Forming Function

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 [email protected].

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

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 [email protected].

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

Our first-ever guest reporter, Lindsay Hansmann, takes us on a journey through the design evolution of toilets and how sanitation helped the human race survive.

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Story reported by Lindsay Hansmann.

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 [email protected].

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

Produced and hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

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

Guest starring Mitch Monson. 

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and send us an email to suggest a topic at [email protected].

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

Our theme song creator, Paul Corsi, joins us on the show to talk about the art of creating music and a countdown of design fails. From architectural solar death rays, to useless social media devices, we discuss a number of projects where the designs didn’t fully work out.

Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Story Editing by Jeffery Brown, Audio engineering 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 [email protected].

Forming Function Season 1 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

Turtles, porpoises, and horses! Our season one finale is a profile of two artists and the inspirations for their work. The first is Jim Miller Melberg, whose concrete animal playground structures ushered modern designs into the lives of children around the globe. And then to end the season we have a discussion with Craig Friend, a Michigan illustrator who created a work of art that our listeners should already be familiar with…

Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown.

Special Guests Dave Bogart and Craig Friend.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to suggest a topic at FormingFunctionPodcast.com.

Forming Function Season 1 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

Why DOES green mean go? Go behind the blinking lights to discover the history of traffic lights - including some design innovations that didn’t stand the test of time. Then a look behind the wheel to chase the scent of an iconic car accessory - Little Tree air fresheners.

Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to suggest a topic at FormingFunctionPodcast.com.

Forming Function Season 1 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

A little plastic toy brick built a worldwide brand... but how did the simple concept of LEGO become so iconic? Sam breaks down how the empire was built and why it continues to thrive. Meanwhile, Brian maps out the brand's homestead heritage and how Bjarke Ingles Group brought the ideas to real life.

Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown.

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to suggest a topic at FormingFunctionPodcast.com.

Forming Function Season 1 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

Did you know the French aristocracy influenced most of the furniture we sit on today? Our first guest, Korey Morris, joins us in the studio for a listener-submitted question to ask about contemporary couches that springboards into a journey to the very beginnings of comfort in design, the chaise longue, and the elaborate history of the Rococo movement. 

Produced and Hosted by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Audio Mixing and Editing by Jeffery Brown.

Guest starring Korey Morris. 

Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @FormingFunctionPodcast and visit our website to suggest a topic at FormingFunctionPodcast.com.

Forming Function Season 1 is supported in part by grant funding from Michigan Architectural Foundation.

What makes blue jeans a timeless staple of comfort? How did paisley became an iconic pattern, weaving (pun intended) its way across the world? How did the textile industry lead to modern computing? All this and more in our fashion forward episode!