkers.

Steven Heller—legendary writer and author—joins to discuss his new book “Growing Up Underground,” an entertaining and humorous coming-of-age story at the center of New York’s youth culture in the 1960s and 1970s.

Author of the Sunday Times bestselling Queenie—Candice Carty-Williams joins a very special guest host, Roxane Gay, to talk about her latest novel People Person which follows the Pennington family, a cadre of five half-siblings forced together in the wake of a dramatic event.

Best known for her controversial novels featuring extreme situations and characters, A.M. Homes discusses her most recent book, The Unfolding, and her remarkable career authoring thirteen extraordinarily original books.

Thirty years ago, Anita Hill became a household name when she told the world about her experience with sexual harassment in the workplace. Today, she joins to talk about her extraordinary life and new book, “Believing: Our Thirty-Year Journey to End Gender Violence.”

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

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.

Rising to the top of tennis stardom, Chris Evert talks about her groundbreaking career as a legendary athlete.

Jessica Nordell—science and cultural journalist—explores ways of changing pernicious thought patterns to eliminate unconscious bias for a more just world.

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.

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.

Writer, editor, and curator Antwaun Sargent joins to talk about his remarkable career, positioned at the center of the explosion of interest in art made by Black Americans.

Jason Reynolds—award-winning author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature—discusses his prolific writing career that inspires young readers to discover their own stories.