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Download / Dur:37:28 / 51.5Mb

Stefan Sagmeister needs little introduction as one of the worlds most well known graphic designers. This interview, recorded on the 21st May 2008, covers aspects of his latest publication, Things I Have Learned in My Life so Far, and other topics including design for brands, advertising, and optimism in design.

During this interview I ask a very awkwardly-worded and long-winded question about design blogs, for which I apologise to both listeners and Stefan, who was on the receiving end of it. I can only put this down to nerves associated with the fact that this was the first interview to be undertaken by wodcast onboard a moving train, (full schedules dictated that the only time available for an interview was on the 15.45 from Glasgow to Edinburgh), as you’ll be able to hear from the occasional punctuation of the conversation with station announcements and drinks enquiries.

Many thanks to Stefan for taking the time do do this interview, and to Ailsa MacKenzie at Six Cities / The Lighthouse for helping make it possible.

Download / Dur:14:30 / 11.6Mb

This interview with KesselsKramer took place in Amsterdam, Feb 2008, and focusses mainly on their innovative Do project. Positioning Do as a brand which only exists when you ‘do’ something, it originated as an antidote to ‘total-service’ brands churning out mass-produced fixed generic products. As such, it also exists as a piece of ‘critical design’, cutting straight to the heart of many of the contradictions and questions at the core of branding today.

Much of the published output of both KesselsKramer and the Do project can be found at KesselsKramer Publishing

Download / Dur:12:42 / 11.7Mb

Deborah Szebeko is the founder and director of thinkpublic - a company at the forefront of service and communication design in the uk public sector. This interview, which took place in London, January 2008, covers the nature of service design, looks at how design education might be better placed to deploy design skills in a number of different contexts, and questions our desire for constant innovation above all else.

Download / Dur:25:37 / 20.5Mb

Andy Altmann is a director of London based Why Not Associates. He co-founded the company on graduating from the Royal College of Art, and WNA rose to prominence co-creating Typography Now, as part of a new wave of postmodernism in graphic design. They have gone on to work across many disciplines, and have created two books cataloging their own work. This conversation covers type, craft and skill, the impact of technology on design and the working relationships between artists and designers. It took place in London in January 2008.

Download / Dur:09:17 / 8.5Mb

John Thackara is a symposiarch who designs events, projects, and organizations. He is also the Director of Doors of Perception (Doors), and author and editor of numerous books including, most recently, In the Bubble. For the last 23 months he has led the Design of the Times (dott 07) project in North East England.

Recorded at Intersections07, we join the discussion with John describing the dott 07 project, and the interview goes on to touch on design and social change, sustainability, and design education. As noted below, we are told that podcasts of proceedings from the Intersections conference will soon be available from the Design Council- until they are posted you can get a flavour of the goings on at the Intersections Blog.

Update: Conference podcasts now available here.

Download / Dur:11:48 / 10.8Mb

Recorded at Intersections07, this interview with Vicky Richardson, editior of Blueprint Magazine covers design criticism, design in the mainstream media, sustainability, interdisciplinarity, and the expanding art market. We are told that podcasts of proceedings from the Intersections conference will soon be available from the Design Council, and they should make interesting listening - until they are posted you can get a flavour of the goings on at the Intersections Blog.

Update: Conference podcasts now available here.

Download / Dur:26:55 / 24.7Mb

It’s been a while, but wodcast is back in action. We’ve always been keen for this podcast site to take a ‘broad-church’ approach to design and communication, and this interview with The Vacuum Cleaner fits that remit perfectly. Describing himself as ‘a cultural resistance collective of one’, this conversation takes in art practise, activism, ‘Brandalism’, advertising and subvertising, and the evolving capacities of the internet.

Download / Dur:22:11 / 20.3Mb

Adrian Shaughnessy is a designer, writer and editor. His current agency, This is Real Art, brings the roster format to the design agency world, and amongst his current books, How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul tops the design bestsellers lists. This discussion covers globalisation, shared design experiences and the future of visual design in the digital music era. It took place in Glasgow, March 2007.

Download / Dur:22:55 / 21Mb

Michael Johnson is founder and director of Johnson Banks, a leading UK design agency. He is also author of Problem Solved, a primer in design and communication, and a former President of D&AD. This discussion covers topics including design awards, design and politics, and whether blogging really is bad for your health. It took place in London, Feb 2007.

Download / Dur:24:21 / 22.3Mb

Martin Raymond is a director of The Future Laboratory, an agency dealing in trends, intelligence and ideas. They work with brands and organisations to help them see and shape future trends, using research and information generated from their Lifesigns network. This discussion covers topics including trend forecasting, brand authenticity, and the value of design and creativity, and took place in London, Feb 2007.