The Crit

31. It’s About Time Morris!

This month, hosts Oli Stratford and India Block recap a trio of reports that examine Urban Heat Islands, reducing the carbon emissions of touring exhibitions, and building safer cities for birds. In products and projects they discuss the Bilboquet lamp by Philippe Malouin for Flos, football kits inspired by William Morris and conclude with an interview with Olivier Lacrouts, one half of Studio d-o-t-s, discussing their School of Phyto-Centred Design. 

30. Mr Threads

Following a discussion of the sudden flurry of product design in cinema, this episode of The Crit sees the co-hosts unpack the unsettling allegations made against top architect David Adjaye, give their first impressions of Meta's new social media platform Threads, and discuss the opening of Young V&A, a museum revamp that's been overshadowed by the removal of LGBTQ+ content. This month's exclusive interview takes the form of a conversation with Paul Simmons, co-founder of Timorous Beasties, about pushing the technical boundaries of wall coverings.

29. Let Offices Be Offices

In this episode of The Crit, hosts Oli Stratford and India Block celebrate their June birthdays and reflect on the month’s design goings-on. They discuss the merits and pitfalls of augmented reality headsets to exhibitions about email newsletters, to handy fold up sofas. Also featured is a teaser for the new issue of Design Reviewed, plus an exclusive interview with designer Ilona Gaynor about her research into the politics and labour of sleeping.

28. Archi-Washing

We take a journey to ethics town in this episode of The Crit, discussing the dubious developments around Adidas’s Yeezy range and the human rights abuses connected to mega-city Neom. In brighter news, we highlight some products and projects including Transformers by Konstantin Grcic, the Kyora balancing board by Studiomama, and the opening of the Farrell Centre in Newcastle. We end with a special treat – an interview with designer Jean Lee about Ladies & Gentlemen Studio’s new exhibition, Public Access.

27. Milan Design Week 2023

In this edition of The Crit hosts Oli Stratford and India Block discuss notable moments from Milan Design Week 2023.

This episode was recorded at Convene, 22 Bishopsgate. Thank you to everyone at Convene for their kind support. If you’d like to find out more about Convene’s workplaces in London and further afield simply visit convene.com.

26. Beltless

A new year, a new episode of The Crit. This month, the hosts discuss the amusing, confusing and inspiring tech products from Las Vegas’ consumer Electronics show; the rise of the pet apparel market and Front’s forward thinking design practice. Also included is a discussion of a Virtual Power Plant Partnership project, a nostalgic reflection on Sony’s Walkman releases and a special mention of Special Project’s interface design for a digital therapy service called SlowMo.

25. Ding the Dong

It’s December, which means the annual round-up episode of The Crit is out, looking back on design stories of note in 2022. In honour of the launch of Disegno’s new publication – Design Reviewed – we have updated the format of this year’s annual review. Design Reviewed is organised around 10 categories, each of which correspond to a different design output, so we’ve borrowed these same sections for this special episode of the podcast. Listen on for discussions of Elf bars, Dall-E, beyond human design, the year’s design villains and heroes, and much more.

24. Muscled Men

This episode of The Crit looks back on design news in October, including sad happenings around The Line in Neom; the opening of Battersea Power station; the Kakao outage in South Korea; and Coperni’s spray-on dress.

23. White Whale

To celebrate the upcoming launch of Disegno’s September issue, The Crit’s co-hosts give a behind-the-scenes view of some of the most topical pieces from the new issue, with sections exploring the Tolix Chaise A, a contested masterplan in Auroville, the unionisation movement in architecture, and much more.

22. Working Since 1992

July was marked by somber news from the design world, with reports of a final spilt between Jony Ive and Apple, the frightening data fall out from the overturning of Roe vs Wade, and the death of Dezeen founder Marcus Fairs. Also included in this episode is a look at the Stirling prize building nominees in the UK, a new game shaped by the feline perspective, and a move towards universal design principals from Pottery Barn.

