As a designer and generally curious person, I love to think about the hidden design of everyday things. That’s why I have been obsessed with the podcast 99% Invisible ever since I first discovered it. If you ever hear me spitting out a super niche fact about a random subject, it’s very likely I first heard it on 99PI!
99% Invisible, or 99PI, is a podcast that examines “all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about.” This is often architecture or design-based, but the show goes beyond the typical understanding of what design is, discussing the undiscussed in culture, history, technology, media, and more.
The written word doesn’t do 99% Invisible justice — you just have to listen to it. No matter what you are interested in, there will be a 99PI episode for you. Besides, the beauty of the show is that it makes you interested in things you wouldn’t have even thought about before. 99% Invisible is a podcast that captivated me with a story about margarine. Yes, they made fake butter an interesting story.
If you too are interested in the hidden lives of everyday things, or the secret stories of the places around you, give 99% Invisible a try! Their website gives suggestions of episodes to introduce you to the podcast, but you can really jump in anywhere. With its incredible sound mixing and narrative storytelling, you can’t go wrong with any episode you choose to listen to.
To give you further inspiration on where to start, I’m going to share three of my favorite episodes. These are ones that have stuck with me in one way or another since I first heard them. I hope one or more sparks your interest and you give it a listen. And I promise, the podcast itself will be much more interesting than it appears based on my description. Just trust me!
Episode 565: Mini Stories Volume 18
https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/mini-stories-volume-18/
At the turn of each year, 99 PI releases a series of mini stories contained in a few episodes. These stories have the 99% Invisible format, but didn’t have enough content to fill up an entire episode. They are a great way to quickly get a feel for the types of stories told on the podcast. This episode features a story about linguistic filler: the ums, I means, so yeahs, and you knows of everyday speech. Contrary to what your teachers may have told you, this story says these words serve an important purpose in our communication with others! When my dad corrects me on saying like too much, I now have a researched defense for my speaking habits!
Episode 422: In the Unlikely Event
This episode talks about the safety cards found on airplanes in case of emergencies. It mentions the fact that reading the safety card greatly improved evacuation speed in flight safety tests. The story talks about the design of the cards and how they have evolved to best present the information people need. Since listening to this episode, I haven’t gone on a plane without examining the design of (and actually reading!) the safety card.
Episode 547: Cooking with Gas
You know the phrase, “now you’re cooking with gas?” That was invented by the natural gas industry! This episode is an incredible deep dive into how the gas industry has shaped our perspective of gas stoves. If you still think to yourself, “I just prefer cooking with gas,” despite the fact that it releases air pollutants linked to asthma and cancer, give this episode a listen. You may realize your perspective is rooted in what the natural gas industry has been “cooking up” all along.
There are many other episodes I could dive into, but these are a great introduction to the range of topics covered on the show. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!