About this episode

This episode revisits the cultural and political influences that shaped the New Wave era in music and design.

We’re revisiting one of our classic episodes. Bold colors. Funky haircuts. The Cold War and the Cola Wars. Video games and MTV. Japanese electronics and European fashion. Iconic music and movies... If New Wave was a style and attitude, then music was the delivery device. In this episode we discuss the political climate, creative activity and DIY attitudes that led to the formation and rise of one of pop culture’s signature eras. So place your order for a couple of 'Synth Wave cocktails, because we’ve got new haircuts and we're gonna be poppin' and lockin' back here in the bar. - - - - - Mentioned in this episode: “New Wave Graphics Are the Most Influential Designs You’ve Probably Ignored” https://eyeondesign.aiga.org/why-new-wave-graphics-are-the-most-influential-designs-youve-probably-ignored/ “The History and Bands of New Wave Music” https://www.masterclass.com/articles/new-wave-music-guide “Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die: Punk Graphic Design” and “Reversing Into the Future: New Wave Graphic Design” https://www.emmanuelgallery.org/punk-and-new-wave “My Frame is True: New Wave Posters - in Pictures”…

More episodes of Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

• Episode 131: Fabric Patterns and the Stories Behind Camouflage and Paisley · April 15, 2026 · 52 min
• Episode 130: Cups, Plates and Trophy Design · April 1, 2026 · 36 min
• Episode 128: Homage Designs - A Poster for Swatch and an Orgy for Disney · March 4, 2026 · 50 min
• Episode 127: Psychedelia Comes Down, Hangs Around and Gets Reinvented · February 18, 2026 · 33 min
• Episode 126: The 1960s and the Era of Peak Psychedelia · February 4, 2026 · 33 min
• Episode 125: The Origin Story of Psychedelia · January 21, 2026 · 33 min

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