Some things are cool – even if you don’t know it yet. Andrew and I have prepared some stories today about some things you are probably familiar with but probably don’t actually know the whole story. We have each selected two things and we are going to share with you what we believe are some amazing stories … Welcome to EP 162: Objects of Design
[Note: If y ... Show More
Apr 2025
The 'New Coke' Debacle
Coca-Cola was approaching its 100th birthday on 23rd April, 1985, when it unveiled a new beverage at New York City's Lincoln Center: the ‘smoother, rounder, bolder’ flavour of ‘New Coke’.
The success of Diet Coke had fragmented the market, and, in response to Pepsi's aggressive m ... Show More
13m 1s
Oct 2024
How the QR code was invented
In 1994, bar codes were in widespread use in businesses around the world, but the Japanese car component company, Denso Wave, wanted something quicker.So they asked one of their engineers, Masahiro Hara, to come up with a solution.After playing his favourite board game, Go, he ca ... Show More
10m 11s
Oct 2024
Tim Blanks and Imran Amed Reflect on the Spring/Summer 2025 Shows
Amid economic uncertainty, a global luxury industry slowdown, and conflicts erupting around the world, designers at the Spring/Summer 2025 shows balanced restraint and expression, resulting in collections that sought deeper emotional and intellectual impact. Megabrands scaled bac ... Show More
1h 5m
Aug 2024
The Cocaine Craze in Victorian Britain
Many things may come to mind when you hear the word 'cocaine' - and we'd wager that the last thing on that list would be the Victorians. But as it turns out, the Victorians were avid cocaine users, whether it be to remedy ailments and injuries, give them an edge in competitive sp ... Show More
30m 7s
Jan 2025
🐳 “AI’s Goodwill Hunting moment” — China’s DeepSeek Drama. Coke vs Pepsi vs Costco. Unlimited PTO Paradox.
One Chinese AI app, DeepSeek, just shocked the world… and the entire US tech market.Costco is swapping Pepsi for Coke in the food court… here’s how Coke’s beating Pepsi.7% of workers have Unlimited Paid Time Off… but people only take 16 days in practice.$KO $PEP $COSTWant more bu ... Show More
22m 50s