Can design save the planet—one soy sauce fish at a time? Meet the innovative minds behind a sustainable alternative to the iconic plastic soy sauce container. Discover how clever design is tackling single-use plastics, reducing waste, and reimagining everyday objects for a greener future

Guest:

• Angus Ware, Co-founder and Director at Heliograf

What happens when architects design for animals instead of humans? In this episode, we explore a bold new frontier where animal behavior—not human comfort—shapes the spaces we build. From wildlife sanctuaries to urban habitats, this surprising trend flips traditional design thinking on its head. How do professionals trained for people reimagine environments for paws, claws, and wings?

Guests: 

• Stuart Harrison, Architect - project Raptor Rehabilitation Centre, Healesville Sanctuary, Victoria
• Mike Drinkwater, Wildlife Project Officer at Taronga Zoo Sydney
• Grey Fisher, Senior Keeper at the Institute of Science and Learning, Taronga Zoo Sydney

Extraordinary Everyday: Backyard Pools

Why do Aussies love a backyard pool? In this episode, we dive into its evolution—from retro status symbol to sleek, sustainable showpiece. Discover how pool design trends have shaped our summers, our homes, and our obsession with outdoor living. It’s a deep end of culture, creativity, and cool innovation!

Guest:

• Professor Hannah Lewi, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning, Melbourne University 

Prefab is back—and it’s changing the game. Once a Federation-era staple, prefabrication is now being hailed as a creative design solution and a practical fix for the housing crisis. Innovative modular techniques are delivering sustainable, stylish homes faster than ever before—but is this the future of construction?

Guests:

• Warren French, Lead Architect Valley Workshop Tasmania and expert in prefabricated builds
• Mathew Aitchison, CEO of Building 4.0 CRC
• Amber Laris, Owner of a prefabricated build in Lymington Tasmania

From twigs to tech, the toothbrush has had quite the glow-up! In this episode of Extraordinary Everyday, we brush up on the wild history of dental hygiene—from ancient chew sticks to sleek smart brushes—revealing how this humble tool became a design icon in our daily lives.

Guest:

• Scott Swank, Curator at National Museum of Dentistry in Baltimore, and an associate professor in the Dental Public Health Department of University of Maryland in Baltimore

What does it take to design a floating city? Uncover the secrets of cruise ship design — from sleek engineering and sustainable innovations to creating unforgettable luxury experiences at sea. Discover how maritime architects balance safety, style, and comfort to craft the world’s most spectacular ships.

Guests:

• Inger Sheil, Assistant Curator of Society and Water at the Australian National Maritime Museum
• Lewis Taylor, Design Director at David Collins Studio, designed several significant areas on the Queen Anne
• Daniel Stavert, Expedition Leader on the Douglas Mawson

Anthony Burke's By Design uncovers the ideas and human stories behind the designs, spaces, systems, and objects shaping our lives — from the resurgence of colour in modern interiors to untapped opportunities for Australia in prefab housing, designing habitats for injured and in-captivity wildlife, to Presidential renovations and the mind-boggling considerations behind the perfect cruise ship. If you love design, this is your new happy place!

The program is hosted by Anthony Burke, Professor of Architecture at UTS and one of Australia's leading voices in design and architecture. Known as host of Grand Designs Australia, Grand Transformations, and Restoration Australia, Anthony brings his expertise and passion to conversations that reveal why design matters — across architecture, interiors, urban spaces, products, fashion, and sustainability — in a rapidly changing world.

Hear Anthony Burke's By Design on ABC Radio National Tuesdays at 10am as part of the Radio National Arts Hour, repeated Sundays at 10am, and anytime on the ABC listen app.

Is the open-plan home officially over? How has COVID and the rise of remote work reshaped the way we live; From privacy-friendly layouts to multifunctional spaces, discover why designers are rethinking open-plan living and what the future of home design looks like.

Guests:

• Dr Libby Sander, Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Bond University
• Eva-Marie Prineas, Lead Architect and Founder Studio Prineas

If buildings speak, the White House never whispers — and recent design overhauls have given it a whole new vocabulary. In this episode, we decode the aesthetic signals embedded in its latest transformations: the dramatic palettes, the opulent flourishes, the bigger‑brighter‑bolder touches that reshape how the building presents power. We ask what these stylistic choices reveal about the identity of a place long touted as “the people’s house,” and how shifts toward grandeur and gloss change the story it tells.Guests:

• Associate Professor Robert Wellington,  Art historian,  Australian National University, author Versailles Mirrored: The power of luxury from Louis XIV to Donald Trump
• Dr Edward Lengel, Former Chief Historian of the White House Historical Association
• Neil Flanagan, Architect and a public historian in Washington, D.C.
• Philip Wegmann, White House Correspondent for RealClearPolitics

Corduroy is back—and its story is wilder than you think. From its origins in ancient Egypt to royal courts, retro fashion, and now a modern design renaissance, this humble fabric has lived many lives. In this episode, we unravel how corduroy went from utilitarian to iconic, and why designers are embracing it in clothing and furniture today.