21. Otters with Secrets

Returning in full force after Disegno’s editorial team ventured out to the Salone Del Mobile, this month’s Crit explores what a two-year hiatus has done to the design fair behemoth; reflects on the publication and ramifications of the Bartlett report; debates the sentience of an AI chatbot and its effect on the public imagination; and examines a series of new projects and products.

20. Bees Don’t Wear Shoes

A special episode sees The Crit travel to the Eden Project in Cornwall to meet artist Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, whose Pollinator Pathmaker project explores interspecies design and questions whether creative practice can make things better, and for whom?

[Featuring sound design from Nick Ryan.]

19. Twang the Belt

Looking back over March, Disegno’s editorial team discuss diversity and Marsha Ramroop’s exit from RIBA; Diébédo Francis Kéré and his selection as the 2022 Pritzker Prize laureate; Frida Escobedo’s appointment to design the new Met extension; and Santiago’s newly appointed heat officer. Also included in the episode are projects and products including Radical Acts at Harewood House, the Dyson Zone headphones, Plusminus by Stefan Diez, and Queer Spaces: An Atlas of LGBTQIA+ Places and Stories by Adam Nathaniel Furman and Joshua Mardell.

18. Of Tea

This February, The Crit covers changes to Google's cookie policy; MRDV on the record about the Marble Arch Mound; furniture designed around fermentation by The Decorators; Danielle Dean's latest show at Tate Britain; a new director for the Cooper Hewitt museum; electric anti-poaching bikes and project and products from Barber and Osgerby, Sony, VG&P and Pauline Deltour.

17. Clement Weather

Happy Lunar New Year! The Crit is back for 2022 – and the Year of the Tiger – with a full first month of design news. This episode includes the continued rise of NFTs; Salone del Mobile rescheduled; the craze for Wordle; a pig-to-human heart transplant; ostentatious branding; the launch of the Framework laptop; a dustpan and brush by Studio Irvine for Muji; and a new exhibition from Mac Collins.

16. The 2021 Review

As 2021 draws to a close, The Crit invites you to settle down, relax and plug in to our design review of the past year. Join the team as they run through the architecture and design projects, trends, and heroes and villains who made 2021 what it was. Happy holiday listening!

15. Garden Via Algorithm

November brings a bumper edition of architectural scandals to The Crit, courtesy of the final instalment of The Tulip saga, and the reviled Munger dormitory. It also sees our hosts discuss Apple's new self-repair scheme; a sneak peek of Disegno #31 through the lens of bacteria-related plastics and the opening of Hong Kong's long-awaited M+ museum; plus products and projects from Daisy Ginsberg, Laufen, Map Project Office, Bene, and Federica.

14. Suitably Woolly

It’s October and the editorial team behind Disegno pick apart this month’s stories including Dubai’s delayed Expo 2020; an unusual Balenciaga fashion show with cartoon guests; an Eames cameo in the guise of the Club C Reebok shoe; Stefan Diez’s AYNO collection for Midgard; a visit to Somerset’s East Quay arts centre; and a very pleasant architectural video game. This episode also includes an extended interview with Kaat Debo, director of the Antwerp Fashion Museum MoMu.

13. Mound Economics

This month on the Crit, Disegno's deputy editor India Block and editor-in-chief Oli Stratford discuss David Adjaye's hospitals for Ghana; OnlyFans’s banking woes; Sou Fujimoto’s pollution-funnelling Thousand Trees project; the uncertain future facing California’s gig economy workers as Proposition 22 is struck down; and a whole host of recent product and project releases, not least Yuri Suzuki’s Sonic Bloom installation.

12. Kitsch Flame

Join show hosts Oli Stratford and Johanna Agerman Ross as they explore the design elements behind the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics; Phyllida Barlow’s new sculpture for Highgate Cemetery; Samuel Ross’s 2021 Black British and POC artist grants; the second edition of the Where Are the Black Designers? annual conference; Virgil Abloh’s promotion at LVMH; and the return of Phoebe Philo.

