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Works But Makes Noises
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Works But Makes Noises

NewOver-optimizing the creative process and designing your way out of the Valley of Sh*tNovember 9, 2026 · 57 min
Episodes
21
Released
monthly
Latest episode
Nov 9, 2026

About the podcast

Two designers on opposite coasts talk their way through creativity, culture, and tech. It’s a podcast about everything except design, that somehow always ends up being about design.

Contributors

Episodes 21

  1. Over-optimizing the creative process and designing your way out of the Valley of Sh*t

    57 minSeason 1 · Episode 21

    Everyone creative person has been in the Valley, the miserable stretch in a project where nothing works. In this episode, we talk about some of the tricks we use to get to the other side: sleep, sneak attacks …

  2. Not-so-graphic design: Dueling product launches, why EV form factors are stuck, and the custom stack powering David’s new www

    1 h 1 minSeason 1 · Episode 20

    Jacob’s back from Indonesia and Japan to find that David didn’t, in fact, burn the house down. We compare two very different product launches – Apple’s new HomeView and Tesla’s dream car (if you're a …

  3. With Nick Pattison: Pentagram Boot Camp, Productizing Design, the Birth of Brand Sprints, and What AI Still Can’t Replace

    55 min

    This week, Jacob’s somewhere in rural Singapore (I think?), so David sits down with Nick Pattison, founder of Primary Studio, to trace his path from Pentagram and Milton Glaser’s studio to building a …

  4. Sell-Out Culture, the Other 95% of Building Products, to Monetize or Not, and Where the Online Design Community Went

    56 minSeason 1 · Episode 18

    This week, we talk about the lost art of *not* selling out, whether or not to turn an idea into a business (plus David's released the beta of his app Archiv), and the forgotten 95% that goes into releasing …

  5. Design Portfolios: Thinking Like a Business, Why Good Work Isn’t Enough, and the Crystal Goblet Mindset

    1 h 4 minSeason 1 · Episode 17

    Recording from an NYC visit (David) and peak California beach season (Jacob), this week we dig into the design portfolio and how to present yourself effectively – whether you’re at the beginning of your career …

  6. Job Hunting, Career Philosophy, and Fit vs. Salary in a Midlife Design Career

    59 minSeason 1 · Episode 16

    After a little summer break we've got Jacob's trip report from a van adventure in Spain and work retreat in Amsterdam, and David reflects on the ins-and-outs of an eight-month career journey. We talk …

  7. World Cup Kits, Mamdani’s Grocery Store RFP, Siri AI, and a Tribute to David Hockney

    58 min

    We're going full World Cup fan-mode this week. We make some personal picks for the tournament and talk best and worst of the national team kits. Also in the world of public and civic branding projects, we …

  8. Digital Collecting, a Bauhaus Awakening, and the Ethics of Copying, Crediting and Remixing in Design

    1 h 6 minSeason 1 · Episode 14

    This week we're getting moooooody – moodboards, that is!First we talk David's new iOS app Archiv, which lets you photograph and catalogue what's around you. Then we wade into the thorny world of …

  9. Designing With Emotion, Elastic Branding, and Band Dynamics with guest Estee Kim, VP of Design at Soft Services

    1 h 9 minSeason 1 · Episode 13

    This week we're joined by Estee Kim, VP of Design at Soft Services, the cult-favorite body care brand known for its meticulous design and packaging.We talk on multi-generational design families, her …

  10. Getting Good Design Feedback, Figma Comments, and Electric Car Shopping

    1 h

    electric car shopping and EV tradeoffs, figma comments and modern design feedback, fragmented feedback across tools, structuring better client critique, feedback psychology and confidence, figma shortcuts and …

  11. Surf Apps & 70’s Surf Racks, Figma Config, Homebrew Study Aides, Hand-Finished Design, Reverse Airbnb, and Design Team Retreats

    55 minSeason 1 · Episode 11

    surf forecasting tools and building personal software, jacob’s 70’s surf rack archive and design lineage, figma config branding and pushing beyond the parent brand, using ai to study and learn through narrative …

