There\u2019s a new treat for design enthusiasts and curious minds: Yanko Design\u2019s just-launched podcast, Design Mindset, is setting out to demystify the process and people behind the things we use, admire, and sometimes take for granted. Hosted by Radhika Seth, this weekly audio series promises to get beneath the surface of beautiful objects and groundbreaking concepts, asking not just how they\u2019re made, but why they matter. The show, premiering every Friday, is an open invitation to explore the creative tensions, real-world pressures, and flashes of brilliance that shape the things we encounter every day.<\/p>\n
For its debut, Design Mindset lands a fittingly heavyweight guest: Ewdison Then, co-publisher and CEO of Yanko Design, whose journey from the world of fast-moving tech journalism to the thoughtful curation of design culture is a story in itself. A founder of SlashGear and a veteran of covering every major tech launch of the past two decades, Ewdison has seen first-hand how trends are born, how they catch fire, and crucially, how they\u2019re curated. In this episode, he offers a candid look at the responsibilities, surprises, and tensions that come with moving from observer to tastemaker.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The distance between tech journalism and design curation isn\u2019t measured in miles or even job titles \u2013 it\u2019s a fundamental shift in worldview. For years, Ewdison operated in the rapid-fire world of tech news, where influence is measured by speed and scoops. \u201cOver two decades in tech journalism taught me about influence from outside looking in,\u201d he reflects in the episode. But the move to Yanko Design required a new lens: not just documenting the next big thing, but helping to define what that \u2018thing\u2019 could be.<\/p>\n
That transition isn\u2019t simply about trading deadlines for deliberation. It\u2019s about stepping into a position where one\u2019s choices and values ripple outward, affecting what the industry notices, what gets built, and what\u2019s left behind. Ewdison describes this shift as both \u201chumbling and energizing,\u201d noting the difference between chronicling the evolution of design and curating its future. There\u2019s a palpable sense of responsibility \u2013 one that comes with the realization that decisions made in the editorial room can shape the direction of entire creative industries.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s easy to imagine design media as little more than a mirror held up to the world, reflecting back the best and brightest. But the truth, as revealed in the conversation, is far more dynamic. Publications like Yanko Design aren\u2019t just cataloging objects and trends; they\u2019re part of a complex ecosystem that determines which ideas become reality. \u201cThere\u2019s an entire ecosystem of people deciding what deserves attention, what gets manufactured, and what influences the next wave of innovation,\u201d Ewdison points out, peeling back the curtain on a process that\u2019s as much about editorial curation as it is about creative genius.<\/p>\n
This influence isn\u2019t theoretical. The products that fill our homes and pockets, whether they\u2019re sleek gadgets or elegant furnishings, often trace their roots back to a handful of gatekeepers and tastemakers. Yanko Design\u2019s editorial choices can place a designer on the map, spark the interest of manufacturers, or nudge a concept from prototype to production. It\u2019s a subtle but profound form of power, and one that\u2019s wielded with an eye toward both innovation and integrity.<\/p>\n
Ask ten people to define \u201cgood design\u201d and you\u2019ll get twelve different answers \u2013 a reality that sits at the heart of Yanko Design\u2019s editorial ethos. The episode leans into this tension, with Ewdison observing, \u201cEveryone has their own perception of what is a good design. You\u2019re not going to find two of the same person, rarely, to have an exact word by word thoughts about how a good design is being perceived.\u201d That kind of subjectivity isn\u2019t a flaw to be fixed; it\u2019s the very reason design remains vital and ever-changing.<\/p>\n
This diversity of opinion means there\u2019s no single yardstick, no checklist that guarantees a product will resonate. Instead, curation becomes an act of translation, taking a personal reaction and framing it in a way that invites discussion, not consensus. The editorial team at Yanko Design is encouraged to lean into their own perspectives, evaluating usability, appearance, material, and even color through their own filters. This openness results in a publication that\u2019s less about dictating taste and more about surfacing a rich tapestry of viewpoints.<\/p>\n
Covering the latest phone launch or software event requires a very particular skillset \u2013 one built around speed, stamina, and the ability to synthesize vast amounts of PR-driven information in real time. Ewdison describes the old rhythm: \u201cYou have to be quite on your toes, because most of the covers are very time sensitive\u2026 you need to be able to push out maybe five content within two hours of events and whatnot.\u201d The tech press is a machine, and the pace is relentless.<\/p>\n
Design coverage, in contrast, rewards patience and reflection. Rather than reacting to what\u2019s unveiled, editors are given the space to step back, reconsider, and approach each project as a unique story. The process is less about being first and more about being insightful. PR still plays a role, but the editorial voice is rooted in personal interpretation, not just regurgitation. The result is a space where deeper questions can be asked: What makes this object beautiful? What problem does it solve? Why does it matter right now?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Within Yanko Design, the editorial process is intentionally porous. Writers aren\u2019t just handed a press release and told to summarize; instead, they\u2019re encouraged to explore what moves them about a design \u2013 be it the functionality, the materiality, or even the emotional resonance. Ewdison describes this shift, saying, \u201cWe want to give that voice to our editors, to our writers, where they can present their perception of a specific design from the angle of whether usability or\u2026 just an overview of how it looks, material, colors.\u201d This philosophy is less about force-fitting opinions and more about creating space for genuine curiosity.<\/p>\n
The end result is a publication that feels alive and personal. Readers aren\u2019t just passive consumers of verdicts handed down from on high; they\u2019re invited into a conversation. Multiple interpretations are not just tolerated, but celebrated, making Yanko Design a kind of living gallery where design is always open for debate and discovery.<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s a single takeaway from the episode, it\u2019s that design doesn\u2019t happen in a vacuum. From the moment a concept is sketched to the day it lands in a showroom, countless hands and minds shape its journey. Yanko Design\u2019s influence operates within this broader ecosystem \u2013 sometimes as an amplifier, sometimes as a filter, always as a participant in the ongoing dialogue of innovation. Decision-makers, manufacturers, and even consumers all play a role, but so too do the editors who decide what stories get told.<\/p>\n
Collaboration is another theme that emerges, particularly in the dynamic between Ewdison and Yanko Design founder Takashi Yamada. Since 2008, Yamada has helped set the tone for what counts as \u201cgroundbreaking\u201d in the world of design, and the partnership with Ewdison brings together two complementary visions. Their teamwork exemplifies how curation is rarely the work of a single tastemaker; it\u2019s the product of ongoing dialogue, mutual respect, and a shared belief in the power of design to shape the future.<\/p>\n
Design Mindset is now live, with new episodes dropping every Friday. Whether you\u2019re a working designer, a tech junkie, or simply someone who loves beautiful things, Yanko Design\u2019s new podcast promises fresh insights and lively conversation on what it really means to shape the visual and functional world around us. Visit Yanko Design\u2019s YouTube page<\/a> for more!<\/p>\n The post Yanko Design Launches Design Mindset: A New Podcast for the Design-Curious<\/a> first appeared on Yanko Design<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There\u2019s a new treat for design enthusiasts and curious minds: Yanko Design\u2019s just-launched podcast, Design Mindset, is setting out to demystify the process and people behind the things we use, admire, and sometimes take for … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n