The Podcast You're Sleeping On
2024-09-04 · 5 min read
If you have not listened to 99% Invisible, you are missing the show that perfected the narrative podcast format. Hosted by Roman Mars since 2010, the podcast explores the design of everything, from architecture and urban planning to flags, fonts, and the sounds of everyday life.
Each episode takes an overlooked aspect of the built environment and reveals the human decisions behind it. Why do revolving doors exist? How did the design of the AK-47 change global politics? These questions sound niche, but the answers illuminate how design shapes behavior and culture.
Mars hosting style is warm, precise, and unhurried. He lets stories breathe, trusts his audience intelligence, and never condescends. The production quality sets a standard that most podcasts cannot approach.
The podcast independence is notable. Episodes are released on their own schedule, and quality has not been sacrificed for quantity.
The back catalog is a treasure. Over 500 episodes cover topics from shipping containers to the design failures of the Titanic. Start anywhere.
Subscribe on any podcast platform, and explore the full archive at https://99percentinvisible.org.
99% Invisible is the podcast that makes you pay attention to the world differently. After listening regularly, you will start noticing the design decisions in every building, sign, and object around you.
