pOSTS
The Difference Between Writing Professionally and Writing for Yourself.
We Ate a Lot of Sandwiches and Then Made a Zine About it.
Emile Mosseri shares his experiences scoring for Minari, Kajillionaire and The Last Black Man in San Francsico.
Eugene talks about the other skills beyond luck and passion needed to succeed in the creative industries.
Eugene weighs in on our changing relationship between the process and the outcome.
Eugene talks about focusing on impact as the driver as means of invigorating the process.
Jess talks to Paul Bille, a graphic designer who has opted out of social media.
Book cover designer and illustrator Joan Wong opens up about facing racism as a Chinese-American.
Eugene talks about our recent strides with reinvigorating our creative processes and continuing to move forward, even as the challenges we sought to solve and the world around us continue to evolve.
This episode features none other than Charis Poon, who writes and designs, does creative strategy for Intertrend, and co-hosts Making It Up in addition to being, of course, a member of the MAEKAN team.
We talk to friend and longtime collaborator Yeti about his uncommon path to his now far-reaching music and event collective Yeti Out.
The serial entrepreneur talks about pivotal moments that shaped her experience as a first-gen Nigerian-American and her path to success.
We chat with “Santi”, founder of London and Bogotá-based creative studio and production house La Familia.
We catch up with Toronto-based DJ and music entrepreneur Josephine Cruz, better known as Jayemkayem
We speak with the Honolulu-based artist and founder of contemporary street art festival POW! WOW!
We hear from the Atlanta-based director, photographer, and videographer.
We chat with the Staple and VSCO veteran and current Spotify podcasts division Head of Marketing.
Unexpected Connections heads to Namu Gaji in San Francisco for an intimate dinner with friends new and old.
What meaning does “multi-hyphenate” have for creative careers?
sTORIES
Behind the scenes of our first table tennis tournament.
Four friends who came together like Voltron to create Goodfight
Arthur Leung of Victoria’s building more than just a Hong Kong skate brand
Eugene sits down with friend and the mastermind behind our new MAEKAN t-shirt designs, Derick van Wijk.
Vicky meets with the restauranteur and businessman to talk about his past endeavors and latest venture.
Nate speaks with the one-man show creating 3D-printed sneakers in Hong Kong.
From a home-made camera strap to full-fledged accessory company DSPTCH.
Josh Parker and Darrell Camara talk raising money for worthy causes through consumer products.
Five behind-the-shot stories from the Toronto-based photographer.
Charis chats with Bricks & Wood’s designer and art director on their recent collaboration.
An indie pop artist and her unfinished (creative) business in the wake of the pandemic.
The self-taught photographer talks the impermanence of nature, buildings, and ramen.
The artist unpacks his complex journey through words and painting at UC2020.
The designer tackles implicit bias in the Japanese design industry.
How a Bangkok type foundry completed the Thai typographic ‘fossil record.’
The pseudonymous author talks pulling the plug on our “digital first” creative industry.
How two brothers brought streetwear and their Korean heritage together.
Designing for a movement to preserve and unite Black businesses in America.
A deep dive into the inspiration and process behind Grey’s photo book.
Bringing the work of Japan’s master craftspeople to the world.
A couple’s journey through three decades of Hong Kong’s iconic cinema.
The Shanghai-based artist shares the inspiration behind his eclectic new music project.
How the British designer imbues his work with old school approaches and imperfect beauty.
Gin Lane’s evolution from culture-defining creative agency into Pattern Brands.
Two DJs talk about the impact of the pandemic on their careers and the future of events.
Eugene talks with the techwear designer to hear about his early life and perspectives as a futurist.
Getting your audio story online and out there.
How Mike Guss and Mike Hobizal created an app as a way to share their expertise and experiences with motion graphics to a larger audience.
The pioneering brand making purpose-built sneakers for medical staff.
The once aspiring doctor talks the second edition of creative chronicles.
The independent label and design studio talk about debuting one of Berlin’s most exclusive clubs.
Capturing the beauty found in the bodies of ordinary women.
What it takes for the Danish agency to run a sleek two-man operation.
Growing heritage Korean produce on a small patch in California.
How the leaders behind TONL are making things possible for new generations of diverse creatives.
A fine artist and tattoo artist talk about the hidden connections between their crafts.
How the photographer transitioned from streetwear and skateboards to capturing thousand-year old trees.
The mind and design behind the fresh flower truck business.
We follow visvim founder Hiroki Nakamura on a ride through LA.
MAEKAN sound engineer Elphick talks with the Chinese rapper on success and making his culture an asset.
The master marketer and the mindset she took with her on a journey through 8 cities in 10 years.
The master composer talks about his history with music and its ability to immerse listeners in different cultures.
The founders of the Hong Kong restaurant remember how it all started — way back at a skate shop in Canada.
How the photographer began his career with no expectations before making it big.
How the Pakistani capital’s young creatives battle the odds.
The local photographer’s unflinching take on the city he loves.
We sit down with the creative maven at Uniqlo City in Tokyo.
A clothing brand specializing in dorozome or earth-dyed cloth.
Meeting the founders behind the diverse stock photo platform.
Lesson learned: always check before leaving the cab.
The designer talks going from designer to business consultant and entrepreneur.
The Tokyo-based floral art collective talks to us about the misunderstood medium.
Behind the app seeking ease the minds of freelancers through income forecasting and scheduling.
Charis sits down with her friend and fellow designer to hear about her experiences working while traveling the world.
The struggles of adapting and pivoting in a saturated space.
The importance of having a physical expression of the brand.
Why digital communities need to be self-governed and how that might look.
Looking at the abstract paint pattern found in our physical brand fabric.
MAEKAN’s COO Scott offers insights on creating long-term job flow.
Talking to the creatives that left it all behind for quieter surroundings and a better life.
The Danish flavor company’s mission to distill and bottle cherished memories.
Discussing the role of cultural institutions in the modern era of creatives.
The connection between material properties and their emotional impact.
Her clay art and views on the importance of creating for oneself.
A long awaited catch-up with the artist who shares his thoughts on education and finding direction.
A photographer’s on-the-ground perspective of Hong Kong’s 2019 unrest.
