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The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for magazines. With the World Wide Web a few years away, advertising dollars were being pumped into print and art directors and publishers did not disappoi…

The late '80s and th…

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for magazines. With the World Wide Web a few years away, advertising dollars were being pumped into print and art directors and publishers did not disappoint with their offerings. In this episode we talk about Raygun, Wired, Rolling Stone and Vibe and the approaches of David Carson, Plunkett + Kuhr, Fred Woodward and Gary Koepke. Elliot also tells the story of trying to get an internship at one of these lauded publications.Flip to your favorite liquor ad and show it to your nearest mixologist. It's time once again to join us back in the bar.- - - - …

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for Gen X music, even well beyond the long shadow of Nirvana's Nevermind. We flipped through the crates to prep for this episode. With sore fingers and tir…

The late '80s and th…

The late '80s and the '90s were a golden age for Gen X music, even well beyond the long shadow of Nirvana's Nevermind. We flipped through the crates to prep for this episode. With sore fingers and tired eyes we walk through iconic albums by Bjork, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Pixies.Grab your favorite concert t-shirt and a cool PBR. It's time once again to join us in the bar.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-86-genx-music- - - - -Have a question or idea fo…

Gen X was coming of age during cynicism and ironic detachment. A DIY attitude rooted in authenticity coupled with increasing access to personal tech and an explosion of choices in alternative media. A…

Gen X was coming of …

Gen X was coming of age during cynicism and ironic detachment. A DIY attitude rooted in authenticity coupled with increasing access to personal tech and an explosion of choices in alternative media. And most importantly, lack of trust in corporations. Companies (and their marketing departments) had to think of ways to sell to those who didn’t want to be sold to... Advertisers like Benetton, the Gap and and Diesel Jeans undertook this task with some interesting results.Grab a cold growler of your DIY homebrew and join us back in the bar.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the…

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes.Bum-bum-ba-bum-bummm…Nothing brings the world together every couple of years like the Olympic Games. With such a large stage and a chance to influence …

We’re revisiting o…

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes.Bum-bum-ba-bum-bummm…Nothing brings the world together every couple of years like the Olympic Games. With such a large stage and a chance to influence audiences around the globe, designers jump at the chance to create something great. In this episode we discuss what did (or didn’t) happen in Denver in 1976 and the Technicolor vibrancy of Los Angeles in 1984.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-84-design-for-champi…

Let’s plop down on the couch in your favorite record store or skate shop for a few minutes. It’s time to relive the end of the 1980s and begin a new decade of cultural change.In this episode we di…

Let’s plop down on…

Let’s plop down on the couch in your favorite record store or skate shop for a few minutes. It’s time to relive the end of the 1980s and begin a new decade of cultural change.In this episode we discuss what was in the news, the invention of the "slacker" character, the mood of skepticism, irony and emotional detachment that grew out of the glossy 80s, culture jamming and not selling out even as personal Technology began to take hold. We also try to get to the bottom of whatever the term "alternative" actually meant.So crack open your most authentic local brew. It's time to dig in the crate…

Record albums. You know 'em. You love 'em. But do your favorites fall short when art overshadows music (or vice versa)? We invited a couple of buddies to the bar — Joe Watson and Toby Brazwell from …

Record albums. You k…

Record albums. You know 'em. You love 'em. But do your favorites fall short when art overshadows music (or vice versa)? We invited a couple of buddies to the bar — Joe Watson and Toby Brazwell from the Riffs on Riffs podcast — for a conversation about a handful of desert island-level albums: how they sound, what they look like and if, ultimately, the combination works. We talk earworms, visual puns, the classic and the obscure, leveraging their expertise to make us look smart and their wallets to cover our tab.Crack open a beverage, find a seat and see if any of your picks are on our list.…

History repeats itself... There are no new ideas… Everything old is new again…Sure, we get excited when we have custom meal kits delivered to our homes or when we see amazing food in farmer’s ma…

History repeats itse…

History repeats itself... There are no new ideas… Everything old is new again…Sure, we get excited when we have custom meal kits delivered to our homes or when we see amazing food in farmer’s markets and grocery stores near our homes. But food marketing has been around for a really long time. Today we discuss a couple of popular approaches from yesterday that continue to reappear in pop culture today: Charles Chips and fruit crate labels.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/…

Did you ever look at a building with a business inside and think, “Yeah…that totally used to be something else” and wonder how you knew that? You know, the jewelry store that used to be a pizza …

Did you ever look at…

Did you ever look at a building with a business inside and think, “Yeah…that totally used to be something else” and wonder how you knew that? You know, the jewelry store that used to be a pizza parlor or the drive-up coffee shop that was once a spot to drop off film are peppered in towns all across the country. Today we’re talking about a couple of businesses that, in their respective heydays, could be found in shopping centers and strip malls everywhere.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesigne…

There are visual icons that have symbolized professions for so long their origin stories are unknown to the very customers served by them. These independent businesses are owned by all kinds of people…

There are visual ico…

There are visual icons that have symbolized professions for so long their origin stories are unknown to the very customers served by them. These independent businesses are owned by all kinds of people serving millions on a daily basis throughout the world, all using these same basic signs outside their establishments. We're discussing barber poles and pawnbroker balls, two icons that, unless you’re truly in the middle of nowhere, you can find within minutes of where you live, work or both.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links an…

