Design Matters with Debbie Millman

20th Anniversary celebration with technology pioneers Bill Moggridge, Jason Kottke, Anil Dash, and Kevin Kelly

Dec 1, 2025
In celebration of 20 years, Debbie Millman chats with tech pioneers: Bill Moggridge, co-founder of IDEO, who shares insights on the user-centered design of the first laptop; Jason Kottke, a blogging legend, discussing the evolution and ethics of online curation; Anil Dash, an advocate for humane tech, who critiques social media's impact and its moral responsibilities; and Kevin Kelly, co-founder of Wired, who explores technological inevitability and the ecosystem of innovation. Together, they reflect on how these advancements shape our daily lives.
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INSIGHT

Start With People

  • Bill Moggridge emphasizes starting design with people to create lasting, rewarding products.
  • He argues user-centered design remains reliable despite rapid technological change.
ANECDOTE

Designing The Laptop By Carrying Weights

  • Bill Moggridge recounts designing the first laptop by testing real user constraints like weight and drop impact.
  • He had colleagues carry added weights to determine an eight-pound comfort threshold for portability.
ANECDOTE

Kotke.org Started As An Episode

  • Jason Kottke explains Kotke.org began as an episodic side project called Oscillate in 1998 and evolved into his long-running blog.
  • He describes blogging as second nature after years of practice and routine posting.
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