Launched on February 4th, 2005, Design Matters is one of the first and longest running podcasts in the world. In this time, Design Matters has evolved from a niche, live internet radio program to a global podcast with over 500,000 downloads a month. While the program was originally about design, the show now centers on how the world’s most incredibly creative people—designers, writers, artists, musicians, educators, scientists, philosophers, athletes and performers—design the trajectory of their lives. The format of Design Matters is organized around the idea of “storytelling through questions,” and empowers guests to share original and intimate stories. Each singular long-form interview focuses on the creative journey guests have taken with a deeply researched focus on their origin story, the challenges they’ve encountered, the choices they’ve made and the art they create.
Over the last 20 years, Design Matters has evolved from a niche, live internet radio program to a global podcast with over 500,000 downloads a month. While the program was originally about design (hence the name) and began before the advent of mainstream podcasting, the show evolved over the years into a widely respected, award-winning podcast about the journey artists of myriad disciplines—including designers, writers, artists, musicians, educators, scientists, philosophers, athletes and performers—take in creating their lives, and making their respective art.

The format of Design Matters is organized around the idea of “storytelling through questions,” and host Debbie Millman seeks to create an environment of trust allowing guests to deeply share original and intimate stories about the path their lives and work have taken. Considered one of the most rigorously researched podcasts on the air, the show won a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award in 2011, in 2015 Apple designated the show as one of the best podcasts on iTunes and in 2022 and 2023 named it one of their “All Time Favorites.” In 2017 the magazine Business Insider chose it as one of the best podcasts in the world.

In 2023 the show won two Webby Awards, three Communicator Awards, a Signal Award, three awards from The Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts, including a ‘Best In Show’ award for Best Host. The podcast has also received two nominations for the Ambie Award. The show has been featured on over 100 “best-of” lists including Architectural Digest, Goop, The Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Magazine, Marie Claire and HGTV.