Design Goggles

We're working from home, and we've got it licked, right? As the weeks and days blend together, it is becoming clear that there is a lot more we don't know about the future of our offices than we do know. Is working from home here to stay, even after the outbreak is over? There is a whole world of design to be discovered after the pandemic. We won't be the same, the way we socialize will be different, and the way we shape our spaces will be something new, especially when it comes to office design.

It seems like all we talk about in the Covid-19 era is the Quarantine. The things we can't do, the places we can't go to, the home we can't escape. But the curious thing is, what comes next? There is a whole world of design to be discovered after the Pandemic. We won't be the same, the way we socialize will be different, and the way we shape our spaces will be different, especially when it comes to retail and hospitality.

Rachel and Charles look back at the first 50 Design Goggles podcasts. We chat about the beginnings of the show, and how it evolved into a chat about design, how it shaped Seattle, the world, and our future.

Whether it’s an abstract collection of geographic shapes, or a photo-realistic montage, murals are everywhere you look in Seattle, big and small. Some take planning and execution, and others happen organically. There are some, though, that transcend what we think of as public art, ones that become a part of Seattle’s consciousness. One of those murals is on the wall of a famous music venue here, called Neumos. Every month, the mural is painted over, again and again, each one more fantastic than the next. This mural is maintained by a collection of artists, and to them, the city is their art gallery.

Not too long ago, there were (mostly male) Master Architects, moonlighting as professors, criticizing student work a few times a week, while students scrambled 23 hours a day to understand the architectural movement of the era. It was the Beaux Arts back in the late 1800s, Bauhaus and Modernism in the early 1900s, then Postmodernism, Deconstructionism, and Minimalism following, late into the century. Lately, though in the 21st century, design movements have faded, giving way to values-driven design, unlocked by constantly evolving digital technology has been the catalyst for a sea change in architectural education.

Design can make a statement. Sometimes it’s a statement that’s open to interpretation, something that reminds us of a feeling, or inspires us. Other times, the statement is clear and intentional, and the designer’s intent is transparent. In an age where we can connect directly with our audience, what does it mean when we want our message heard? How can we communicate our values to the world, while activating grassroots movements? When we wish to design according to our values, how can we be sure that our efforts aren’t invisible?

The design community in Seattle, and others across the country, are attempting to resolve their civic present with their urban future. It’s up to architects, planners, developers, and designers to listen to communities and shape the city to serve its people. But what does that mean when some see downtown Seattle as a response only to tourism and the bridge and ferry crowd? How do we develop and preserve Seattle’s unique nightlife along with the exponentially growing transportation demands? More importantly, how do we retain the natural beauty of our city and still, literally, reach for the sky with the office spaces of the future?

The aggressive, angular, stainless steel wedge on wheels looks like something out of a science fiction movie. To say it’s polarizing is an understatement. People love, hate it, are scared by it, excited by it, some think it’s one of the worst automobiles ever designed, and others look at it and see the future. One thing is for certain. Tesla, known in many circles for design innovation, has not disappointed in pushing the envelope when it comes to design norms. The Cybertruck could have huge implications for the design world, and not just when it comes to cars.

3D rendering technology, 3D printers, CNC Routers, inexpensive recycled materials and a whole new generation of open-minded designers and clients have led to an era where experimentation is celebrated, but tricky. Now that architecture firms can start to create some of their own built elements, what are the consequences for designers presenting themselves as makers? What are the pitfalls of this new era of experimentation, where architects can iterate at blinding speed? Do we sacrifice quality for quantity? Or are more iterations, faster, actually better?

Coffee. It’s as much a part of the identity of the city of Seattle as Puget Sound, salmon, the Seahawks or the Space Needle. On top of that, it’s fair to say that coffee culture is everywhere in Seattle, and the design of each shop is as unique as the roasting and blending techniques of the beans consumed there. Now, besides the physical spaces themselves, there is a lot of thought and design being put into the process by which that coffee gets across the world, to the shop, and into your cup. And even in the “fair trade” era, so to speak, that process might surprise you.

