Type Speaks

Rae Nawrocki
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  • Design
  • Weekly

What is design? Who does it? And, more importantly, how and why do they do what they do? From type and color to everyday objects and the games we play with friends, guests share their perspectives on the power of design. Through honest conversations, you’ll hear about the challenges and, the breakthroughs, and how design goes beyond looking good. It’s about solving problems… Or, put simply: these are people Rae wants to talk to, and now you get to hear from them too! Join host Rae on Type Speaks for conversations with the people behind the design.

  1. Apr 28

    02.22 // Into the Beautiful Mess // Courtney Windham & Margaret Fletcher

    In last episode of season 2, Rae sits down with award-winning designer and professor Courtney Windham and design publisher and author Margaret Fletcher for a conversation about what it actually takes to document the undocumentable, creative process itself. Together, they unpack the origin story of their book Discovering Design Process: Into the Beautiful Mess, from a seed grant idea born out of a hallway conversation to five years of interviews, cross-country travel, and thousands of printed, hand-cut, and carefully collaged strips of paper taped to walls. They explore what it means to find the "beautiful weirdos" of design, why the mess around a designer's workspace is a map of their thinking, and how true process can't be fully captured until you've actually lived through it. Along the way, they touch on working across disciplines, graphic design and architecture finding unexpected common ground . the surprising analog method behind a heavily cross-referenced book, and why the most important thing they want readers to walk away with is simple:: start. You won't learn your process by studying it,you will learn it by beginning. Video available on Youtube. Links // rae's instragram https://www.instagram.com/raenyday.psd/type speaks https://www.instagram.com/typespeakspod/ wegl https://www.weglfm.com/

    02.22 // Into the Beautiful Mess // Courtney Windham & Margaret Fletcher

  2. Mar 5

    02.21 // The Dignity of Discarded Things // Martin Venezky

    In this episode of Type Speaks, Rae sits down with artist, photographer, and designer Martin Venezky for a wide-ranging conversation about what it truly means to let your materials lead. From his signature practice of giving discarded objects their moment in the spotlight, scratches, stains, and all, to his deep resistance to sketching, Martin and Rae explore why the most interesting work happens when you stop trying to predict the outcome. They dig into how cross-disciplinary thinking keeps creativity alive and why disruption and beauty aren't opposites but collaborators. What it means to design for the viewer as a participant rather than a passive observer. Along the way, they touch on the filmmaker's eye Martin brings to still imagery, his love of Robert Altman's Nashville, the strange freedom of working without a plan, and why language, once learned, might be the greatest limit on how we see.  Video available on Youtube. Links // rae's instragram https://www.instagram.com/raenyday.psd/ type speaks https://www.instagram.com/typespeakspod/ wegl https://www.weglfm.com/

    02.21 // The Dignity of Discarded Things // Martin Venezky

  3. Feb 24

    02.20 // Mechanics That Mean Something // James D’Amato & Dillin Apelyan

    In this episode of Type Speaks, Rae sits down with tabletop RPG designers and performers James D'Amato and Dillin Apelyan for a thoughtful conversation about what makes game design truly work. Together, they explore the idea that good tabletop design isn’t just about clever mechanics, it’s about empowering players to express something meaningful. From emotion-first design philosophies and the careful use of randomness to the tension-building power of physical mechanics like birthday candles and tumbling block towers, James and Dillin unpack how rules shape feeling at the table. They compare sprawling lore-heavy systems to tightly focused narrative games to examining how different systems either support or burden the players who engage with them. The conversation also turns practical, offering advice for aspiring designers: start small, join a game jam, finish what you begin, and treat design as an act of intentional communication. Whether you’re a seasoned dungeon master or simply curious about how mechanics create emotion, this episode is a compelling look at how tabletop games are designed bring people together through structure and shared storytelling.

    02.20 // Mechanics That Mean Something // James D’Amato & Dillin Apelyan

  4. Feb 16

    02.19 // Designing Play // Meguey Baker

    In this episode of Type Speaks, Rae sits down with tabletop game designer, publisher, and textile conservation specialist Meguey Baker for a thoughtful conversation about community gaming in times of turmoil, and why play is never “extra,” but a vital part of staying human. From the deep history of games as tools for resilience to the modern realities of chronic stress, Meguey and Rae explore how role-playing spaces can foster empathy, connection, and care, even when the world feels like it’s on fire. They dig into how games let us “try on” different ways of being, why compassion is foundational to survival, and how community play can function like mutual aid: a place to come back to, warm up, laugh, and feel ready to face the week again. Along the way, they touch on the shifting shape of online play, the appeal of low-pressure multiplayer games like Lethal Company and Repo, and what it means to design frameworks that support both joy and meaning. Video available on Youtube.

