Design Notes
Design Notes is a podcast about creative work and what it teaches us. Hosted by Liam Spradlin, a Senior UX Designer at Google focused on the philosophy of the user interface, the show features conversations with people from unique creative fields, uncovering what inspires and unites us in our practice. Tune in to learn how UX design connects to creative work across disciplines and around the world. Find episodes on your favorite platform at design-notes.show
Design Can’t Rely on Logic: Troy Leinster on Type Design and Human Perception
In this episode, I reconnect with my former instructor, type designer and design coach Troy Leinster. Troy shares his journey from graphic design to type design, and explains why learning to…
The User Brings the Confetti: Rob Giampietro on Scaling a Human-Centered Brand
Rob Giampietro, Head of Creative at Notion and former Design Director at MoMA, returns to the show to unpack the story behind Notion Faces, the popular tool that allows users to…
True is Better Than New: David Reinfurt on Evolving Graphic Design Education
In this episode, designer, educator, and author David Reinfurt returns to the show to discuss his latest book, A *Co-* Program for Graphic Design. Born from a series of lectures delivered…
Material Design Gets Expressive: Inside Google's Emotion-Driven UX Update
This special episode digs into the latest evolution of Google’s design system: . Liam talks with Material Design’s Android Product Manager Aneesha Kommineni, UX Researcher Michael Gilbert, and Creative Director Andy…
Beauty Across the Board: Rich Fulcher on Making Beauty a UX Priority at Google
This season's special series closes out with Rich Fulcher, former Google UX director and Material design lead. Fulcher remembers the career-defining journey of creating Material, what it was like to make…
Breaking Silos (and Metaphors): A 'Roving Engineer' on Design & Engineering Collaboration
This season's special series continues with Adrian Secord, who describes himself as a “roving engineer.” Adrian has over a decade of experience building systems and tools that transform design…
Code, Creativity, Performance: Will Larche on Engineering as 'Creativity with Constraints'
This season's special series since the launch of Material Design continues with Software Engineering Manager and Musical Theater Writer Will Larche, who talks about his path to become an…
Fab Components: Bethany Fong on Designing Material's Signature Floating Action Button
This episode is part of a special series celebrating ten years of Material Design. In the episode, Liam speaks with Bethany Fong, a Design Director at Meta who was a pivotal…
Facing Our Interfaces: Matías Duarte on the Future of Individualized Design
This season begins with a special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design, which will explore the inception, evolution, and future of Google’s design approach. The first episode…
Designing Better Code: How Google Engineers Make Coding a Creative Practice
Liam speaks with Googlers Connie Shi, a software engineer on Material Design, and Matvei Malkov, a software engineer on Jetpack Compose, and the trio unpack what makes coding a creative practice,…
How Fonts Change the World: Dave Crossland on Digital Type and Emotional Expression
Liam and Google Fonts Specialist Dave Crossland explore what digital type can teach us about digital production, emotional expression, and where we fit in the world as designers; and how –…
Coding (and Decoding) Social Spaces: Judith Donath on the Future of Life Online
In this episode, Liam speaks with Judith Donath, the founder of MIT’s Sociable Media Lab, inventor of e-cards, and author of The Social Machine: Designs for Living Online. Donath’s work offers…
Fearless Design: Aline Borges on Composition and Creative Career Changes
Liam speaks with Aline Borges, a Zürich-based floral designer who’s made the leap from fashion coordination for magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar to independent floral design and installations. The conversation…
⏮️ How Machines Help Us See Ourselves: Harvey Moon on Art Made Through Machine Collaboration
Revisiting a conversation about revealing unseen properties of the world around us
The Impact of Shared Space: Ignacio Ciocchini on Designing NYC's Public Furniture
How the built environment expands, constrains, and informs our experiences of life in a city
⏮️ Learning From Your Virtual Twin: Kerry Murphy on Digital Fashion and Virtual Embodiment
Revisiting the self-actualizing potential of couture that only exists in virtual space
Digital Anthropology: Tom Boellstorff on How Virtual Worlds Shape Our Actual Lives
Exploring creation as a primary mode of experiencing life
Welcome Back to Design Notes: Season 2 Trailer
Announcing Design Notes Season 2
[SF Design Week] Julian Zigerli on Expressive, Un-Gendered Fashion Design
In this episode, part of San Francisco Design Week's Digital Edition, Liam speaks with Julian Zigerli, a designer in Zürich, Switzerland creating clothing that allows everyone to decide how what they…
Theming with Moooi: Creating an Immersive Digital Flagship (2020 Material Design Awards)
This episode is part of a special series of three interviews, recorded remotely with the winners of the 2020 Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Moooi,…
Dark Theme with KAYAK: How Dark Mode Revolutionized a Brand's Approach to Color (2020 Material Design Awards)
This episode is part of a special series of three interviews, recorded remotely with the winners of the 2020 Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. KAYAK…
Motion Design with Epsy: Using Meaningful Motion for Better Health Outcomes (2020 Material Design Awards)
This episode is part of a special series of three interviews, recorded remotely with the winners of the 2020 Material Design Awards, exploring what goes into creating an award-winning app. Epsy…
The Surprising Poetry of AI: BJ Best on Teaching Computers to Create Art
BJ Best on collaborating with computers to create poetry, music, and visual art
The Magic Question for Creativity: Laurie Rosenwald on Making Mistakes on Purpose
How Illustrator Laurie Rosenwald uses chaos to unlock creative potential
Learning From Your Virtual Twin: Kerry Murphy on Digital Fashion and Self-Actualization
Unlocking the power of seeing—and dressing—ourselves in virtual couture
A Prompt for Creative Renewal: David Reinfurt on A New Program for Graphic Design
Exploring notions of identity in design and art with author and O-R-G founder David Reinfurt
Reflectly: Pushing the Boundaries of Material Motion (2019 Material Design Awards)
Expression, innovation, and building for the world with this year’s Material Design Award winners
Ruff: Building an Expressive Brand Identity with Material Theming (2019 Material Design Awards)
Expression, innovation, and building for the world with this year’s Material Design Award winners
Trip.com: Designing a Universal Travel App for Global Users (2019 Material Design Awards)
Expression, innovation, and building for the world with this year’s Material Design Award winners
Scripts: Using Creative Interactions to Make Learning Feel Accomplished (2019 Material Design Awards)
Expression, innovation, and building for the world with this year’s Material Design Award winners
The Psychedelic Spark: GMUNK on His Aesthetic and the Importance of Creative Discomfort
GMUNK on the psychedelic origins of his aesthetic and the importance of discomfort
