Explore every episode of the podcast Anthony Burke's By Design

The most powerful technology on your face isn’t a smartphone. From the earliest magnifying lenses to pince-nez and today’s designer frames, spectacles have transformed the lives of billions. Once reserved for monks, scholars and the wealthy, glasses gradually became one of the world’s most accessible and empowering technologies. We trace the fascinating design evolution of eyewear and discover how a tool for correcting vision became a global fashion statement.

Can we build homes on toxic land? There are an estimated 200,000 contaminated sites across Australia, most of them within city limits. As the housing crisis deepens, could cleaning up former industrial land unlock space for new homes?  And how do you even do it?

There is evidence that chopsticks existed in the Neolithic period. That's around 10,000 years of evolution in design. From a cooking tool to a symbol of status, identity and social customs, the chopstick has remained a tried-and-tested utensil, but what do its various evolutions say about the people who used it and the times they lived in?

Robots are moving beyond the factory and into the home. From vacuum cleaners to companion robots, how might domestic robots reshape housing design, and are our homes ready for what's next?

Protecting our skin from the sun is a design challenge that spans centuries. From glacier cream to Slip! Slop! Slap!, how has sunscreen evolved to meet changing lifestyles, technologies and health concerns?

The decisions made after a disaster can shape a community for generations. A month after devastating floods tore through Nepal, more than 5,000 people are still missing. As Nepal moves from emergency relief to long-term recovery, what role can architecture play in rebuilding communities and reducing future risk?

Cradles with holes in them, moss and safety pins: all of these items played a part in keeping babies dry and clean across different cultures and centuries. Modern nappies rely on sophisticated absorbent technology, but how did our ancestors keep their babies dry? And could any of their methods work today?

Is the air you breathe at home safe? Mould, ventilation and temperature all have a significant impact on our health, and our homes control the quality of the air we breathe. So how can design make our homes healthier and safer?

It’s a human-sized booth that creates long-lasting memories. The photo booth was first invented in the late 1800s, but it’s gone on to record thousands of moments: from friendships to lovers and even as tickets to adventures overseas. But in a digital age, why are they enjoying a resurgence?

Bunkers aren't just for leaders. Long before the White House expansion, some nations were building underground shelters for civilians. How do they function, how long could people survive in them, and does Australia have any shelters capable of protecting us in a crisis?

Before electric refrigeration, how did we keep our food from spoiling? Most Australians didn’t have access to a fridge until the 1950s, so how did people battle the heat and insects before then? From the Coolgardie safe to the smart fridges of today, the evolution of refrigeration in Australia is a fascinating story.

Necessity drives innovation. As conflict and climate pressures displace millions creating safe, dignified places to live has become an urgent global challenge. What can wealthy nations learn from architects working with fewer resources? The Aga Khan Award for Architecture seeks out design projects that improve lives, through creative, human-centred architecture. 

Despite the invention of many new technologies, the book still thrives. From ancient codecs to today’s lightweight paperbacks the written word has found its way into many hands, thanks to the evolution of its design. And even while e-books and audio books flood the market, the hard copy remains a popular option for many.

With information at our fingertips today, why do we still have libraries? While the internet and personal computers mean we can access pretty much what we want, when we want it – technology can’t give us what we truly crave: connection and community. Libraries today have to work much harder to create a space that serves diverse community needs – but with innovative design these spaces are being reimagined into something much more than repositories for books.

It's small enough to fit in a pocket, but lipstick has left an outsized mark on history. Far from being a simple beauty product, it has symbolised privilege, protest, glamour and independence across centuries and cultures. 

In Scandinavia, nature is the ultimate design guide. Clean lines, light-filled spaces and a seamless connection to the outdoors are hallmarks of the region's architecture. Award-winning Norwegian architect Kjetil Thorsen from Snøhetta talks about what feeds into the unique approach to design in Scandinavia and the ultimate inspiration: nature. 

Where would you prefer to age: in an institution or your own home? The recent Four Corners episode The Waiting Game investigated how the current aged care system is failing thousands of Australians who want to stay in their own home as they age. It’s a dire situation with many vulnerable older people being left in precarious scenarios. But what if good design could make ageing in place easier, safer and more comfortable?

Guest: Professor Phillippa Carnemolla, School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Technology Sydney

Hypodermic needles. They may provoke anxiety, but behind their infamous sting lies a remarkable design story.

Born from centuries of experimentation, the hypodermic needle transformed medicine by delivering drugs safely, accurately and effectively beneath the skin. From glass syringes to disposable plastics and needle-free alternatives, this is the evolution of a device that reshaped modern healthcare.

Urban growth is threatening endangered species that live around cities at the same time that many of them are finding sanctuary in the rooves of our houses or under our floorboards. So is it time for us to start designing homes that have specific species in mind?

It’s hard to imagine modern life without it, but toilet paper as we know it has only been around in the West since the mid-19th century. While paper was being used for personal hygiene in China centuries earlier, the humble loo roll has undergone a surprisingly fascinating design evolution.

Bees are in trouble, but the fix isn't the one most of us reach for. Most of Australia's 1,700-odd native bee species are solitary, and many nest in bare ground rather than a colony. So what does help? It might be the messy corner of the backyard, the bare patch of dirt, the herbs you let run to flower.

