Monocle on Design

Monocle brings its signature editorial sensibility to this weekly 30-minute design show, and the result is something that feels more like a well-produced radio magazine than a typical podcast. Presented by Nic Monisse, Monocle on Design covers a genuinely international range of topics spanning furniture, fashion, architecture, and craft, always with an eye toward quality and intentionality. The show has been running for over 14 years with more than 100 episodes in its archive, and it benefits enormously from Monocle's global network of correspondents and editors. You'll hear dispatches from design weeks in Milan and Tokyo, interviews with architects building in Scandinavia, profiles of furniture makers in Portugal, and reports from fashion houses in Paris. The geographic breadth alone sets it apart from most design podcasts, which tend to skew heavily toward Silicon Valley or New York. Each episode typically strings together several shorter segments rather than focusing on a single long conversation, which keeps the pacing lively and means you're exposed to multiple ideas in a single sitting. The production values are polished in a way that reflects Monocle's print roots, with clean audio and thoughtful editing. Topics regularly touch on sustainability, the relationship between design and happiness, and how cultural context shapes creative decisions. It's a sophisticated show that assumes its listeners are curious about the world beyond their own discipline. If your taste in design runs more toward Vitsoe shelving and Muji stationery than startup pitch decks, this is your show.