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Artwork for Works But Makes Noises
Home-Cooked Software
Electric Bikes
Design Studios
Affinity By Canva
Freelance Design
Zohran Mamdani
Creative Uniforms
CES
Photoshop
Graphic Design
Apple
Figma
Soft Services
World Cup Kits
Mamdani's Grocery Store
Siri AI
Halloween
Shire Day
Airpods
AI Robots

Two designers on opposite coasts talk their way through creativity, culture, and tech. It’s a podcast about everything except design, that somehow always ends up being about design.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes18Founded10 months ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DesignArtsTechnology

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Artwork for Works But Makes Noises

Latest Episodes

This week, we talk about the lost art of *not* selling out, whether or not to turn an idea into a business (plus David's released the beta of his app Archiv), and the forgotten 95% that goes into releasing a product. We get into the evolution of self... more

Recording from an NYC visit (David) and peak California beach season (Jacob), this week we dig into the design portfolio and how to present yourself effectively – whether you’re at the beginning of your career or revamping your agency’s website. We t... more

After a little summer break we've got Jacob's trip report from a van adventure in Spain and work retreat in Amsterdam, and David reflects on the ins-and-outs of an eight-month career journey. We talk salary, doing work that sparks joy, the tension be... more

We're going full World Cup fan-mode this week. We make some personal picks for the tournament and talk best and worst of the national team kits. Also in the world of public and civic branding projects, we call out some personal do's and don'ts relate... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Estee Kim
VP of Design at Soft Services
Soft Services
Episode: Designing With Emotion, Elastic Branding, and Band Dynamics with guest Estee Kim, VP of Design at Soft Services
Allan Yu
Co-founder of Output, a messaging app for groups and communities
Output
Episode: Special Guest Allan Yu on Going From Designer to Founder, Pivoting Your Startup, and Why AI Should Be Invisible
Elizabeth Goodspeed
A designer with a significant archive of design references, a design writer and critic, and a professor at RISD.
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Episode: Special Guest Elizabeth Goodspeed on Design Education, Experimental Branding, Weird References, and Archiving Everything

Hosts

Jacob
Primary on-air designer host with a co-host on the show; frequently leads conversations on design culture, branding, and technology.
David
Co-host with a focus on design critique, product design processes, and industry trends.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 22 ratings
  • Digging this one

    🤙

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    ill-d
    United States6 months ago
  • Best design podcast

    Spend time with two fun, kind and bright minds talking about the real challenges of designing today sans the bro vibes of most design or tech podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    bravomartin
    United States6 months ago
  • very dope, keep going

    🤙

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    hbeebee22
    United States6 months ago
  • Great

    Second best design podcast in the world

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    T-Pain 2026
    United States7 months ago
  • 🙌

    A much needed design pod

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MaxK
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

The show blends wit with thoughtful critique, avoiding pretension while staying design-forward.
Listeners appreciate the candid, down-to-earth discussions and practical takeaways for design teams.
Guests and topics feel relevant to real-world design practice, education, and startup culture.
The conversations frequently balance craft with business realities, making it useful for both creators and sponsors.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#248
Australia/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#70
Norway/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#76
Poland/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#87
Philippines/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Designing With Emotion, Elastic Branding, and Band Dynamics with guest Estee Kim, VP of Design at Soft Services
Q: How did Estee's background influence her design approach?
Estee's upbringing around a graphic design shop and her grandmother's collage practice seeded a deep appreciation for materiality, typography, and the emotional resonance of visuals, which she now channels into brand storytelling and product design at Soft Services.
Designing With Emotion, Elastic Branding, and Band Dynamics with guest Estee Kim, VP of Design at Soft Services
Q: What is Soft Services, and what kind of company is it?
Soft Services is a body skincare brand and care company that focuses on creating products with a strong emotional and sensory identity, from fragrance to packaging, while maintaining a practical, functional core.
Special Guest Allan Yu on Going From Designer to Founder, Pivoting Your Startup, and Why AI Should Be Invisible
Q: How did you decide between bootstrapping and taking on investors?
Bootstrapping can be painful and isn't always feasible; Allan notes the current venture-backed path has provided credibility and growth constraints that help push product-market fit, especially at the pre-seed stage.
Special Guest Allan Yu on Going From Designer to Founder, Pivoting Your Startup, and Why AI Should Be Invisible
Q: Allan, what is your founding team looking like and who are your co-founders' skill sets?
The team is small: two full-time founders—Allan as designer and Jacob as the technical lead—plus a founding engineer and an iOS-focused contributor; the group is complemented by a small operations/communications backbone.
Special Guest Elizabeth Goodspeed on Design Education, Experimental Branding, Weird References, and Archiving Everything
Q: What is the experimental component in your branding class?
It's about exploring unconventional approaches to branding, including unique constraints and formats.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Works But Makes Noises

What is Works But Makes Noises about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two designers across the coast riff on creativity, culture, and technology, with conversations that routinely circle back to design—whether through branding, product design, or the ethics of copying and authorship. Episodes blend practical design workflows, feedback loops, and software/tool critiques with broader debates about authenticity, education, and the business side of design-driven projects. Notable twists include discussions about elastic branding, AI-integration in design tools, and the balance between craft and commerce, often anchored by personal anecdotes and real-world studio experiences. Listeners can expect candid, humorous debates about how design intersects with daily life, technology, and culture, along with actionable ta... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Works But Makes Noises?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Works But Makes Noises:

1. All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg
2. Y Combinator Startup Podcast
3. Sources with Alex Heath
4. Hard Fork
5. TBPN

How many episodes of Works But Makes Noises are there?

Works But Makes Noises launched 10 months ago and published 18 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Works But Makes Noises?

Recent guests on Works But Makes Noises include:

1. Estee Kim
2. Allan Yu
3. Elizabeth Goodspeed

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