One-Off, Limited Edition, "Here for a limited time only!" If you follow design, you've likely been seeing these phrases a lot lately. There is a premium placed on design that is "of the moment" and then it's gone. This so-called "short run trend" is sticking around more than the designs that comprise it — what is the consequence of that? Without "design movements" that cross years, disciplines, even generations, embedding deeply in society and culture, what is left? Where do we go from here?

Tactical Urbanism is really just a fancy phrase for temporary installations in civic public areas. But what might seem like a simple change to your sidewalk or street for a few days can have a lasting impact on how our cities evolve, and how we inform the civic spaces of the future.

History is filled with designers telling people how to live. And just as much, with people living however they please, no matter what designers say. This conflict between the creators of space and the people who inhabit those spaces goes on today. Is that tension productive? Are designers and architects learning the lessons of yesterday, or just repeating them? Do any of us really know how people will use the spaces we create, even with the best of intentions?

One of the best parts of living in a city is having access to endless array of bars and restaurants, and the food and drinks are just the beginning of what draws us out. Aesthetics play a huge role in the experience we have when we go out, and design can make or break a successful bar, restaurant or lounge. How do we create spaces that feel authentic instead of clichéd? How do we entice social media buzz with design, and navigate the fickle world of design trends? Seattle restaurateur and designer Linda Derschang joins us to answer these questions and more.

There is nothing more inescapable in the world of architecture and design than the celebrity architect. On television and in film, famous architects — both fictional and real — swagger and lecture, point to the horizon, and find themselves surrounded with adulation for their unique visions. Even though there are a few dozen celebrity architects in the world, for the rest of us, the world is a bit different. These "Capital ‘A’ Architects" may be inspiring at times, yet can do real harm to the profession with their work and attitude. Case in point: Bjarke Ingles.

We now live in a world where an entire generation lives in constant terror that their friends are doing something cooler than they are. FOMO, or fear of missing out, can have a paralyzing effect. How are today's community spaces and event organizers changing how they design gatherings to meet the demands, and fears, of the next generation of people?

Artistic expression is a fundamental part of the human condition, but body art remains one of the most stigmatized versions of expression on a global level. In the US, 40% of Americans under the age of 30 have a tattoo, so clearly something is shifting. Why has tattoo art, and the designers and artists that work in the medium had such a hard time being accepted into the artistic community, and why do so many unfair stigmas remain?

When someone asks you what it's like to live in Seattle, it's not the easiest question to answer, and one of the biggest reasons why, is that words just don't do it justice. Three women set out to use graphic design to solve this, creating a book comprised almost entirely of infographics. To answer the question once and for all... the answer is, beautiful.

In the post "Inconvenient Truth" world, many of us try our best to be conscious of the impact we have on the environment, and designers, even more so. There are companies everywhere boasting how "green" their products and services are, and once you take a deeper look, it's not as simple as it seems. Is buying a product that claims to be "green" helping the environment? Are designers that choose recycled products doing enough? Or, have we all succumbed to "greenwashing," the act of marketing things as environmentally sensitive, when they're anything but?

In today's data-driven society, it's easy to forget that we don't experience our lives in numbers. Instead, we experience our lives in impressions and feelings. Design at its core is meant not only to help us survive, but to make us feel something: perhaps safe, or comfortable, or relaxed, or joyful. Yet in western culture we resist talking about design in terms of emotions, we prefer geometry and color, zoning, and square footages. How can we get back in touch with the emotions that are at the core of experiencing design?

The word “design” is one of the most intriguing in the English language (says us designers), straddling the line between specific and vague, and causing an unparalleled possessiveness among many creative professions. How do we unpack what it means to all of us, and in the end, is it a word that does creatives harm or does it do us justice?

It's official, Hustle Culture is a thing. As young workers enter the workforce, there is a glamorization of overwork. Some are cheering it on but are we risking the burnout of an entire generation? Gary Vaynerchuk, dubbed by the NY Times as "The Patron Saint of Hustle Culture" may have started it, but it has taken on a life of its own, as Instagram accounts light up with all-nighters, coffee binging contests, and other overwork competitions. What's the line between seizing an opportunity to make your mark on the world, and just plain grinding?