Charis speaks with the creative director and beauty brand veteran on her path and perspective.
Modern tattoo design meets traditional Chinese motifs.
A sampler of takes on the world’s most beloved food.
Catching up with the LA-based rapper to hear about his new work and the old experiences that shaped his art.
The story behind Seth Footring’s best life decision.
Enjoying an evening of vinyl picks served alongside brews from Jeju-based Magpie Brewing Co.
MAEKAN’s COO Scott helps answer more tough money questions for freelance creatives.
Trimming and polishing your captured audio before it hits the airwaves.
Visiting strange new worlds through the cyanotype prints of Dan Hendrickson.
The underground club may be gone but its spirit remains in the hearts of former patrons.
The independent vinyl record platform and its founder Yong-bo.
How the globally recognized artists works to manipulate our everyday expectations.
An unorthodox meeting with the Korean artist.
Getting the best capture for your audio story depending on the format.
MAEKAN’s COO Scott helps answer the tough questions that creatives all face at some point.
The underexplored world of China’s underground music scene.
The brand’s humble beginnings in the prairies to expansion across the world.
A chat with Sam Whitney, owner and founder of printmaker Giclee LA.
Shining the spotlight on Hong Kong’s domestic helpers and their stories.
How the independent Korean magazine stays so consistently well-designed with each issue.
Capturing the beauty and importance of the slow-growing root.
The Linkin Park member unpacks the underdiscussed topic of mental health.
Hearing from young voices as they find fewer and fewer places to go.
Charis catches up with the book cover designer and illustrator near the end of her globe-trotting voyage.
Laying the groundwork before hitting ‘record’.
Alex heads to San Francisco to visit the one-man operation led by Liam Kaczmar
Meet artist Brandon Sines and his mystical character Frank Ape.
The Parisian illustrator walks us through six of his favorite works.
Designing an onboarding, registration, algorithm-free podcast app.
The Vietnamese rapper talks his origins as a bboy and the rise of pre-Internet hip-hop culture in Vietnam.
Recapping a sun-soaked trip to the popular resort town.
The subtle differences between Korea and Japan’s favorite wines.
In this first episode, we tackle how to approach the topic of our story in the making.
How the Shanghai-based print studio hopes to make art affordable by all.
We speak with the website founder on the publication’s history and its place in the fashion media landscape.
The evolution of the Atlanta-based director’s career from his origins in music videos.
Eugene talks with the researcher and photographer about the role of software in shaping our interactions.
The Jakarta-based illustrator takes us into his strange, beautiful world.
The podcaster and radio producer talks what it’s like working in the emerging medium.
Teaching children (and reminding adults) about equality, openness, and kindness.
Alex chops it up with Ariel over the formative years and the activist interests of Ariel and the shop.
The Vietnamese-American film producer shares her view of the industry landscape from on the ground,.
How British boxer Michele Aboro founded her Shanghai-based school.
Charis speaks with the three friends turned brand founders behind their evolution beyond cut-and-sew.
The techno music collective’s fight continues amid the encroachment of commercialization.
How co-owners and friends stay true to themselves and their customers.
We sit down with the founder ahead of the opening of a new location inside RYSE Hotel in Seoul.
The comedian gives an honest account of living and creating around the illness.
Nostalgia for Toronto’s suburbs as told by filmmaker Jimmy Vi.
A sit down with Alex Valdman, London-based founder of cycling clothing and accessory brand Rapha.
MAEKAN-member Jeremy Leung recaps his solo “Veiled Emotions” show in Toronto.
Looking back through Detroit’s warehouse scene through the memories of veteran audio technician Michael Fotis.
Exploring the complex history behind the menswear label’s founder and his inspirations.
A designer’s quest to craft 30 perfect objects and rebel against disposable culture.
The Michelin-starred chef attempts to capture the Yardbird experience cover to cover.
The London-based producer talks shifting society towards goodness through the power of music.
Brooklyn-based Shawna X recaps her F*** Your Manners mixed media show.
The multihyphenate shares the story behind her socialist apparel brand SCV.
Repeat Pattern shares his fascination and explorations of abandoned hotels from Japan’s golden age.
The fashion designer and DJ turned ceramicist talks fluidity in the creative space.
Eugene talks about disconnecting on a trip to the historical mountain top city.
Seven dreamy snaps from California’s Psychedelic Blues.
Philly’s music scene in the words of local DJ Matthew Law.
The non-traditional path of tattoo turned fine artist Matt McCormick.
We speak with freelance athlete Erron Maxey and hear about China’s Wildball industry.
Rappers Ms Banks and Fotan Laiki connect to talk craft, expectations and their cities’ evolving rap scenes.
Catching up with Seoul-based artist Cody as he puts the finishing touches on Hongdae’s RYSE Hotel.
Nate speaks with Emanuel Hahn and Andrew Kung about their work capturing Mississippi’s Delta Chinese community.
Behind the arduous process of creating a modern Chinese typeface from scratch.
How the name YETI came to be and how he created a music and event entity from the ground up.
Bringing the cultural richness of the former capital to the rest of the world.
Five shots from Melbourne through the lens of Jean-Paul McAllan, better known as ThirdCulture.
The beloved items of Hikaru Komura, founder of Japanese handcraft store Uguisu the Little Shoppe
The quiet little shop brings Japanese craftsmanship to the world.
Eugene sits down with David Zhou and Lucas Farrar, who set the record straight on the Chinese hip hop scene, specifically as it pertains to Chengdu and Chongqing.
The biracial pop star talks about her experiences and career growing up in Japan.
Photographer Yin and audio engineer Elphick recount their journey into the Chinese countryside while producing a story.
The story of Adrien Macera, longtime Beijing resident and trailblazer of the Chinese capital’s custom bike scene.
The Toronto-based photographer on the role of philanthropy in uplifting the next generation.
Taliesin Gilkes-Bower follows a team of volunteers patrolling along the border.
The conservation technologist shares his craft of building new tech and sharing it with both scientists and the public.
Alex meets with friend Phillip Lim in New York to talk life, fashion and design.
The former K-pop band member and artist talks about his experiences leaving Seattle for Seoul.
A brief history of virtual pets and their place in our smartphone-centric lives.
