Podcast Awesome

“Layouts are sexy but, you know, words still matter.” In this solo rant-style episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt takes a silly, unhinged dive into the world of Lorem Ipsum — the gibberish placeholder text that’s haunted designers and writers alike since the 1500s. From Cicero’s scrambled Latin to zombie-themed mockups, we trace the wild history and the weird world of filler text.So ... why do we still treat real content as an afterthought? And what happens when a layout only works with nonsense words?You’ll laugh. You’ll cringe. You’ll maybe rethink that next wireframe.🧠 What We Cover in This Episode:🤬 The grammar quirks that make writers lose their minds (yes, we see you, Oxford comma debate)🏛️ The bizarre origin of Lorem Ipsum (hi Cicero!)🥓 Bacon Ipsum, Hipster Ipsum, Cat Ipsum😤 A friendly/spicy rant on why Lorem Ipsum might kill your content strategy👻 Live sites with placeholder text ⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Welcome to the Fake Latin Fight Club 01:00 – Oxford Commas, Passive Voice, and Writers with Rage 03:00 – Sarcastic Quotation Marks and Melty “Cheese” 04:00 – What Even Is Lorem Ipsum, Anyway? 05:30 – From Ancient Rome to Adobe Default Settings 06:45 – The Rise of Bacon, Hipster, and Zombie Ipsum 08:00 – THE RANT: “If Your Layout Only Works With Nonsense…” 09:30 – Final Thoughts: Fonts Are Cool. Content Is King.🔗 Links & Resources:Generate your own Bacon Ipsum 🥓Cat Ipsum for feline-forward mockups 🐱Zombie Ipsum, because... why not 🧟Theme by Ronnie Martin 🎹8-bit interstitial music by Zach MoomAudio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions 🍋🎙️ Subscribe + Listen:📱 Apple Podcasts | 🎧 Spotify | 💻 YouTube | 🌐 podcastawesome.comStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

Design meets activism. Philosophy meets iconography. Wheelchairs meet graffiti.In this philosophy-packed episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt chats with professor, artist, and co-founder of the Accessible Icon Project, Brian Glenny. Together with colleague Sara Hendron, they took a bold journey to make a tweak to the accessibility symbol — which led to a humble street art sticker to statewide legislation.Brian’s story unpacks how a wheelchair icon went from stiff and static to dynamic and full of agency — and how that tweak sparked a global conversation about representation, identity, and inclusion.Along the way, we hit:🧠 The neuroscience of symbol recognition🎨 Graffiti roots and punk rock influence📜 Ethics and accessibility in visual design♿ The making of a movement: from sticker campaign to state law🤯 How even tiny geometry tweaks carry political powerIf you’ve ever wondered how symbols shape culture — or why an icon isn’t “just an icon” — this one’s for you.And knowing? Yep. That’s half the battle.🔗 Links & Credits🚧🎨🏙️Brian's Wiki Page👀 Learn more about Sara Hendren🎵 Theme by Ronnie Martin 🎹 Interstitial music by Zach Malm 🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns (Lemon Productions) 🎥 Video support by Isaac Chase⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⢁⣛⣷⠖⡐⡐⠐⠀⠂⣠⣷⣾⣆⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣸⣸⣀⣀⠀⠈⠀⠌⢀⠂⣻⣿⣿⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⠊⠉⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⣢⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢻⡟⡟⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠻⢭⡭⠭⠭⠭⠭⠭⡼⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡏⡇⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡿⠀⢀⠤⠤⢄⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠃⡇⠆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠇⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣷⠀⠱⣄⡀⡠⠁⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢯⣭⣈⣉⣍⣉⡭⠜⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀#PodcastAwesome #AccessibleIconProject #BrianGlenny #DesignActivism #InclusiveDesign #IconographyMatters #DisabilityRepresentation #GraffitiArt #DesignEthics #Semiotics #ContentIsCulture #DesignPhilosophyStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

