The official podcast feed of AIGA, the professional association for design. We explore various facets of the design discipline, profession, and industry to help...
Data Visualization & Migration with Marta Foresti & Federica Fragapane from the LAGO Collective
In the third episode of the season of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Marta Foresti and Federica Fragapane. Marta is the founder and CEO of LAGO Collective, as well as a visiting senior fellow at ODI Global and the Moleskine Foundation. Federica is an independent information designer who has collaborated with organizations like Google, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the European Union, BBC Science Focus, Columbia University, and La Lettura.
Marta and Federica discovered each other’s work through social media and realized they shared a common motivation: using design to create impactful projects. Their mutual interest in the movement of people as a global phenomenon led them to collaborate at LAGO Collective. Through their work, they’ve come to understand that design’s power goes beyond representing data or creating beautiful visuals; it can actively perform and generate knowledge.
Marta explains that at LAGO Collective, projects often begin with a desire to tell a story, followed by research, rather than starting with a research question to guide the story.
Federica challenges traditional imagery used in data visualization by introducing new symbols that offer an alternative narrative. She emphasizes the importance of intentionality in the design process, ensuring that the visuals align with the intended message and impact.
They also discuss how to work with both qualitative and quantitative data to craft compelling storytelling through data visualization. For Marta and Federica, their projects are not just about presenting information but about performing for the audience—engaging them in a meaningful way.
Both Marta and Federica are committed to introducing new stories that influence public discourse, challenge dominant narratives, and combat misinformation.
They envision LAGO Collective as a space where people can have open conversations that inspire change. What topic would you bring to LAGO Collective for a new conversation?
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Assembling Tomorrow with Scott Doorley & Carissa Carter from the Stanford d.school
In the second episode of this season of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, professors at the Stanford d.school, discussing their career and their new book Assembling Tomorrow.
Their motivation to write the book came from the feeling of how unsettling they believe the world is right now and the belief we can craft a better tomorrow. Carissa believes Design is not just about the products we create but the experiences that create and the system that we live in.
In the book, they introduce the concept of Runaway Design and the unpredictability of technology's evolution. They delve into our interactions with materials, physical and digital, and explore the implications that might arise from it.
Their book navigates in a fiction and non-fiction space and tackles speculative design methods. Scott and Carissa argue that design begins as fiction since everything is imagined before it’s created. Scott reflects on the fact that society is changing things but challenges listeners by asking: What do we actually want to change?
The conversation also touches on their evolving relationships with AI tools and how this is part of their creative process in an exploratory way. They share how some of their students are exploring AI’s limitations in the physical world and reflecting on how this highlights the depth of human knowledge. They believe their work is bringing visibility to the invisibility brought by technology.
What about you? How are you shaping the future you believe in?
Assembling Tomorrow: https://amzn.to/3P3QzP7
Watch the video version of the AIGA Design Podcast on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBsiKvJPy6IEKSanoWtz2-xFggU0ncuBM
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Design + Performance (New Season/Theme) with Gary Jaffe, Independent Filmmaker
This is the kick-off episode introducing the new season of the AIGA Design Podcast with our new theme, DESIGN + PERFORMANCE.
The theme is open for designers to interpret it in their own unique ways, bringing individual perspectives to the table. In this episode, we explore how we approach design considering the nuances of performance in creative fields.
Host Lee-Sean Huang interviews independent filmmaker Gary Jaffe about his professional journey and creative process.
They delve into multiple interpretations of "performance" and its tangible and intangible roles in filmmaking. They discuss the decisions a film director makes (and doesn’t make), emphasizing the importance of trusting the team you work with. They highlight the need to create space for individuals to fully perform their roles, allowing the team’s collective skills to shine.
For Gary, much like in business, a film carries its own vision. Setting clear goals for how the movie should look is essential, but embracing the unexpected reality is also a vital part of the creative process.
As designers, everything we experience serves as inspiration for our work. Ensuring a clear reference point from the beginning helps keep the project on track and aligned with everyone involved.
Gary believes that the way he presents himself reflects his creative identity and aligns with the style of work he produces.
What about you? How do you perform design?
Watch/subscribe to the video version of the AIGA Design Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxpZCam3dhI&list=PLBsiKvJPy6IEKSanoWtz2-xFggU0ncuBM
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Robert Brunner on Designing Products for Scale
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang talks with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and Partner at Ammunition. With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio.
When asked about the early years of his career, he shared that growing up in a household where both parents were makers inspired him and continues to influence his work. While in university, he initially believed civil engineering was the right path for him. However, after reflecting more deeply on his passion, he realized that industrial design was his true calling.
He founded Ammunition two decades ago, and the studio continues to thrive. Ammunition is a multidisciplinary studio that keeps the products they design at the center, making sure they create products that matter. He is also committed to focusing on the economics of product development, particularly when it comes to scaling. He shared the challenges faced in designing Beats by Dre over the past 19 years, as well as in developing Square, which democratized credit card transactions for small business owners.
When it comes to generative AI, while he acknowledges its potential to support design automation and development refinement, he believes that the connection design creates with people cannot be outsourced.
The advice Robert shared with us and tells his kids as well is that when you see yourself working on a project in the middle of the night and don’t care how late it is, you have found your passion and your purpose that will allow you to grow.
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Clip: Robert Brunner on changing his major to design
This clip is a preview of our upcoming AIGA Design Podcast with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and Partner at Ammunition. With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio.
The full episode with Robert Brunner, which also happens to be our season finale, comes out on September 17, 2024.
The official podcast feed of AIGA, the professional association for design. We explore various facets of the design discipline, profession, and industry to help our listeners learn about the past and present and prepare for the future. The theme of our 2024-2025 season is "Design and Performance."
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