The 20 Best Design Podcasts You Need to Add to Your Queue

The architecture and design world might be predominantly visual, but a new assortment of design podcasts prove the industry can appeal to all of the senses. A design podcast might sound like an oxymoron, but there’s actually a lot you can learn and enjoy about the visual arts and architecture through the spoken (and recorded) word—no pictures required. While some design podcasts act as an extension of academic programs—making it possible to learn something as you fold laundry or embark on your daily commute—others are independently produced and provide in-depth information with top talent and tastemakers, as well as burgeoning brands. But no matter what strikes your interest, you are just a few taps away from enhancing your design education.

Over the past few years, podcasts have taken off as the go-to medium for just about every category—so there are a lot more design podcasts streaming than you might think. So how do you know which ones are actually worth hitting subscribe? To help find your next streaming obsession, here are the 20 best design podcasts, all worth adding to your queue. Spanning an array of topics like architecture, interior design, furniture, urban planning, and more, there’s quite literally something here for all design professionals. All you need to do is pop in your headphones and push play on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite listening platform.

With approximately 500 million downloads, 99% Invisible is a go-to for industry insiders and podcast enthusiasts alike. In this weekly podcast, host Roman Mars discovers the importance of architecture and design in the everyday—be it the history of the fortune cookie, the graphic design of Mexico’s ’68 Olympics, or the ins and outs of houseplants. For this popular podcast, nothing is too obscure or seemingly unrelated to discuss; 99% Invisible proves there’s great design in everything—you just need to look for it.

Ever wonder what it’s actually like to work in architecture? Whether you’re a professional looking for camaraderie or an interior designer who wants to discover the other side of the process, Archispeak is well worth a listen. Architects Evan Troxel and Cormac Phalen have been podcasting since 2012, sharing their candid thoughts about their work in the field. From dealing with team dynamics to firing bad clients, this twice-a-month series provides an unapologetically transparent behind-the-scenes look at the job.

Jarrett Fuller hosts Scratching the Surface, a design podcast about the intersection between criticism and practice (and no, you don’t need to know anything about either to enjoy it). He interviews designers, writers, critics, and educators, exploring how writing, analysis, and theory inform individual practice and the graphic design profession at large. Recent guests include Peter Mendelsund, Shannon Mattern, and Bryan Boyer.

As the purveyor of global fashion, furniture, and architecture, it’s only fitting that Monocle diffused its know-how into one of the best design podcasts. This series delves more deeply into each field and explores how they intersect with other topics Monocle covers, from transportation to politics. (A few examples we love: the art of menswear, silk weaving in Lyon, and what it’s actually like to live in Brasilia.) And if you want to keep your finger on the pulse, Monocle on Design also recaps a handful of industry events like NYCxDesign and Salone del Mobile.

Touted as the world’s inaugural design series, Design Matters’s first podcast launched in 2005—way ahead of the podcast boom we know (and listen to) today. Hosted by Debbie Millman, Design Matters discusses the creative process and culture with designers, writers, curators, musicians, and more. Even better? You can search the series’ hundreds of episodes by category, so you can listen to exactly what you are craving.

Not to be confused with a certain sister website of the same name (ahem!), Clever is hosted by designer Amy Devers. Each episode is generally focused on an interview with someone influential in the design industry, whether they create cars, architecture, fashion, interiors, or furniture. With guests like Christiane Lemieux of The Inside and Colony’s Jean Lin, Clever gives listeners an honest and relatable look at the creative process.

Calling all architecture buffs: About Buildings + Cities is worth a listen. Luke Jones and George Gingell take the microphone to discuss—you guessed it—architecture, buildings, and cities of the distant past, present, and future. With an abundance of topics, no stone is left unturned in this podcast. Comprehensive conversation about Aldo Rossi’s buildings and the Barbican Estate? Check. Deep dives on Le Corbusier and Michelangelo? You bet. A thorough look at monasteries? Of course! Count us in.

Produced by ThinkLab and Sandow Design Group, Design Nerds Anonymous explores the intersection between design and business—making it a must-listen for entry-level employees and industry heavyweights alike. Over the past three seasons, ThinkLab’s Amanda Schneider has taken on a breadth of topics ranging from diversity in design to the business-to-business showroom experience and the future of the industry. Equal parts informative and entertaining, Design Nerds Anonymous is poised to change the way you see the business of design.