In this very special episode of The Nerd Show and Tell, we finally cornered the elusive co-founder of Font Awesome — Travis Chase! 🧢✨ From dialing into the web back in the modem days, to co-founding a company that powers millions of websites, Travis shares his unique journey from almost-accountant to accidental icon-company-boss. Or something. You’ll hear tales of telephony code, Star Wars devotion, and how building a company that doesn’t burn people out might be the most radical idea of all.He’s part artist 🎨, part developer 💻, full-on space western nerd — and yes, he’s that guy you want on your trivia team.🧠 What We Cover in This Episode🖼️ How an “uncreative” art student became a designer-turned-developer📞 Building answering machines from scratch — with homemade programming languages!👨‍👦 Juggling startups, Y Combinator, and parenting like a boss🎯 The philosophy behind not grinding yourself to dust🌟 Going full lightspeed into Star Wars Unlimited (Vegas tourney? Yep.)🧙‍♂️ Favorite icons, D&D vibes, and space westerns galore☕ How coffee and coding dreams brewed into a global icon toolkit⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: We Finally Wrangled Travis 01:00 – Side Hustles, Modems, and Making the Web Happen 03:00 – From Art School to Programming Wizardry 06:00 – Answering Machine Nerdvana (Travis’ Favorite Dev Story!) 09:00 – College Friends → Startup Squad 12:00 – That Time They Got Into YC  15:00 – Building Font Awesome the Fun Way 18:00 – Culture that Actually Cares About People 21:00 – What Travis is Nerding Out About (👀 Star Wars Unlimited!) 24:00 – AI, Card Games, and Cross-Pollinating Passions 25:00 – Favorite Icons + Wishlist Packs (Laser swords, anyone?) 27:00 – A Chill Goodbye and More Nerd Show and Tell to Come🔗 Links & Resources🌐 Font Awesome — Icons that just work™🪐 Star Wars: Unlimited TCG — The game Travis is totally (and deeply) nerding out about🏢 37signals & Rework — Inspiration for FA's work/life philosophy🎵 Podcast Theme by Ronnie Martin🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns @ Lemon ProductionsStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

SummaryWhat does it take to shoot a high-energy, humor-packed, visually delicious Font Awesome marketing video? A 12-hour day, a diner full of chaos, and a guy in a hot dog suit. In this episode, Matt chats with Jory and Isaac, two key players behind the Font Awesome 7 video, about the hilarious mishaps, creative choices, and ridiculous amounts of pancakes that went into bringing the video to life.They cover everything from why FA videos always feature food-themed settings to the art of keeping a cast of recurring characters (aka the Font Awesome Cinematic Universe). And yes, Easter eggs abound — including a cameo from FA co-founder Dave Gandy, cheers-ing a Stormtrooper, blue milk in hand. Plus, Isaac documented the whole process, creating FA’s first behind-the-scenes mini-documentary.Key Takeaways🔥 FA videos don’t follow the “no comedy in tech” rule — and that’s exactly why they work.🎬 From coffee shops to candy stores to diners, FA videos always have a warm, real-world setting (because a lab full of beakers? Snooze).🤝 The same cast keeps coming back — because the FA Cinematic Universe is a thing now.📹 The behind-the-scenes doc captures the chaos of shooting in one day —including an entire subplot about pancakes raining from the sky.🌭 A guy in a hot dog suit wore it all day. No, really. All day.👀 Hidden Easter eggs in the video include an inside joke about “changing the recipe” and a blue milk cheers from FA’s co-founder.Timestamps🎤 0:00:09 - Welcome to Podcast Awesome! Matt sets the stage for this episode, talking about the Font Awesome 7 video shoot, the team behind it, and why humor is baked into FA’s DNA.🎞️ 0:04:06 - The evolution of FA videos: From Kickstarter promos to a full-blown recurring cast — how FA has built a Cinematic Universe of its own.🍪 0:10:45 - The FA video playbook: Coffee shops, candy stores, and diners—why FA videos always happen in warm, real-world food settings instead of cold tech labs.🎭 0:18:05 - Bringing the band back together: How the same actors, crew, and production team keep the FA vibe consistent (and keep the jokes landing).📹 0:26:11 - Lights, camera, pancakes! Improv moments, VFX wizardry, and an actor in a hot dog suit — who refused to take it off all day.🎬 0:32:16 - The behind-the-scenes doc: For the first time ever, FA captured a full BTS look at a marketing shoot — outtakes, problem-solving, and late-day delirium included.🐣 0:35:31 - Easter eggs and inside jokes: Dave Gandy’s blue milk toast, a deep-cut Star Wars reference, and a menu full of hidden Font Awesome-specific gems.Links & Credits🎥 Watch the Font Awesome 7 video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmYXJGEyBXI🎬 Check out the Behind-the-Scenes Mini Doc: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3pTha-tT3c🎵 Theme song by Ronnie Martin 🎛 Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions 🎤 Podcast production by Matt Johnson 🎥 Video production and behind-the-scenes doc by Isaac ChaseGot thoughts on the episode? Hit us up on social and let us know what your favorite moment was!Now go make something awesome. 🚀🎨Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

