The Crit invites designers to review their own careers, picking out their highlights, lowlights and ambitions for the future.
Episodes
Freya Bolton
Freya Bolton, co-director of the materials-focused design studio and workshop Mitre and Mondays, joins the podcast to reflect on the value of hands-on fabrication for conceptual thinking; adapting to the constraints and lifespan of different projects; the importance of not becoming buried in details to the detriment of a project; and the value of working as a studio, not an individual.Freya's
Deborah Cook
Deborah Cook, Head of Costume at celebrated animation studio Laika, joins the podcast to discuss how her background in sculpture informs her designs, the challenges of designing for non-human anatomies, and the importance of creating dark and eerie stories for children.Deb's picks for her crit were:Best design: Costumes for Kubo and the Two StringsWorst design: When she comes up with a range o
Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper
Stephen Burks and Malika Leiper, the partners behind nomadic studio Stephen Burks Man Made, join the podcast for a discussion about questioning what radical design means today and challenging the industry’s focus on the global North.Stephen and Malika's picks for their crit were:Best design: Shelter in PlaceWorst design: Not being able to find the right partners to create mass-produced product
Alexandra Gerber
Alexandra Gerber, a London-based industrial designer whose work explores cross-pollination between industries, joins the podcast for a discussion about design as a form of cultural expression, the gendering of objects, and the allure and complexities of working with biomaterials.Alexandra’s picks for her crit were:Best design: Up shelvingWorst design: Installation of A Meaningful OrderMost success
Adam Nathaniel Furman
Adam Nathaniel Furman, an artist and designer, joins the show to discuss the history of colour in architecture, the challenges of viral design and his dream of designing a skyscraper facade.Adam’s picks for his crit were:Best design: Croydon Colonnade Worst design: Glowbules Most successful design: Gateways Most impactful feedback: Architect Terry Farrell telling him to listen more Dream design: A
Jon Ardern
Jon Ardern, cofounder of design and experiential futures company Superflux, joins the podcast to reflect on the importance of emotion and sensory feedback, the difficulties of engaging gallery visitors, and his dream of designing a living experiment. Jon’s picks for his crit were:Best design: Mitigation of Shock Worst design: Dynamic Genetics vs Man Most successful design: Uninvited
Hugh Miller
Hugh Miller, a partner at Pentagram, joins the podcast to reflect on the challenges of integrating different design media into a single practice, as well as drawing narrative and tempo into graphic design.Hugh's picks for his crit were:Best design: At the End of the World, Plant a Tree by SO/LOWorst design: All work is flawed when viewed by its creatorMost successful design: TDC65 Competition Camp
Leyu Li
Leyu Li, a London-based food designer, joins the podcast to discuss using social media in her work, the challenges and opportunities involved in food design, and the pleasures of doing commercial work. Leyu's picks for her crit were:Best design: cM Donald's Worst design: F.A.M Supper Club Most successful design: Broccopork, Mushchicken and PeafMost impactful feedback: Someone commenting on her Tik
John Tree
London-based industrial designer John Tree visits the studio to talk about the challenges of mobile phone design, his belief in the social potential of industrial design, the opportunity to completely reconceive electric vehicles, and the importance of not obsessing over your business card. John's picks for his crit were:Best design: Billet chairWorst design: A mobile phone for SamsungMost success
Tessa Silva
London-based designer Tessa Silva joins the podcast to discuss making objects out of milk protein, understanding the possibilities and limitations of materials, and her dream of redesigning pubs. Tessa's picks for her crit were:Best design: Feminised ProteinWorst design: Martini glasses made from milk Most successful design: Smock Most impactful feedback: Comments from fellow designers during an i
Tetsuo Mukai
Tetsuo Mukai, co-founder of London-based design studio Study O Portable, joins the podcast to discuss creating objects that interrogate our relationship with design, his background in fashion, and his perspective on debates around how critical design practice is framed and presented to a broad public.Tetsuo's picks for his crit were:Best design: Quartz MirrorWorst design: Crystal room dividersMost
Simone Brewster
