The Mic

Our host Debbie Millman, designer, author, educator and one of only five women who have held the title of President Emeritus of the American Institute of Graphic Arts in over 100 years, leads a riveting panel of design revolutionaries including Cher Russo, Creative Director at Flamingo with previous lead creative roles at Glossier and Estée Lauder; Natasha Jen, award-winning designer, educator, and partner at Pentagram; and Erica Eden, founder of Tribe & Citizen and previously Global Director of Design Innovation at PepsiCo’s Design Center.Listen to this captivating podcast conversation between four powerful women in design!

Recorded in front of a live audience, we explored what it takes to design products and create brands for women, with their bodies and choices in mind.Our host Debbie Millman, designer, author, educator and one of only five women who have held the title of President Emeritus of the American Institute of Graphic Arts in over 100 years, leads a riveting panel of design revolutionaries including Cher Russo, Creative Director at Flamingo with previous lead creative roles at Glossier and Estée Lauder; Natasha Jen, award-winning designer, educator, and partner at Pentagram; and Erica Eden, founder of Tribe & Citizen and previously Global Director of Design Innovation at PepsiCo’s Design Center.Listen to this captivating podcast conversation between four powerful women in design!

To find out, Debbie Millman and guests sat down at the Cosentino Showroom on March 9th for a live episode recording of the NYCxDESIGN podcast The Mic, to explore how environmentally mindful materials for the home can be used to reinvigorate interior spaces with vibrancy and enduring timelessness. Be a fly on the wall for a conversation with New York based interior designer, Antonio Deloatch, EVP of Materials Research at Material ConneXion and Chief Material Scientist at Material Bank, Dr. Andrew Dent, and Pablo Abad, Regional Director, Atlantic, Cosentino North America, as they dive into the world of sustainable surface materials. Tune in to hear each guest bring their unique expertise and life experiences to the table to share how creating a domestic environment that is healthy for our planet can also produce a holistically beautiful and inviting abode.

In this episode of The Mic, Debbie Millman is joined by Sarah Nsikak of La Réunion, and María Elena Pombo of Fragmentario to discuss their personal explorations with textiles and environmentally mindful work. Their conversations touch on the use of deadstock fabric in making heirloom pieces, how avocado seeds can be used to naturally dye fabric and how “sustainability” can be more than just a buzzword.

In this episode of The Mic, Debbie Millman is joined by Chen Chen and Kai Williams, and Giovanni Valdeavillano of Studio POA to explore how designers who work with traditional materials like clay, metal, and wood can turn an utilitarian object into something extraordinary. Tune in to hear about how Chen and Kai collaborate in the studio with a sense of humor, how Gio’s parents inspired him to explore craft and furniture making, and find out how Studio POA got its name.

On this episode of The Mic, host Debbie Millman interviews Alexandra Cunnigham-Cameron, Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and Tione Trice, founder at Of the Cloth, to dive into objects, curation, and material culture. Tune in for a rich conversation exploring how objects connect us with others, why collecting can be a form of personal and generational archiving, and which objects define the New York experience.

On this episode of The Mic, host Debbie Millman interviews Alexandra Cunnigham-Cameron, Curator of Contemporary Design at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum and Tione Trice, founder at Of the Cloth, to dive into objects, curation, and material culture. Tune in for a rich conversation exploring how objects connect us with others, why collecting can be a form of personal and generational archiving, and which objects define the New York experience.

From the vibrant colors of Kickie’s childhood kitchen in Slovakia to Sara’s advice on which direction your bed should face according to the Vastu tradition, join us for a jam-packed episode all about nature’s influence on the design process. This live recording of The Mic was part of a special celebration of Caesarstone and NYCxDESIGN’s initiative, the IMPACTxDESIGN competition. Kickie Chudikova’s winning design, Spiral of Life, is an undulating, experimental seating installation manufactured using Caesarstone quartz, now on view in DUMBO’s Pedestrian Plaza.

Hosted by Debbie Millman with Michael Chen, Principal of Michael K. Chen Architecture and Co-Founder of Design Advocates, and Walei Sabry, Digital Accessibility of NYC Department of Information Technology and Telecommunication, the third episode focuses on issues around inclusive design and innovative design strategies that can reshape the way we navigate our city.

Hosted by Debbie Millman with guests Laura Kohler, SVP – HR, Stewardship & Sustainability at Kohler Co., and Suchi Reddy, Founder of Reddymade Architecture & Design, the second episode centers on design led by style and design led by feeling, and how thoughtfully designed spaces impact mental health.

 Hosted by Debbie Millman featuring guests Claire Weisz, Founding Principal of WXY, Jonathan Cropper, Managing Partner and Founder of Futurlogic, and Laura Kohler, SVP – HR, Stewardship & Sustainability at Kohler Co., the first episode of this series explores how designers can reimagine and reinvigorate conversations around sustainability to lead radical change.

Tune in to hear three new episodes of The Mic, each hosted by Debbie Millman, that present striking discussions about design for environment, wellbeing, and community.

On this month’s episode of The Mic, guests Little Wing Lee, Design Director of Ace Hotel Group and founder of Black Folks in Design, and Catherine Piccoli, Curatorial Director at the Museum of Food and Drink explore how design influences the ways people come together, with our host Debbie Millman. Touching on everything from food and cultural connectors to ease in public space, Lee and Piccoli discuss the power of storytelling, the relationship between interiors and cuisine, and what it means to design meaningful experiences in today’s world.

On the latest episode of The Mic, host Debbie Millman speaks with Majora Carter, American urban revitalization strategist and public radio host, and Hana Kassem, Principal at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, to explore how we can continue to instill a sense of community as we work towards rebuilding and revitalizing our city. 

