Forming Function Podcast

Forming Function Podcast Forming Function is a design podcast for everyone. Produced by Brian Moore and Sam Malott Brown.

Proud to announce that Forming Function Podcast has been announced as a recipient of the Michigan Architectural Foundati...
03/13/2026

Proud to announce that Forming Function Podcast has been announced as a recipient of the Michigan Architectural Foundation Damian Farrell Architectural Awareness Grant for a third time! We are working on a new batch of episodes and are excited to share some new stories with you in a few months!

Thanks again to the

We’ll be popping up this Thursday at Eastern Market After Dark as part of the Detroit Month of Design! Just like last ye...
09/15/2025

We’ll be popping up this Thursday at Eastern Market After Dark as part of the Detroit Month of Design! Just like last year, we will be collecting recordings from the Detroit design community. Stop by and share your story with us!

We collect more quick stories from the local design community in partnership with the Detroit Design Festival and Design...
08/01/2025

We collect more quick stories from the local design community in partnership with the Detroit Design Festival and DesignCore to celebrate 10 years since Detroit’s induction as a UNESCO City of Design! Festival-goers from last year’s events shared off the cuff remarks on a wide range of topics from works of architecture, different design fields, and design-based businesses. Get a taste and then check out the events all September long in Detroit! https://www.detroitmonthofdesign.org

Design Core Detroit

Out now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, and more!

Special thank you to all who participated in our design stories: Ian Lambert, Stefan Novakovic, Paul Karas, Chris Casteel, Korzell Coe, LaDonna Harris, Allen Williams, Claire Antrassian, Milton Putman, Piotr Blaszczak, Alex Rossetti, and Leon Benson!

A look at some of the other designs discussed in Episode 20: Quick Draw.1: Mansard Roofs, as seen in this quintessential...
08/01/2025

A look at some of the other designs discussed in Episode 20: Quick Draw.

1: Mansard Roofs, as seen in this quintessential French example.

2: A shirt from Human Touch Clothing

3: An economy coffin, image from Bestattung Wien

Out now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, and more!

Friend of the show and creator of our theme music, Paul Corsi, joins us for episode 20 to judge our short design stories...
06/27/2025

Friend of the show and creator of our theme music, Paul Corsi, joins us for episode 20 to judge our short design stories.

For the season 2 finale, Brian and Sam have a lightning round of quick design stories that were too short for full episo...
06/23/2025

For the season 2 finale, Brian and Sam have a lightning round of quick design stories that were too short for full episodes with special guest Paul Corsi as the judge. We’ll hear about equestrian statues, mansard roofs, coffins, clothing, and more!

Out now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, and more!

A peek at Sam's vibrant pair of roller skates. Hear more about Sam's newfound hobby with skating and how it changes the ...
06/15/2025

A peek at Sam's vibrant pair of roller skates. Hear more about Sam's newfound hobby with skating and how it changes the way that you experience motion in your environment in Episode 19!

Out now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, and more!

We were so happy to have skateboarders Trevor Staples and Alec Beck from The Skatepark Project join us for our latest ep...
06/11/2025

We were so happy to have skateboarders Trevor Staples and Alec Beck from The Skatepark Project join us for our latest episode!

Check out Episode 19 to hear them talk about the design of skateparks, community engagement, Detroit area parks, and more!

Roller skating and Skateboarding create completely new ways for us to experience the city. Sam talks about her newfound ...
06/06/2025

Roller skating and Skateboarding create completely new ways for us to experience the city. Sam talks about her newfound hobby with skating and how it changes the way that you experience motion in your environment. And then Brian gives a short history of skateboarding and talks to some professionals from The Skatepark Project about the design of skateparks.

Guest starring Trever Staples and Alec Beck from The Skatepark Project.

Out now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, and more!

A look at some of the metric system artifacts we talked about on Episode 18: Metric Mayhem.The first is the Internationa...
05/31/2025

A look at some of the metric system artifacts we talked about on Episode 18: Metric Mayhem.

The first is the International Prototype of the Kilogram (aka Le Grand K) in its Parisian vault under three layers of vacuum sealed glass.

The second is a road sign off of I-19 in Arizona which features 102 kilometers of road signs shown in metric. There was an attempt to change these to the usual mile signs in 2010, but local communities and businesses love the metric signs so much, that they rallied to keep them.

Image credit 1: Creative Commons
Image credit 2: Arizona Dept of Transportation

Standards and measurements may seem boring on the surface, but they are what allow design concepts to manifest into real...
05/23/2025

Standards and measurements may seem boring on the surface, but they are what allow design concepts to manifest into reality. Brian and Sam explore stories behind the units of the metric system (specifically the kilogram, the meter, and the candela) and bring a little life to these otherwise mundane numbers.

Out now on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, and more!

Thanks to our season 2 sponsor, Michigan Architectural Foundation!

It’s football season and guest reporter Kelsey Reynolds joins us to talk about how broadcasting, fashion, and the Olympi...
12/30/2024

It’s football season and guest reporter Kelsey Reynolds joins us to talk about how broadcasting, fashion, and the Olympics influence the design of sports jerseys. Then she throws the ball over to Sam to talk about footballs themselves. Go sports!

Guest reporter: Kelsey Reynolds

Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcast, iHeartRadio, and more!

Thanks to our season 2 sponsor, Michigan Architectural Foundation!

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Detroit, MI
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