Podcast Awesome

Font Awesome

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. 2025 Awesomeverse Recap with Matt and Jory

    1D AGO

    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
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. Living the Dream: Dan Cederholm's Creative Journey [Part 2] | Podcast Awesome

    10/30/2025

    Living the Dream: Dan Cederholm's Creative Journey [Part 2] | Podcast Awesome

    🧠 What do LEGO logos, hand-puppet dreams, citrus gadgets, and naming things "Turbo" have in common? They're all part of Dan Cederholm’s design universe — and part of this wide-ranging, joy-filled second half of our conversation. In this episode, Dan returns to talk about:  • Embracing constraints as a creative fuel source • Naming fonts after misspelled words (because ... domains) • The delightful hellscape of naming anything in tech • Why imposter syndrome might actually be useful • And how a puppet changed everything at Font Awesome 🧡 🎧 It’s a show-and-tell episode full of unexpected design wisdom, warm fuzzies, and orange peelers. What We Cover in This Episode: • 🧠 Dan’s creative process: one font at a time • 🚫 Naming things is still the hardest problem in tech • 🐀 The birth of the Font Possum Puppet • 🧃 The power of a really good citrus squeezer • 🤖 Why AI can’t fake taste (yet) • 💌 Why Dan's newsletter works (and yours could too) • 😵‍💫 Making peace with imposter syndrome • 🧩 Why being weird is a superpower ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:15 – The creative process of typeface design 04:04 – Naming fonts is a nightmare 06:05 – The importance of naming & branding 12:25 – Imposter syndrome in the creative industry 18:15 – A puppet changed everything 22:31 – Why a newsletter is like old-school blogging 29:03 – Orange peelers, joy, and the power of small specificity 37:17 – The impact of creativity 38:14 – Building community through creativity 41:16 – Wrap up with Dan Cederholm 42:24 – Final Thoughts & Credits 📌 Links & Resources • Dan Cederholm → https://simplebits.com • Dan's newsletter → https://simplebits.com/newsletter • Turbo Typeface → https://simplebits.com/fonts • Font Possum cameo → [FontAwesome YouTube Channel] • BrickLink Studio (Lego design app) → https://www.bricklink.com/v3/studio Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    45 min
  7. Living the Dream: Dan Cederholm's Creative Journey (Part 1)

    10/14/2025

    Living the Dream: Dan Cederholm's Creative Journey (Part 1)

    Summary Designer, author, and co-founder of Dribbble, Dan Cederholm joins Podcast Awesome to chat with Matt Johnson and Jory Raphael about finding joy in creativity later in life, making fonts just for fun, and the art of embracing imperfection. From typefaces and merch to dice games and design detours, Dan shares how side projects, constraints, and a healthy dose of curiosity keep the creative spark alive. This two-part conversation is full of laughter, nostalgia, and lessons about learning new things just because they’re fun. You’ll walk away inspired to make something— anything — awesome. Key Takeaways Creativity thrives in curiosity: Dan reminds us that learning new things (even outside your job) can reignite your creative energy.Constraints fuel originality: Sometimes not knowing everything — or having limited tools — can sometimes help create the most human, interesting work.Merch can tell a story: From fonts to dice games, playful side projects become part of a designer’s personal brand.Imperfection = personality: The best designs often come with flaws that make them real, memorable, and relatable.Spend time not doing your job: Font Awesome’s team philosophy — creativity grows when you step outside your usual sandbox.Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction and catching up with Dan Cederholm02:00 — Typefaces as creative puzzles06:00 — The joy of passion projects10:00 — The first font and lessons from “Chameleon”18:00 — The lineage of icon design and learning from imperfection26:00 — Failures, Field Notes, and finding the next fun thing30:00 — Creative constraints and the beauty of not knowing everything36:00 — Humor, joy, and “making stuff that makes you laugh”38:00 — The icons that exist just because they’re funny42:00 — Hidden glyphs, zombie hands, and bonus icons in fonts44:00 — Wrap-up and where to find Dan onlineRelated Links SimpleBits.com — Dan’s home for fonts, merch, and creative experimentsDan’s Newsletter — The one Font Awesome staffers never skipDribbble — Co-founded by Dan, still inspiring designers everywhereCredits Produced and edited by Matt Johnson Video editing by Isaac Chase Theme music by Ronnie Martin Interstitial music by Zach Malm Stay up to date on all the Font Awesomeness!

    45 min

Ratings & Reviews

4.7
out of 5
7 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.