  12. Special Guest Allan Yu on Going From Designer to Founder, Pivoting Your Startup, and Why AI Should Be Invisible

    58 minSeason 1 · Episode 10

    This week we’re joined by Allan Yu, designer and co-founder of community messaging app, Output. He previously worked as an early designer at Svpply, a cult favorite among designers, and later at Google Labs …

  13. The End of Wireframes, a Robot Vacuum Army, and Why Designing Backwards is the Way Forward

    55 minSeason 1 · Episode 9

    Robot vacuum fleets, Claude code experiments, Personal SaaSpocalypse, closed loop design workflows, building before designing, design is the bottleneck, pushing to prod, the death of wireframes, grey box …

    Show notes

    Robot vacuum fleets, Claude code experiments, Personal SaaSpocalypse, closed loop design workflows, building before designing, design is the bottleneck, pushing to prod, the death of wireframes, grey box trauma, and unlearning the process.

    David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice. He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners, an art and design store in the Catskills.

    Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer. He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type. Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City.

    Artwork by Pablo Delcan
    Music by Mondo Boys
    Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type

    www.worksbutmakesnoises.com

  14. Jony Ive’s Ferrari, AI Copycats, Human-Washed Brands, and Faux Scribbles

    1 h 2 minSeason 1 · Episode 8

    Ive's Ferrari collab, tactile design, electric performance, AI copycats, creative IP, opt-in consent, database tools vs model training, human-washed tech, the Granola rebrand, analog aesthetics, faux …

  15. Special Guest Elizabeth Goodspeed on Design Education, Experimental Branding, Weird References, and Archiving Everything

    1 h 5 min

    How to pay off sleep debt, ancient internships, should designers c*de? design engineers, teaching at RISD and Parsons, experimental branding briefs and constraint-led projects, what design school doesn’t teach …

    Show notes

    How to pay off sleep debt, ancient internships, should designers c*de? design engineers, teaching at RISD and Parsons, experimental branding briefs and constraint-led projects, what design school doesn’t teach, archives versus mood boards, Arena as a second brain, collecting and scanning physical references, folk packaging and diner placemats, obscure illustrators and forgotten ephemera, taste as something you build over time, trend reports and in–out lists, writing as a way of thinking, print, tactility, control, and staying creatively engaged without chasing trends.

    Elizabeth Goodspeed is an independent designer, art director, and writer specializing in branding, packaging, and book and editorial design. She’s also the US editor-at-large for It’s Nice That and publishes Casual Archivist, a design history focused newsletter.

    https://elizabethgoodspeed.com/

    David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice. He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners, an art and design store in the Catskills.

    Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer. He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type. Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City.

    Artwork by Pablo Delcan
    Music by Mondo Boys
    Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type

    www.worksbutmakesnoises.com

  16. The Rise of Home-Cooked Software, Authenticity & Imperfection, and When to Start a Design Studio

    1 h 5 min

    The 52" monitor, home-cooked software, claude code, vibe coding, personal tools, craft, authenticity and imperfection, authorship and taste, designing without scale, having an independent design practice …

    Show notes

    The 52" monitor, home-cooked software, claude code, vibe coding, personal tools, craft, authenticity and imperfection, authorship and taste, designing without scale, having an independent design practice, freelancing vs studios, building a career on your own terms.

    Tesla Optimus Fail
    https://www.reddit.com/r/teslamotors/comments/1pfzxt0/tesla_optimus/

    Dell's Big Boy
    https://www.engadget.com/computing/dell-unveils-a-massive-52-inch-6k-ultrawide-curved-monitor-at-ces-2026-140024842.html

    People Building with Claude Code
    https://x.com/claudeai/status/2009666254815269313?s=20

    Ryo Lu's OS
    https://os.ryo.lu/

    Gabriel Valdivia's Big Calendar
    https://x.com/gabrielvaldivia/status/2008259086614409438?s=20


    David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice. He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners, an art and design store in the Catskills.

    Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer. He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type. Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City.

