Podcast Awesome

Font Awesome
  • 4.8 (8)
  • TECHNOLOGY

On Podcast Awesome we talk to members of the Font Awesome team about icons, design, tech, business, and of course, nerdery. 🎙️ Podcast Awesome is your all-access pass into the creative engine behind Font Awesome — the web’s favorite icon toolkit. Join host Matt Johnson and the Font Awesome crew (and friends) for deep dives into icon design, front-end engineering, software development, healthy business culture, and a whole lot of lovingly-rendered nerdery. From technical explorations of our open-source tooling, chats with web builders, icon designers, and content creators, with the occasional gleeful rants about early internet meme culture, we bring you stories and strategies from the trenches of building modern web software — with a healthy dose of 80s references and tech dad jokes. 🎧 Perfect for: Icon design and content-first thinkingCreative process and collaborative designWork-life balance in techRemote team culture and async collaborationInternet history, meme archaeology, and other nerd ephemera 🧠 Come for the design wisdom, stay for the deep meme cuts and beautifully crafted icons.

  1. Eleventy Is Rebranding to Build Awesome: What Changes (and What Doesn’t)

    22H AGO

    Eleventy Is Rebranding to Build Awesome: What Changes (and What Doesn’t)

    Eleventy is becoming Build Awesome — and Zach Leatherman is here to explain what that actually means. In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt has a chat with Zach about the Build Awesome Kickstarter, why this rebrand is part of building a sustainable future for the open source project, and what changes (and what doesn’t) for people already running Eleventy sites. You’ll hear Zach break down the backwards compatibility promise, the Eleventy v3 → Build Awesome v4 upgrade path, and what Build Awesome Pro adds—especially for teams who want an easier publishing workflow and a smoother way for non-technical collaborators to edit content. Plus: behind-the-scenes stories from filming the Kickstarter video in LA, including the cast/crew magic, a hot dog cake, and the origin story of the Awesome 'Possum. 🗒️ What We Cover in This Episode 🚀 Eleventy is becoming Build Awesome (and why Zach says this is the sustainable future of the project) 🧩 What changes vs. what stays the same (and the “no panic” promise) 🔁 Backwards compatibility: your existing Eleventy sites still work ⬆️ Upgrade path: what moving from Eleventy v3 → Build Awesome v4 looks like 🧰 What Build Awesome is (website generation that can be simple or powerful) 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Build Awesome Pro: one-stop publishing + collab for non-technical editors ✍️ In-browser editing: fixing content directly on page w/o a separate CMS feel) 💸 Funding open source without burnout (+ why the “Font Awesome formula” works) 🎬 Kickstarter fun: filming in LA, cast/crew magic, and the cake/hot dog metaphor 🦝 Meet the Awesome 'Possum (mascot origins + brand homage) 🎁 How to support: tiers, swag, and where to go next ⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 - Cold Open: Build Awesome Kickstarter Announcement  0:08 - Eleventy → Build Awesome (What This Episode Covers)  0:40 - The Big News (Zach’s Announcement)  1:25 - Joining the Awesomeverse (and why it matters)  2:50 - Funding Open Source Without Burnout  4:20 - What Build Awesome Is (and who it’s for)  6:05 - Build Awesome Pro: Publishing + Collaboration Tools  7:20 - Backwards Compatibility: Your Eleventy Sites Still Work  8:10 - Upgrade Path: Eleventy v3 → Build Awesome v4  10:05 - Why Pro Features Make the Free Core Better  12:10 - In-Browser Editing: The “edit right on the site” experience  13:25 - Kickstarter Fun: Shooting the Launch Video in LA  15:40 - Cast, Crew, and the Cake/Hot Dog Metaphor  18:55 - Meet the Awesome Possum (Mascot Origins + Brand Homage)  20:40 - How to Support: Where to Go + Tiers + Swag  22:40 - Wrap-Up + What to Watch Next Links & Resources Build Awesome Kickstarter: (link)Eleventy / Build Awesome: https://eleven.dev/Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/Web Awesome: https://webawesome.com/Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    24 min
  2. Vic Bell on Designing Graphite: Hand-Drawn Icons for Font Awesome

