The Crit

44:59

Alexandra Gerber

The Crit ·

2026/09/23

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 successful design: A Meaningful Order Most impactful feedback: When people say her work is not feminine Dream

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1:00:10

Adam Nathaniel Furman

The Crit ·

2026/09/08

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 skyscraper facade, a train station or a religious space The CritGraphics: Leonhard RothmoserMusic: Yuri

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46:15

Jon Ardern

The Crit ·

2026/07/28

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 ShockWorst design: Dynamic Genetics vs ManMost successful design: Uninvited GuestsMost impactful feedback: A person who said their exhibition had prepared them for living through the pandemic and

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48:42

Hugh Miller

The Crit ·

2026/07/14

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 CampaignMost impactful feedback: A teacher who taught him to listen to and analyse musicDream design: The

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46:17

Leyu Li

The Crit ·

2026/06/30

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 TikTok saying her work is “So Goldsmiths” Dream design: Hana no Hana bakery The CritGraphics: Leonhard

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47:11

John Tree

The Crit ·

2026/06/16

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 successful design: Apex lampMost impactful feedback: His friend Chopper from Rosie Lee saying that it’s not

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46:19

Tessa Silva

The Crit ·

2026/06/02

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 informal crit group she started to get feedback on her work in progress Dream design: Pubs The

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48:43

Tetsuo Mukai

The Crit ·

2026/04/14

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 successful design: FuzzMost impactful feedback: People asking whether his work is art or designDream

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46:08

Simone Brewster

The Crit ·

2026/03/31

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 & MammyWorst design: Decorative plates for William Morris Gallery’s Althea McNish exhibitionMost successful

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44:07

Phil Garnham

The Crit ·

2026/03/03

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 EmericWorst design: FS Lola, a typeface used for Sainsbury’s and GreggsMost successful design: Designing logos for broadcast companies such as ITV and Channel 4Most impactful

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55:18

Johanna Gibbons

The Crit ·

2026/02/17

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 Project, Natural History MuseumWorst design: Edward SquareMost successful design: Urban Nature Project,

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44:57

James Melia

The Crit ·

2026/02/03

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 for a US brandMost impactful feedback: His colleague Dana Salmanzadeh asking why James is the only person in

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50:36

Liliana Ovalle

The Crit ·

2026/01/20

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 VesselsWorst design: Encuentros bar setMost successful design: Fragment of a StaircaseMost impactful feedback: Curator Jennifer Dunlop Fletcher saying she creates designs that look playful but are actually quite serious, similar to the work

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51:08

Jon Marshall

The Crit ·

2026/01/06

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 impactful feedback: Daniel Weil telling him to trust the process (and all feedback from his wife)Dream

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56:46

Charlene Prempeh

The Crit ·

2025/12/22

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 project with a beauty brand during Black History Month(Best holiday gift: An advent calendar)Most

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42:19

Spandana Gopal

The Crit ·

2025/12/09

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 design: “Silly candles”Most successful design: Tiipoi, thriving as a business and abiding by its

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45:34

Ab Rogers

The Crit ·

2025/11/25

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 Cross Hospital breast unitMost successful design: Tate Modern Public Concourses or Comme des Garçons

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43:09

Ori Orisun Merhav

The Crit ·

2025/11/11

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 chandelier for Design Sediments Most impactful feedback: Nacho Carbonell’s advice to “Become the insect”Dream

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46:46

Samuel Ross

The Crit ·

2025/10/28

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: Designs where Ross’s team hasn’t managed to convince the client to adopt new processes Most successful

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49:55

Nick Foster

The Crit ·

2025/10/14

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 left stakeholders with a better understanding of the breadth of what design is Most impactful feedback:

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