Learn why accessible web design matters for everyone — not just users with disabilities. Lindsay Miller joins Podcast Awesome to discuss WCAG, ADA, design best practices, and tools for accessible development.🚨 In this insightful episode of Podcast Awesome, host Matt Johnson is joined by Lindsay Miller, accessibility advocate and member of the Web Awesome team, for a deep dive into the principles, practices, and purpose of accessible web design.Together, they explore what web accessibility really means, debunk common misconceptions, and offer practical insights for developers, designers, and digital creators. From ADA compliance and WCAG standards to UI/UX challenges, you'll learn how small choices—like proper contrast ratios or semantic HTML—can have a big impact.🔍 Key Topics Covered:What accessibility means on the web (hint: it’s about inclusion, not just disability)Designing and coding with empathy: serving users with temporary, situational, or permanent impairmentsWhy legal compliance matters: WCAG, ADA, Section 508, and how lawsuits are shaping the webReal-world design challenges: from color contrast to font sizesHow Web Awesome components are accessibility-firstTools, resources, and guidelines used by accessibility professionals🛠️ Mentioned Resources:WebAIM.orgWAI-ARIA Authoring PracticesThe A11Y ProjectNielsen Norman Group’s accessibility guidesWhether you're building for clients, open-source, or your own product, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone who believes in a more usable, equitable internet.🎧 Produced and edited by Matt Johnson 🎵 Theme song: By Ronnie Martin | interstitials by Zach Malm 🔊 Mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions 📹 Video editing help from Isaac Chase / @theisaacchaseStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

Font Awesome 7 Here We Come! In this episode of Podcast Awesome, we’re serving up a heaping helping of new icons, fresh features, and ProPlus goodness with Font Awesome 7! Host Matt Johnson is joined by icon designers Jory Raphael and Noah Jacobus to break down what’s new — like seven all-new icon packs, a smoother-than-butter upgrade path, and under-the-hood improvements that make your icons sharper, faster, and slicker than ever.Is it too many icons? Maybe. Are we going to stop? Absolutely not.🎙️ Listen in as we talk about the design tweaks, ProPlus perks, and the iconic (heh) collabs that made Font Awesome 7 a reality. Plus, we drop some exclusive details on the biggest sale of the year!💥 Don’t miss out — hit play and then ... Go make something awesome.Timestamp Summary🌟 0:00 | Font Awesome 7 Launch: New Icons and Features Unveiled 🚀 3:37 | Font Awesome 7 Enhancements and New Pro Plus Icon Packs 🎨 9:24 | Icon Designers Unleash Creativity with Font Awesome Pro Packs 🌌 17:18 | Creative Icon Design Inspired by Silicon Valley and Cosmic Events 🧠 21:09 | Innovative Icon Design and Preparation for Launch ✏️ 24:00 | Creating Art with Thumbprint Drawings and Icon Packs 🧭 24:48 | Creative Exploration and Unique Icon Design Inspirations 🔍 29:17 | Exploring Icon Packs and Their Creative Development 📦 32:05 | Font Awesome 7 Launches With New Plans and Icon Packs 📣 34:57 | Font Awesome 7 Pro Plus Icon Packs and Marketing IdeasResources & Links🎶 The Podcast Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/🎵 Music interstitials by Zach Malm: https://muzach.bandcamp.com/🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/ "After School Keyboard Club" https://pixabay.com/music/video-games-after-school-keyboard-club-casio-vl-tone-80s-chiptune-retro-151684/Font Awesome on the Socials🌤️ Bluesky: @fontawesome.com🐦 Twitter/X: @fontawesome📸 Instagram: @font.awesomeStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

