Scratching the Surface

Geoff Manaugh's blog BLDGBLOG, which he started in 2004 to talk about architecture and landscapes, has been one of my favorite blogs for years. He's also the author of the book, A Burglar's Guide to the City, which was optioned for television by CBS, and has contributed to publications like The New York Times, The Atlantic, Cabinet Magazine, The New Yorker, and Domus. In this episode, Geoff and I talk about how architecture became the center of a venn diagram of his various interests, the changing state of architecture discourse, working with editors, and how to look at design through new lenses.

Theo Inglis is a freelance graphic designer and writer based in London. He is a recent graduate of the Critical Writing in Art and Design MA at The Royal College of Art and currently writes for Grafik and Monotype. In this episode, Theo and I talk about his recent MA thesis, An Absurd Machine: Branding, Design, and the City, how he got started writing while he was working as a designer, the types of design writing we want to see more of, and the differences between design criticism, theory, and journalism.

Hannah Ellis is a designer, writer, and lecturer in London, England where her work explores the intersection between graphic design and education, through publication and editorial design, writing, lectures, workshops and gallery-based pieces. She's a lecturer in the design department of Sheffield Hallam University and writes frequently for the Creative Review. In this episode, Hannah and I talk about her dissatisfaction in working as a designer and her transition to writing and teaching, as well as her recent piece on Monographs for Creative Review, and what's missing from the contemporary design discourse. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm.

Tony Brook is an award-winning designer, creative director, and publisher. He is the co-founder of the London-based design studio Spin and in 2009, he co-founded with Adrian Shaughnessy the design-focused publishing venture Unit Editions. In this episode, Tony and I talk about his early interest in design and how he is continually reinventing Spin, the origins of Unit Editions and his work in publishing, as well as design's obsession with nostalgia and how that influences design criticism. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm.

Mark Lamster is the architectural critic of the Dallas Morning News, a Loeb Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Design, and a professor in the architecture school at the University of Texas at Arlington. He's the author of several books, and is currently finishing a biography of architect Philip Johnson. In this episode, Mark and I talk about how he started writing about architecture, how making books is like making architecture, what it's like writing about architecture for a daily newspaper, and how technology is changing the role of the critic. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm

Mr. Jeffery Keedy is a designer, writer, and educator. He studied at Cranbrook and since 1985, has been on faculty at CalArts. Originally trained as a designer, Mr. Keedy started writing early in his career and became a frequent contributor for Emigre and his writing has appeared in publications like Eye, I.D., and the AIGA Journal. When I discovered Emigre, Mr. Keedy's writings were always some of my favorite so this was a special conversation for me. In this episode, we talk about his early design education and how he started writing, how the design discourse has changed and fragmented, and why graphic design as we define it, might just be a 20th century invention that doesn't really exist anymore. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm.

Ian Lynam is a designer, writer, teacher, and publisher currently based in Tokyo. He runs his own design studio, teaches at Temple University Japan and Meme Design school, is chair of VCFA's MFA graphic design program, writes for magazines like Idea and Slanted, and runs the boutique type foundry and online shop Wordshape. In this conversation, Ian and I talk about his early interest in writing and designing zines, the state of design discourse and the problems with the sort of design writing you find on sites like Medium today as well as the role of writing in his own practice and how he teaches design theory to his students. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm.

Juliette Cezzar is a designer, writer, and educator. She's currently an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at the New School’s Parsons School of Design, where she was the Director of the BFA Communication Design and BFA Design & Technology programs from 2011–2014. She served as President of the board of directors of AIGA/NY from 2014–2016 and recently finished a sabbatical where she focused on the relationship between design and the transmission of cultural ideas. In this episode, Juliette and I talk about her first job working for Peter Eisenman, how writing and teaching influence her design practice, and how to write about design clearly and simply. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm.

In a thought-provoking conversation, Jack Self, a London-based architect, writer, and founder of The Real Foundation, delves into the intersection of architecture and philosophy. He shares insights from his unique journey, including the impact of Occupy on his views. Jack emphasizes the importance of material culture in contemporary discourse, revealing how design can reflect and address political issues. He explains how The Real Review caters to both the general public and design professionals, advocating for clarity and engagement in architectural writing.

John Caserta is a designer and educator based in Providence, Rhode Island. He is an Associate Professor and former Department Head of the Graphic Design Department at The Rhode Island School of Design and founder of The Design Office, a work and project space for independent designers in downtown Providence. In this episode, John and I talk about the changes RISD's made in their undergraduate graphic design program, critical making, and his background in journalism and design. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm.