Best Larche Podcasts (2026)

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The Era of the Generalist: Rachel Been, SVP of Design for Expedia Group 43:17

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1M ago43:17

43:17

In this episode, Liam speaks with Rachel Been, SVP of Design for Expedia Group, about her journey from photography to design leadership and why she believes this is "the era of the generalist." The conversation unpacks the recent launch of Expedia's new app on ChatGPT and what it means to design for "non-deterministic flows" and "infinite inputs." …

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Other Than Expected: Fabian Bircher on Combining Art, Architecture, and Code 38:19

3M ago38:19

38:19

In this episode, Liam speaks with Zürich-based architect and artist Fabian Bircher, whose work spans buildings, custom lighting, and interactive installations. Fabian discusses his unique creative process, where inspiration flows from both artistic concepts and the discovery of new technological possibilities. The conversation explores the material…

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Design Can't Rely on Logic: Troy Leinster on Type Design and Human Perception 45:07

4M ago45:07

45:07

In this episode, I reconnect with my former instructor, type designer and design coach Troy Leinster. Troy shares his journey from graphic design to type design, and explains why learning to make letters makes you a better designer. We also dig into the importance of trusting the human eye over geometry, the productive friction of sketching by hand…

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The User Brings the Confetti: Rob Giampietro on Scaling a Human-Centered Brand 43:13

5M ago43:13

43:13

Rob Giampietro, Head of Creative at Notion and former Design Director at MoMA, returns to the show to unpack the story behind Notion Faces, the popular tool that allows users to create their own illustrated avatar. Rob details the project's journey from a beloved internal tradition to a major public launch, including the pivotal decision to scale w…

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True is Better Than New: David Reinfurt on Evolving Graphic Design Education 45:02

6M ago45:02

45:02

In this episode, designer, educator, and author David Reinfurt returns to the show to discuss his latest book, A *Co-* Program for Graphic Design. Born from a series of lectures delivered remotely, online, and together with collaborators and cooperators, the new book builds on his earlier "spoken" book, exploring some unexpected and intuitive overl…

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Material Design Gets Expressive: Inside Google's Emotion-Driven UX Update 55:26

7M ago55:26

55:26

This special episode digs into the latest evolution of Google's design system: Material 3 Expressive. Liam talks with Material Design's Android Product Manager Aneesha Kommineni, UX Researcher Michael Gilbert, and Creative Director Andy Stewart about the team's latest emotion-driven UX update. They reveal how this system is grounded in user researc…

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Beauty Across the Board: Rich Fulcher on Making Beauty a UX Priority at Google 52:07

12M ago52:07

52:07

This season's special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design closes out with Rich Fulcher, former Google UX director and Material design lead. Fulcher remembers the career-defining journey of creating Material, what it was like to make beauty a UX priority, how to pressure test a system, and what he's learned about world-b…

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Breaking Silos (and Metaphors): A 'Roving Engineer' on Design & Engineering Collaboration 53:43

1y ago53:43

53:43

This season's special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design continues with Adrian Secord, who describes himself as a "roving engineer." Adrian has over a decade of experience building systems and tools that transform design into robust product engineering at scale. Plus, a PhD in Computer Graphics. Here, he reflects on th…

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Code, Creativity, Performance: Will Larche on Engineering as 'Creativity with Constraints' 43:57

1y ago43:57

43:57

This season's special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design continues with Software Engineering Manager and Musical Theater Writer Will Larche, who talks about his path to become an engineering manager at Google. Larche, a self-proclaimed "design fan," describes engineering as "creativity with constraints." Here, he expla…

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Fab Components: Bethany Fong on Designing Material's Signature Floating Action Button 45:19

1+ y ago45:19

45:19

This episode is part of a special series celebrating ten years of Material Design. In the episode, Liam speaks with Bethany Fong, a Design Director at Meta who was a pivotal figure in the creation of Material Design. During her time at Google, Fong was responsible for designing the first set of Material components (including Material's signature Fl…

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Facing Our Interfaces: Matías Duarte on the Future of Individualized Design 44:42

1+ y ago44:42

44:42

This season begins with a special series celebrating ten years since the launch of Material Design, which will explore the inception, evolution, and future of Google's design approach. The first episode features the founder of Material Design and Design VP Matías Duarte, whose work on the system has pushed design forward at Google and across device…

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S4E42 - Reunion

2+ y ago

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Brought to you in part by Club PA! Starring: Jerry Holkins, Kris Straub, Kate Welch, Trystan Falcone and Ryan HartmanBy Penny Arcade Inc.

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The Letter That Changed Everything 27:37

3y ago27:37

27:37

When prominent spiritual leaders are abusive, their victims are at the epicenter of the earthquake. But when the truth comes out, the rest of us still feel the aftershocks. In this final episode, we turn to the wider community that was impacted by Jean Vanier’s abuse — people who didn’t know Vanier directly, but who read his books, were inspired by…

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Designing Better Code: How Google Engineers Make Coding a Creative Practice 42:08

3y ago42:08

42:08

Liam speaks with Googlers Connie Shi, a software engineer on Material Design, and Matvei Malkov, a software engineer on Jetpack Compose, and the trio unpack what makes coding a creative practice, and which creative choices are required when you build a design system for other developers around the world. The wide-ranging conversation turns from com…

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'This Isn't Some Holy Moment' 29:53

3y ago29:53

29:53

Donna knew something wasn’t right when Thomas Philippe came to her room. Cecilia hid the truth even from herself. Judy thought she just wasn’t “holy enough” to understand. In this episode, three women who were sexually and spiritually abused at L’Arche by Jean Vanier and Thomas Philippe tell their stories. You’ll learn how each of them suffered, bu…