Eugene recaps a Japanese countryside retreat hosted by Craig Mod and Jan Chipchase.
Exploring the promise of insect protein in sustainable food products.
Taliesin Gilkes-Bower relates the disaster’s impact through words and photos.
Five amazing black and white shots from Toronto-based Jayscale (Jamal Burger).
Traditions and implications of burnable funeral goods.
The Hong Kong photographer talks about reconnecting with his ancestral clan in southern China.
Remembering the great and respected streetwear guru and journalist.
An opportune visit to a referral-only hidden sake bar in Tokyo.
A audio-visual journey through Havana and beyond.
Six selected shots from Edward Barnieh, popularly known as EdwardKB.
We talk about the productivity impact of Slack for creatives.
The founding story of the formerly known CHINATOWN MARKET.
How the designer and entrepreneur is equipping the next generation.
How two friends brought their favorite Hong Kong dish to Denmark.
An unforgettable dinner at Tokyo-based Michelin Two Star Sushi Shin.
The promise and challenges of cannabis entrepreneurship for the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians in California.
Three career-defining shots from LA-based action photographer Bo Bridges.
A cannabis-infused dining experience courtesy of self-taught chef “Hawai’i” Mike Salman.
What it takes to create ceramic plates and serviceware for top restaurants.
Floral art collective AMKK transforms MAEKAN into ikebana.
PODCASTS
Buy Nothing and how corporate culture is created and knowledge passed on.
Italian luxury fashion brand Brunello Cucinelli, and the conviction of Elizabeth Holmes of health tech company Theranos.
What it means to pay close attention to anything and the benefits of tribalism.
Key moments in culture in 2021 and Reflect on significant changes that will carry forwards.
New Substack started by the authors George Saunders and Concerns raised regarding the future of web3
The Krause House, a DAO and The decreasing audibility of dialogue in movies
An essay by Sherry Ansari published in Culture study and The waning UK soft power and how soft power is growing for other countries.
The allure of better sleep fueling an industry of sleep-related products and How a rise in online shopping in combination with pandemic factors has lead to supply chain issues.
Facebook’s bet on the metaverse and what the allure of the metaverse is and Dating apps that prioritize an audio experience.
Recently released whitepaper that summarizes findings from a recent survey of independent creators and How to price your art as an artist.
An essay written by Paul Jun, “The Four Dirty C-Words of the Internet” and Memes as shared language and the conduit through which beliefs are transmitted.
The global appeal of Squid Game and the possibility of supposedly niche cultural entertainment going viral and The importance of Frances Haugen, the latest Facebook whistleblower, coming forward to testify about the need for social media platform regulations.
Star Atlas, a space-fantasy RPG built on the Solana blockchain, that indicates the promising possibilities of funding game development through digital asset ownership and The prevalence of captions on TikTok and how the use of captions signals considerations of design and inclusion.
The Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market brand-development division called Dover Street Market Paris that is similar to an incubator for emerging brands and Digital fashion as seen in how Farfetch recently seeded influencers their latest lines of clothing via digital fashion items.
What makes a critique good as well as how to give and receive feedback well and Overcoming Web3 bias in the context of understanding paradigm shifts.
A single topic inspired by “Nike’s End of Men” by Ethan Strauss and Nike’s values (whether internal or what they project to the public), target audience, and marketing strategies.
The illusory nature of tech solutions for the climate crisis as well as personal responsibility in the face of it and The artistic merit of the release of Kanye West’s DONDA.
The attraction to and difficulty in thinking rationally and The awkward relationship between tech and fashion.
“Ghosts” by Vauhini Vara, a creative writing piece written with the assistance of the language AI GPT-3 and Sexism and double standards in sports as seen in recent discussions around uniform requirements in women’s sports.
The factors that lead to the prominence of curators and curation and The trend, as WGSN calls it, of “genuinfluencers”, who interact with their audiences differently and share content that is a departure from the traditional influencer fare.
why elite female athletes are turning away from formerly major sponsors in favor of alternative options and The launch of the Culture Pass in France which gives all 18-year-olds €300 to spend on a selection of cultural offerings.
How our memories of the pandemic will differ and what narrative arcs the stories we tell of our lives usually take and The term “wang hong” (Chinese for internet famous) as written about in Chaoyang Trap.
In a different format to the usual Making It Up episodes and The process that lead to this point and talk about the products that are available.
Naomi Osaka’s essay in TIME magazine that elaborates on her relationship to the press and the subject of the mental health of athletes and An article about “the inner ring” of the internet and how that affects the creative work you do.
The new NCAA ruling that allows student athletes to make money in whatever way they like: co-founding businesses, as YouTubers, as country singers, etc and Australian cyclist Lachlan Morton’s attempt to ride the full Tour de France route on his own with no support and to beat the peloton to Paris.
New Kotaku editor-in-chief Patricia Hernandez’s letter to readers on the subject of the future of video games and video game writing and Erratic sizing within the fashion industry and the sustainability as well as psychological issues that creates.
why the funding model of venture capital is flawed and doesn’t build the things society needs and The rise of curation as a strategy brands and individuals are adopting, plus what makes for good curation.
Cohort-based courses as compared to massively open online courses and the Barbell Strategy method of balancing security and risk as a structure for creative careers.
How the nature of the internet collapses time, space, and context, resulting in a volatile environment that breeds bad faith discussions with no room for nuance or complexity and The cooperation economy as the next phase of the creator economy/the passion economy.
Naomi Osaka choosing to not do press at the French Open and what the relationship is between press and athletes should be and the shift in perception of creatives signing corporate deals.
How Willie Norris is reimagining menswear from a trans perspective at Outlier and A recent Atlantic article by Ed Yong that goes into the reasons why people aren’t necessarily feeling better as the pandemic decreases in intensity.
Disgusting Food Museum in Sweden and where disgust, as an emotion and judgment comes from and China trying to find ways to standardize the behavior of online fan groups.
What alternative forms of value there are, beyond financial, in engaging with NFTs in museums and “keeping the line alive” in creative work as written about by artist Mateusz Urbanowicz.
An article by Anne Helen Petersen describing the current US economy as the “capitalism is broken” state of things and Load management, a basketball strategy that conserves the energy of star players, in the context of creative work.