Simone Brewster, a designer, artist and educator, as well as the subject of the second Platform exhibition at London's Design Museum, joins The Crit to discuss finding a wider purpose behind her varied work, her attraction to answering the same questions in different ways, and the importance of language and representation in design.Simone's picks for her crit were:Best design: Negress & Mammy
Phil Garnham
Phil Garnham, executive creative director of Monotype Studio, joins the podcast to discuss the changing landscape of type design, the joys of creating typography for broadcasting companies, and the difficulties of releasing typefaces into the world to have a life of their own.Phil's picks for his crit were:Best design: FS Emeric Worst design: FS Lola, a typeface used for Sainsbury’s and Gregg
Johanna Gibbons
Johanna Gibbons, founder of landscape architecture practice J&L Gibbons and the current keeper of the Faculty of Royal Designers, joins the podcast to discuss the pluriverse, the entanglements of community and landscape, and the potential for education through ecology.Johanna's picks for her crit were:Best design: Dalston Eastern Curve Garden as part of Making Space in Dalston or Urban Nature
James Melia
James Melia, founder and creative director of London-based design agency Blond, joins the podcast for a conversation about packaging, brand names, and greater attention towards design in medical tech.James's picks for his crit were:Best design: Fussy refillable deodorant Worst design: A desk he designed for his final project at universityMost successful design: An upcoming packaging design f
Liliana Ovalle
Designer and researcher Liliana Ovalle visits the studio to discuss exploring different making cultures, learning the limitations of working with craft processes, and her dream of making altars for the home.Liliana’s picks for her crit were:Best design: Sinkhole Vessels Worst design: Encuentros bar set Most successful design: Fragment of a Staircase Most impactful feedback: Curator
Jon Marshall
Jon Marshall, industrial designer and partner at Pentagram, visits the studio to discuss the importance of trusting the process, the experience of moving from a designer to a creative director role, and the pleasures of seemingly intractable design problems.Jon's picks for his crit were:Best design: Honda. A Great JourneyWorst design: Exhibition design for UNIQLO Most successful design: Yoto Most
Charlene Prempeh
Charlene Prempeh, founder of A Vibe Called Tech, joins The Crit for our 2025 holiday episode, examining the pleasures and importance of “good enough” work; the porous barrier between commercial and artistic practice; and answering a series of festive questions about redesigning the holidays!.Charlene's picks for her crit were:Best design: Now You See Me: 100 Years of Black DesignWorst design: A pr
Spandana Gopal
Spandana Gopal, founder and creative director of the Tiipoi homeware brand, visits the studio to discuss rejecting exoticised portraits of India's design and craft traditions; the need to prioritise ethical, community-focused production; and the challenges of translating global sales of local craft into a thriving domestic market.Spandana's picks for her crit were:Best design: General ItemsWorst d
Ab Rogers
Ab Rogers, creative director of the Ab Rogers Design studio, joins the podcast for a discussion focused on the architecture of healthcare, the horrors of wackiness, the need to welcome new people into architecture and design, and the creative potential for delight in everyday spaces.Ab's picks for his crit were:Best design: Maggie’s at The Royal MarsdenWorst design: Waiting room at the Charing Cro
Ori Orisun Merhav
Material researcher and designer Ori Orisun Merhav sits her crit, exploring the ethos, experimentation and commitment to bio-inclusive co-creation that underpin her creations with lac, a natural polymer produced by insects.Ori's picks for her crit were:Best design: Something yet to come within Made by Insects Worst design: The daily failures of material researchMost successful design: Lac chandeli
Samuel Ross
Designer and artist Samuel Ross, founder of fashion brand A-Cold-Wall*and design studio SR_A, visits the studio to discuss the challenges of working as an innovator within internal teams, the influence of architecture on his work, and creating designs that speak to a particular generation of British culture. Samuel's picks for his crit were:Best design: Partnership with Nike GroupWorst design: De
Nick Foster
Futures designer Nick Foster sits his crit to mark the launch of his new book Could Should Might Don't, exploring the limitations of futurism, and the need for more mundane, rounded design thinking within the realm of the tech giants.Nick's picks for his crit were:Best design: Google’s Selfish LedgerWorst design: Early-career, “thirsty could” design workMost successful design: Projects that have l
