
Advertise on podcast: Design Tangents
Rating
4.9from
This podcast has
29 episodes
Language
EnglishPublisher
COOL HUNTING and SURROUNDExplicit
No
Date created
2023/03/22
Latest episode
2025/12/03
Average duration
48 min.
Release period
50 days
Description
Hosted by COOL HUNTING founders Evan Orensten and Josh Rubin, Design Tangents takes listeners on a journey into the minds of artists, designers, musicians, tech pioneers and visionaries. The podcast explores the creative processes and inspirations that drive these changemakers and offers behind-the-scenes insights into their careers, challenges and philosophies.
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Podcast episodes
Check latest episodes from Design Tangents podcast
Hiroki Asai: Designing the Journey
2025/12/03
Working at the intersection of user experience, visual communication, creative leadership and systems thinking, Hiroki Asai blends his design talent and love for travel as Airbnb’s Chief Experience Officer. Evan and Josh recently visited San Francisco and participated in the full ecosystem of what the company is offering before sitting down with Asai to talk about skateboarding, modernism, local cuisine and travel adventures. They got a special look at how important and impactful end-to-end design is at Airbnb.
This episode is available in video at coolhunting.com/design-tangents
This Old Ledge: Skate History and Architecture in SF
https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/5915329
Hyperlocal, foraged fare by Clair
https://www.airbnb.com/services/6068057
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nobu Matsuhisa: Chef and entrepreneur
2025/06/24
As a young chef Nobu began working in Peru and quickly embraced a lack of traditional Japanese ingredients as an opportunity to innovate using local flavors. This fusion of cuisine and culture birthed what later became known as “Nobu style.” Today there are more than 80 Nobu restaurants and hotels around the world. Some might call this an empire—to Nobu, it’s a family. Josh and Evan caught up with Chef Nobu recently in Maui during the opening weekend of Nobu Maui at the Grand Wailea Hotel. Together they talked about his travel routines, grounding philosophies, respect for place and generosity of heart.
Nobu Restaurants
Nobu Hotels
Nobu: A Memoir
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Wyna Liu: Puzzle Author and Jewelry Maker
2025/03/19
Wyna Liu is a puzzle editor who is responsible for creating the New York Times games’ “Connections” and also creates crossword puzzles there, for The New Yorker, and AV Club. When she’s not making her challenging, sharable and meme-worthy games she creates jewelry inspired by crystalline structures, often incorporating magnets pushed to the edge of their tension. Evan and Josh sat down with Wyna recently and learned about her love of puzzles and explore how they play into the wearable jewelry and sculptures she creates.
https://www.wynaliu.com
https://www.nytimes.com/games/connections
https://itp.nyu.edu/itp/
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Teo Yang: Interior designer, aesthete, collector and entrepreneur
2024/12/17
Some are born with good taste, and Teo Yang is one of them. Among South Korea’s most interesting designers and collectors, he consistently studies the country’s past to find inspiration and connection to its present and future. His interior design practice creates private, public and corporate spaces, often filled with an eclectic mix that includes furniture and furnishings that he’s designed. Evan and Josh spent time with Teo in Seoul and more recently caught up with him while he was passing through NYC on his first visit in many years. They spoke with the gifted entrepreneur about how he weaves his vision across multiple businesses, including skin care, fragrances and science fiction.