    FEB 19

    Vic Bell on Designing Graphite: Hand-Drawn Icons for Font Awesome

    In this episode, Matt and Jory sit down with UK-based icon designer + illustrator Vic Bell to talk about the brand-new Font Awesome icon pack, Graphite — a loose, hand-drawn set that brings texture, depth, and a whole lot of human personality to iconography. If you’ve ever tried to balance clarity vs. creativity, or wondered how icons can feel more like typefaces with different “voices”, this one’s for you. 🎧 🗒️ What We Cover in This Episode 👋 How Vic and Jory connected ✏️ Designing Font Awesome Pro Plus packs and how “Small Batch” became a thing 🧠 Vic’s creative journey: trends, taste, and identity 🏠 Why icons are storytelling at micro-scale ⚖️ The tension between clarity and creativity 🧰 Illustrator vs. Figma for icon design 📲 Custom brushes and iPad sidecar workflows 🕒 Timestamps 0:00 - Introduction and Welcome 0:46 - How Vic and Jory Connected 2:48 - Font Awesome Icon Packs Overview 5:42 - Vic's Creative Journey and Evolution 7:45 - The Hand-Drawn "Graphite" Icon Style 10:17 - Reflections on Icon Design as a Career 13:41 - Childhood Influences and the Magic of Small Things 17:18 - Creative Process and Personalization 22:19 - Trusting the Creative Process 23:32 - Project Validation and Creative Freedom 25:15 - Technical Challenges and Implementation 26:23 - Future of Font Awesome Icon Packs 30:52 - Illustrator vs. Figma for Icon Design 31:28 - Creating Custom Brushes and Using iPad 38:38 - Balancing Clarity and Creativity in Icon Design 47:37 - Releasing Icon Packs and Delayed Gratification 🔗 Links & Resources Vic Bell: / vic_bell Font Awesome: https://fontawesome.com/ Web Awesome: https://webawesome.com/ Theme music by Ronnie Martin Interstitial music by Zach Malm Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    57 min
  3. How Eleventy Survived: Funding, Growth, and Open Source Reality

    FEB 3

    How Eleventy Survived: Funding, Growth, and Open Source Reality

    Eleventy started as a side project. Now it’s a critical infrastructure for thousands of websites. TL;DR: Open source isn’t broken. But the way we fund it often is. Let’s talk about what actually works. In this episode, we sit down with Zach Leatherman, creator of Eleventy (11ty), to talk honestly about what happens after open source succeeds. From nap-time coding and nights-and-weekends maintenance to venture capital pressure, burnout risk, and the reality of funding long-lived developer tools, this conversation digs into the cultural and financial tradeoffs behind modern open source. We cover sustainability, community expectations, funding models that don’t rely on hockey-stick growth, and why “free forever” only works if the people behind the project can stay whole humans. 🎙️ What We Cover in This Episode 🧠 How Eleventy grew from a side project into a widely depended-on tool⚖️ The maintainer’s dilemma: growth, responsibility, and personal sustainability💸 Why venture capital and hockey-stick growth often fail dev tools🔥 Burnout, boundaries, and being accountable to a global user base🏡 Balancing family life with open source maintenance🔁 Different funding models: donations, sponsorships, Pro tools, and tradeoffs🌱 What sustainable open source can look like long-term🔮 What’s ahead for Eleventy and its next chapter ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Introductions and why open source sustainability matters 01:47 – Eleventy’s early days and unexpected adoption 04:32 – When a “side project” becomes critical infrastructure 06:42 – Corporate usage, expectations, and hidden pressure 10:08 – Family life, burnout risk, and personal boundaries 14:17 – Funding models: donations vs. sustainability 18:45 – Venture capital, acquisitions, and hockey-stick growth myths 23:33 – Lessons from Gatsby, Astro, and the dev tools ecosystem 26:25 – Why sustainable open source must tie to real value 30:26 – A healthier path forward for maintainers and communities 33:20 – What’s next for Eleventy 🔗 Links & Resources Eleventy (11ty)Font AwesomeWeb Awesome🎵 Theme music by Ronnie Martin 🎹 Interstitial music by Zach Malm 🎥 Video support by Isaac Chase Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    29 min
  4. 2025 Awesomeverse Recap with Matt and Jory