This episode explores fashion’s role in urban life and discuss how manufacturing practices, sustainable material sourcing, cross-disciplinary collaborations, creative processes, and storytelling all play a role in the world of fashion design. 

We discuss the thoughtful curatorial approaches behind WantedDesign and Design Week Mexico, and explore how each show creates one-of-a-kind environments where new ideas are embraced and international creativity thrives.

On this episode of The Mic, we explore how emerging designers can bring their voices to the spotlight through group exhibitions, building communities and fostering their unique creative sparks. Using their recent NYCxDESIGN Festival exhibitions, CURRENT, Pink Essay's Physical Education Series, and JONALDDUDD, as a guide, guests Marcus DePaula, Matt Pecina and Chris Held chat with our host, Debbie Millman, about their independent design journeys, the experience of curating their shows, and making space for the future generation of designers.

In this episode of The Mic, host Debbie Millman is joined by Clayton Banks, CEO and Founder of Silicon Harlem, and Richard E. Pelzer II, Founder and CEO of MEGA Personalities as well as Co-Founder of HarlemCLX, to discuss their important work centered around building bridges between resources, communities and people. We discuss how technology and passion for culture can guide our future vision of New York City and beyond.

In this episode of the Mic, guests Paula Scher, New York partner at Pentagram and world-renowned visual designer, and Julian Alexander, Grammy Award-winning art director and founder of Slang Inc., explore how visual design shapes the world around us with our host, Debbie Millman. Drawing on their breadth of design expertise and experiences, Scher and Alexander discuss the timelessness and timeliness of visual language, as well as how graphic design responds to current events. Reflected in their bold designs for NYCxDESIGN's An Ode to NYC poster collection, Scher and Alexander also consider how visual art connects us to New York, and how we can use visual design to envision our future city.

On the latest episode of the Mic, guests Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator at The Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Architecture & Design, and Sloan Leo, Founder and CEO of FLOX Studio Inc., explore how we can use design to respond to the critical issues around us, with host, Debbie Millman. Through their projects and practices, Antonelli and Leo discuss the ways in which their work is spurring dialogue, centering community-first solutions, and modeling a more equitable vision of Our Future City for all New Yorkers.

Hosted by Debbie Millman with guests Elaine Molinar, Architect and Managing Partner of Snøhetta’s US practice, and Suzen Heeley, Executive Director of Design and Construction at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, we consider what the healthcare spaces of the future will look like in NYC and around the world, making patient-centered health design both special and accessible.

Hosted by Debbie Millman with guests Claire Weisz, Co-Founder and Principal-in-Charge of WXY Architecture + Urban Design, and Wendy Goodman, Design Editor at New York Magazine, we consider the many forms that design discoveries take, and how such discoveries impact the NYC landscape. Whether spontaneous or found through meticulous trial and error, new discoveries drive the plot forward in the story of NYC design.

We've had the opportunity to speak with innovative creatives and hear their captivating design perspectives that inspire hope and wonder. Tune in to hear some of the fascinating stories from Season 1 of The Mic.

This collective spirit is personified by the recipients of NYCxDESIGN's Breakout Grant–Matt Tyson of Modos Furniture, Danielle Arps of Artisan Alliance, and Gisue Hariri and Mojgan Hariri of Hariri & Hariri Architecture D.P.C.
 
Join host Debbie Millman in conversation with the three recipients of the Breakout Grant to dive into their innovative projects that give back in more ways than one. Uncover the inspiration behind Matt Tyson's sustainably sourced modular furniture connectors, Danielle Arps' inclusive design mentorship program, and Gisue Hariri's disaster-relief folding pod. Don't miss this uplifting discussion exploring the inspiring projects driving NYC forward. 

Tune in to an eye-opening discussion hosted by Debbie Millman featuring two New Yorkers at the forefront of sustainable design, Laurence Carr and Michael Hirschhorn, on how designers can use their skills and expertise to reduce our carbon footprint and ecological impact on the world.

Tune in for a compelling conversation hosted by Debbie Millman featuring two accomplished creative leaders, Winka Dubbeldam and Elliot March, on how we can set new design standards to build a future that cultivates environmental, personal, and communal wellbeing.

Don't miss a thought-provoking discussion hosted by Debbie Millman featuring two remarkable New York creatives, Kelly Marshall and Liz Collins, on how art and design can enhance our understanding of the diverse connotations of beauty.

Tune in for a powerful discussion hosted by Debbie Millman featuring Joanna Peña-Bickley, Head of Research and Design for Alexa Devices at Amazon, and Angie Lee, Partner and Design Director of Interiors at FXCollaborative, on how designers hold the power to solve real-life problems and shape experiences that are spatially, emotionally, and tangibly inclusive.

Join host Amanda Schneider and the industry's top thought leaders as they discuss issues that provide inspiration for your business, fuel for your design process, and connection with people and ideas for positive disruption.
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Join host Debbie Millman in discussion with two remarkable NYC-based Architects, Michael Chen and Andrea Steele, on the integral role that designers play in creating lasting structural change, and how we can build a more equitable and accessible city.

Join host Debbie Millman in conversation with Creative Director Marisa Lowenstein and Conceptual Artist Neil Hamamoto about the power of design to manifest hopes and dreams, and how challenging times can be harnessed to spark new ideas and drive a resurgence of creative solutions.

Tune in to the first episode of The Mic for a special discussion hosted by Debbie Millman featuring sonic designer, Brian Scherman, along with graphic designer, Mark Addison Smith, about the intersection of sound and visualization design, and how we can better serve our communities by designing for all senses.