Hosted by Debbie Millman, The Mic is NYCxDESIGN's podcast that offers an inside look into New York City's most creative minds. New York City is home to the world’s most diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and when we share stories, we always find means of connection. Tune in to hear from the most innovative creators and emerging talents as they underscore design as a powerful connector and catalyst to help us build a better future together.

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From checking in to a hotel, to entering a new restaurant, to booking a reservation, the hospitality design industry is always finding creative ways to draw people in. 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.

Little Wing Lee

Catherine Piccoli

Each month, The Mic features two guests from New York City's design community to explore how their creative worlds collide. 

Hear stories from members of New York City's creative community as they shed light on the projects, products, and inspirations that have shaped their design perspectives.

Listen to past episodes of The Mic and explore fascinating stories from members of NYC's creative community.

Hospitality by Design

Revitalizing Community through Design

Through community rebuilding projects, distribution of resources, design education, and more, New York City's design community has been a powerful force in our city's recovery. 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. 

Conscious Design with Timeless Style

On this month’s episode of The Mic, host Debbie Millman is joined by Ouigi Theodore, Creative Director and Founder of menswear brand and boutique The Brooklyn Circus, and Carmen Gama, Director of Circular Design at Eileen Fisher, to explore 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. 

Cross-Country Collaborations and Creative Innovations

In this episode of The Mic, host Debbie Millman is joined by Odile Hainaut and Claire Pijoulat, Co-Founders of WantedDesign, and Emilio Cabrero, Partner at C Cubica Arquitectos and Director of Design Week Mexico, to discuss their important work centered around creating opportunities and facilitating connections among local and international members of the design community. 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.

Breaking Barriers through Design

Emerging and independent talent energizes the design community in so many ways–from fresh perspectives and visions, to novel creative expression and objects. 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.

Designing with Equity at the Forefront

Frameworks that are designed to prioritize equitable opportunity allow our society as a whole to thrive. 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.

Envisioning the Future with Visual Design

A powerful tool of protest, identity and expression, visual language is the pinnacle of design possibilities. 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.

Crisis, Community, and Design

Going beyond its aesthetic value, design can also be an agent of sustainable change in our communities. 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.

Wellness by Design

Recognizing that the role of design in healthcare is often overlooked, Episode 2 of The Mic explores the creative ways in which contemporary healthcare spaces now use design to create enjoyable and familiar environments for patients and staff alike. 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.

Discovery Driving Design

Kicking off Season 2 of The Mic, Episode 1 explores how design discoveries play a vital role in shaping the future of our cities. 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.

Best of Season 1

While New York City was in the midst of a crisis, we created this podcast to examine and celebrate the resilient spirit of our city’s design community. We 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.

May 2021: Design for All

Through all the challenges that NYC has faced over the past year, the design community never ceased to innovate and inspire. With exciting new projects and concepts underway, NYC's designers have been instrumental in beginning to rebuild and reopen our city. 

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. 

April 2021: Nurturing Nature

How does design enable us to be better stewards of nature? In what ways can designers utilize sustainable and ethical practices in all aspects of their work? 

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.

March 2021: Living Well

How can we advance health and wellness through design? In what ways do built environments, interior spaces, and well-designed experiences foster individual growth and wellbeing? 

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.

February 2021: Beauty is Everywhere

Can design be a powerful tool to express our belief systems? In what ways can those manifestations impact us, and compel us to look beyond stereotypes? 

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.

January 2021: Always Learning

What kind of innovation is needed to build environments that can sustain us? Can design teach us to embrace not only the identities of others, but also our own?

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.

Design Nerds Anonymous

Welcome to Design Nerds Anonymous, the podcast that sparks curiosity at the intersection of business and design, from ThinkLab, the research division of SANDOW.

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.

Want to join big thinking happening in the design industry? Become a ThinkLab Insider today by visiting: https://info.thinklab.design/insider-program

December 2020: Building an Impact

How can designers serve as essential advocates to both their communities and each other? How can the urban landscape foster empathy, exchange, and learning? 
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.

November 2020: Selling Dreams

Why do times of struggle bring about new ideas and innovations? How can designers strike a balance between creativity and intellect? 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.

October 2020: Illustrating Sound

How can sonic design move us in public spaces? How do sounds and visuals play off each other? 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.

Introducing The Mic

Hosted by Debbie Millman, The Mic is NYCxDESIGN's podcast that offers an inside look into New York City's most creative minds.

New York City is home to the world’s most diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and when we share stories, we always find means of connection. Each month, The Mic features two inspiring guests to explore the meaning behind their work or study and undercover how their creative worlds collide.

The Mic

Hospitality by Design

Featured Guests

Little Wing Lee

Catherine Piccoli

The Archive

Hospitality by Design

Past Voice Messages

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