PODCAST

Make Life Better. By Design

Kevin Drayton

A podcast about design and how it can make life better, for all of us.

arts design

All Episodes

14:02

Series 2 Episode 07: Knowledge is Power

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2026/03/16

Knowledge, Learning and Better Choices was the title for this issue suggested by the AI elves. Perhaps I should listen to then next time. Making life better by design is about making choices and taking decisions. The more you know about a subject, the better your choices should be. This episode looks in more depth at that premise and emphasises the benefits of involving both head and heart in the process.

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27:49

Series 2 Episode 06: Less is More, More or Less

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2026/03/10

Avoiding being overwhelmed by the accumulation of stuff is the subject of this episode. From early suggestions to limit our possessions based on utility and beauty, to the beginnings of minimalism and ideas of doing more with less, the episode charts the swing from rampant consumerism to better understanding of our limited resources with concern for longevity and techniques to repair, reuse and recycle.

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14:54

Series 2 Episode 05: Out of Sight

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2026/03/02

It's often the case that when we do something with the aim of making our life better, that the decision, the choice has unanticipated effects on others. How concerned should we be about this? Few people act from entirely selfish motives, but trying to tread the path to self-fulfillment without inadvertently straying onto someone else's patch can be tricky. However much we'd like to act alone, we are part of a wider society; the butterfly wings of our choices and actions can have consequences ...

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20:27

Series 2 Episode 4: Head, Heart and Choices

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2026/02/23

Humans are blessed with a range of senses plus the most powerful brain of any species. We make life better when our choices and decision making use both our brains (Head) and senses (Heart). The smallest choices can make a big difference to the quality of life if both head and heart are employed together to best effect.

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18:56

Series 2 Episode 3: Back to Basics

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2026/02/09

Everything is designed.Better design makes life better for everyone.Everyone is a designer.But what does all that mean? This episode goes back to the basics of what the podcast is about, including a practical illustration of how we are all designers.

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23:28

Series 2 Episode 2: Light Pt2

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2026/01/22

Having recently looked at how natural light can be considered as a design element, this episode moves on to investigate the almost endless possibilities of artificial light to make our lives better.

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20:26

Series 2 Episode 1: Who Lives in a House Like This?

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2026/01/13

Doctors have been known to undertake drug trials on themselves before releasing them on the public. Many architects try out new ideas when building their own homes. In this podcast Kevin Drayton considers three such schemes, each with a very different character.

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11:14

Episode 22: Terence Conran

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/12/03

The late Sir Terence Conran could claim to have done more to bring good design to post-war Britain than any other individual. He was a genuine believer in the power of good design to make life better and never lost his zeal despite going on to father a vast business empire. He believed everyone had the right to good design and the pleasure and enjoyment it could bring. No design ascetic, he enjoyed comfort, convenience, food, drink and a whole lot more to the full. For me, he represented so m...

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11:59

Episode 21: Light pt1

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/11/26

Light, natural and artificial, are essential tools in a designer's armoury. This podcast looks at natural light: how it illuminates buildings and the spaces within, and why orientation and the time of year can radically change it. A later episode will deal with natural light.

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24:04

Episode 20: A Vet's Eye View

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/11/17

An interview with Rhona Warnock, veterinary surgeon specialising in rehabilitation and sports medicine who is also an accomplished mountaineer and martial arts instructor. We discuss her take on designing better lives for animals, but also those that look after them

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18:23

Episode 19: There's No Single Answer

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/11/10

There are lots of really useful sources of information that will tell you how to do something. In this episode I suggest that with the end goal firmly in mind, there may be different ways to achieve that goal. The resources you need may appear quite unexpectedly. Don't be dogmatic; stay flexible and you may still Make Life Better. By Design.

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15:33

Episode 18: Why Is There a Housing Crisis?

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/10/28

Most people acknowledge that there is a housing crisis in this country. There is less agreement on why and how it should be tackled. Kevin Drayton sets out some thoughts on a number of possible causes for this long standing problem.

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19:53

Episode 17: Better by Design or Worse by Accident?

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/10/21

How can we all be the same but different at once? Every coin has two sides and there are no guarantees in life - except death and taxes. This episode looks at the paradoxes involved in trying to make life better and why there's no point worrying about getting things wrong.

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13:33

Episode 16: (How Easily Can You) Put Your Hand On It?

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/10/15

What you have is up to you. But do you know where all of it is, and can you put your hand on it quickly when you need to? Everything needs a home, but what and where that home is can greatly help or hinder your day to day life. A quick reminder of the basics of storage.

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24:24

Episode 15: Do You Need Help Listening to This?

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/10/06

Hearing loss continues to carry a whiff of stigma. People happy to wear glasses, get their teeth fixed and exercise regularly may still be reluctant to adopt hearing aids. But design came to the rescue some time ago. The dramatic take up of earbuds means that having something shoved in your lugs no longer shouts 'disabled'. Design development has also moved hearing aids into the chic accessories or 'wearables' market; which if it means you can seek help for your hearing loss without fee...

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12:57

Episode 14: What Would Make YOUR Life Better?

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/09/27

Before we can apply ourselves to making our lives better, we need to understand exactly what that means for us. It is likely that we'll need to look behind the simple response of 'more money' or something similar. Until we can be specific about what a better life will look, sound and taste like, it is unlikely we'll get far in reaching it.

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27:42

Episode 13: Interview with Nathan Clegg (and the...

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/09/12

Keen to get a graphic designer's take on if and how design can make life better, I set up an interview with Nathan Clegg, only to find that I must have made a schoolboy error setting up my mike. Unwilling to throw away Nathan's comments, I tried to salvage my part of the interview, with little success. Mea culpa.

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13:04

Episode 12: Ways with Words

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/09/02

Following on from Episode 11, this time taking a quick look at the development of writing, printing and electronic communication: how they relate to signage and how they all affect our quality of life.

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22:39

Episode 11: Signs of the Times

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/08/26

Good signage is the perfect combination of form and function. Tracing the Roman origins of classic letterforms and why they continue to be relevant today. First of a short series.

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11:28

Episode 10: Clothes - Packaging the Person

Make Life Better. By Design ·

2025/08/19

We wear clothes all the time. The scope for clothes to make life better is huge. Do we pay clothing the attention it deserves?

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Make Life Better. By Design

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