    JAN 22

    2025 Awesomeverse Recap with Matt and Jory

    Happy New Year from the Awesomeverse! In this episode, Matt and Jory kick off 2026 by recapping all the wild, weird, and wonderful things that happened across Font Awesome and Web Awesome in 2025. From the launch of FA7 and small-batch icon packs to a possum puppet mascot (yes, really), they reflect on the big (and small batch) wins, behind-the-scenes hilarity, and creative experiments that made the year unforgettable. Oh, and if you're wondering what it's like to direct a hot dog-eating scene at a Kickstarter video shoot? We’ve got that covered too. TL;DR: New icons, big upgrades, hilarious videos, brainy guests, possum puppets, and one heck of a year.  🧠 What We Cover in This Episode 🎉 Reflecting on FA7 upgrades🧪 The rise of Pro Plus and its small batch icon packs (Etch! Jelly! Not Dog!)🎥 Behind-the-scenes on the F.A.C.U. cinematic universe and the FA7 shoot (hot dog suit included)🧩 How the newsletter icon puzzle took on a life of its own🧰 The official Web Awesome launch and what’s next🧠 Brainy takes on icon cognition from Dr. Brian Glenny🐾 The birth of Awesome Possum, our unofficial but fully fabulous mascot📦 Teasers for what’s coming in 2026: More icons, more components, and more fun⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Post-holiday haze & back in the podcast saddle 02:00 – FA7 highlights: Pro Plus packs + icon design overhaul 04:30 – Icon Pack breakdown: Etch, Jelly, Not Dog, and beyond 06:00 – Behind-the-scenes filming stories from the FA7 Kickstarter video 10:00 – Web Awesome officially launches! 12:30 – How the Awesome Possum was born 16:00 – The rise of the icon puzzle & newsletter hijinks 24:00 – Standout guests from the past season + the philosophy of icon design 28:00 – Accessibility icons, graffiti activism, and symbol cognition 30:00 – What’s coming in 2026: New icon packs, new components, and new surprises 32:00 – The Awesome Possum signs us off (kinda) 🔗 Links & Resources Check out the FA7 Launch VideoLearn more about Pro PlusBuild with Web AwesomeSubscribe to our Newsletter (get the puzzle!)Jory’s Puzzle Book: “Goes Without Saying”Behind-the-scenes of the FA7 ShootThe Accessibility Icon Project 🎵 Theme music by Ronnie Martin 🎹 Interstitial music by Zach Malm 🎥 Video support by Isaac Chase Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    35 min

  5. 12/09/2025

    Inclusive Nerdery: The Secret Sauce of Great Teams | Podcast Awesome

    What is nerdery, really? 🤓 In this episode of Podcast Awesome, we dig into the heart of Font Awesome’s culture — inclusive nerdery. It's not about lone geniuses or command line gatekeepers. It’s about heart, curiosity, humility, and building awesome things with other people. 💛 👾 You'll hear from FA team members Dave and Travis, plus a few snippets from topics we've covered on our blog and internal convos, all woven together to show how we: 🎯 Hire for character over cleverness 🔍 Celebrate deep curiosity (hello, nutrition nerds and D&D geeks!) 🎉 Create space for serious play through our legendary team "Snuggles" 🧠 Foster creativity through snack-sized projects like the Icon Wizard and Space Awesome game This episode is for anyone building company culture, or just trying to figure out how to lead with humanity in a techy world. ✨ Icons may not change the world, but good people just might. 🔍 What You’ll Hear in This Episode: 00:00 – Welcome to Nerdery™ 02:00 – Defining what "nerd" means to us 04:00 – Why we hire adults, not rockstars 06:00 – Our 3-step hiring philosophy 08:00 – Why we host company “Snuggles” (not summits!) 10:00 – FARTS, the Icon Wizard & how fun leads to innovation 12:00 – Space Awesome: building games on company time (and learning VueJS to boot!) 14:00 – Why forced culture doesn’t work 16:00 – A culture that’s built to last 🔗 Mentioned in the Episode: 🧙‍♂️ Space Awesome – FA dev project https://spaceawesome.io/ 🛠 Our Hiring Philosophy https://blog.fontawesome.com/company-... ✨ The Icon Wizard https://blog.fontawesome.com/icon-wiz... 💼 More About FA Company Culture https://blog.fontawesome.com/nerdery/ 🎵 Theme music by Ronnie Martin 🎹 Interstitial music by Zach Malm 🎥 Video support by Isaac Chase Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    14 min
  6. Andy Maier on Curiosity, Creativity, and the Force That Binds It All