The difficulties that social media managers face and how platforms as well as businesses could do a better job of supporting workers in that area and An essay that describes the author’s life growing up on a commune and what non-commune individuals could learn from that mentality.
Eugene Rabkin’s essay, “Read This Before You Decide to Work In Fashion” published in Highsnobiety which goes through a laundry list of negative aspects of the fashion industry and An artist zine created by Marco Marzocchi called “How To Destroy Everything”, which is connected to a discussion of digital devices as an extension of human memories and the emotional significance we give digital archives.
Our relationship to work and our sense of ownership over our time and Challenges scientists face when communicating their ideas clearly around how to present complex thoughts.
Streetwear brand Chinatown Market deciding to rename themselves. This comes in response to people in the Asian American community expressing their concerns with the use of the name and The current context of increased anti-Asian racism in North America as well as discussing whether personal wardrobes should carry sentimental value.
Cathie Wood’s perfect content strategy for the portfolio of ETFs she runs at ARK Invest and A.D. Carson, a hip-hop professor, and his thinking behind getting his rap album peer-reviewed and published by an academic press.
what the pricing of the Hermès Birkin bag teaches us about setting prices according to the value in stories and Alexi McCammond’s hiring and firing from Teen Vogue as the Editor-in-Chief in relation to systemic problems within companies and cancel culture.
The creator economy from two perspectives: the impact on newsrooms and the rise of apps like NewNew.
How museum gift shops decide what to sell and What it means to share authentically with audiences and the wisdom in disconnecting what we share on the Internet from our physical selves.
Performative positivity in relation to design and how pessimism can make design better and How to build self-worth as someone who does creative work.
Worldbuilding as a visionary, collaborative practice as described by Ryan Madson in Strelka Mag—Wakanda being an example of worldbuilding and NFTs: what they are, what the possibilities could be, what they hype is about.
How music is a crucial part of the continued growth of the creator economy and MetaHuman Creator, a new browser-based app released by Epic Games that allows anyone to build digital humans quickly via Unreal Engine.
Luxury’s involvement in resell and how that will impact the fashion resell and retail markets and Twitter’s flaws and whether a complete overhaul is necessary and good for everyone.
what the Dunning-Kruger Effect is (a supposed bias in our thinking regarding gauging competency), whether it’s real or not, and what our tendency to believe in it means about us and Why editorial platforms will dominate retail in the long term.
How food delivery apps are rooted in a human desire for convenience and contributing to destroying restaurants and A new book coming out by David Yi titled “Pretty Boys” and the history of masculinity.
the problem with perfectionism and The pivot fashion magazines have made over the last few years towards being less superficial.
New marketplace for buying and selling pre-owned subscriptions and The process of creativity and whether “jootsing” (Jumping Out Of The System) works.
The recent rebranding the CIA launched to attract more diverse employees and The 2021 Public Domain Day and what it means for works to enter the public domain.
Answer a couple of questions about this past year and How they’re feeling, what a “new year” means, and what they’ve learned about work and themselves.
New collection of artwork released by the artist Beeple that is in the form of NFT and They also talk about Async Art, a new kind of art movement built on the blockchain. Their second subject of the week is the state of the web in the year 2000 compared to what it is now, based on an article written by Postlight CEO Paul Ford.
Canadian NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez playing Among Us on Twitch with other streamers and Small businesses forced to adopt start-up mentalities and what resilience looks like.
How data is both dangerous and useful, how it has impacted growth of all kinds and changed the way we think about algorithms and Instagram going all-in on shopping and what we personally turn to Instagram for now.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney buying Wrexham AFC, a Welsh football club, and making content about the process and Two different articles about friendship, shallow ones and deeply intimate ones, and what it means to value friendship.
The digital toolkit created by Airbnb Design that aims to help freelance illustrators with their client and business management so they can focus more on creating and Interview with Stephen Satterfield, co-founder of Whetstone Media, published in Currant about empathy, origins, and fluency with food.
New color choices people have made during quarantine for their interior spaces and whether that’s potentially soothing and The importance of looking outside your area of expertise and industry to find new creative solutions.
The problem of harmful microplastics when using and washing synthetic materials and Ricky Desktop, a viral Tiktok beatmaker, and the science behind crafting the perfect thing to beat the algorithm.
The collaborative sneaker project being run by Afew and ASICS for the 30th anniversary of the GEL-Lyte 3 that includes major community input and An article that considers the effects of less continual documentation and publication of our personal lives on social media during the pandemic.
Whether it’s hypocritical to criticize capitalism while also spending money on clothes and what a wholly tech-free life looks like.
The new tech startup BookClub and how niche groups of people formed around singular interests benefit (or not) from technological additions and Trends in art this year in relation to the pandemic and lockdowns.
How Hong Kong’s food culture has adapted in the pandemic and Chess as a current streaming obsession and how AI is making the game beautiful again.
Whether New York (or any city) can die and Why successful people rarely acknowledge the role of luck in their lives.
The challenges facing fashion design graduates due to the pandemic and How creative peers can accelerate personal growth.
What it’s like to start a job remotely and get onboarded during the pandemic and Telfar, a brand founded by Telfar Clemens, and the popularity of their “Bushwick Birkin”.
The appeal and value of MasterClass as it relates to education, capitalism, and constantly trying to self-improve and How Shopify democratized e-commerce to such a degree that the real winners aren’t brands at all.
Chat with special guest Behzod Sirjani and Behzod’s work leading an independent research practice, plus a bit about Chloe Ting.
Racial bias in photography technology and terminology and Some good things happening in new age media: the formation of Defector, a new sports blog and media company started by the people who left Deadspin in 2019.
Artificial intelligence in the realm of graphic design and Highsnobiety and Boston Consulting Group white paper on the future of luxury and the new luxury consumer.
Toby Shorin’s latest essay, “Come for the Network, Pay for the Tool”, which talks about the emergence of paid communities from the combination of social, content, and commerce and The recent Vogue cover of Simone Biles shot by Annie Leibovitz and the criticism that arose regarding the photos.