TeoYangStudio.com
en.Eastern-Edition.com
Instagram.com/TeoYang
CoolHunting.com/TeoYang
en.EathLibrary.com
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte and Rachel Senatore.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Nerdy Details: The Apple iPhone 16’s Camera Control Button
2024/09/20
Apple’s Johnny Manzari and Rich Dinh share insights on the new button and how it helps people capture more photo / video opportunities
Following the release of Apple’s new iPhone 16 we sat down with Johnny Manzari, Designer from the Human Interface Team, and Rich Dinh, Senior Director, Product Design, at Apple HQ to dig in deep to the Camera Control button—how it was developed, what it can do, and how it works—all to help you more easily capture the moments you often miss.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Paola Antonelli: Design curator, educator and evangelist [Encore]
2024/07/16
Growing up in Milan, Paola Antonelli was surrounded by design and became aware of its importance when she noticed things that weren’t well designed. For nearly 30 years Antonelli—an architect, author, editor and podcaster—has been the Design Curator at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. A long-time inspiration for us at COOL HUNTING, we were excited to sit down with her to talk about her perspective on design, what’s exciting her now, current and future MoMA exhibitions, her Design Emergency podcast and her work running the Research and Development department focusing on discourse around life’s moments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Antonelli
https://www.moma.org/about/senior-staff/paola-antonelli
http://momarnd.moma.org/salons/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/design-emergency/id1655108265
Photo by Marton Perkaki
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jonathan Adler: Potter, designer and philologist [Encore]
2024/06/18
Jonathan dreamed about being a potter but was thwarted by the advice of others, so after university he started working at a talent agency in NYC, and threw pottery on the side. It didn’t take long for him to listen to his heart and pursue his true calling. Thirty one years later he’s achieved superstar status as a multi-faceted creator and designer with a retail empire and a creative studio that celebrates his unique point of view on living with glamour and style. In this episode Josh and Evan talk to Jonathan about building his eponymous lifestyle brand, the power of yes, flexing vocabulary and keeping it carny.
jonathanadler.com
Instagram.com/JonathanAdler
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Katie Longmyer: Wrangler of Misfits
2024/04/16
A pioneering creative and life-long culture maker, Katie Longmyer is also a talented operator. Known by many as “Good Peoples,” a label given to her during her early club-kid days, that’s exactly the type of person she attracts and it eventually became the name of her events and experiences agency. In this episode Evan and Josh talk to Longmyer about the arc of her career, Co-founding and being the CEO of Proto, community building, Shibari, the future of social media and more.
katielongmyer.com
instagram.com/goodpeoples
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte with editing assistance from Hannah Viti.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
meriko borogove: designer, engineer, director and photographer
2024/04/02
During her 22 years at Apple meriko borogove worked on some of the most interesting and transformative products the company has made. If you’ve ever used a camera on an Apple device, then you’re already familiar with some of her work, as she led the camera team for years. A designer, engineer, director and photographer who one colleague labeled a “unicorn” given her epic levels of intelligence, creativity, logic and humanitarianism, she is now leading a future where technology and entertainment increasingly collaborate. In this episode Evan and Josh talk to borogove about the early Apple days, how cameras and photography have evolved, spatial computing, volumetric imaging, live performance and more. Artists and nerds love her and you will too.
merikob.com
scanlabprojects.co.uk
audienceofthefuture.live/projects/dream
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Willie Williams: Creative alchemist and visual director of live experiences
2024/03/19
Operating behind the scenes and under the radar Willie Williams has been creating some of the most memorable and talked about experiences and live performances for decades. Josh + Evan caught up with the co-founder of London's Treatment Studio in Las Vegas, where the firm designed both U2’s epic residency at The Sphere and Weekends With Adele at Caesars Palace. In this episode we hear about Williams' work with U2 over the last forty years, his creative process, how the modest technical genius integrates cutting-edge innovation into his projects, the power of reading and more.
Reference Links:
www.Williewilliams.com
www.treatmentstudio.com
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Jonathan Adler: Potter, designer and philologist
2024/03/05
Jonathan dreamed about being a potter but was thwarted by the advice of others, so after university he started working at a talent agency in NYC, and threw pottery on the side. It didn’t take long for him to listen to his heart and pursue his true calling. Thirty one years later he’s achieved superstar status as a multi-faceted creator and designer with a retail empire and a creative studio that celebrates his unique point of view on living with glamour and style. In this episode Josh and Evan talk to Jonathan about building his eponymous lifestyle brand, the power of yes, flexing vocabulary and keeping it carny.