🎬 SummaryIn this Nerd Show & Tell episode of Podcast Awesome, we finally catch up with the one and only Isaac Chase — the wizard behind our ever-growing library of video content at Font Awesome. From his early dreams of making it in film and television to becoming a full-time creator on our team, Isaac shares about the challenges of starting in the film industry during the COVID era, storytelling in marketing, and more.We chat about his background in film and marketing, his favorite movies (slow burns, unite!), creative influences, and how his love for storytelling finds a home even in screencasts and product walkthroughs. Plus, Isaac drops his hot take on the next big icon pack idea (we're looking at you, Severance fans 👀).🧠 Key Takeaways🎓 College Grad, Creative Dad Connection Isaac studied digital film and TV production at Missouri State University and joined Font Awesome part-time during the industry-wide writer/actor strikes — eventually going full-time thanks to a well-timed offer (shoutout to Travis Chase, a.k.a. Isaac’s real-life dad).🎥 From Film Sets to Screencasts His deep love for film — especially slow-paced, thoughtful stories like The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, Past Lives, and Arrival — translates into his thoughtful, user-focused approach to content creation at FA.📼 Video, Video, Video! Isaac helped launch our video podcast format and has been leading the charge on screencasts, animations, and behind-the-scenes storytelling (more to come on that, soon!)  🎬💻 Learning on the Job = Built-in Bonus Despite not having a dev or design background, Isaac's learned loads about accessibility, UI, and component-based design just by working on educational content — and he's loving every minute of it.🧃 Favorite Icon? The cup-to-go ☕ icon has a special place in his heart (because coffee + nostalgia), and he’s got a soft spot for our teleportation icon too. ✨🎨 Design Nerd in the Making Outside work, Isaac’s nerding out on graphic design, especially in music merch and poster art. He’s diving into the visual side of music culture — and working with musician friends on their branding.⏱️ Chapter Markers🟡 00:00 – Introduction to Podcast Awesome 🎥 01:13 – Isaac’s role at FA and current projects 🎓 03:21 – Isaac’s background in film, college, and the writer's strike 🛠️ 09:12 – From film school to corporate creativity 🍿 11:22 – Favorite movies and the magic of slow storytelling 🎞️ 16:46 – How filmmaking skills shape his current work 📺 22:55 – Screencasts, branding, and learning to teach 🎨 29:43 – Nerding out on design, music merch, and FA icons 📦 32:33 – Isaac’s icon wish list (hello, Severance pack!) 🎉 44:00 – Wrap-up and thank-yousProduced and edited by Matt Johnson Edited by Isaac Chase Theme Music by Ronnie Martin Interstitials by Zach Malm Mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions 🍋Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

Episode SummaryWhat makes design hard? It’s not just pixels, software, or tools — it’s people. (Yep, you. And me. And all of us.) In this episode, I sit down with my friend Bryan Zug, co-author (along with Scott Berkun), of the book, Why Design is Hard, to talk about why good design is more than just good ideas — it’s about relationships, collaboration, and the messy, sometimes painful reality of working on creative teams.Bryan was there in the early days of the web, hacking together sites before CSS was even a thing. He’s built products, led UX teams, and helped companies like Amazon and Zillow figure out how to make design work at scale. But more than that, he’s a community builder, the kind of guy who started hosting backyard firepits during COVID just to keep people connected.I’ll be honest — this conversation was brutal to edit because Bryan has so much insight to share. If you’ve ever struggled with design bottlenecks, team dynamics, or just getting your ideas off the ground, this one’s for you.What We Cover in This Episode💡 Why great design is really about great relationships 🎨 How designers can avoid getting stuck in “artifact culture”  💻 What designers actually do in the real world  📖 How storytelling can make or break your influence as a designer 🤝 The secret sauce to making cross-functional teams actually function 🦄 Why the lone “unicorn designer” era is over — and what comes next *Factually accuracy check at playback: Bryan informed me he misspoke at 7:11 when he said he was at Amazon when the pandemic hit — I was actually Zillow. NBD. Audio not edited. ⏳ Timestamps⏲️ [00:00] Intro – A Conversation Years in the Making⏲️ [02:15] The Big Idea: Why Design is Hard⏲️ [08:40] The Myth of the “Design Hero”⏲️ [14:25] Why Design Decisions Happen in Budget Meetings⏲️ [19:30] The Red Flags of a Company That Doesn’t Truly Value Design⏲️ [25:10] The #1 Skill Designers Need (Hint: It’s Not Figma)⏲️ [30:50] What Ignite Seattle Taught Bryan About Telling Better Stories⏲️ [35:15] Outro – Why You Need to Read Why Design is HardLinks & Resources📖 Grab a copy of Why Design is HardLearn more about the co-author, Scott Berkun: https://scottberkun.com/ 🔗 Connect with Bryan Zug: @bryanzug.bsky.social 🎶 The Podcast Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/🎵 Music interstitials by Zach Malm: https://muzach.bandcamp.com/🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/ "Retro Race" https://pixabay.com/music/video-games-retrorace-108750/Font Awesome on the Socials🌤️ Bluesky: @fontawesome.com🐦 Twitter/X: @fontawesome📸 Instagram: @font.awesomeStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