Chances are, you're reading this paragraph on your phone. And our phones are just one of the numerous screens permeating our lives. Considering how much time we spend interacting with our devices, you might say we spend as much time focused on digital space as we do physical space. We design and curate the physical spaces — shouldn’t we do the same for the digital ones? Of course! To help us sort out the details, we welcome Blake Scott, who harnesses a traditional architectural design education to inform how he writes code for our modern world of hybridized digital/physical spaces.

Just say the words "Post Truth" and journalism comes to mind. Whether you think news is full of information or disinformation depends completely on who we trust to frame the facts, and our differing opinions are bringing a lot more polarization into our daily lives. How will we escape the Post Truth era? Will we be able to at all? What can we do to try to come together more, if not on a grander scale, at least in the communities where we live? For this third episode in our series on Post Truth, we invited returning guest, Monica Guzman, Director of The Evergrey, a digital news publication here in Seattle, back to the studio to light up the path forward.

We are all living in the Post Truth Era, whether we choose to believe it or not. Once upon a time, we all experienced the world accepting basic, fundamental truths, but, as of late, that's just no longer the case. Basic concepts, like science, are being called into question, and when that happens, everything goes out the window. Nowhere is this more evident than in graphic design - ground zero for the battle between fiction and fact. Gabriel Stromberg, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Civilization, a design practice here in Seattle, helps us with our cognitive dissonance, understanding how powerful design can be, but also, ruining smoothies in the process.

We are all living in the Post Truth Era, whether we choose to believe it or not. Once upon a time, we all experienced the world accepting basic, fundamental truths, but, as of late, that's just no longer the case. Basic concepts, like science, are being called into question, and when that happens, everything goes out the window. How do we design experiences for retail spaces when each and every element is approached with distrust and skepticism? Chris Guillot, a retail consultant with Merchant Method, joins us to help us separate the feels from the facts.

Design is often perceived as a luxury, something that is the exclusive domain of the privileged. The fact is, though, design makes a real difference every day in communities in need around the world. In a very special Design Goggles, we're joined by architect Fabian Bedolla, who, along with the 14+ Foundation, proved that design brought to those in need can have a huge impact.

We talk about taste all the time, yet it's one of the most difficult concepts to define in any creative genre. Who has good taste? Who has bad taste? Who tells you if you have it and what do you do with it? We chat about that and more, including fever dreams, houses made out of doors and Scandinavian crime dramas. This is a great episode, trust us, we have great taste.

It seems like Seattle has switched its relationship status with architects and developers to 'It's Complicated.' Sandy, who has a ton of experience both with managing Seattle developers and (it turns out) speed dating meetups is the perfect person to help us work it out!

Seattle's nickname is the Emerald City, but how important is color to the city of Seattle, a place that's grey for nearly half the year? How do the colors that surround us affect our quality of life in the PNW? Is color a little talked about life sustaining resource, just as important as air and water?

There are a bunch of big, high profile project being built in Seattle, but it's the smaller custom projects where the magic really happens, and PNW makers, artists and fabricators are making it happen here every day. How do they make these small custom projects memorable, and through experiencing them, perhaps even revive the soul of the city of Seattle?

Design affects everyone who interacts with it, and the public rarely has a hand in the process. How do designers make values-based decisions during their design process, while still serving their clients and being true to the creative process? How does design in Seattle specifically interact with our ethical boundaries?

For a few months of the year, Seattle is darker than anywhere else in the country. Living through it year after year, Seattlites have developed a special relationship with light, both natural and otherwise. How can we better take advantage of this special relationship in architecture and design? How can designers integrate light thoughtfully into their work? How come streetlights are so darn harsh? What's Kelvin, and should we care? (Yes, we should.)

Seattle is undergoing an evolution like no time before in it's history, and emotions are high. Is it possible to cheer for growth in Seattle while still preserving the soul of the city? Are Seattle's most vulnerable voices being drowned out by the speed of growth and change? Will Macklemore ever come on either of our shows?

Seattle is a notoriously tough dating city, and with native Seattle social culture clashing with all these newcomers, the singles scene is extra complicated! Danielle helps us sort it all out, among many other things such as her favorite places to send people on dates, what not to say on a date, and how we all might just be trying to design our perfect match. Have a listen!

