Bhakti Oberoi is a former publication art director and now juggles her time freelancing in graphic design, typography, teaching and being a full-time mom. She is a Ministry of New member and podcast enthusiast who actually wants to start her own someday! Whether you're a total newbie or a pod connoisseur, Bhakti has got some really fun, diverse options for you.
Sometimes, it is nice to just listen...
Back in the day, the radio was my constant. It helped me decide if I needed to bundle up with layers of clothes listening to the forecast and other days helped me decide which route to take to avoid congestion in peak hours on the I-95. I always wanted to listen to the radio on my cab ride to get a vibe of the city that I was visiting. My love for radio trickled into radio-style ‘broadcasts' on my ‘iPod’ and thus began my obsession for the Podcast.
Depending on how I feel that day and the mood I am in, podcasts have become a staple for me. Sitting for hours in Mumbai traffic, designing on my desktop, chores or WFH during this pandemic, the iSheep in me has podcasts lined up on all my gadgets! And in true Rob style (Nick Horby's High Fidelity) here are my "Top Five' categories:
Creative
Design Matters with Debbie Millman
what I like: I can be a fly on the wall listening to casual yet insightful conversations of people in the world of design and culture. Debbie Millman interviews one guest each week with names like Sagmeister, Paula Scher, Christoph Neimann, Neville Broody, Malcolm Gladwell and Ira Glass already in circulation.
If you like this, you may also like: The Observatory
Being a Micheal Beirut (Pentagram) fan, its a delight to hear him and Jessica Helfand (fellow designer, author and lecturer at Yale) discuss current issues and design trends for the past week in an intellectually stimulating banter. -
Overtime by Dribble what I like: worth listening to freelancer Meg Lewis talk about everything relatable to communication design with weekly trends, brought by the popular design platform Dribble.
If you like this, you may also like: Design Life (for product design and overall design) Clever by Design Mik + Amy Devers (for graphic design) The Futur with Chris Do (design online education) Method Podcast Google (for UX Design) A Well-Designed Business (for Interior Design) Design Details (daily design practice conversations)
Culture + community
Modern Love what I like: being a sucker for short stories, this podcast is a personal favourite where beautiful stories are read from the Modern Love column of the New York Times
If you like this, you may also like: Day by Day The New Yorker: Writers Voice Together Apart by Priya Parker
99% Invisible what I like: talks about the unseen, overlooked stories of everyday design, science and architecture.
If you like this, you may also like: Hidden Brain by NPR Longform Podcasts
This American Life what I like: I mean, when Ira Glass talks, I keep all things aside, this podcast is so unique and gripping, gets you hooked! This show focuses on a theme each week, which could range from how people are dealing with the loss of sports during quarantine, to feeling stuck; and then share a selection of well-researched stories on these themes. A great podcast to start off with!
If you like this, you might also like: The Moth Radiolab Serial S-Town
Mindfulness
what I like: host Jonathan Fields has a knack of asking beautiful, vulnerable questions about life and its purpose and leads the guests to tell their inspirational stories and their personal journeys to arriving at inner peace thereby leading meaningful lives.
If you like this, you might also like: The Minimalists
what I like: well there is nothing much I can say except, I love Oprah and these weekly conversations with some of the most engaging speakers in the world. Eckhart Tolle is a frequent guest who is just fantastic to listen to.
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