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The Camouflage of Charisma 21:24

3y ago21:24

21:24

There was an unnamable something about Jean Vanier that transformed an experience — or transformed you. For many people, Vanier’s captivating presence was evidence of his godly giftedness. But for victims of abuse, this saintly reputation had a dark side. In this episode, host Jenna Barnett talks with Katelyn Beaty, author of Celebrities for Jesus,…

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Origin Stories 29:28

3y ago29:28

29:28

It was a powerful story that inspired a movement: Jean Vanier heard a call—from Jesus and people suffering in mental institutions—and decided to invite some men with intellectual disabilities to live with him. The only problem? It wasn’t true. In this episode, we examine the origin stories of L’Arche: the one Vanier told for decades and the strange…

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Update: It's Worse Than We Thought 10:28

3y ago10:28

10:28

A just-released 900-page report has revealed that the scope of Jean Vanier's abuse was far more extensive — and insidious — than previously known. Host Jenna Barnett talks with Sojourners' Mitchell Atencio, who reported on this news for sojo.net. You'll hear a short summary of what we learned, plus tips for processing news that is upsetting. We'll …

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How Fonts Change the World: Dave Crossland on Digital Type and Emotional Expression 36:57

3y ago36:57

36:57

Liam and Google Fonts Specialist Dave Crossland explore what digital type can teach us about digital production, emotional expression, and where we fit in the world as designers; and how – with a little imagination – we might unlock new possibilities. 📑 Read a full transcript 📻 Subscribe to Design Notes…

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The Second Death of Jean Vanier 23:09

3y ago23:09

23:09

Jean Vanier died in May 2019, a beloved spiritual leader, celebrated for his work with people with intellectual disabilities. But in February 2020, he died again when a report published by L’Arche, the organization Vanier founded, revealed that he had been credibly accused of spiritual and sexual abuse by six women. In this episode you’ll hear from…

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Introducing: Lead Us Not 5:07

3y ago5:07

5:07

It’s an all-too-familiar story: A charismatic Christian leader, revered for his work and teaching. Then, explosive allegations he engaged in manipulative sexual and spiritual practices. But this isn’t a podcast about another good guy who turned out to be a bad guy; it’s about the rest of us who are left to wrestle with the aftermath—and ensure abus…

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Coding (and Decoding) Social Spaces: Judith Donath on the Future of Life Online 36:46

3y ago36:46

36:46

In this episode, Liam speaks with Judith Donath, the founder of MIT's Sociable Media Lab, inventor of e-cards, and author of The Social Machine: Designs for Living Online. Donath's work offers crucial insights into the sociality of digital products and platforms, and the opportunities we have as digital producers to make things that truly meet soci…

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Fearless Design: Aline Borges on Composition and Creative Career Changes 28:36

3y ago28:36

28:36

Liam speaks with Aline Borges, a Zürich-based floral designer who's made the leap from fashion coordination for magazines like Vogue and Harper's Bazaar to independent floral design and installations. The conversation covers what it's like to move between different creative fields (and countries), how to think about composition to tackle almost any…

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⏮️ How Machines Help Us See Ourselves: Harvey Moon on Art Made Through Machine Collaboration 30:59

3y ago30:59

30:59

In this episode, we revisit a conversation from Season 1 with new media artist Harvey Moon, recorded in his San Francisco studio. Liam and Harvey discuss how Moon's work reveals unseen properties of the world around us, the process of creating one's own creative tools, and the kind of art that's only made possible through collaboration with machine…

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The Impact of Shared Space: Ignacio Ciocchini on Designing NYC's Public Furniture 44:44

3y ago44:44

44:44

Liam speaks with streetscape and public space designer Ignacio Ciocchini, who's created much of the public furniture that New Yorkers encounter every single day – from benches that provide personal space, to entire built landscapes for Bryant Park, to chargers for electric vehicles and more. The conversation ranges from the materiality of the built…

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⏮️ Learning From Your Virtual Twin: Kerry Murphy on Digital Fashion and Virtual Embodiment 23:03

3+ y ago23:03

23:03

In this episode, we revisit a conversation from Season 1 with Kerry Murphy, co-founder of digital fashion house The Fabricant. We uncover how data are spun into virtual threads, and how virtual embodiment can foster self-actualization. In designing couture that doesn't—or can't—exist in physical space, The Fabricant also explores ideas of embodimen…

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Digital Anthropology: Tom Boellstorff on How Virtual Worlds Shape Our Actual Lives 33:47

3+ y ago33:47

33:47

Liam speaks to Tom Boellstorff, Anthropologist and UCI Professor, whose ethnographic work in Second Life (documented in his book, Coming of Age in Second Life) provides important insights into how virtual space – and our interface with it – informs and interacts with our lives in actual space. In virtual worlds like Second Life, inhabitants exist o…

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S4E41 - Better Reunion Panel at PAX West 2022

3+ y ago

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The team comes back together at PAX West 2022 for a panel discussion...and to reunite the "C" Team itself!Starring: Jerry Holkins as the DM, Kate Welch as Rosie Beestinger, Kris Straub as K'Thriss Drow'b, Ryan Hartman as Donaar Blit'zen and Trystan Falcone as Walnut DankgrassBy Penny Arcade Inc.

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Welcome Back to Design Notes: Season 2 Trailer 1:33

3+ y ago1:33

1:33

It's been a while, but Design Notes is coming back for Season 2 uncovering even more of what inspires and unites us in our work. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss new interviews with practitioners working on public furniture, the culture of virtual space, and more. Follow @DesignNotespod on Twitter for updates! Subscribe to Design Notes 👉Goo…