Anthony Burke's By Design

Extraordinary Everyday: Why today’s bikes are still stuck in the 1800s

Do you remember your first ride? For kids, it’s a first taste of freedom. For others, it’s transport, fitness—or both. But here’s the twist: for all their variations, the bike’s core design hasn’t changed since the 1800s. So why are those designs still so successful? We go back to where it began—and to the ideas that still carry us today.

13 min

The Home Front, Owning the dream

Why do so many Australians see owning a home as the cornerstone of the Great Australian Dream?In this opening episode of our special series The Home Front, we unpack the historical, cultural, and political forces that shaped Australia’s deep-rooted obsession with home ownership. From post-war prosperity to the rise of suburban ideals, we trace how the dream took hold- and why that dream no longer fits the realities of today.

41 min

How the sari became fashion’s ultimate chameleon

It’s a single strip of cloth that has shaped centuries of style and identity.Worn for thousands of years across India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal, the sari is one of the world’s most enduring—and adaptable—garments. From sacred ceremonies to high fashion runways, it has continually reinvented itself while carrying deep cultural meaning. But how has one garment continued to feel fresh, relevant and strikingly modern over so much time?

14 min

How an interior designer really sees your home

What do designers notice the moment they walk through your front door? Interior designer Adelaide Bragg and photographer and author Robyn Lea reveal how they read a room—translating light, objects and atmosphere into deeply personal stories. We explore their collaboration on City, Coast and Country and what it takes to style and capture uniquely Australian homes with meaning, not just bea

25 min

How was the fork an instrument of evil?

It sits quietly on the table, beside the knife and spoon, rarely asking for attention. But the fork hasn’t always looked — or behaved — the way it does today. From scandalous novelty to everyday necessity, this small object has played a powerful role in shaping how we eat, how we gather, and how manners became habit.

13 min

Public toilets: The design, history and politics of who gets to go

‘The sewer is the conscience of the city’, or so the French writer Victor Hugo once claimed. It’s a confronting idea, but a revealing one: the way a society deals with waste can tell us a lot about its values, priorities and politics. And yet our toilet habits are something we’re usually taught to ignore, avoid or feel embarrassed about. We look at one everyday object that sits right at the intersection of design, morality and public life: the public toilet. Used by everyone, discussed by few, and designed very differently across cultures and centuries, it turns out the humble loo has a lot to say about who we are.

27 min

Extraordinary Everyday: The dressing gown

Today, the dressing gown is as likely to appear over pyjamas during a dash to the bins as it is at a lazy breakfast table — but it wasn’t always this casual. Once, this was a garment that signalled leisure, status and a certain velvet‑chair‑owning elegance. In this episode, we wrap ourselves up and trace the surprisingly stylish design history of the dressing gown, from indulgent luxury to everyday comfort.

12 min

Mary Featherston: Design, disruption and advocacy

When we think about design in Australia today, it’s impossible not to trace its evolution back to pioneers like Mary Featherston, AM. A leading force in shaping a more human‑centred approach, Mary has spent decades reimagining design as something embedded in our everyday environments — not just objects, but experiences.From transforming the way we think about learning spaces to helping define a distinctly Australian mid‑century modern design language alongside Grant Featherston, her influence runs deep.These days, however, Mary sees herself as more of an activist than a designer. So just how did she get there? And does design still have a role to play in her activism?

28 min

Extraordinary Everyday: The esky

From cricket sidelines to camping trips, the esky is an essential tool of getting out and about, making sure cold drinks are always within reach. It’s so familiar it feels stitched into Australian life. But where did the esky actually come from? And is it really an Australian design, or something we simply made our own?

12 min

Will the budget finally make it easier to buy a home?

What does the federal budget really do for Australia’s housing crisis? Peter Martin from The Economy, Stupid joins Anthony Burke from By Design to examine whether changes to tax settings will make it any easier to buy a home. And what impact it will have on rents.

33 min

Inside Eurovision’s high-stakes world of spectacle design

Once a punchline, now a powerhouse. For decades, Eurovision lived on the fringes of Australian culture — loved by some, dismissed by many. But when Australia entered the competition in 2015, perception began to shift. What was once mocked for its camp excess and theatrical scale moved steadily into the mainstream. After 70 years of spectacle, ambition and visual escalation, how has Eurovision gone on to influence the way entertainment is designed today?