This month the show also features a long-form interview with David Rockwell, founder of the new York-based architecture practice Rockwell Group, speaking about his new book Drama and why architecture has much to learn from the impermanence of set design. 

11. 80085

In June’s episode of The Crit we are joined by Johanna Agerman Ross to discuss this month’s museum openings; the commercialisation of space flight; the new Serpentine Pavilion; the risk to Liverpool’s UNESCO world heritage status; and some nefarious app design. The episode also features an extended interview with architect Alan Maskin of Olson Kundig, speaking about his recent work on ANOHA – The Children’s World of the Jewish Museum Berlin.

Bonus Episode: The Crut

Some updates from the team behind The Crit.

10. Fash or Tat

The 10th episode of The Crit heralds reflections on David Rockwell's Oscars set; Herman Miller's merger with Knoll; fond memories of Alber Elbaz; two Brit awards from Yinka Ilori and Es Devlin; as well as projects and products from the Design Museum, Moooi, Pearson Llyod and Svenskt Tenn.

09. A Rousing Tune

This week our hosts dive into the problems of mourning in greyscale; Aric Chen's new appointment; the winners of this year's Antepavillion competition in Hoxton; an update on the V&A; a "Nuanced" acquisition to the Microsoft empire and some architecturally inspired book covers by Michele De Lucchi.

08. Robots for Public Delight

Our hosts discuss the 2021 edition of the Salone del Mobile; a name change at the Serpentine Galleries; Alan Turing on the UK's £50 polymer banknote; the design legacy of Zeev Aram; MSCHF's satanic Nikes with Lil Nas X; and a host of new products from Normann Copenhagen, Moooi, Tala, Tarkett, and Boston Dynamics.

07. Already Spectacled

Our seventh episode discusses the winners of this year’s Pritzker Prize; internet inequality; a pavilion proposal for opera revellers; the legislation of dark patterns; a spat about forests; new eco-leathers from Hermès and Allbirds; Neri and Hu’s Petit dining chair; and a look to upcoming exhibitions at the Vitra Design Museum, Maxxi, and the Design Museum, London.

06. Digital Tumescent

This week our hosts discuss major institutional restructuring at the V&A; the life and times of atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen; the Amazon app logo snafu; Andrés Reisinger’s digital furniture at auction; and the rise of #Multiform.

05. Remembering Birthdays

The Crit team discuss gaming furniture from IKEA; a much-maligned job advert; new plans for the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing; and Fenty’s discontinuation of its ready-to-wear line. We also explore some of our favourite stories from the latest issue of Disegno – out now!

04. Rot Fingers

This week our hosts discuss the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year; the changing future of Amazon; protest tunnels; USM’s planters; Nike’s hands-free shoes; and a new exhibition by Marcin Rusak.

03. Bad Corp.

In our first episode of 2021, the team look at big tech’s response to the Capitol insurrection; a raft of new logos; the retirement of Adobe Flash Player; Pantone’s colours of 2021; and a new toilet from Laufen.

Bonus Episode:
The feature creep

In this shorter bonus episode our hosts are joined by Disegno’s founder Johanna Agerman Ross. The trio reflects on 2020, and some of the design stories that have shaped it. This episode was edited by Kristina Rapacki and produced by Evi Hall. Our theme music is composed by Yuri Suzuki, with Team Suzuki at Pentagram.

02. A Singular Tumult

In episode two, we chat about B&B Italia’s new artistic leadership; the world’s first approved lab-grown meat; the departures of ZHA and Foster + Partners from climate alliance Architects Declare; the logistics of vaccination; a videogame from Balenciaga; as well as products and projects from Ensemble, Systems Studio, and Nerdabe.

01. You need to explain what’s happening

Episode one includes discussions of alt-right architecture; the future of the Salone del Mobile; the design story behind the fate of Denmark's mink; as well as a host of new product launches from the likes of Vitra, Flos, Muuto and Established&Sons.