99% Invisible

Roman Mars

Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we've just stopped noticing. 99% Invisible is a weekly exploration of the process and power of design and architecture. From award winning producer Roman Mars. Learn more at 99percentinvisible.org.

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813 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes813

Newest first

February 3 · 39 min
The Em Dash
The strange history of a punctuation mark that makes writing feel human, and why people now think it proves the opposite.
January 30 · 1 hr
Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam Liptak
This month, Roman and Elizabeth discuss Article III, which establishes the judicial branch, alongside New York Times chief legal affairs correspondent, Adam Liptak.
January 27 · 26 min
What’s in a Name
Throughout Africa and beyond, Zimbabweans are known for choosing some of the most bold, head-turning English-language names. Zimbabwean producer Kim Chakanetsa tells the story of how her country's journey from colonial rule to independence shaped the nation's unique naming traditions.
January 20 · 37 min
Audio Flux
This week we're featuring Audio Flux, a short-form audio challenge where artists squeeze surprising stories into three minutes.
January 13 · 36 min
Exit Interview With Michael Bierut
A young designer faces an impossible brief and discovers the spark that will define his legendary career.
January 6 · 33 min
Mini-Stories: Volume 22
Performance changing gear, a Titanic era nurse with unbelievable resilience, and an ingenious art vending project reveal how innovation and endurance shape unexpected worlds.
Dec 30, 2025 · 39 min
Beyond the 99% Invisible City
From rogue stop signs to rooftop mini golf, discover how chaos and creativity quietly shape the urban world.
Dec 26, 2025 · 1 hr 19 min
Constitution Breakdown #5: Dr. Tom Frieden
This month, Roman and Elizabeth turn to the remainder of Article Two, which defines the scope and limits of presidential power, alongside former CDC director Dr. Tom Frieden.
Dec 23, 2025 · 29 min
Mini-Stories: Volume 21
A glowing Vegas pyramid, a famously mistyped domain, and a long-delayed miracle investigation unfold in three unexpected tales.
Dec 16, 2025 · 43 min
Sax Appeal
From military parades to smoky clubs, one invention’s wild journey reveals how an instrument can become a symbol of rebellion and reinvention.
Dec 9, 2025 · 38 min
The Checkerboard
A single diagonal step on a map sparks a legal war with huge consequences.
Dec 2, 2025 · 38 min
U Is for Urbanism
How Jane Jacob's urbanism dreams came to life on the most beloved kids' TV block.
Nov 28, 2025 · 1 hr 22 min
Constitution Breakdown #4: Janet Napolitano
This month, Roman and Elizabeth turn to Article Two, which establishes the executive branch, alongside former Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano.
Nov 25, 2025 · 27 min
Murderland
Writer Caroline Fraser argues a chilling link between industrial poison, deadly design, and a generation of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest.
Nov 18, 2025 · 39 min
The Moving Walkway Is Ending
People once dreamed of sidewalks that could whisk them across cities. Somehow, that dream ended up at the airport.
Nov 11, 2025 · 31 min
How to Write a Joke
Comedy writer Elliott Kalan (The Daily Show, The Flop House, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and co-host of the 99% Invisible Breakdown of The Power Broker) spills the secrets of how he grows jokes from tiny ideas into full-blown laughs.
Nov 4, 2025 · 59 min
Gear (Articles of Interest)
From buckskin breeches to Patagonia vests, uncover how America’s obsession with ruggedness and war shaped the clothes we wear every day.
Oct 31, 2025 · 1 hr 9 min
Constitution Breakdown #3: Sen. Elizabeth Warren
This month, Roman and Elizabeth dive into Article One, Sections 8 through 10, which spells out what Congress can and cannot do. Then, Senator Elizabeth Warren joins to talk about Congress’s “power of the purse."
Oct 28, 2025 · 29 min
Your Call Is Important to Us
What if all those dropped calls, endless wait times and dead end hotlines every time you try to reach customer service weren’t accidents but part of the plan?
Oct 24, 2025 · 40 min
Hidden Levels #6: Segagaga
One SEGA employee chronicles the company’s struggles the only way he knows how: by turning it into a game.

99% Invisible

The Em Dash

Constitution Breakdown #6: Adam Liptak

What’s in a Name

Audio Flux

Exit Interview With Michael Bierut

Mini-Stories: Volume 22

Beyond the 99% Invisible City

Constitution Breakdown #5: Dr. Tom Frieden

Mini-Stories: Volume 21

Sax Appeal

The Checkerboard

U Is for Urbanism

Constitution Breakdown #4: Janet Napolitano

Murderland

The Moving Walkway Is Ending

How to Write a Joke

Gear (Articles of Interest)

Constitution Breakdown #3: Sen. Elizabeth Warren

Your Call Is Important to Us

Hidden Levels #6: Segagaga