Design Matters with Debbie Millman

Debbie Millman has been interviewing creative people for over two decades, and at 660-plus episodes, Design Matters might be the most comprehensive oral history of modern creative life ever assembled. Now part of the TED Audio Collective, the show started long before most people knew what a podcast was. Millman's approach is disarmingly personal. She doesn't just ask about the work -- she wants to know how her guests designed the entire arc of their lives. Conversations span artists, designers, entrepreneurs, performers, and thinkers from wildly different disciplines, but there's always a through-line: what compels someone to build a creative life, and what it actually costs them. Her guest list reads like a who's-who of creative culture, from graphic designers to novelists to museum directors. What makes Millman exceptional as an interviewer is her preparation and genuine curiosity. She catches details other hosts miss, and she's not afraid to push gently when an answer stays too safe. Her questions have a literary quality to them -- they're crafted, not improvised. Listeners regularly mention that even episodes featuring guests they've never heard of turn out to be some of the most compelling. The production is polished without feeling corporate. Each episode runs about 45 minutes to an hour. This is the kind of show that makes you rethink your own creative path while you're listening to someone else talk about theirs.