Design engineer. UX engineer. Front-end dev with opinions. What does it all mean?! In this episode, we sit down with Dave Darnes to untangle the ever-evolving world of design and development (And Dave is our first non-Font Awesomer on the pod!). We talk about why job titles keep getting weirder, whether "engineer" is a fair title for folks who work on the web, and how design systems can bridge the gap between teams. Plus, we explore the future of the role — will tools like Figma and AI replace design engineers, or will the internet always need humans who can actually build things?🚀 Tune in for a fun, insightful, and slightly existential conversation about the intersection of design, dev, and the titles we give ourselves.🏆 Key TakeawaysDesign Engineer: Job Title or Existential Crisis? Dave breaks down the blurry line between design and development and why this role exists.Gatekeeping vs. Open Web: How the internet has democratized career paths—and why some job titles might be a shield against skepticism.The Future of Design & Dev: Will tools like Figma and AI squeeze out design engineers, or is there always a place for people who build with craft?Design Systems & Developer Relations: Why advocacy (not nagging) makes or breaks adoption.Rockstar/Ninja/Unicorn Titles: Just ... don’t.⏱️ Episode Breakdown🕛 00:00 - Meet Dave Darnes – 🇬🇧 UK-based designer/developer, father of sick children (but still here for the podcast).🎤 02:30 - The Legendary "David Darnes" Callout – A completely necessary and extremely fun moment of podcast magic.🛠️ 06:45 - What is a Design Engineer Anyway? –  The Venn diagram of design and development overlaps in weird ways.📛 12:15 - Why Job Titles Get Messy –  Specialization vs. generalization and the need to impress hiring managers.🏗️ 18:30 - Engineer as a Title — Does It Matter? –  Structural engineers hold up buildings; do web engineers hold up the internet? (Kinda, yeah.)🔄 24:00 - The Evolution of Design & Dev Roles –  How web components, CSS variables, and other tech are shifting expectations.🥕 30:45 - How to Get People to Actually Use a Design System –  Hint: Be more carrot, less stick.🤖 35:00 - The Battle Between Figma & AI –  Will design engineers survive the encroaching automation?🔄 40:30 - If You Had to Rename 'Design Engineer'... – Dave's answer is almost annoyingly simple.🔗 Resources & LinksCheck out Dave’s work: https://darn.es/His blog on design systems: designsystems.wtfIs 2025 the Year of the "Design Engineer"? Submit your own “David Darnes” callout on his website (seriously, do it).🎶 The Podcast Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie Martin: https://ronniemartin.org/🎵 Music interstitials by Zach Malm: https://muzach.bandcamp.com/🎛️ Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions: https://www.lemonproductions.ca/ "After School Keyboard Club" https://pixabay.com/music/video-games-after-school-keyboard-club-casio-vl-tone-80s-chiptune-retro-151684/Font Awesome on the Socials🌤️ Bluesky: @fontawesome.com🐦 Twitter/X: @fontawesome📸 Instagram: @font.awesomeStay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

In this episode, Dave and Matt explore First LEGO League, where kids as young as third grade tackle robotics and engineering challenges. As a coach, Dave shares how he guides his team to embrace the golden rule of engineering: Keep it simple, keep it sturdy.Listeners will learn how to spot the difference between over-the-top complexity and straightforward solutions that just work. Practical beats fancy almost every time.Dave also shares how his time at MIT taught him that simplicity is the secret sauce of reliable design. His mantra “Boring is Best™” takes center stage as he unpacks how choosing functional, dependable solutions often leads to bigger wins.But this isn’t just about gears and sensors — it’s about the people behind the bots. Coaching young engineers shines a light on the ultimate truth: Good engineering is all about putting people first.Key Takeaways:LEGO League 101: Where third graders gear up to build and program robots like tiny pros.Simple Wins: In engineering, simple and sturdy beats flashy but fragile every time.Dave's MIT Mantra: Inspired by his alma mater, Dave champions practical, reliable solutions.Power of Basics: Stick to the fundamentals, and you’ll go further than you think.Test, Tweak, Repeat: Early testing and iteration > chasing perfection out of the gate.This episode is proof that when it comes to engineering (and life), keeping it simple doesn’t just work — it wins.Timestamp🧩 0:32 – Coaching Kids in Engineering Through First LEGO League ⚖️ 5:31 – Balancing Simplicity and Creativity in Engineering Solutions 🤖 8:02 – Simplifying LEGO Robotics: Achieving Success Through Minimalism 🤿 10:54 – Innovative Solutions for Underwater Exploration Challenges 🏆 12:38 – Boring Solutions Win Engineering Competitions 🚀 15:45 – Balancing Innovation with Customer Needs in Tech Startups 🔄 17:35 – Embracing Iteration and Accepting Being Wrong for Faster Success 🛠️ 20:01 – Embracing Simplicity and Iteration in Product DevelopmentResources:Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/The Font Awesome theme song was composed by Ronnie MartinAudio mastering by Chris Enns and Lemon ProductionsAurora Holiday DanceFont Awesome on the SocialsFirst LEGO League🌤️ Bluesky: @fontawesome.com🐦 Twitter/X: @fontawesome📸 Instagram: @font.awesome💼 LinkedIn:   / fontawesome   Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!