    Artwork by Pablo Delcan
    Music by Mondo Boys
    Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type

    www.worksbutmakesnoises.com

  17. Robot Lamps, Apple’s New Design Era, Utah 2034, Iconic Olympic Brands

    1 h 2 minSeason 1 · Episode 5

    Snowstorms in the Catskills, Jacob’s month on the North Shore, selling the Audi and becoming a full-time Subaru guy, mechanics doing power slides in your car, talking lamps and unhinged home robots, Terminator …

  18. Zohran’s Campaign Design, Geriatric Millennials, and Ten Foot Skeletons

    59 minSeason 1 · Episode 4

    Ten foot skeletons, Gen Z nonchalance vs. Millennial effortfulness, Zohran's campaign design, Al Gore was the worst client.Links mentioned in the showZohran Mamdani’s Campaign Logo Looked Nothing Like a …

    Show notes

    Ten foot skeletons, Gen Z nonchalance vs. Millennial effortfulness, Zohran's campaign design, Al Gore was the worst client.

    Links mentioned in the show

    Zohran Mamdani’s Campaign Logo Looked Nothing Like a Campaign Logo
    https://www.curbed.com/article/zohran-mamdani-campaign-logo-graphic-design.html

    Fully automated 'private chef'
    https://x.com/miyuselene/status/1982517846124192011?s=20

    NEO home robot
    https://www.1x.tech/neo


    David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice. He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners, an art and design store in the Catskills.

    Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer. He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type. Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City.

    Artwork by Pablo Delcan
    Music by Mondo Boys
    Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type

    www.worksbutmakesnoises.com

  19. Personal uniforms, electric bikes, and 90's ad agencies.

    1 h 9 minSeason 1 · Episode 3

    Surfing in Mexico, Gap is back, having a personal ‘uniform’, Electric Bikes, NYC Subway design, AI slop (oh no), edible rocks, 90’s ad agency offices, naming things.David McGillivray is a designer and creative …

    Show notes

    Surfing in Mexico, Gap is back, having a personal ‘uniform’, Electric Bikes, NYC Subway design, AI slop (oh no), edible rocks, 90’s ad agency offices, naming things.

    David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice. He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners, an art and design store in the Catskills.

    Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer. He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type. Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City.

    Artwork by Pablo Delcan
    Music by Mondo Boys
    Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type

    www.worksbutmakesnoises.com

  20. Two weddings, one Subaru, and an AI that designs your company

    56 minSeason 1 · Episode 2

    New Grillitype launches, social battery collapse, Palermo wedding gossip, buying a 2008 Subaru on Facebook Marketplace, DMV purgatory, LL Bean collab trim, new iPhone and AirPods takes, AI brand builders, Jacob …

    Show notes

    New Grillitype launches, social battery collapse, Palermo wedding gossip, buying a 2008 Subaru on Facebook Marketplace, DMV purgatory, LL Bean collab trim, new iPhone and AirPods takes, AI brand builders, Jacob hates moodboards, designer existentialism

    David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice. He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners, an art and design store in the Catskills.

    Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer. He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type. Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City.

    Artwork by Pablo Delcan
    Music by Mondo Boys
    Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type

    www.worksbutmakesnoises.com

  21. Art, Aging, and AirPods That Randomly Beep

    1 h 7 minSeason 1 · Episode 1

    Catskills nervous system reset, tiny New York party memories, birthday art pilgrimages, Mass MoCA, basic-taste art confessions, work-life blur, Apple event ambivalence, light-phone fantasiesDavid McGillivray is …

    Show notes

    Catskills nervous system reset, tiny New York party memories, birthday art pilgrimages, Mass MoCA, basic-taste art confessions, work-life blur, Apple event ambivalence, light-phone fantasies

    David McGillivray is a designer and creative director in upstate New York, designing for early stage tech companies through his own practice. He also co-founded Offhours and runs Corners, an art and design store in the Catskills.

    Jacob Heftmann is a Los Angeles-based surfer and graphic designer. He is currently the Design Director at Grilli Type. Previously he was on the faculty at Parsons and founded XXIX and Index in New York City.

    Artwork by Pablo Delcan
    Music by Mondo Boys
    Artwork typeface; GT Standard Mono by Grilli Type

    www.worksbutmakesnoises.com

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