Few materials are as loathed, or as unavoidable. Concrete built the Pantheon and the Opera House, then spent the back half of the twentieth century being blamed for everything ugly in the city — a reputation brutalism earned it, fairly or not. But raw concrete has also produced buildings people travel across the world to stand inside. So why is this environmentally disastrous material still so much a part of our building toolkit, and how has it evolved along the way?

For many Australians, pets aren't just animals, they're family. And increasingly, our homes are being designed with them in mind. From luxury dog lounges to elaborate catios, we explore how pet-friendly design is changing our living spaces, and how new cat containment laws are inspiring owners to rethink what a happy home for Mr Whiskers really looks like.

It’s hard to imagine a worksite without them, but high viz vests are a relatively modern invention. From its earliest incarnation on the railways of Glasgow to the early 2000s when every politician appeared to be fronting a camera in one - the high viz vest has come to mean so much more than safety.

Are algorithms controlling your interior purchases and also driving your home renno? We know that influencers and content creators have their own “brand”, but they’re also incentivized to support different products. So, when inspiration is collated from influencers online how much is about individual taste, and how much comes down to the back-end marketing streams that flow from one platform to the next? 

It’s a vital resource that keeps us alive, but how often have you thought about how we manage to have water readily available to us? From the first wooden pipes laid by early settlers to the invention of the tap - we trace the design evolution of our water systems.

They're big, ugly and noisy, and no one wants to live near them. But what if we've got the design of data centres all wrong? What if we started from the premise that data centres need to live within our environmental and social boundaries? Instead of accepting what is, what if we imagine what could be?

Humans were trained to think of plastic bags as disposable. Before they were invented,  we were more accustomed to using sustainable means to carry our groceries - like in boxes or material bags. The invention of plastic transformed everyday life forever - in both good ways and bad. 

Why settle on one colour when your car could wear hundreds? New automotive technologies are making colour-changing vehicles a real possibility, challenging long-held assumptions about personalisation, resale value and the role colour plays in car design.

What can a lawnmower reveal about the Australia that emerged after World War II? More than a machine for trimming grass, the Victor lawnmower became a powerful symbol of suburban aspiration, backyard pride, masculinity and Australian ingenuity. But where did it start? And how did it evolve? 

Australians love a good cuppa, but do you know the twists and turns this little leaf has taken over the years? From being brewed in medicinal bowls to being “jiggled” in a tea bag - the distilling of tea has its own fascinating history.

In episode five of our special series The Home Front, around the globe, architects and designers are reimagining housing with bold, inventive solutions - from sprawling multi use compounds in Indonesia to compact cooperative models in Europe. 

These global experiments offer fresh perspectives on affordability, sustainability and community. But could they work in Australia? In this episode, we explore what local housing can learn from international innovations - and how these ideas might be adapted to fit our unique social and environmental context.

Locks have existed as long as we’ve had something to keep safe. From ancient Sumeria to the lock on your front door - the design evolution of locks is a series of twists and turns. So how well do locks today stand up against their predecessors? And what is the future of safety in a world of AI?

In episode four of our special series The Home Front, we all know that house prices have gone through the roof - but what’s driving them, and what can actually be done?

In this episode we dig into the money behind the housing crisis; from tax policy and global market shifts to government targets and the growing role of intergenerational wealth.

We explore how renters and homeowners alike are feeling the squeeze, and ask what kind of radical policy - and cultural - change it will take to make housing more equitable for all Australians. Because this isn’t just an economic problem. It’s a social one. And it’s going to take more than creativity to fix it.

They weren’t dolls—they were a revolution. Once, dolls were seen as toys for girls—until clever companies reimagined them as “action figures” and made them irresistible to boys. With that simple rebrand came explosive success: from G.I. Joe, the original “action figure,” to the galaxy-spanning rise of Star Wars, the muscle-bound power of He‑Man, and the shape-shifting dominance of The Transformers. Fueled by sharp marketing, rich storytelling, and a single strategic name change, these toys didn’t just win over a new audience—they reshaped the toy aisle forever and struck gold.

In episode three of our special series The Home Front, Australia’s homes are doing more than sheltering families - they’re accommodating multigenerational households, solo dwellers, single parents, and shared living arrangements.

But is our housing stock too rigid to reflect this diversity? Is it failing behind the way we actually live?

In this episode, we meet the architects and designers reimagining the Australian home for today. As external pressures - from climate to cost - reshape our lives, they’re responding with ideas that prioritise flexibility, wellbeing, sustainability, and social connection.

Laundry once took a full day of hard labour—before the washing machine changed everything.Water had to be carried, clothes scrubbed by hand, wrung out, and then hung to dry. In the mid-1800s, the first washing machines began to appear in the homes of the wealthy, marking the start of a quiet domestic revolution. What once consumed a full day of exhausting work can now be done in under an hour. This is the story of how a single invention transformed everyday life and reshaped domestic labour.

In episode two of our special series The Home Front we look at how Australians have lived together in the past—and what those lessons might offer us today.

From the tightly packed worker’s cottages of the early 1900s, where strong community bonds helped people get by, to the bold experiments in communal and cooperative living during the 1970s, Australians have long found creative ways to share space.

Now, as the housing crisis deepens, one State Government (NSW) is reviving the idea of the housing pattern book—a fast-track design initiative that encourages density, sustainability, and smarter living.

But are Australians ready to embrace the idea of “home” not as a private fortress, but where shared space and personal privacy coexist?

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.

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.

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?

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.

‘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.

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.

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.