Guest:

• Elaine Evans, Senior Teaching Fellow in Fashion Design Innovation at the University of Leeds

Humans have been tracking time for millennia — but when did we decide to wear it? In this episode, we trace the evolution of the watch, from clunky ticking contraptions to sleek wrist‑bound supercomputers. How did a simple time‑telling bracelet become the indispensable gadget we can’t stop glancing at?

Guest: Tania Edwards,  Co founder of Collectability, a collecting consultancy and Trustee Emeritus of the Horological Society of New York

They are the silent force that guides us through our days, but how much do you know about the humble traffic light? More than just three colours that tell us when to slow down, stop or go, these machines weave complex movements of people throughout our cities. How do they work, what impact do they have and what is the future for traffic lights in a world of smart cars?

Guest: Chris Miller, Spokesperson for Transport Victoria

Meet the movement reimaging the future, slowly

Craft is cool again. Across Australia — and far beyond — traditional design practices long considered “old fashioned” are experiencing a powerful resurgence. From tapestry as contemporary art, to handcrafted chairs, to the ancient weaving traditions of First Nations communities, slow, tactile craftsmanship is being embraced by a generation raised in a hyper‑digital world.

Guests:

• Sophie Travers, CEO of the Australian Tapestry Workshop
• Glen Rundell, Chair maker and co-founder of the Lost Trades Fair
• Aunty Karleen Green, First Nations weaver

For years, designers pushed the gospel of “more light, more health.” Then LEDs arrived—tiny, efficient, and bright enough to turn night into a permanent noon—and we discovered a plot twist: human eyes (and brains, and hormones) were never built for this much brilliance. And animals? They’re even less impressed.

In this episode, we dig into how our light‑soaked world has scrambled natural rhythms for creatures great and small, and how a new generation of designers is trying to un-muck the mess. From circadian‑friendly glow to wildlife‑aware street lighting, we explore how smarter illumination can help us all sleep better, migrate sanely, and live more in tune with the dark.

Guests:

• Fiona Venn, Director of Specialist Lighting, WSP
• Dr Kellie Pendoley, Director and Principal Scientist of Pendoley Environmental
• Dr Sheryn Pitman, Carrickalinga Dark Sky Community Project Lead

Mirrors may show us our reflection today, but for centuries they were thought to reveal far stranger things.

Forged through a perilous, mercury‑soaked process, these “everyday” objects hide a mysterious past that’s anything but ordinary.

Guest:

• John Hawkins, antiques dealer

As women age, many joke about becoming “invisible”, but in Australia’s housing crisis, invisibility has devastating consequences. Women over 55 are now the fastest‑growing group at risk of homelessness, while the housing system fails to provide safe, secure, and dignified options that meet their needs. But there are those working on this problem now who say the solutions are not that hard to find.

Guests: 

• Dr Dionne Payn, Founder Women 4 Homes
• Dr Samantha Donnelly, Lecturer in the School of Architecture, UTS
• Tracey Tromph, older single woman living alone

Australia’s swimsuit has a wilder history than you think. In this episode, we dive into the design evolution of our beloved togs, bathers, and budgie smugglers, from the days when inspectors patrolled the beach in search of exposed shoulders to today’s sleek, sun-smart designs. How has culture, modesty, technology and style shaped this iconic piece of Aussie design, and what does our swimwear say about us as a nation?

Guest: 

• Inger Sheil, Assistant Curator of Society and Water at the Australian National Maritime Museum

Just how creative can you get with wood? In the first of this new three part series we meet a master furniture maker in Mumbai giving new life to old timbers, letting the wood speak again. It’s our first stop on a South Asian tour with host Anthony Burke, revisiting some of his favourite conversations from filming Culture By Design across the region.

Guest: Siddharth Sirohi, BARO studio Mumbai

With special thanks to the team at Culture By Design (ABC International). From Indonesia to India, and Sri Lanka to Vietnam, Anthony meets with the ceramicists, street artists, fashion designers, architects, furniture makers and weavers who are pushing the boundaries in developing sustainable, innovative, and ethical design, and tackling global challenges like climate change, resource scarcity and social inequality.

Culture by Design Series 1 platforms India and Indonesia’s leading creatives and is available to watch on ABC iview.