28 min

Extraordinary Everyday: Umbrellas

The umbrella has seen more than rain.For centuries, its silhouette has barely changed — but its story is anything but ordinary. From ancient status symbol and sun shield to political prop and covert weapon, the umbrella has quietly intersected with power, fashion and invention. In this episode, we trace the dramatic design evolution of an everyday object we only notice when it rains.

13 min

How do you design your way out of a sinking city?

It sounds like a dystopian story - a city sinking lower every year, streets flooded by tidal waters.. But this is the lived reality of many cities across the globe, particularly in Jakarta, where the city is sinking at a rate of 200 mm per year, the fastest in the world. So far there have been plans to relocate the political community to a new city, and walls to keep out the rising sea. But will any of this be enough? How do you design your way out of a sinking city?

27 min

Extraordinary Everyday: Men’s ties

If you stop and think about today’s item, it’s one of fashion’s strangest inventions. We loop it around our necks, pull it into a neat little noose, and call it an accessory. Yet the humble men’s tie - this decorative strip of fabric - has survived centuries of reinvention. And somehow, it has come to symbolise masculinity more strongly than almost anything else you can wear.

14 min

Why neurodivergent minds need better design — and how our spaces exclude them

Flickering lights, windowless offices, overwhelming noise — bad building design affects everyone, but for neurodiverse people it can be exhausting. We explore how everyday design irritations are amplified for neurodivergent minds — and how the built environment can quietly work against the brain. We ask what neuro‑inclusive design really looks like, and why changes made for some could end up making spaces better for everyone. Plus it turns out that big changes are coming soon to Australian design standards on this very front.

26 min

Extraordinary Everyday: The kettle

Australians love a cup of tea. From the boil of a billy by the campfire to “everybody jiggling” a Lipton tea bag, a good cuppa has long been woven into our cultural identity.So it feels only natural that when it comes to delivering this liquid gold, Australians would be at the forefront of engineering the best way to boil water - and it's come a long way since the days of the billy can.

12 min

What is lost when buildings become casualties of war?

One of the greatest tragedies of war is the loss of innocent life, and it’s rightly at the forefront of how we measure the cost of conflict. Against that reality, the protection of buildings and monuments can seem frivolous — even misplaced. But organisations like Blue Shield, a non‑profit dedicated to safeguarding cultural heritage, argue otherwise. They believe the built environment carries deep meaning, memory and identity — and that preserving it plays a vital role in the resilience and recovery of communities caught in conflict.

28 min

Extraordinary Everyday : Gravestones

Gravestones may be stark reminders of our mortality, but they’re also powerful records of history, identity and belief. What can the design of these enduring markers tell us about the people they commemorate — and the eras they lived through? From symbolism and materials to craftsmanship and changing cultural values, we trace how grave markers have evolved over time.

15 min

Is adaptive reuse worth the investment?

Heritage buildings can be pretty … but are they worth the money? Adaptive reuse advocates argue that reworking existing structures isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about unlocking potential. These projects take longer, cost more, and demand far greater creative problem‑solving, but for designers willing to take them on, the value extends well beyond the balance sheet.

26 min

Extraordinary Everyday: Pockets

Men expect them in every pair of pants, every jacket, every coat. And yet, for women, pockets have been mysteriously withheld, removed, resized, or declared “unnecessary” for centuries. Why?In this episode, we unpack the surprisingly political, practical, and quietly rebellious history of pockets — from their deliberate disappearance in women’s fashion to the small jolt of joy when a dress actually has them. This is a story about design, power, independence, and the everyday details that shape how we move through the world.Guest: Nicole Jenkins, Fashion historian, Circa Vintage

14 min

Episodes

Extraordinary Everyday: Why today’s bikes are still stuck in the 1800s

The Home Front, Owning the dream

How the sari became fashion’s ultimate chameleon

How an interior designer really sees your home

How was the fork an instrument of evil?

Public toilets: The design, history and politics of who gets to go

Extraordinary Everyday: The dressing gown

Mary Featherston: Design, disruption and advocacy

Extraordinary Everyday: The esky

Will the budget finally make it easier to buy a home?

Inside Eurovision’s high-stakes world of spectacle design

Extraordinary Everyday: Umbrellas

How do you design your way out of a sinking city?

Extraordinary Everyday: Men’s ties

Why neurodivergent minds need better design — and how our spaces exclude them

Extraordinary Everyday: The kettle

What is lost when buildings become casualties of war?

Extraordinary Everyday : Gravestones

Is adaptive reuse worth the investment?

Extraordinary Everyday: Pockets