January 2026: Better design writing, Designers on Sofas, and New Year's Resolutions
Happy New Year!
In December, we spoke with writer, editor, and critic Thomas Weaver about how to write more literary design criticism.
EDITOR’S NOTE
Happy New Year! I’m back from a short break and excited to be releasing new episodes again this week! I’m excited about the slate of guests we’ve already lined up for the Spring season. And, as a I always tend to do at the beginning of the year, I’m thinking about where this show will go in 2026. Somehow, it’ll be our tenth year! These conversations continue to inspire and inform and drive so much of my work. I’m thankful I get to do this and thankful you continue to listen and follow along.
If you like what we do here and want to support this work, you can upgrade your subscription for just $5/month or $50/year. Paid members get bonus interviews each month — like this month’s conversation with Pentagram partner Michael Bierut — and help keep the show free for everyone, all the time. Thanks for listening. Wishing you a wonderful 2026.
See you next month,
Jarrett
SCRATCH
Recent essays, interviews, and stories published on our Scratch platform.
Michael Bierut on the enduring influence of Theo Crosby
For our paying members, I caught up with Pentagram partner Michael Bierut to talk about the quiet influence of Pentagram co-founter Theo Crosby.
PAST GUESTS
Recent work, writing, and news from former guests of Scratching the Surface.
🙅♂️ Oliver Wainwright thinks Norman Foster’s steroidal new skyscaper is an affront to the New York skyline. (The Guardian)
🏆 The Good, the Bad, and the Overbuilt: Mark Lamster, Alexandra Lange, and Carolina Miranda’s 2025 Architecture and Design Awards. (Medium)
🏙️ Justin Davidson on what Robert A.M. Stern understood about New York City. (Curbed)
🧱 America wants to build again: Michael Kimmelman writes that if you squint, you’ll see hopeful signs. (NYT)
♻️ Energy and the Matter Problem: Deb Chachra on the future of recycling. (Future Observatory)
🏡 Dan Hill on the real housing crisis and why building is not the answer. (Future Observatory)
🪚 Trump is tearing down the White House. Kate Wagner says good riddance. (NYRA)
BOOK ROUNDUP
Recent books that have arrived in the studio. All links are Bookshop.org affiliate links. If you order through Bookshop, we get some money to help support the show!
Maki Opus
The definitive book showcasing the life and work of Japanese architect Fumihiko Maki, known for designing boundary-pushing yet understated buildings around the world. At 400 pages, this book features 1000 illustrations that show how he paved the way for contemporary Japanese architects like Kengo Kuma and SANAA.
Designers on Sofas
This fully illustrated volume brings designers and their sofas together as a lighthearted way to find out what makes some of the world's most famous designers tick. Taken together, this unique collection of photographic portraits and interviews provides unique insights into the minds and lives of some of the greatest designers of our time.
READ/WATCHED/HEARD
Articles, books, videos, and other ephemera that caught our eye this month.
🪦 Frank Gehry, masterful architect who transformed LA’s urban landscape, dies at 96. (LA Times)
🤔 Apparently Calibri is woke? Marco Rubio asks for all State Department documents to be set in Times New Roman 14pt. (NYT)
👏 Joaquim Moreno appointed chief curator for the 2028 Lisbon Architecture Triennale. (e-flux)
🏡 Frank Gehry’s best work was not his flashiest. (The Atlantic)
JOB WATCH
People getting new jobs in and around the design world.
Congratulations to Jack Murphy on his promotion to Editor in Chief of The Architect’s Newspaper! (The Architect’s Newspaper)
Peter MacKeith steps down as dean of Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design at University of Arkansas. (The Architect’s Newspaper)
Michael Young appointed dean of the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture at Cooper Union. (Cooper Union)
Cranbrook Academy of Art appoints Brandon Little as Interim Director. (Cranbrook Academy)
POSTSCRIPT
I first read John Berger twenty years ago when I was a sophomore in college and his writing has been a presence in my life ever since. I’m not sure if it’s age, or this current moment, or just my own understanding of his work but I’m finding myself returning to him with increasingly frequency and he feels evermore urgent. At the beginning of each new year, I especially think of this great line from him: “Happiness occurs with people can give the whole of themselves to the moment being lived, when Being and Becoming are the same thing.” For me, that’s as good a New Year’s resolution as there is. Happy new year!