Season 2 is coming in May 2026, with a focus on Vietnamese and Sri Lankan design.

They’re squishy, often colourful, mobile pieces of furniture that are forever associated with the late 60s and early 70s. Growing up in the 80s you’re sure to have plonked yourself on one of these while you watched Magnum PI. We're talking about beanbags. Who on earth thought that this malleable, ball-filled piece of furniture would become the success story it did?

Guest: Berto Pandolfo, Associate Professor of Product Design at UTS

Kites aren’t just toys—they’re one of the most influential inventions in the history of science. Sure, they look playful drifting across a windy sky, but the humble kite has quietly powered some of humanity’s biggest breakthroughs. From early experiments to world‑shaping discoveries, this lightweight frame of fabric and string has been a surprising engine of innovation.

Guest: John Murray, President, Australian Kite Flyers Society

Bamboo is nothing short of extraordinary - growing fast, bending without breaking, and carrying the strength of steel. In Bali, it’s more than a material; it’s a philosophy of design grounded in flexibility, resilience, and imagination.

This is the second episode in our three part series Material Cultures, in which we meet designers who don’t just shape their materials, they listen to them.

Today we’re in Bali, where bamboo becomes architecture: light, strong, fluid, and where craft and engineering meet in astonishing ways.

Guest: Elora Hardy, Founder & Director, Ibuku Indonesia

With special thanks to the team at Culture By Design (ABC International). 

Batik is a material that is both ancient and modern. In the final stop on our South Asian tour, we explore how small, ingenious design ideas are driving big change, exploring the rich tradition of batik - its royal roots, ceremonial uses, near‑decline, and bold return to contemporary fashion

Guest: Josephine Komara, Founder Bin House

Australia’s surfing story has been influenced from far beyond our shores, from ancient Peruvian reed boards to Hawaiian royalty and the design revolutions that shaped the modern surfboard. So how did we get from the earliest surf boards of heavy wooden planks to the sleek, high‑performance boards ridden today? 

Guest: Andrew McKinnon, Surf reporter and historian

Algorithms are sketching, rendering, optimising, and quietly reshaping who holds creative power. In this episode, we ask the uncomfortable questions: Is AI a tool, a collaborator, or a threat? What happens to expertise when clients can generate designs in seconds? And who really benefits when intelligence is automated?

Guests: * Philip Allsopp, Co-Chair, RIBA Expert Advisory Group on AI, Generative Design and Data* James Loder, Wardle

Men expect them in every pair of pants, every jacket, every coat. And yet, for women, pockets have been mysteriously withheld, removed, resized, or declared “unnecessary” for centuries. Why?

In this episode, we unpack the surprisingly political, practical, and quietly rebellious history of pockets — from their deliberate disappearance in women’s fashion to the small jolt of joy when a dress actually has them. This is a story about design, power, independence, and the everyday details that shape how we move through the world.

Guest: Nicole Jenkins, Fashion historian, Circa Vintage

Heritage buildings can be pretty … but are they worth the money? Adaptive reuse advocates argue that reworking existing structures isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about unlocking potential. These projects take longer, cost more, and demand far greater creative problem‑solving, but for designers willing to take them on, the value extends well beyond the balance sheet.

Gravestones may be stark reminders of our mortality, but they’re also powerful records of history, identity and belief. What can the design of these enduring markers tell us about the people they commemorate — and the eras they lived through? From symbolism and materials to craftsmanship and changing cultural values, we trace how grave markers have evolved over time.

One of the greatest tragedies of war is the loss of innocent life, and it’s rightly at the forefront of how we measure the cost of conflict. Against that reality, the protection of buildings and monuments can seem frivolous — even misplaced. But organisations like Blue Shield, a non‑profit dedicated to safeguarding cultural heritage, argue otherwise. They believe the built environment carries deep meaning, memory and identity — and that preserving it plays a vital role in the resilience and recovery of communities caught in conflict.

When we think about design in Australia today, it’s impossible not to trace its evolution back to pioneers like Mary Featherston, AM. A leading force in shaping a more human‑centred approach, Mary has spent decades reimagining design as something embedded in our everyday environments — not just objects, but experiences.

From transforming the way we think about learning spaces to helping define a distinctly Australian mid‑century modern design language alongside Grant Featherston, her influence runs deep.

These days, however, Mary sees herself as more of an activist than a designer. So just how did she get there? And does design still have a role to play in her activism?

From cricket sidelines to camping trips, the esky is an essential tool of getting out and about, making sure cold drinks are always within reach. It’s so familiar it feels stitched into Australian life. But where did the esky actually come from? And is it really an Australian design, or something we simply made our own?

