99% Invisible (Director's Cut)

Series produced by Roman Mars

Series image

Trying to comprehend the 99% invisible activity that shapes the design of our world.

A tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world. From producer Roman Mars and KALW in San Francisco.

In August 2012, 99% Invisible became the highest-funded journalism project in Kickstarter history, raising over $170,000 from 5661 backers.

With over 4 million downloads online, 99% Invisible recently peaked at #2 in iTunes ranking for all podcasts in the US, and had occupied the #1 spot in both the Arts and Design categories.

"Roman Mars lights the radio. His pieces conjure other worlds, grapple with big ideas, make sound three dimensional. They are smart and funny and original. The Kitchen Sisters would like to be Presidents of his Fan Club."
-The Kitchen Sisters, Peabody Award-winning producers for NPR

"We think what he’s doing is inspiring. It has a kind of rhythm and musicality that you don’t normally find in radio or podcast storytelling."
-Jad Abumrad, Radiolab

"I love the show. It's wonderful. [It] actually reminded me of why I love radio."
-Jonathan Goldstein, CBC's WireTap

"Mars is the Ira Glass of design."
-Allison Arieff, The New York Times Opinionator design columnist

Learn more: http://99percentinvisible.org Hide full description

A tiny radio show about design, architecture & the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world. From producer Roman Mars and KALW in San Francisco.

In August 2012, 99% Invisible became the highest-funded journalism project in Kickstarter history, raising over $170,000 from 5661 backers.

With over 4 million downloads online, 99% Invisible recently peaked at #2 in iTunes ranking for all podcasts in the US, and had occupied the #1 spot in both the Arts and Design categories. "Roman Mars lights the radio. His pieces conjure other worlds, grapple with big ideas, make sound three dimensional. They are smart and funny and original. The Kitchen Sisters would like to be Presidents of his Fan Club." -The Kitchen Sisters, Peabody Award-winning producers for NPR "We think what he’s doing... Show full description


197 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
99% Invisible #29- Cul-de-sac (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
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If the suburbs had a flag, it would probably have a cul-de-sac on it. But what would it stand for?

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio and WFMU


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 09:50
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #31- The Feltron Annual Report (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
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Information designer Nicholas Felton has figured out how to graph the un-graphable: a year in his life.

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 08:12
  • Purchases: 1
99% Invisible #32- Design for Airports (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
"Airports are ugly. Some are very ugly. Some attain a degree of ugliness that can only be the result of a special effort..."

Bought by Louisville Public Media


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 08:07
  • Purchases: 1
99% Invisible #33- A Cheer for Samuel Plimsoll (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
This simple graphic design has saved thousands of lives.

  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 06:56
99% Invisible #34- The Speed of Light for Pyramids (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
What we can learn from architects who lived thousands of years ago: make buildings last longer.

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio, Georgia Public Broadcasting, and KUT


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 09:59
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #35- Elegy for WTC (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
A building’s worth is an infinitesimal fraction of the worth a person’s life. But a building is still a living thing in a way

  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 06:22
99% Invisible #36- Super Bon Bonn (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
What happens to a city when its purpose is stripped away virtually overnight?

Bought by KUOW


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 09:56
  • Purchases: 1
99% Invisible #37- The Steering Wheel (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
I bet you think could pantomime changing lanes with an imaginary steering wheel. But you'd be very, very wrong. You’d probably kill a bunch of imag...

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 07:20
  • Purchases: 1
99% Invisible #25- Unsung Icons of Soviet Design (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
Imagine you're a country with 17 timezones. Your citizens want cassette players, but your factories only make tanks. What do you do?

Bought by WABE, The Story, and KUOW


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 08:00
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #24- The Two Fates of the Old East Portico (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
When the District recovered the old Capitol columns, it forgot about the other fragments that had also once held up the country's icon of democracy.

Bought by WHCP-LP Cambridge, KUOW, and WSLR


  • Added: Nov 07, 2012
  • Length: 06:29
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #22- Free Speech Monument (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
The inscription on the granite reads, “This soil and the air space extending above it shall not be a part of any nation...”

Bought by WABE, New Hampshire Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: Nov 06, 2012
  • Length: 07:33
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #20- Nikko Concrete Commando (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
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The story of the guy who etched his name in 1,000 slabs of San Francisco concrete--and the reporter who spent years tracking him down.

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio and KUOW


  • Added: Nov 06, 2012
  • Length: 06:53
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #18- Check Cashing Stores (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
One could argue that check cashing stores do a lot of things that are just plain wrong. But given so many people use them, what are they doing right?

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio, KMUZ, and KUOW


  • Added: Nov 06, 2012
  • Length: 05:06
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #17- Concrete Furniture (Directors Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
In 1965, the people of Toronto were revolting against City Hall. Over furniture. Made out of concrete.

Bought by KUOW


  • Added: Nov 06, 2012
  • Length: 06:33
  • Purchases: 1
99% Invisible #16- A Designed Language (Directors Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
In the language that means hope, the sky is blueing.

Bought by WABE and KUOW


  • Added: Nov 06, 2012
  • Length: 05:54
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #08- 99% Free Parking (Directors Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
No one's favorite part of living in an urban area is finding a place to park your car. But a re-designed parking system in San Francisco may take t...

Bought by KUOW and KUOW


  • Added: Nov 05, 2012
  • Length: 04:51
  • Purchases: 2
99% Invisible #15- Sounds of the Artificial World (Directors Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
Without their beeps and chimes, all of your modern conveniences would be very hard to use

Bought by Spokane Public Radio, KZYX, WABE, New Hampshire Public Radio, and KUOW


  • Added: Nov 05, 2012
  • Length: 04:51
  • Purchases: 5
99% Invisible #38- The Sound of Sport (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
Dennis Baxter and Bill Whiston are so good at doing their job, you probably don’t even know that their job exists at all.

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio, New Hampshire Public Radio, and WTJU


  • Added: Dec 10, 2012
  • Length: 05:29
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #39- Darth Vader Family Courthouse (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
Not the kind of place that makes your divorce or custody battle any easier.

Bought by WABE, New Hampshire Public Radio, and New Hampshire Public Radio


  • Added: Dec 10, 2012
  • Length: 07:33
  • Purchases: 3
99% Invisible #40- Billy Possum (Director's Cut)
From: Roman Mars
Series: 99% Invisible (Director's Cut)
Piece image
The children's fad that has never swept the nation

Bought by New Hampshire Public Radio, WABE, KALW, and KUOW


  • Added: Dec 10, 2012
  • Length: 12:05
  • Purchases: 4

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