The modern approach to parenting and misunderstandings of childhood and Silicon Valley’s attitude towards tech media as well as the issue of privacy in digital conversations.
The new email service created by Basecamp, and the issues of email in general. On the subject of work, they also talk about what going back to the office looks like in terms of necessary health and safety measures and the physicality of workplaces.
How Brain Dead and Blood Orange raised a million dollars for charities aiding the Black Lives Matter movement and What the “Virgilization” of Virgil Abloh means — how the artification of an individual is intentional in order to de-commercialize that person.
The role of small indie music venues in supporting emerging musicians and the continual growth of the music industry and A new model of media star, where media is fragmenting further and the individuals people gravitate towards are increasingly varied.
The launch, rapid demise, and potential futures of Quibi, the new video streaming service and How technology has pounced on pandemic-created opportunities and what the post-pandemic tech appetite and landscape might look like.
Two ways they’ve been spending their time: playing Animal Crossing: New Horizons and watching The Last Dance and How Animal Crossing is an interesting place for brands to add value for gamers, as well as how The Last Dance could only have been made and aired at certain moments in time to have the impact it does.
How artists can be good interpreters of scientific innovation and How independent magazines are navigating the pandemic and what kinds of adaptations are necessary.
How our unconscious motives result in behaving in ways that revolve around signalling messages, distribution, and amplification and The new MAEKAN membership strategy.
How university students are gathering in Minecraft to recreate their campuses, hold commencements, and makeup for some of the loss they feel from school being closed.
The millennial movement FIRE(Financial Independence Retire Early) and The Open Brief released by the UN calling creatives to help with providing engaging accurate messaging on COVID-19.
The inventiveness of virtual cultural events in the time of quarantine and The positive magnificence and anxiety-inducing nature of connectivity. Eugene explains why luxury fashion houses are interested in having food and beverage offerings.
The cover story of the March 2020 issue of The Atlantic written by David Brooks titled “The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake” and How the movie “Parasite” lead to restaurants deciding to offer jjapaguri (aka “ram-don”).
A menswear sneaker made by Archibald London after consulting Styleforum extensively and The launch of The Markup, a new media outlet investigating technology.
Spotify’s recent acquisition of The Ringer and the effects of media consolidation and Personal essay that describes the discomfort felt in hearing black music become the default choice for high end spaces and how black music is cherrypicked as being beneficial to commercial spaces.
The complex conversation surrounding “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins (a novel about a Mexican mom and her son fleeing for the United States) which revolves around the question of who should tell what stories and Perception of waiting staff in restaurants and what the effects are of good service on dining experiences.
What it means for podcasting that there were a record number of new podcasts launched in 2019 and
How to form new habits and, specifically, how to maintain good financial habits and The past decade in fashion, including the topics of media fragmentation, online fashion, and democracy in fashion.
The collaboration between Shawn Stussy and Kim Jones for Dior’s Pre-Fall 2020 collection and “To Bring Back”, Charis’ new podcast, and air episode one. You can listen to “To Bring Back” on iTunes, Spotify, and your preferred podcast apps.
An article written by Alex Danco titled “Everything is Amazing, But Nothing is Ours” about how technology has evolved to be about access at the expense of ownership and Reseller platforms such as The RealReal and what their relationship is to the primary luxury market.
Whether gaming subscriptions can possibly lead to more innovative and experimental video games and What changing the rules and regulations of women’s football might do for the development of the game.
A recent WWD interview with Rei Kawakubo, founder of COMME des GARÇONS and Dover Street Market, where she makes distinctions between her relationship with fashion and business and Whether the role work now plays in people’s lives can be considered equivalent in any way to the role religion used to have.
The emergence of increasingly lengthy captions on Instagram and the implications of this trend and The newly opened MUJI Hotel in Tokyo and what it takes for a brand to successfully extend itself.
Whether it’s possible to become a mega-influencer anymore and The reasons China might tax luxury goods and how that might affect consumerism in the country.
The partnership between the big tobacco company Philip Morris and the media platform VICE in relation to the idea of whether good things can come from bad money and The issue of increasingly large museum collections and what museums might do collectively to make art more accessible.
Goldman Sachs telling employees that they can start dressing more casually and how that might affect the fashion landscape and An argument for veganizing design and the counter-argument against applying that ideology.
When skepticism is good and when more trust is needed and The increase in artist-endowed foundations and the work that these foundations are doing in terms of cultural philanthropy.
What “authenticity” means and Authenticity in food culture specifically and then expand on the subject to look at authenticity more broadly and The social credit system being adopted in China and the implications of it on real people.
The importance of analytical media in connection to an op-ed written by Lawrence Ware about The Source magazine and The online museum called Conserve the Sound which carefully catalogs images and audio snippets of analog items and what is conceptually lost when new technology replaces older items.
The Outline’s most recent round of layoffs leads to a freelancer boycott of the publication and The New Yorker announces Steve Bannon as a speaker at their upcoming Festival and then rescinds their invite after Twitter outrage, and Colin Kaepernick is revealed as the face of the 30th Anniversary “Just Do It” Nike campaign.
Reckoning with luck, the circumstances we have no control over, in our lives and how that affects our perception of others and The origins of different parts of language and how the way we speak is both uncontrollable and can result in differing opinions on us.
The purpose of art in space and ways for companies to incentivize better cybersecurity.
WCharis and Eugene discuss whether a time-tracking feature utilized by Upwork that takes screenshots of a freelancer’s screen and logs keystrokes is too intrusive and what leads to healthy freelancer client relationships. The also talk about a t-shirt released by Advisory Board Crystals that raises funds to support the Wikimedia Foundation and A t-shirt released by Advisory Board Crystals that raises funds to support the Wikimedia Foundation
The misperception of narcissism being newly on the rise in Western culture and the handling of Alex Jones and Infowars by various companies and publishing platforms.
Consumer power and the responsibility that comes with spending money on anything and The potential funding Reddit might be accepting from Chinese tech giant Tencent and how that could shape the Internet in the States, in China, and globally. This episode attempts to unpack what it means to follow the origins and effect of each dollar.
The influence of Nardwuar on the hip-hop world and how his persona plus interview style gets great results and Why CAPTCHA exists, what the future of CAPTCHA looks like, and what the progress of CAPTCHA says about our pursuit to find the universal quality of humanness.