What does the federal budget really do for Australia’s housing crisis? Peter Martin from The Economy, Stupid joins Anthony Burke from By Design to examine whether changes to tax settings will make it any easier to buy a home. And what impact it will have on rents.

Once a punchline, now a powerhouse. For decades, Eurovision lived on the fringes of Australian culture — loved by some, dismissed by many. But when Australia entered the competition in 2015, perception began to shift. What was once mocked for its camp excess and theatrical scale moved steadily into the mainstream. After 70 years of spectacle, ambition and visual escalation, how has Eurovision gone on to influence the way entertainment is designed today?

The umbrella has seen more than rain.For centuries, its silhouette has barely changed — but its story is anything but ordinary. From ancient status symbol and sun shield to political prop and covert weapon, the umbrella has quietly intersected with power, fashion and invention. In this episode, we trace the dramatic design evolution of an everyday object we only notice when it rains.

It sounds like a dystopian story - a city sinking lower every year, streets flooded by tidal waters.. But this is the lived reality of many cities across the globe, particularly in Jakarta, where the city is sinking at a rate of 200 mm per year, the fastest in the world. So far there have been plans to relocate the political community to a new city, and walls to keep out the rising sea. But will any of this be enough? How do you design your way out of a sinking city?

If you stop and think about today’s item, it’s one of fashion’s strangest inventions. We loop it around our necks, pull it into a neat little noose, and call it an accessory. Yet the humble men’s tie - this decorative strip of fabric - has survived centuries of reinvention. And somehow, it has come to symbolise masculinity more strongly than almost anything else you can wear.

Flickering lights, windowless offices, overwhelming noise — bad building design affects everyone, but for neurodiverse people it can be exhausting. We explore how everyday design irritations are amplified for neurodivergent minds — and how the built environment can quietly work against the brain. We ask what neuro‑inclusive design really looks like, and why changes made for some could end up making spaces better for everyone. Plus it turns out that big changes are coming soon to Australian design standards on this very front.

Australians love a cup of tea. From the boil of a billy by the campfire to “everybody jiggling” a Lipton tea bag, a good cuppa has long been woven into our cultural identity.

So it feels only natural that when it comes to delivering this liquid gold, Australians would be at the forefront of engineering the best way to boil water - and it's come a long way since the days of the billy can.

Today, the dressing gown is as likely to appear over pyjamas during a dash to the bins as it is at a lazy breakfast table — but it wasn’t always this casual. Once, this was a garment that signalled leisure, status and a certain velvet‑chair‑owning elegance. In this episode, we wrap ourselves up and trace the surprisingly stylish design history of the dressing gown, from indulgent luxury to everyday comfort.

‘The sewer is the conscience of the city’, or so the French writer Victor Hugo once claimed. It’s a confronting idea, but a revealing one: the way a society deals with waste can tell us a lot about its values, priorities and politics. And yet our toilet habits are something we’re usually taught to ignore, avoid or feel embarrassed about. We look at one everyday object that sits right at the intersection of design, morality and public life: the public toilet. Used by everyone, discussed by few, and designed very differently across cultures and centuries, it turns out the humble loo has a lot to say about who we are.

What do designers notice the moment they walk through your front door? Interior designer Adelaide Bragg and photographer and author Robyn Lea reveal how they read a room—translating light, objects and atmosphere into deeply personal stories. We explore their collaboration on City, Coast and Country and what it takes to style and capture uniquely Australian homes with meaning, not just bea

It sits quietly on the table, beside the knife and spoon, rarely asking for attention. But the fork hasn’t always looked — or behaved — the way it does today. From scandalous novelty to everyday necessity, this small object has played a powerful role in shaping how we eat, how we gather, and how manners became habit.

It’s a single strip of cloth that has shaped centuries of style and identity.Worn for thousands of years across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, the sari is one of the world’s most enduring—and adaptable—garments. From sacred ceremonies to high fashion runways, it has continually reinvented itself while carrying deep cultural meaning. But how has one garment continued to feel fresh, relevant and strikingly modern over so much time?

Why do so many Australians see owning a home as the cornerstone of the Great Australian Dream?

In this opening episode of our special series The Home Front, we unpack the historical, cultural, and political forces that shaped Australia’s deep-rooted obsession with home ownership. From post-war prosperity to the rise of suburban ideals, we trace how the dream took hold- and why that dream no longer fits the realities of today.

Do you remember your first ride? For kids, it’s a first taste of freedom. For others, it’s transport, fitness—or both. But here’s the twist: for all their variations, the bike’s core design hasn’t changed since the 1800s. So why are those designs still so successful? We go back to where it began—and to the ideas that still carry us today.