    02.19 // Designing Play // Meguey Baker

  5. 12/08/2025

    02.18 // Critiquing Play with Quinns // Quinns Smith

    In this episode of Type Speaks, Rae sits down with writer, YouTuber, and longtime games critic Quintin Smith (Quinns) for a wide-ranging conversation about play, culture, criticism, and the wonderfully weird worlds we build through games. From the shifting norms of reviewing video games, board games, and TTRPGs to the evolution of horror games, game-lore obsession, and the influence of streaming culture, Rae and Quinns explore how players engage with design, and how critics navigate communities that are passionate, protective, and sometimes a little spicy. They dig into why role-playing games feel so personal, how “made-for-Twitch” jump-scare horror shapes the market, the strange state of children’s games and platforms like Roblox, and why educational design deserves as much aesthetic care as any entertainment medium. They even manage to discuss Auburn’s beloved Aubie, TikTok algorithms, Jim Henson, and which mermaid powers best reflect one’s creative soul.

    02.18 // Critiquing Play with Quinns // Quinns Smith

  6. 11/30/2025

    02.17 // Design as a Lifelong Habit // Diane Gibbs

    In this episode of Type Speaks, Rae sits down with designer, educator, and creative entrepreneur Diane Gibbs to explore how curiosity, play, and lifelong learning shape a sustainable creative practice. From rediscovering illustration through cut-paper experiments to navigating the worlds of surface design, teaching, and independent business, Rae and Diane unpack how designers grow, adapt, and keep creating with joy, even when the rules need to be broken. They also dig into Diane’s journey through Auburn, her work on the children’s book Victor and the Vroom, and why embracing process over perfection unlocks unexpected possibilities. Diane Gibbs is a designer, illustrator, and professor at the University of South Alabama, where she has taught for over twenty years. She is the founder of Creatives Ignite (formerly Design Recharge), a long-running interview series for creative professionals, and operates her own design studio specializing in branding, web design, and illustration. Her work spans client collaborations, surface pattern design, coaching, and community-building within the creative industry.

    02.17 // Design as a Lifelong Habit // Diane Gibbs

  7. 11/21/2025

    02.16 // Tabletop Games Before the Internet… and After // Meguey Baker

    In this second episode with game designer and quilt historian Meguey “Mother of the Apocalypse” Baker, Rae dives into the deep connections between game design, graphic design, and the human need for play. Together they explore how games aren’t an escape from reality but a way of understanding it, and why joy, curiosity, and creativity are powerful tools of connection and resistance. Meguey shares how tabletop RPGs evolved from notebook worlds to online play, how mechanics carry meaning, and why accessible, DIY design matters. Rae and Meg also unpack invisible design in everyday life, color psychology, trend forecasting, and how the internet reshapes who gets to create. Featuring the co-creator of Apocalypse World and the Powered by the Apocalypse system, this episode is perfect for anyone interested in design, storytelling, or making things that help people connect. Listen to Type Speaks anywhere you get your podcasts.

    02.16 // Tabletop Games Before the Internet… and After // Meguey Baker

  8. 11/02/2025

    02.15 // Video Games, Storytelling, and Change // Quinns Smith

    iIn this episode of Type Speaks, Rae sits down with journalist and creator Quentin “Quinns” Smith, co-founder of Shut Up & Sit Down and host of Quinn’s Quest, to explore how storytelling, aesthetics, and criticism have evolved across two decades of games media. From the rise of short-form content to the resurgence of small, expressive indie titles, Rae and Quinns unpack how play, design, and culture intersect in the algorithm age, and why creativity thrives not in perfection, but in making the pot. Quintin “Quinns” Smith is a journalist, critic, and creator whose work has helped shape modern games media. After co-founding Shut Up & Sit Down, one of the most influential board game platforms of the past decade, he launched Quinn’s Quest, an independent project exploring role-playing games, media history, and the aesthetics of play through research-driven storytelling and sharp cultural critique.

    02.15 // Video Games, Storytelling, and Change // Quinns Smith
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About

What is design? Who does it? And, more importantly, how and why do they do what they do? From type and color to everyday objects and the games we play with friends, guests share their perspectives on the power of design. Through honest conversations, you’ll hear about the challenges and, the breakthroughs, and how design goes beyond looking good. It’s about solving problems… Or, put simply: these are people Rae wants to talk to, and now you get to hear from them too! Join host Rae on Type Speaks for conversations with the people behind the design.

Information

  • Creator
    Rae Nawrocki
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Rae Nawrocki