    11/25/2025

    Andy Maier on Curiosity, Creativity, and the Force That Binds It All

    🎬 What do Star Wars, oil painting, and storytelling have in common?   Turns out: everything. In this curiosity-fueled episode, filmmaker and multi-hyphenate creative Andy Maier (Soon Agency) joins host Matt Johnson to talk about building a life powered by relentless learning, visual storytelling, and the kind of curiosity that launches careers 🚀. From working with Apple, SpaceX, and Microsoft to touring in his metal band Opponent and picking up oil painting during a creative pivot — Andy is the living embodiment of “just figure it out.” 💥🎨🧠 If you've ever felt like the underdog creative, this one’s for you. Andy drops storytelling gems faster than Yoda lifts an X-Wing. 🎸 Fun fact: Andy composed the metal version of the Font Awesome theme song in a single day. That’s some serious Jedi speed 🤘. 🎙️ What We Cover in This Episode 🤖 Why being curious is better than being talented 🎥 How oil painting made Andy a better compositor 🧱 The concept of “armature” and why your story collapses without one 🌱 Why telling the truth is the best brand strategy 🤝 The power of surrounding yourself with curious people ✨ Building "wells, not fences" in your creative career ⚔️ Star Wars, Iron Giant, and the real meaning of “The Force” ⏱️ Timestamps  00:00 – Welcome to Podcast Awesome  01:00 – Meet Andy Maier: Creative Jedi & Founder of Soon  02:30 – Early creative career and figuring it out on the fly  05:15 – The underestimated power of curiosity  08:20 – From DIY music videos to working with Apple and SpaceX  10:45 – Why storytelling is better than trends  13:30 – Building a creative life around community and friendships  16:00 – How oil painting made Andy better at... everything  19:00 – The merch moment: painting turned t-shirt design  22:00 – What’s real? How to build grounded storytelling  26:30 – Invisible Ink, Brian McDonald, and story armature 101  32:00 – Why Marvel’s Phase 4 struggles (and what X-Men got right)  34:00 – Star Wars, Joseph Campbell, and unlocking “the Force”  37:45 – Where to find Andy and his work  38:30 – Bonus: The origin of the metal FA theme song 🤘 🔗 Links & Resources  🔥 Andy’s work – https://www.soon.agency  🎶 Andy’s band Opponent – https://www.solidstaterecords.com/opponent  📖 Invisible Ink by Brian McDonald – https://shorturl.at/E9101  🖖 Font Awesome’s Heavy Metal Icon Episode – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FlsrtKCI1Y  🎧 More Podcast Awesome episodes – https://podcastawesome.com  #PodcastAwesome #StorytellingMatters #CreativeJedi #VisualStorytelling #FilmmakerLife #MotionGraphicsArtist #DesignNerds #FontAwesome #CuriosityWins #InvisibleInk #CreativeProcess #OilPaintingForDesigners #BuildWellsNotFences #NerdCulture #MetalVibesOnly #StarWarsStorytelling #MakeSomethingAwesome Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    43 min
  7. Web Awesome Has Landed: Here’s How to Stop Starting From Scratch