This week Rachel and Charles welcome the founder of Board & Vellum (and their boss), Jeff Pelletier, to sit down and chat about 'Working to Live.' We could seriously ask him anything. Charles requests a sushi bar, Rachel deals out Captain Planet references, and most importantly, we chat about lofty work culture goals in the profession of architecture.

This week, Rachel and Charles welcome Duffy of local Seattle art collective Electric Coffin and Ryan Adanalian of Board & Vellum) to discuss collaboration in the creative community. Ryan and Duffy have hooked up on a few projects now, and shared with us some unique insights into their creative process, the challenges all creatives face when collaborating, and the lines where art and architecture bleed together.

Seattle has one of the most vibrant communities of makers in the country. The incredibly supportive craft atmosphere in the Pacific Northwest has a lot to do with that, but what separates a 'Maker' from an 'Artist?' How does the way in which we create determine what kind of community we belong in, here in Seattle?

Every word we read is created from typefaces, the designs behind every line of every letter we see. There is a fascinating story behind each typeface, and some are unique to the Pacific Northwest. What stories are hidden behind the design of the typefaces we see around us in the built world every day? What do they say about where Seattle is, and where we're going as a city?

It's an understatement to say that Seattleites shop with their values in mind. How does that translate to shop owners both small and large, who are trying to balance creating a unique and authentic local experience for their customers, while still managing the rising cost of operating fairly, sustainably and profitably? More importantly, what role does design have in balancing those scales?

The definition of vernacular architecture in Seattle is changing as fast as the city itself. Building your home with your bare hands used to be a common occurrence, but these days it's rare. How do we define Vernacular architecture when the rules we live by dictate that the people who build our homes are rarely the people who live in them?

You might have noticed there are some new people in town, and who knows, you might be one of them. With so many new Seattlites with different ideas about the future of Seattle, how can we open a dialogue and make the city a Seattle for everyone, native and newcomer alike?

The great outdoors is hugely important to Pacific Northwest culture, and Landscape Designers work in the language that Pacific North-westerners speak fluently. As the line between inside and out blurs, how do we manage the expectations of an urban population that values this vital connection above all else? With so many new Seattlites with different sensibilities regarding the outdoors, how do designers manage these expectations?

Public transportation has been a hot topic in Seattle for some time now, and as the face of the city changes with an influx of newcomers, the evolving public transportation infrastructure is facing a big test. How does Seattle's struggles to form a fully developed transit system compare to the struggles of other cities? Why do some neighborhoods fear the light rail coming to their neck of the woods? Does Seattle being late to the game mean can we take advantage of new technologies and innovations?

Seattleites may think of beaches and resorts when they think of Hawaii, but first and foremost Hawaii has a vibrant culture and proud traditions that reach back far before anyone in the pacific northwest ever visited. How is Hawaiian culture represented in design, and how do Seattle's sensibilities compare to the even more nature-focused values of Hawaii?

There are very different experiences between urban life and suburban life. Newcomers and Seattle natives alike are facing a choice of how much space they want, versus how much they can afford. What kind of exodus is it sending Seattlites on, and are they moving towards the city center, or away?

This city has an eclectic collection of neighborhood parks that is prolific, but the Puget Sound is in its own way, Seattle's most prominent park. What does it mean though, when we have to pay money to access it? Additionally, when both indoor and outdoor natural spaces are locked behind a door, with hours and limited access, do they cease to be public?

With this influx of new Satellites and their eclectic backgrounds and influence, how are our neighborhoods evolving? What role does nostalgia play in the future of Seattle and it's neighborhoods?

This week, Rachel and Charles welcome guest Monika Shreves of Board & Vellum to discuss the difficult to define "Pacific Northwest Aesthetic." Is the real Pacific Northwest all mid-century modern homes and industrial chic interiors, or is there something even more authentic hidden beneath?

This week, Rachel and Charles welcome guest Haley Buckbee of Board & Vellum and RSVR art collective to discuss the art community in the Pacific Northwest. With all of these new eyes and ears in the Seattle, the unique art community here is sure to evolve, and there are infinite possibilities.