Forming Function – Details, episodes & analysis

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Forming Function

Arts

Frequency: 1 episode/35d. Total Eps: 25

A design podcast for everyone. Join Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown as they explore the stories of how design impacts our everyday lives.

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Data updated on 04/07/2026

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Score global : 53%

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Bonus: Detroit Month of Design

Season 2

Friday, August 1, 2025 • Duration 44:39

We collect more quick stories from the local design community in partnership with the Detroit Design Festival and DesignCore to celebrate 10 years since Detroit’s induction as a UNESCO City of Design! Festival-goers from last year’s events shared off the cuff remarks on a wide range of topics from works of architecture, different design fields, and design-based businesses. Get a taste and then check out the events all September long in Detroit!

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio editing and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Special thank you to all who participated in our design stories: Ian Lambert, Stefan Novakovic, Paul Karas, Chris Casteel, Korzell Coe, LaDonna Harris, Allen Williams, Claire Antrassian, Milton Putman, Piotr Blaszczak, Alex Rossetti, and Leon Benson!

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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20. Quick Draw

Season 2 · Episode 20

Friday, June 20, 2025 • Duration 58:51

For the season 2 finale, Brian and Sam have a lightning round of quick design stories that were too short for full episodes with special guest Paul Corsi as the judge. We’ll hear about equestrian statues, mansard roofs, coffins, clothing, and more!

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio editing and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Guest starring Paul Corsi.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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19. Reinventing the Wheels

Season 2 · Episode 19

Friday, June 6, 2025 • Duration 54:21

Roller skating and Skateboarding create completely new ways for us to experience the city. Sam talks about her newfound hobby with skating and how it changes the way that you experience motion in your environment. And then Brian gives a short history of skateboarding and talks to some professionals from The Skatepark Project about the design of skateparks.

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio editing and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Guest starring Trevor Staples and Alec Beck from The Skatepark Project.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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18. Metric Mayhem

Season 2 · Episode 18

Friday, May 23, 2025 • Duration 50:03

Standards and measurements may seem boring on the surface, but they are what allow design concepts to manifest into reality. Brian and Sam explore stories behind the units of the metric system (specifically the kilogram, the meter, and the candela) and bring a little life to these otherwise mundane numbers.

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio editing and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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17. Threading the Needle

Season 2 · Episode 7

Friday, December 20, 2024 • Duration 36:31

It’s football season and guest reporter Kelsey Reynolds joins us to talk about how broadcasting, fashion, and the Olympics influence the design of sports jerseys. Then she throws the ball over to Sam to talk about footballs themselves. Go sports!

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Story reported by Kelsey Reynolds and Sam Malott Brown.

Story Editing by Jeffrey Brown and Julia Sikora.

Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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Bonus: A Conversation with Gruen Associates

Season 2

Friday, November 29, 2024 • Duration 30:25

In our latest Bonus BS (Brian and Sam), we are joined by Michael Enomoto and Nicole Lawson from Gruen Associates to follow up on our episode about Victor Gruen and shopping mall design. We discuss the impact of Victor’s legacy on the firm today, the future of shopping malls, urban design initiatives, and the many famous architects that passed through Gruen’s office.

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Story Editing by Jeffrey Brown.

Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Special Guests: Michael Enomoto and Nicole Lawson.

Image Credit: Gruen Associates. Edited by Brian Moore.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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16. Beyond the Storefront

Season 2 · Episode 16

Friday, November 15, 2024 • Duration 41:17

The shopping mall is as American as apple pie and the magnetic draw of the one-stop shop is difficult to escape. Yet for all the influence malls have had, they started out practically as the vision of one man. From New York’s Fifth Avenue, to big box stores, to the mall, we explore how Victor Gruen’s design of retail changed the way we shop, socialize, and experience public life.

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Story Editing by Jeffrey Brown and Julia Sikora.

Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Image Credit: Gruen Associates. Edited by Brian Moore.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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15. Season of the Witch

Season 2 · Episode 15

Friday, October 25, 2024 • Duration 37:59

For our Halloween special, Sam answers a guest question about the design behind witch costumes from classic fashion motifs to modern interpretations. Niki Tischler joins us to learn more about the historical significance and folklore behind witches hats, shoes, and more.

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Guest starring Niki Tischler.

Story Editing, Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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14. Any Card

Season 2 · Episode 14

Friday, October 11, 2024 • Duration 49:09

Sam gives us the deal on playing cards for part two in our pair of stories about decorated pieces of paper. From the artwork on the face, to the composition of the numbers and pips, playing cards come in many forms and act as an open source to imagine games. Sam comes flush with history and gives it to us straight for this full house of an episode. If you haven’t yet, go check out Part 1 of the story, Pick a Card, before listening!

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Story Editing, Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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13. Pick a Card...

Season 2 · Episode 13

Friday, September 27, 2024 • Duration 37:24

Tarot has been used as a tool for divination for hundreds of years, but one illustrator in particular changed the face of the game - literally. We explore Pamela Colman Smith’s contributions to the famous Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck and the cult origins of the commission.

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Story Editing, Audio engineering, and mixing by Julia Sikora.

Special shoutout to the Boston Tea Room in Ferndale, MI for the tarot reading

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at formingfunctionpodcast@gmail.com.

Forming Function Season 2 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

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Forming Function – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

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Apple Podcasts

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Forming Function – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Shared links between episodes and podcasts

RSS feed quality and score

Publication history

Latest published episodes

Similar podcasts and content

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Related Shows Based on Content Similarities