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?