    11/13/2025

    Web Awesome Has Landed: Here’s How to Stop Starting From Scratch

    Episode Summary What does it really take to ship something as powerful, polished, and downright magical as Web Awesome? In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt sits down with Lindsay and Cory, the dynamic duo behind the official launch of Web Awesome. Together, they peel back the curtain on how the team brought a customizable design system to life (without summoning any cursed CSS incantations). From the slick Theme Builder to the deeply thoughtful Figma integration, from production-ready patterns to future-forward prototyping dreams, this convo is packed with insights for devs, designers, and nerds of all kinds. Get the scoop on stretch goals, community feedback, and why starting with a “sh*tty first draft” is actually a power move. Oh! And they may or may not be plotting a future where we don’t even need Figma anymore. Gasp! What We Cover in This Episode: 🛠 The design magic behind the Theme Builder 🎨 Patterns and why you shouldn’t reinvent the checkout form 🧩 The current state of Figma files — and where they’re headed 🧪 Bridging the gap between prototyping and real code 🔮 A sneak peek at future stretch goal components (hello, toasts and video!) ⚡ How Web Awesome + Eleventy = your new dream dev stack 🗣 Why your newbie feedback matters more than you think Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome & introductions 01:45 – Life after launch: relief or revving up? 03:30 – Making the Theme Builder powerful and friendly 05:40 – Patterns that just work (and why that's a good thing) 07:30 – Balancing usability and delightful surprises 08:15 – Figma files, MVP vibes, and real feedback 10:20 – The future of theming via Figma plugins 12:00 – Stretch goal components: what’s shipped and what’s next 14:30 – Why prototyping with code might replace Figma 16:45 – Web Awesome meets Eleventy: the ultimate team-up 19:00 – Templates, page builders, and lowering the barrier to entry 20:30 – Why new users’ feedback is gold 22:00 – How to connect with the team & share your experience Links & Resources 🌐 [Web Awesome](https://webawesome.com) 📣 [Join the Community](https://webawesome.com/community) 🧵 [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/webawesome/webawesome/discussions) 📬 Email: [help@webawesome.com](mailto:help@webawesome.com) / [hello@webawesome.com](mailto:hello@webawesome.com) 💬 Join us on Discord – link on the community page! 🧠 Learn more about [Jacob’s Law](https://lawsofux.com/jakobs-law/) 🎁 Don’t forget: 20% off Web Awesome Pro until Nov 19th! Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    23 min
  8. WordPress Just Got Awesome (Again) – Font Awesome Plugin v5 Deep Dive with Mike Wilkerson

    11/04/2025

    WordPress Just Got Awesome (Again) – Font Awesome Plugin v5 Deep Dive with Mike Wilkerson

    Episode Summary: We're heading back to the basement — (sort of). In this episode, Matt catches up with Mike Wilkerson, the OG guest of Podcast Awesome, to unveil the biggest update yet to the official Font Awesome WordPress plugin. From block editor visual support to full-on SVG injection wizardry (yes, that’s a thing), this version is all about giving developers and designers more power, more precision, and fewer plugin conflicts. Whether you’re a WordPress purist or a page builder rebel, you’ll walk away knowing how to get your icons looking sharp, staying pro, and loading like a dream. 🧠 What We Cover in This Episode: 🔌 The origin story of the plugin (and the furnace that helped launch it)🧱 Full block editor visual editing support (finally WYSIWYG!)🛠️ SVG injection + self-hosting benefits🛡️ How to squash plugin conflicts like a pro🔍 Page builder struggles—and what might be coming next🤝 How to send feedback to actual humans™ at Font Awesome⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 – Basement beginnings & podcast nostalgia  02:00 – WordPress + Font Awesome: how widespread is it?  04:00 – Why Version 5 is a game-changer  06:00 – How inline SVGs improve performance and reduce conflict  08:00 – Self-hosting benefits & advanced options  10:00 – When to load (or not load) your kit  12:00 – Compatibility tips for older content  14:00 – What’s next for FA + WordPress  16:00 – How to give feedback to actual humans™ 🔗 Links & Resources: Official Font Awesome WordPress PluginUsing Kits with WordPressConflict Detection & TroubleshootingEmail us: hello@fontawesome.com Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    20 min
See All (76)

Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

On Podcast Awesome we talk to members of the Font Awesome team about icons, design, tech, business, and of course, nerdery. 🎙️ Podcast Awesome is your all-access pass into the creative engine behind Font Awesome — the web’s favorite icon toolkit. Join host Matt Johnson and the Font Awesome crew (and friends) for deep dives into icon design, front-end engineering, software development, healthy business culture, and a whole lot of lovingly-rendered nerdery. From technical explorations of our open-source tooling, chats with web builders, icon designers, and content creators, with the occasional gleeful rants about early internet meme culture, we bring you stories and strategies from the trenches of building modern web software — with a healthy dose of 80s references and tech dad jokes. 🎧 Perfect for: Icon design and content-first thinkingCreative process and collaborative designWork-life balance in techRemote team culture and async collaborationInternet history, meme archaeology, and other nerd ephemera 🧠 Come for the design wisdom, stay for the deep meme cuts and beautifully crafted icons.

Information

  • Creator
    Font Awesome
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    76
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Podcast Awesome
  • Show Website
    Podcast Awesome

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