The Crit #20: Jo Barnard
What opinions do designers hold about their past work? Which projects have stood the test of time, and which still keep them up at night. The Crit, a podcast by Disegno, has the answers!
Each fortnight, Disegno’s editor-in-chief Oli Stratford invites a leading designer to Kef Music Gallery to review their own work. Our guest reveals what worked best; what failed; what pushed their career to new heights; what feedback most shaped their practice; and what they feel needs to be redesigned.
At the end of each episode, to complete their crit, they’ll be asked to give themselves a grade for their career to date: fail, pass, commendation or distinction.
It’s a design-school crit, delivered every fortnight! Subscribe to the show here, or sign up wherever you get your podcasts from.
Our twentieth guest on The Crit is Jo Barnard, founder and creative director of Morrama, accompanied by show host Oli Stratford.
Episode #20: Jo Barnard
Jo Barnard is the founder and creative director of Morrama, a London-based industrial design agency that makes environmentally conscious, user-centred products for clients including Wild, Google, Wagamama and more.
From luggage designed for disassembly to refillable deodorant packaging, Morrama’s work factors the needs of the planet into the design process. Barnard is also a cofounder of Design Declares, a not-for-profit organisation that encourages designers to take action to address the climate crisis, and this year she is launching her first book, From people to planet; lessons from a design agency, to celebrate 10 years of Morrama.
Inspired by conversations she had while lecturing at the Royal College of Art, Barnard has also started Morrama Lab, a space for self-initiated projects and collaborations that has led the agency to launch Kibu, a circular technology brand for kids, and also to produce a redesign of the classic straight razor.
In this episode, Barnard visits the studio to talk about learning design at secondary school, refining products based on customer feedback, the joys and challenges of founding her own agency, and the need to move away from human-centred design.
Show Notes: Jo Barnard
Best design: Morrama
Worst design: A flat-packed shelving unit made while at secondary school
Most successful design: Angle razor
Most impactful feedback: Customer reviews for Wild refillable deodorant
Dream design: A waste system
This episode of The Crit was recorded at KEF Music Gallery London.
The Crit’s graphics were created by Leonhard Rothmoser.
The Crit’s music was created by Yuri Suzuki and Team Suzuki.