How restaurant websites are being visited less and losing personality, and therefore are in need of a purpose and identity overhaul and How billionaires are being critically panned and what the responsibility of the wealthy is to the world.
Don Norman’s concept of how pizza could save the world—metaphorically speaking—as pizza is a way to view and solve problems and Millennial burnout and why the generation born between the early 1980’s and late 1990’s experiences errand paralysis, engages in self-destructive behaviors, and have tough mental battles to wage.
The new hit app Zepeto and how the virtual avatar platform can lead to the continued rise of virtual influencers and digital exclusives in consumer goods and The non-stop growth of big tech and the ongoing relationship individuals must navigate with technology.
How the future book is already here even though its form may be different from what we expected and The comeback of physical books, in part thanks to social media.
A Nike football shirt created in collaboration with The NATIVE and use that subject as a launching point for discussing projects done well that are inspired by heritage and Why Air France’s airline Joon, which targets millennials, isn’t working and what could possibly make airlines more appealing when you control for price and schedule.
How Cambridge Analytica data found that fashion profiling reliably showed political leanings and what that means for fashion brands and Amazon HQ2 being built in Queens, New York and Crystal City, Virginia and what that means for those neighborhoods in the context of gentrification.
Under what circumstances envy can be good and bad. Charis points out the constant stream of NASA-inspired apparel and considers whether more can be done for women in STEM.
The impact of Craigslist on decreasing waste production and the possibilities for encouraging a wider culture of reusing and sharing items and How to stay true to personal interests while remaining responsible to others.
The business of background music and the art of curating audio qualities that’s appropriate for brands and spaces and The shifts in the influencer economy towards nanoinfluencers and considers how this changes the prospects of influencers at various levels plus the actual overall effectiveness of these tactics.
What went well, what could be improved on, and what lessons they’ve learned and The conference brought together people from disparate walks of life to speak in conversation with each other on stage. Speakers included John Maeda, Julia Huang, John C Jay, Jason Mayden, Jun Cha, Jennifer Ferro, Lindsay Jang, David Choe, James Bailey, Charis Poon, Eugene Kan, Jeff Staple, Karen Okonkwo, Madeleine Brand, Helen Zia, and Kenya Hara.
Musical anhedonia, the condition where people feel no pleasure in music, and whether that has implications on the world of audio and The anatomy of a TikTok hit and what kind of music goes viral on that platform.
Disney+ and Apple TV+, two new streaming services, launching with series that cost an unprecedented amount of money per episode to make and Tokenism: what it is, how to deal with it, and whether there are silver linings to it.
Disney+ and Apple TV+, two new streaming services, launching with On Making It Up 107 and Why new technology is difficult to convince people to adopt. They also talk about the habits of the ultra wealthy as well as a new study that shows a key factor in becoming very rich is luck.
TikTok hiring a law firm to advise them on their content moderation policies due to increasing scrutiny of the app and Adobe being required to block Venezuelan users from their products due to the latest sanctions on the country.
Forever 21 filing for bankruptcy and the evolving role of shopping malls and The monetization of esports apparel and the possibilities for brands within the gaming industry.
The 2019 MacArthur Grant winners and how money supports innovative work and Greta Thunberg, LVMH’s Bernard Arnault’s comments about her, and the relationship between luxury and climate crisis activists.
Whether good grammar matters, especially when it comes to material written by Southeast Asian influencers and YouTube’s announcement regarding overhauling its verification program and then the quick walk-back of that announcement.
Frances Bean Cobain launching the “Kurt Was Here” clothing collection and what the purpose is of releasing post-humous products and The union drive occurring at Kickstarter and how unions can function within companies.
Celebrate making it to 100 episodes by taking one week off to ask each other hard-hitting big-picture questions about creativity plus some lightning round either or questions.
Why products for older people are poorly designed and how to include older people in the design process and Johanna Hedva’s disability access rider and why constructing society around what we often see to be niche groups is actually the best course of action.
The future of Diet Prada, the media company run by Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler that aims to hold the fashion industry accountable and The use of gender-neutral pronouns and the possible effects shifting language can have on shifting culture.
The possible relationship between memes and brands as being top-down or bottom-up, giving the New York Times and Wendy’s as examples of each and The new virtual influencer Liam Nikuro and what virtual influencer companies get right and what they could do better.
Greg Jackson’s essay “Hipster Elegies” provides the starting point for a conversation on the history of the hipster and the importance of the hipster on the evolution of culture.
How advertising on podcasts can be done well and what makes an ad work particularly well for specific podcasts and The effects of the recent Tumblr ban of NSFW adult content and how the internet is continuing to shrink—to the detriment of all of us.
Whether we have reached peak podcast and, if not, what peak podcast would look like and Where the thousands of Bob Ross paintings are, what his appeal has been in the last five years, and how people are seeking hope wherever they can.
Measures Instagram as a platform is taking to combat bullying and more generally what bullying looks like and How the art market is changing to attract younger collectors, as well as the company Otis which is about investing in “alternative assets.”
What the relationship between a photographer and their subjects looks like, according to four different photographers and Two articles that seem to take a different stance on the smartphone—it’s either a planet killer or a global savior.
Aaron Rodgers coming on as partner in a new venture and growth capital fund. This piece of news links to a trend towards a broader consideration of creative capital and the possibilities for how creatives conduct business and Greta Thunberg, a teenager in Sweden striking in order to call for something to be done about the climate crisis.
Art collective Meow Wolf and the concessions necessary to make art profitable and The health of the Internet particularly as it pertains to the world’s population increasingly gathering in cities.
Whether or not an issue of political correctness censoring fashion design exists, a discussion revolving around an op-ed written by Eugene Rabkin and How the age of the influencer is starting to come to an end while appreciation of the slacker and slacking off is on the rise.
The latest video ad for Nike titled Dream Crazier that features women in sports and a voiceover encouraging women to attempt even more and The phenomenon of being professionally successful on paper but miserable in actuality.
A commercial and travel photographer represented by Tinker Street and Tyson has beaten every Final Fantasy game ever made, is an avid trail runner, and hosts Tinker*Podcast. He lives in Queens with his girlfriend and dog.
