Surprising First Questions
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
Design Matters Media
4.6 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 6 October 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
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Summary
In celebration of 20 years of Design Matters, Debbie Millman revisits one of the show’s most endearing traditions—the very first question. For years, she’s opened each conversation with a playful, deeply researched inquiry: something personal, unexpected, and revealing. In this special anniversary episode, listeners will hear some of Debbie’s favorite first questions and the illuminating answers they inspired.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Is it true? Is it true? You have a cat. You went to college at 15. You have an entirely black apartment. |
| 0:13.4 | From the TED Audio Collective, this is Design Matters with Debbie Millman. |
| 0:20.5 | On Design Matters, Debbie talks with some of the most creative people in the world about what they do, |
| 0:25.4 | how they got to be who they are, and what they're thinking about and working on. |
| 0:29.5 | On this episode, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Design Matters, |
| 0:34.0 | we'll hear some of the first questions Debbie has asked over the years and the answers. |
| 0:39.4 | Yes. Yes, it is. Okay, so here's what happened. That's such a perfect first question. |
| 0:44.9 | Here we go. |
| 0:48.4 | Think of shaving cream, essential with nachos or as a dip for potato wedges. Now you're thinking, that's not shaving cream, that's sour cream. |
| 0:57.1 | If you think sour cream is shaving cream, then you must be a supermarket delivery substitute. |
| 1:02.3 | Akado has 99% order accuracy, so when you think of shaving cream and order shaving cream, |
| 1:07.8 | you'll get shaving cream. |
| 1:09.7 | Akado, life delivered. |
| 1:11.3 | 99% average order accuracy, Jan to April 2025, |
| 1:14.5 | geographical restrictions apply, minimum spend plus charges apply, terms at akado.com. |
| 1:21.0 | Hello, my name is Daikoku Daigo, and I'm the creator of the exhibition pictograms. |
| 1:27.7 | Visit Japan House London on Kensington High Street |
| 1:30.5 | for this free exhibition exploring Japan's important role |
| 1:34.1 | in developing visual communication, |
| 1:36.6 | a language without words. |
| 1:39.0 | Book your tickets now at japanhouselondon.uk. |
| 1:53.3 | Hello, we're Russell and Robert from the podcast Talk Art, which is currently sponsored by How to Art by Kate Bryan, published by Penguin Books. |
... |
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