Lise Vester
Danish designer Lise Vester visits the studio to discuss the impact of neuroaesthetics, hospices and CBT therapy on her work, as well as the role that designed sensory experience can have on improving people's everyday wellbeing.Lise's picks for her crit were:Best design: Dream View BenchWorst design: Silhouette CutleryMost successful design: Idea Generator Chandelier Most impactful feedback:
Benjamin Hubert
Benjamin Hubert, founder and creative director of Layer, joins The Crit to discuss moving beyond personality-driven aesthetics, creating objects for pets, his relationship with the media, and his desire to do more pro bono design work. Benjamin's picks for his crit were:Best design: LayerWorst design: Diamond ChairMost successful design: Dog toys for Earth Rated Most impactful feedback: A Financia
Tomoko Azumi
Tomoko Azumi, founder of TNA Design Studio, visits the studio to talk about designing furniture for small spaces, the differences between the design industry in Japan and the UK, creating a space for the UK Supreme Court, and the importance of making models by hand. Tomoko's picks for her crit were:Best design: Flow Chair for Ercol and a trolley for the UK Supreme Court Worst design: Chairs for t
Jo Barnard
Jo Barnard, founder and creative director of Morrama, a London-based design agency, joins the podcast to discuss customer feedback, failed shelving, the formation of a studio, and product design's social and environmental responsibilities.More information about Morrama's new book, From people to planet; lessons from a design agency, can be found here.Jo's picks for her crit were:Best design: Morra
Adam Bates
Adam Bates, design director of consumer tech company Nothing, visits the studio to discuss the difficulties of innovating in the smartphone category, the perils of spec creep, the joy of design references from the past, and the importance of carving out your own niche.Adam's picks for his crit were:Best design: Headphone (1)Worst design: A vacuum cleaner for the Japanese marketMost successful desi
Paul Cocksedge
Designer and artist Paul Cocksedge joins The Crit for a conversation about communicating through coal, financing an art practice, engendering material wonder in diverse audiences, and the case for redesigning London's streets.Paul's picks for his crit were:Best design: Coalescence Worst design: ManuscriptMost successful design: Please Be Seated Most impactful feedback: Ingo Maurer saying he believ
Nipa Doshi
Designer Nipa Doshi of Doshi Levien is our latest guest, visiting the studio to talk about the importance of sketching, the challenges of moving between continents, the need for plural approaches and aesthetic in design, and the case for greater sensitivity in the design of healthcare.Nipa's picks for her crit were:Best design: Charpoy for MorosoWorst design: None (the importance of selectivity) M
Nina Tolstrup
Designer Nina Tolstrup, one half of Studiomama, joins The Crit to talk small-scale living, new cutlery typologies, furniture made from leftover pallets, and the importance of local manufacturing and distribution.Nina's picks for her crit were:Best design: Pallet ProjectWorst design: Bio-Plastic Cutlery ToolMost successful design: 13m2 HouseMost impactful feedback: “Just try it”Dream design: A furn
Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian
Experience designer, artist and filmmaker Nelly Ben Hayoun-Stépanian makes a flying visit to The Crit, discussing bouncing sound waves off the moon to create music mixed with the sounds of the Big Bang, to redistributing wealth to community groups using funding ring-fenced for Brexit celebrations. Nelly's picks for her crit were:Best design: Piccadilly Un:Plugged Worst design: University of the Un
Jay Osgerby
Jay Osgerby – cofounder of Barber Osgerby, Universal Design Studio and Map Project Office – visits the studio to reflect on the challenges of forging an emotional connection with users and audiences through design, as well as speculating on who might play him in a film of his life.Jay's picks for his crit were:Best design: Double SpaceWorst design: Everything he designed while studying
Andu Masebo
Designer Andu Masebo joins The Crit to discuss designing objects that tell stories about their own creation, his love of harsh feedback and his dream of redesigning the creative education system.Andu's picks for his crit were:Best design: Making RoomWorst design: Union ChairMost successful design: Candleholder No.12Most impactful feedback: His wife saying a design was
Luke Pearson
