Design Tangents

Is it a vibe or is it a discipline? Designing streetwear requires understanding a far-reaching and often unexpected mix of cultural queues. For Jeff Staple, a pioneer in the space, synthesizing these observations is second nature. In this episode Josh and Evan talk to Jeff about his journey of discovering design, disappointing (and then impressing) his parents, mastering product collaborations and more. We also hear some key lessons along the way including a spot-on gumbo metaphor and recognizing the power of 17 year olds. Links: Jeff Staple: jeffstaple.tv Reed Art Department (Creative Agency): reedartdepartment.com Jeff Staple: Not Just Sneakers book with Rizzoli: reedartdepartment.com/shop?rizzoli-jeff-staple-not-just-sneakers Social: @jeffstaple @reedartdepartment Find more podcasts like Design Tangents at SurroundPodcasts.com

Josh and Evan reflect on Season 1 by asking ChatGPT to review every episode and extract the common themes that emerged in their interviews with creatives across a range of fields. Tune in to hear them respond to the results. Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Tangents was produced and edited by SANDOW DESIGN GROUP.

COOL HUNTING’S JOSH RUBIN AND EVAN ORENSTEN ON EXPLORING UNCHARTED TERRITORY Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten fell in love at first sight when they met in the office of Razorfish in the 90’s. But before then, Josh grew up straddling Miami and Vermont, where he gained experience navigating different worlds and perspectives. While Evan, growing up in Minneapolis, was bursting with curiosity, learning languages, and pushing to travel as often as possible. Their chemistry and compatibility ultimately led to the founding of COOL HUNTING. Now after 20 years, they are still exploring the edges of art, design, cars, craft, tech and travel, while also leading the charge (custom project with Ferrari blending traditional craft with high-tech luxury) and the conversation (new podcast, Design Tangents) on the design of a meaningful and beautiful future. You can find more episodes of CLEVER at SurroundPodcasts.com

When Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten met twenty-five years ago, did they ever imagine their partnership would result in the inception of the iconic media brand COOL HUNTING? This episode offers a glimpse into their journey of evolution at the intersection of the internet, content, and design—not to mention the twenty-year partnership of the men behind the helm. Explore the captivating world of digital design in our latest episode. This episode was recorded in the NeoCon Podcast Studio, powered by SURROUND and Sponsored by SnapCab. You can find more episodes of Once Upon a Project at SurroundPodcasts.com

At Unnecessary Inventions Matty designs, builds, documents and shares a new product with his millions of followers each week. Pulled from an endless list of ideas he has for gadgets we don’t need but still might be entertained to have, his fans, talk shows and brand partners can’t get enough of his wit. Josh and Evan visited Matty in his new studio in Burlington, VT to see this self-described “evil genius” madness first hand. With his success he could have a staff working with him, yet he prefers to handle everything himself. He shares how he got here, why he has a need to create, how his unusual process makes sense, and that he may have some ideas in a folder that are NSFW that could someday be revealed. @unnecessaryinventions on all social channels unnecessaryinventions.com (which includes links to all the social channels) Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Tangents was produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Rob Schulte, Hannah Viti, Wize Grazette, and Samantha Sager. Transcripts, show notes, and links for each episode of Design Tangents can be found at surroundpodcasts.com/design-tangents

Around the world photography is a male-dominated industry and in Kenya that’s an understatement. Thandiwe Muriu is the country’s first woman commercial photographer and in recent years the first to find her voice as a photographic artist. In this episode Evan and Josh sit with the Nairobi-based creative to hear how she learned the craft, found her artistic self and is unfolding and reinterpreting the visual language of Kenya for a global audience. Her energy, optimism and enthusiasm are immense and you can feel the love, power and creativity from the opening moments all the way through the conversation. Links thandiwemuriu.com instagram.com/thandiwe_muriu Photograph courtesy of Thandiwe Muriu / Institute Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Tangents was produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Rob Schulte, Hannah Viti, Wize Grazette, and Samantha Sager. Transcripts, show notes, and links for each episode of Design Tangents can be found at surroundpodcasts.com/design-tangents

It typically takes five years from imagining a new car to bringing it to market. In about that same amount of time, Genesis has created their brand and introduced all new models. The cars and the design leadership have gotten the attention of just about every automotive award around the world, and the brand has fought hard to create its mark in a challenging and increasingly fast-paced market. This is a team effort led by the collaborative dynamic duo of Luc Donckerwolke and SangYup Lee. Josh and Evan traveled to Seoul to immerse themselves in Korean culture and learn how innovation has been accelerated across a range of businesses, including automotive. In this episode they sit down with the creative duo, who they’ve known for the last decade, to hear how they’ve developed the Genesis brand, built a team, design cars that people desire, and bring the brand to life across the many touch points that people interact with. Feel the love and learn about the power of design. Links: coolhunting.com/genesis genesis.com  Genesis Instagram Genesis Twitter Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Tangents was produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Rob Schulte, Hannah Viti, Wize Grazette, and Samantha Sager. Transcripts, show notes, and links for each episode of Design Tangents can be found at surroundpodcasts.com/design-tangents

A multi-hyphenate creative, Matthew Dear is a tech-forward composer and performer, a DJ, digital artist and web3 enthusiast. COOL HUNTING first wrote about him in 2007, and he appeared in our video podcast then, early in his musical career. Over the years Josh and Evan followed his work and developed a friendship. Thinking about creating theme music for Design Tangents Matthew was the first and only person on the list, and it was a no brainer to also have him on as a guest. We went back to Ann Arbor, where we shot our video 15 years ago, to talk about what he’s interested in making today, what went into writing our theme music, and how having children, fishing, technology and the Detroit scene all play a role in his creative process. Links coolhunting.com/culture/matthew-dear-nu coolhunting.com/?s=Matthew dear ghostly.com/artists/matthew-dear www.instagram.com/matthewdear twitter.com/matthewdear Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Tangents was produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Rob Schulte, Hannah Viti, Wize Grazette, and Samantha Sager. Transcripts, show notes, and links for each episode of Design Tangents can be found at surroundpodcasts.com/design-tangents

Whenever Josh, Evan and Jihan Zencirli get together the energy is high and the tangents are profound. Jihan is an installation artist, big thinker and positive pop culture force. In this episode they cover her early days making balloon sculptures, the pageantry of religion, art cults, Donatella Versace and learnings from her time in web3 working with the Doodles. Links: coolhunting.com/tag/geronimo geronimoinspace.com designtvbysandow.com/programs/jihan-zencirli-geronimo-cool-hunting Social: @Geronimo Discover more shows from SURROUND at surroundpodcasts.com. This episode of Design Tangents was produced and edited by SANDOW Design Group. Special thanks to the podcast production team: Rob Schulte, Hannah Viti, Wize Grazette, and Samantha Sager. Transcripts, show notes, and links for each episode of Design Tangents can be found at surroundpodcasts.com/design-tangents

Is it a vibe or is it a discipline? Designing streetwear requires understanding a far-reaching and often unexpected mix of cultural queues. For Jeff Staple, a pioneer in the space, synthesizing these observations is second nature. In this episode Josh and Evan talk to Jeff about his journey of discovering design, disappointing (and then impressing) his parents, mastering product collaborations and more. We also hear some key lessons along the way including a spot-on gumbo metaphor and recognizing the power of 17 year olds. Links: Jeff Staple: jeffstaple.tv Reed Art Department (Creative Agency): reedartdepartment.com Jeff Staple: Not Just Sneakers book with Rizzoli: reedartdepartment.com/shop?rizzoli-jeff-staple-not-just-sneakers Social: @jeffstaple @reedartdepartment