We were lucky enough to have Donovan Beery of the long-running design podcast The Reflex Blue Show pull up a stool next to us.We talk about some of our shared pop culture influences, listening to viny…

We were lucky enough…

We were lucky enough to have Donovan Beery of the long-running design podcast The Reflex Blue Show pull up a stool next to us.We talk about some of our shared pop culture influences, listening to vinyl (and the creative opportunities record albums afford) and where we go to find inspiration (hint: Wikipedia addictions). We also found out Reflex Blue was inspired by bar conversations as well!Bottoms up!- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-78-reflex-blue- - - - -Hav…

There are some products so iconic that you know what they are as soon as you lay your eyes on them. The color, the shape or some other distinctive brand feature says, “Accept no substitute. There is…

There are some produ…

There are some products so iconic that you know what they are as soon as you lay your eyes on them. The color, the shape or some other distinctive brand feature says, “Accept no substitute. There is no equal.” Pour yourself a drink on the rocks, kick back against the bar and listen as we uncork the stories of the bottles from Coca-Cola and Absolut Vodka.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-77-nice-package- - - - -Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Se…

Episode 76: The ‘80s: New Wave Gets FashionableVideo may have killed the radio star, but it poured gasoline on the spark of New Wave. As MTV exploded, youth culture moved to center stage and compani…

Episode 76: The ‘8…

Episode 76: The ‘80s: New Wave Gets FashionableVideo may have killed the radio star, but it poured gasoline on the spark of New Wave. As MTV exploded, youth culture moved to center stage and companies making wearables were more than happy to cater to changing tastes. In this episode we focus on Vans and Swatch, a couple of iconic fashion accessories found on the wrists and feet of Gen X.As we wrap-up our season on New Wave, let us know if you feel there's something we missed. We just might circle back down the road.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we d…

Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, the creators behind the hit design and pop culture show Two Designers Walk Into a Bar, announced last week at the PodFest Expo Upfronts the release of their newest invest…

Todd Coats and Ellio…

Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, the creators behind the hit design and pop culture show Two Designers Walk Into a Bar, announced last week at the PodFest Expo Upfronts the release of their newest investigative true-crime series, Design Crimes: Comic Sans, Who’s Laughing Now?, set to drop on April 15, 2024.The five-part show, hosted by Strunk and Coats, will explore the history of Comic Sans and Vincent Connare, the infamous typeface creator employed by Microsoft who single-handedly destroyed the aesthetic of hundreds of thousands of printed documents and early web pages, and how he became cons…

If New Wave was a style and attitude, television was how it was delivered to the masses. In this episode, we talk about two important touchstones during one of pop culture’s signature eras: the laun…

If New Wave was a st…

If New Wave was a style and attitude, television was how it was delivered to the masses. In this episode, we talk about two important touchstones during one of pop culture’s signature eras: the launch of MTV and the debut of Miami Vice.It's all pastel wonder and neon glow in our latest episode as New Wave meets the boob tube. Turn on, tune in and enjoy.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-75-new-wave-and-the-boob-tube- - - - -Have a question or idea for Todd and…

Bold colors. Funky haircuts. The Cold War and the Cola Wars. Video games and MTV. Japanese electronics and European fashion. Iconic music and movies...If New Wave was a style and attitude, then music …

Bold colors. Funky h…

Bold colors. Funky haircuts. The Cold War and the Cola Wars. Video games and MTV. Japanese electronics and European fashion. Iconic music and movies...If New Wave was a style and attitude, then music was the delivery device. In this episode we discuss the political climate, creative activity and DIY attitudes that led to the formation and rise of one of pop culture’s signature eras.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-74-punk-meets-tech- - - - -Have a question o…

February 28: This week marks a quirky moment in pop culture (and soft drink) history. Michael Jackson's hair caught fire back in 1984 while shooting an ad for Pepsi, which was, to put it mildly, a pro…

February 28: This we…

February 28: This week marks a quirky moment in pop culture (and soft drink) history. Michael Jackson's hair caught fire back in 1984 while shooting an ad for Pepsi, which was, to put it mildly, a production challenge. In this mini-episode we talk about the origins of the original Pepsi Challenge and a foolproof way to make small children cry. Drink. It. Up.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-50-pepsi-logo-story- - - - -Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot…

February 21: This week marks the anniversary of an event that was made famous by one of the world’s most iconic photos: the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima. We talk about how the …

February 21: This we…

February 21: This week marks the anniversary of an event that was made famous by one of the world’s most iconic photos: the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi at Iwo Jima. We talk about how the photo came to be and why it's still instantly recognizable today.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-22-iconic-images- - - - -Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot? Send a note to hello@twodesignerswalkintoabar.com and we promise to read it. After that it’s a…

February 14: This week marks the anniversary of an accident. Not a normal accident. A blimp accident. The USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-filled airships ever created, crashed into the Pacifi…

February 14: This we…

February 14: This week marks the anniversary of an accident. Not a normal accident. A blimp accident. The USS Macon, one of the two largest helium-filled airships ever created, crashed into the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and sank. This reminds us of one of our favorite company icons floating over a stadium near you: The Goodyear Blimp. Float on.- - - - -Visit our full episode page for show notes, the visual examples we discuss, additional links and more!https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-09-adopted-icons- - - - -Have a question or idea for Todd and Elliot?…