The newly proposed “flexitarian” diet configured by 37 scientists to not only be healthy for humans, but to take care of our planet and What it looks like to be creative while clean as described by nine musicians interviewed by GQ regarding all aspects of their journey through substance abuse into sobriety.
Edward spoke with London based photographer, filmmaker, all-around visual content creator and storyteller extraordinaire, Holly-Marie Cato and How Holly got started in photography by being at arguably the wrong place at the right time (the 2011 Tottenham riots in England with a point and shoot)
Edward links with Hong Kong-based designer, Varun Thota.
Charis expresses interest in a McKinsey study that analyzed copious amounts of data over the past 5 years to determine what impact design decisions have on business performance and Eugene wants to talk about the algorithm IBM and Symrise, a major fragrance company, developed specifically for making new fragrances.
The new full version of Adobe Photoshop on the iPad with cloud syncing capabilities might change the ways people create and The Chinese art market and how what it looks like on the surface isn’t a good indicator of what’s really happening.
The current state of fashion as described by 36 industry people in an article published by Elle and The perception of fashion as a superficial area of interest and discuss the possibilities of fashion with regards to identity and depth and The competitions being organized by African governments that award money to entrepreneurs. These competitions are intended to encourage business innovation and to create jobs.
The efforts of Low-Tech Magazine to reduce the energy use required to access their content by building a low-tech, self-hosted, and solar-powered website for themselves and Banksy trolling (or possibly being in complicity with) the art world by orchestrating the self-destruction of his painting right after it had been sold at auction by Sotheby’s for $1.4 million USD.
The landscape of video games and how many more new games have come into being over the past four years. How has this affected the video game industry and what does the future of it look like? and An opinion piece written by Tim Wu that praises the pursuit of mediocrity in certain areas of life and the practice of having hobbies.
The OSTRICH PILLOW HOOD Kickstarter as a way to talk about the use of products to perform individual pursuit of well-being and “The Diminishing Marginal Value of Aesthetics” published by Subpixel at length as a way to talk about visual culture and the challenges creators face.
The controversy surrounding the new Netflix Originals show Insatiable and discuss whether it promotes fat-shaming. The show’s creators state that their intention is to deconstruct unhealthy thinking and behaviors and This episode is the way the perception of expensive food for rich people has changed.
New York Times article that looks into the Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4% to see if the shoe really does improve running times and Jonah Hill interview published in 52 Insights that connected with her recent thinking about the idea of origin stories.
A viral series of screenshots comparing a Russian AI assistant and the Google assistant. The article from Aeon on the subject suggests that the increasing reliance of humans on AI and technology for help with emotional health issues is something to be cautious about and The new Nike App at Retail and whether there are better ways to merge digital technology and physical spaces.
The news of the death of 3 Canadian vloggers in connection to how social media has warped our perception of others and The subject of increasingly advanced surveillance technology and how this impacts privacy and societal norms.
The fashion industry’s inconsistent attitude towards the #MeToo movement by talking through the issues brought up by Julie Zerbo in a recent The Fashion Law article and The Michelin Guide having recently covered Guangzhou and how the mission of the guide doesn’t include reviewing street food
The future of Grailed in light of their recent investment round of $15 million and What makes a good CV, but it turns out that the answer to that question is very context-dependent.
Jay-Z has been appointed as the creative director of Puma Basketball and Kickstarter spin-off Quickstarter that champions small projects.
Whether Nike has done a good job with their BETRUE campaign this year in honor of Pride Month and An email campaign sent out by adidas is cringe-worthy.
Logic magazine that recounts the history of venture capital and New features in Instagram that are meant to help users develop healthier digital habits.
Elliot’s ongoing journey of learning about the world of spirits and beverages sees no finish line and Elliot shares his path to Sake Samurai, how it all started, and what keeps him motivated.
Spotify’s decision to roll back their hateful conduct policy and The connection between the different phases of sleep and creativity.
The product line Sorry I Have No Filter launched by Sagmeister & Walsh to raise money for its not-for-profit Ladies, Wine & Design. Ladies, Wine & Design was started two years ago after Jessica Walsh got to the heart of some of the hate she was receiving and An exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum called “Night Fever” that surveys night clubs in history and how they were important places for culture to grow.
A bit of a break in the regularly scheduled programming and The lo-fi hip-hop community that emerged on YouTube. Eugene brings up the question of what it means to be an artist’s muse.
Fernet and his journey from working hospitality to becoming an entrepreneur in the craft spirits world.
A special guest in Scott Masek. With Charis traveling in San Francisco, Scott brings an opinionated point-of-view over a podcast that is packed with insights about Apple as an insurance company, the idea of performance testing for job optimization and How helicopter parenting is affecting the future of society.
What it means for tech companies and consumers when innovative products get ripped off. We also look at the idea of conflicting opinions in the NY Times’ Op-Ed section and what it means for critical analysis.
The aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica Facebook news and what this means for the future of Facebook and A dissection of the responses to Louis Vuitton appointing Virgil Abloh as its new artistic director of menswear.
The UN-backed reality tv show held in Somalia with the goal of changing the population’s perceptions of what’s normal and Why people in working environments don’t ask for help and what creates bad work culture.
The ideas that author and culinary historian Michael Twitty puts forward in a video interview he did with Eater and How success on YouTube is hard to achieve and how even relative success doesn’t bring in lots of money.
Drake’s new music video for his song God’s Plan, the premise of Derek Jeter’s media enterprise The Player’s Tribune which puts the narrative in the hands of the athletes, and why so many tech company logos are starting to resemble each other.
The changing status of illustration and why passing on knowledge is important, even as competition among artists remains high in a city like Hong Kong.
The shifting nature of Asian-American identity and the history of that identity. She ties it to perceptions of Chloe Kim, the 17-year-old Korean-American snowboarder who took a gold medal at the Winter Olympics and An Asian-American zine from the 1960’s. Eugene brings up an op-ed by Tim Wu, professor at Columbia University and contributing opinion writer to The New York Times, called The Tyranny of Convenience.
The pros and cons of higher education and Whether higher education is a waste of money and time or not.