jonathanadler.com
Instagram.com/JonathanAdler
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Paola Antonelli: Design curator, educator and evangelist
2024/02/20
Growing up in Milan, Paola Antonelli was surrounded by design and became aware of its importance when she noticed things that weren’t well designed. For nearly 30 years Antonelli—an architect, author, editor and podcaster—has been the Design Curator at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. A long-time inspiration for us at COOL HUNTING, we were excited to sit down with her to talk about her perspective on design, what’s exciting her now, current and future MoMA exhibitions, her Design Emergency podcast and her work running the Research and Development department focusing on discourse around life’s moments.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paola_Antonelli
https://www.moma.org/about/senior-staff/paola-antonelli
http://momarnd.moma.org/salons/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/design-emergency/id1655108265
Photo by Marton Perkaki
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Maximilian Büsser: The punk rock provocateur of Swiss watchmaking
2024/02/06
Maximilian is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of MB&F (Maximilian Büsser & Friends), the most radical watch maker in a very traditional industry. Following his successful career at established brands including Jaeger-LeCoultre and Harry Winston during difficult years in the Swiss watchmaking industry, he set out to create his eponymous timepieces showcasing unabashed innovation, whimsy, craft and the never-been-done-before, challenging his “friends” to do things even they didn’t think they could do. He talks with Evan and Josh about his many inspirations, including his childhood love of cars and science fiction, his passion for making mechanical works of art, how therapy helped ground him and why he has legacy on his mind.
Reference links
https://www.mbandf.com
https://www.instagram.com/mbandf
https://coolhunting.com/design/chv-mbf
https://coolhunting.com/tag/mbf
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Suchi Reddy: Architect, artist, teacher, form follows feeling advocate and neuroaesthetics practitioner
2024/01/23
Suchi is the founder of her eponymous firm, Reddymade. From her large interactive public art works at The Smithsonian, in Times Square and Prospect Park to her range of architectural projects including Google’s first retail store, Suchi has been a passionate thought leader in creating spaces that make us feel. A longtime friend of COOL HUNTING, Evan and Josh are excited to share her point of view on built environments, art, and design justice.
Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Zane Lowe: DJ, producer, host, creative director and head of artist relations at Apple Music
2024/01/09
A master interviewer, Zane Lowe was once called “Pop’s Unofficial Therapist” by the NY Times. He’s Apple Music’s head of artist relations and the lead anchor for Apple Music 1 Radio. Flipping the script and interviewing the interviewer, Josh and Evan chat with Zane about the importance of curiosity, holding space for conversation and finding the balance between diligence and instinct when it comes to preparing for his work. Full of stories and some deep personal moments, this episode is an exploration of how to design an interview and ultimately what we learned was so much more.
The Zane Lowe ShowThe Zane Lowe Interview SeriesZane's InstagramDiscover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com.
This episode was produced by Rob Schulte.
Design Tangents is presented by Genesis.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Podcast reviews
Read Design Tangents podcast reviews
JonaldDudd 2025/12/03
Smartest design convos
Must-listen design, user experience, art, tech conversations. These guys have the receipts from 2 decades of writing on this stuff, and prior work in ...
Jkladsff 2025/03/20
I’m hooked!
Love this podcast! Informative, thought provoking, and quirky!
Addictsanonymous 2025/03/19
A Must Listen
Fell in love with the Coolhunting founders through their keen design eye and now following them here to go even deeper into design
JNLV62 2023/12/21
Yes!
I’ve known these guys for years and I love their interviews
DS126O 2023/12/13
Excellent
This podcast is a delight. Incisive, wide-ranging interviews with fascinating people.
XtinaCapoeira 2023/10/05
Interesting window into the design world
Great to hear these two in conversation with designers and artists, some of whom I was a already interested in and others I had never heard of. There ...
nonorox4ever 2023/07/13
Huge Fan !!!
I am a huge fan of Cool Hunting and this podcast absolutely rocks! Thank you for sharing such incredible artists and creators with us. XO
Calebleeadams 2023/04/27
It’s a vibe
Listening to Design Tangents feels like sitting down at a cafe and realizing the most interesting conversation is happening at the table next to you… ...
lizzienickname 2023/03/31
For design lovers this is a must-listen
As a long time fan of Cool Hunting, and of Evan/Josh, this podcast is a logical next step in their media empire. This promises to be a design thinkers...
J. ‘87 2023/03/29
Fantastic
A must-listen podcast!
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