Luke Pearson from Pearson&Lloyd joins The Crit to discuss, amongst other things, using design to improve communal spaces which many people might regard as an unfortunate necessity, from airplane interiors to A&E wards.Luke's picks for his crit were:Best design: Virgin Atlantic upper class seat or Flow X stairlift Worst design: Homer office workstation for Knoll Most successful design:
Ilse Crawford
Designer and educator Ilse Crawford stops by the studio to talk about her work creating products and spaces centred around communication, material provenance and wellbeing: a concept focused on creating healthy systems and understanding the psychology and physiology of space. The founder of the Studioilse collective of architects, designers journalists and filmmakers, Ilse speaks about the importa
Yuri Suzuki
Sound designer, musician and artist Yuri Suzuki, the creator of The Crit's jingle, joins us in the studio for a discussion about using sound as a means to shape human interactions and public spaces. Yuri's picks for his crit were:Best design: Sonic BloomWorst design: Devices for a performance in Japan with visually impaired dancersMost successful design: OTOTOMost impactful feedback: Jesper Koutho
Trent Jansen
Australian furniture designer Trent Jansen visits The Crit to discuss his deep collaborations with indigenous Australian artists and designers, working together to make collectible design pieces and public furniture which tell stories about Australian history and culture. Trent's picks for his crit were:Best design: Kurunpa Kunpu Worst design: Shelving systemMost successful design: Balit-dhan 
Katy Marks
Architect Katy Marks from Citizens Design Bureau joins The Crit the studio to explore her passion for designing welcoming and inclusive spaces, from community-led housing and cultural venues such as the Manchester Jewish Museum to the conservation of listed buildings. She also shares the story of -Unobra, her design for a one cup asymmetrical bra for post-mastectomy bodies, which was informed by h
Michael Marriott
Designer, curator, writer and educator Michael Marriott joins The Crit to discuss making stickers that are sweetly political, his dream of restyling electric cars, and what he would most like to redesign about Christmastime.Michael’s picks for his crit were:Best design: OláWorst design: Sardine Tin Drawers Most successful design: Fusilli book stand Most impactful feedback: Craft is
Bisila Noha
Ceramic artist, researcher and writer Bisila Noha joins The Crit to discuss her interest in challenging Western ideas about art and craft, honouring the contributions of women of colour to these disciplines, and the importance of finding different ways to design and make with clay.Bisila's picks for her crit were:Best design: Baney ClayWorst design: Two-Legged Vessel Most successful design: H
Stefan Diez
Stefan Diez, founder of Diez Office, joins The Crit to discuss the importance of elegance and joyfulness in sustainable design, and his work convincing major manufacturers to deviate from standard commercial manufacturing methods to cater for circular products.Stefan’s picks for his crit were:Best design: Ayno lamp or Boa tableWorst design: Couch or an unnamed wardrobe projectMost succes
Seetal Solanki
Seetal Solanki from Ma-tt-er is the latest designer to join The Crit, discussing her work mapping materials in Bali and fostering community Nigeria, to using quizzes and memes as an educational exercise. Seetal's picks for her crit were: Best design: Desa Potato Head or 16/16 residency Worst design: An unnamed restaurant window displayMost successful design: Materials Personali
Martino Gamper
What do designers think about their own work? Which project are they most proud of; what early design do they regret; and what would they most like to design in the future? The Crit, a new podcast from Disegno, has the answers!This week, Martino Gamper joins The Crit as his retrospective Before, After and Beyond opens in London, sharing memories from his success with a self-initiated stool, to the
Bethan Laura Wood
What do designers think about their own work? Which project are they most proud of; what early design do they regret; and what would they most like to design in the future? The Crit, a new podcast from Disegno, has the answers!This week, Bethan Laura Wood joins The Crit to talk everything from toothpaste-inspired handles and explorations into the aesthetic potential of laminate, to feminist salons
Yinka Ilori
What do designers think about their own work? Which project are they most proud of; what early design do they regret; and what would they most like to design in the future? The Crit, a new podcast from Disegno, has the answers!This week, Yinka Ilori comes on The Crit to discuss being tempted to buy his chairs back, the career advice Tracey Emin gave him in M&S, and the importance of joy and se