The devaluation of writing as the result of contributor networks such as the one HuffPost used to run and How China might start exporting their cultural goods.
The Japanese concept of space and how it pertains to her own recent travels in Japan and What it means to be an expert generalist and how it holds up to the 10,000 hour rule.
The normalization of grammar and spelling. Are we experiencing a new normal when it comes to how we communicate and the rules it entails? and Hw he’s viewed his photography career and work over the last few years in light of his successes working for big brands.
The evolution of her career from food writer to community pioneer as well as the nature of food media and sustainability in the city.
Rich Chigga, the 18-year old rapper from Jakarta changing his name to Rich Brian and The pay-to-win mechanisms of GTA Online that allows players with deep pockets to purchase powerful weaponry and destroy weeks worth of grinding in unexpected moves.
We do our best to unpack the NY Times’ expose on VICE and the unerlying issues that exist within company structures and John C. Jay outlined his process behind empathy and how to best uncover meaningful relationships in culture.
The ramifications of a Disney and 20th Century Fox merger and The world of MUJI and why we feel it’s such a compelling brand case study. Everywhere you go, the MUJI experience is generally the same and subsequently represents a nice snapshot of Japanese retail culture.
Apple pivoting into a hardware subscription service and New-found tools for journalism that focus on gamification.
A non-tech approach to the week’s topic and land on how one lady is fighting to preserve her tribe’s cuisine. It somehow ended up being a food-focused episode as we explored the future of airplane food.
Why we feel so compelled to put our hands on the artifacts at the museum and the purpose of touch in learning and The factors that go into critical thought and the role of analysis and motivation.
An deep look into the recent FCC movements around Net Neutrality. At its core who will this affect and in what capacity? and A piece of #fakenews they inadvertently highlighted and Whether kids and the youth deserve a pass for some of the ignorant things they say online. Shouldn’t our youth be about making mistakes and learning?
What merchandise means for “non-fashion” brands such as apps, journalists, magazines and more. Is merchandise the key towards unlocking a new and potent revenue stream? and The dark and twisted world of YouTube for children and what responsibilities YouTube has in the space.
The industry insights into ComplexCon 2017, a direct-to-consumer tradeshow around street culture. After a great debut in 2016, a series of incidents overshadowed an otherwise fascinating real-world insight into a culture that’s been defined by what happens online and The recent news behind the shuttering of DNAinfo and Gothamist after its billionaire owner rejected a plea to unionize. What does this mean for the future of media when rich, powerful individuals can withdraw support at the drop of a hat?
The US military’s adoption of video games as a high-level training tool and The relevance and meaning of iconic graphic designer Barbara Kruger’s art project with the New York Mass Transit Authority (MTA).
The Social Credit System in China that will soon assign ratings to all Chinese citizens and The increased use of AI and hypothesizes about when robots might takeover creative jobs.
The case for adding sneaker culture to the school curriculum based on its importance within youth and popular culture and How media companies currently strategize their push notifications and what are things we should be aware of.
The future of “corporate” geo-tagging based on a recent project between Snapchat, and Jeff Koons’ balloon dog sculpture and The big picture behind Dropbox’s colorful rebranding and the suggestion that Dropbox is losing its focus on product.
An Apple Music interview that featured Jimmy Iovine, Zane Lowe, and Larry Jackson. Some interesting insights led them to dig deeper into how the future of streaming music will play out and Apple’s positioning and A really great project that featured Daily Paper, a streetwear brand out of Amsterdam, and PUMA. The project focused on the creation of a football pitch in Ghana at an all-girls school as part of the 20th anniversary of sponsorship between PUMA and various African nations.
The what it means for Coca-Cola to sponsor a video game character and How social media and technology has changed and normalized food reviews.
The efforts by The Undefeated’s photo editor Brent Lewis on improving diversity amongst photographers and The return of a familiar classic with Polaroid Originals.
The cultural currency of objects, starting with a New Yorker magazine tote bag, and How Detroit’s hiring of a Chief Storyteller makes us wonder about the idea of who can tell what stories amongst different demographics.
A new “collaborative” drawing and start the podcast off with some good news and What it means to decentralize social media with blockchain and cryptocurrencies. They cap things off by discussing the idea of “hard work” and what is the line drawn with working too hard.
The bold move by Black Girls Code to say no to a $125K USD donation from Uber and How creatives should look at their relationship with money thanks to a 2Bobs podcast (shout out to Myke for putting us onto it).
The idea of creativity as we age and why a child-like approach to problem solving embraces psychedelic drugs and what does it mean for a PR agency like Derris to simultaneously invest and provide services for?
The different sides of streetwear released by churches, and what does it mean when a tech-based mindset that focuses on innovation over regulation enters food with the Impossible Burger?
Whether we should “speed listen” to our podcasts, and What does it mean when meme media companies are popping up and financially supported by politics?
WeTransfers 10 000 grants for ex SoundCloud employees and The power of the newsletter.
Los Angeles new social media camp and Deloittes approach to diversity in the workplace.
Is 90s web design making a comeback and Nikes silence over the A$AP Bari incident.
The creation of a “Netflix for education,” and whether there’s a need or market for continued education that offers legitimate certification. We also delve into the role of awards in creative culture such as the Cannes Lions, and whether they’ve lost their true direction? and The layers and investigate the reasons why a photographer would release his war photos for free after being unable to find a suitor for them.
The latest casualty in long-form online publishing and the price of fame. With an inability to monetize effectively and a lack of journalistic support from the very industry it reports on, MTV News has recently cut its long-form content and pivoted toward video and Brooklyn Beckham’s become the laughing stock of photographers and the Internet itself with the release of his new photography book “what I see.”
Spotify’s relationship with major music labels and how it influences their playlists and How net neutrality loses an outspoken advocate with Tumblr’s CEO, David Karp.
The award-winning movie trailer Everything and the relationship between movies and gaming, the NY Times’ AI-moderated commenting system, when sponsorship goes south due to politics, and TONL, a diversity-minded stock photography platform.
Wonder Woman’s impact in the entertainment industry, Google’s new fashion project, and Agnes Gund’s remarkable Roy Lichtenstein art sale to create a new criminal justice fund.