For a lighthearted listen that’s packed with plenty of inspiration, you can’t go wrong with Design Time. Here, Domino’s editors are enlisting their community to dish their favorite design tricks and advice on how to create a space that’s filled with meaning. From one-on-one chats with designers like Tiffany Howell and Bobby Berk to episodes featuring lifestyle entrepreneurs like Ayesha Curry and Ina Garten, this podcast is a fun, approachable entry point into the best design podcasts.

Gail M. Davis’s podcast Design Perspectives is proof that beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Billed as a podcast to “inform and educate,” Davis spends her time chatting with other design professionals to share their two cents about style, business, and trends. Davis will occasionally also interview herself about her new life lessons and takeaways. After all, a fresh perspective can change everything.

Want to stretch your knowledge of the design world? UI Breakfast has you covered. Hosted by Jane Portman, who is also the cofounder of Userlist, this weekly podcast delivers in-depth conversations about UI/UX design, products, marketing, and more. Guests feature user-experience experts from companies like Allstate and Mailchimp, making it possible to take your eye for design to the digital space.

Whether you’re just launching your start-up or running a multiperson company, great leadership is the backbone of every successful design business. If you want to flex your boss muscle, subscribe to the Design Better podcast, which is powered by InVision. Each episode, hosts Aarron Walter and Eli Woolery chat about the ups and downs of collaboration, leading design teams, and creating a great customer experience. Though the Webby-nominated podcast places a heavy emphasis on product-driven companies, its takeaways are still applicable to design entrepreneurs.

Want to make the design world a better, more inclusive place? Join Angela Belt—the founder of 28 Black Tastemakers, a platform that celebrates diversity in the industry—for thoughtful conversations about race, culture, and interior design. Belt regularly interviews design professionals—journalists, decorators, and entrepreneurs, just to name a few—forging the way toward a brighter future with each episode.

Building your design business from scratch? We give you full permission to binge The Chaise Lounge’s three seasons—and counting. Here, host Nick May interviews top interior designers about what exactly makes their business shine. Whether Sarah Walker is dishing on sustainability or Karen Posts is sharing everything she knows about marketing and home staging, this series offers sage advice for becoming your own boss.

Packed with practicality, Grant Gibson’s design podcast is perfect for designers and architects who are looking to take their portfolio to the next level. Each episode, Gibson interviews a creator about their relationship to a certain material or technique such as embroidery, steam bending, or, even eggshells. Regardless of your discipline, this podcast will leave you inspired to give your next project the tactile treatment.

Retired Podcasts

Just because a podcast has stopped producing new episodes doesn’t mean it isn’t worth a listen. Check out these old classics, which have a robust archive of can’t-miss conversations.

Los Angeles’s KCRW is the home to Design and Architecture, or DnA, a podcast hosted by Frances Anderton that takes a thoughtful look at architecture and design. (Anderton is an author, exhibition curator, and recipient of the Esther McCoy 2010 for her work in architecture and urbanism teachings, so she knows what she’s talking about.) Many episodes tackle issues and topics pertaining to Los Angeles, but there are others that address the field as a whole. Though the last available podcasts date back to the end of 2020, it has dozens of episodes ready to stream right now.

From Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) comes Conversations, a podcast hosted by the school’s dean that explores the growing field of contemporary architectural practice through discussions with guests from emerging and well-established studios, as well as the school’s faculty and alumni. It’s been almost a year since GSAPP Conversations aired a new episode, but its archive still acts as Architecture 101.

Legendary graphic designer Michael Bierut and founding editor of Design Observer Jessica Helfand host this podcast that touches on timely topics (hello, pop culture buffs!), meanders into different design professions, and explores the field’s intersections with technology. No topic (memes, LSD, #MeToo) is off-limits. Nearly two years since its last live episode, these dynamic conversations are a welcomed trip down memory lane.

What do Design Cuts founder Tom Ross, hand lettering expert Ian Barnard, illustrator Lisa Glanz, and Retro Supply’s Dustin Lee have in common? They all cohost the Honest Designer’s Show, a formerly weekly podcast where they get real about their creative careers. In addition to getting raw and honest about their own highs and lows, they interview other creatives on their passions. Think of it as a great resource for a three-sixty look at the creative process.

Of course, we’d be remiss not to mention our now-retired podcast, aptly named The AD Aesthete. During its four-season run, host (and former AD editor) Mitchell Owens kicked off in-depth conversations with the industry’s top talent. (Some must-listens include Lulu Lytle discussing her penchant for rattan, Bunny Mellon’s guide to gardens, and Commune’s Roman Alonso and Steven Johanknecht doubling down on fearless design.