CBC Just Launched a Show for Design Buffs—and We Love It Already

Design buff alert: On July 4th, CBC launched CBC On Design, a new series that features 10- to 15-minute episodes exploring the manufacturing and design processes of Canadian design firms, with each episode focusing on a unique material. You’ll watch industrial designers transform materials into essential everyday items—be it rugs, chairs, lighting, phone booths and even concrete.

“The amount of thought that goes into each of these objects is kind of dizzying when you see one taken from the inception of an idea through to the finished manufactured product you can buy,” says Vancouver-based Jordan Bloemen, the writer, producer, narrator and composer for the show.

 

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“We’ve come to realize that industrial design is this invisible thing that shapes everything we interact with,” he says. “Objects really matter to people—they are tied to a memory, and behind all of them is an industrial designer,” says Bloemen.

 

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In “Rugs,” Edmonton-based Nehiyaw Iskwew multidisciplinary designer Rashelle Campbell shares her handmade rug design process: she says she wants to bring Indigenous joy, tradition, freedom, expression and 2000s nostalgia to her customers.

“I really believe that when people get to know the designer or artist behind the work, it helps them better understand the heart behind the brand or product,” says Campbell. “I hope that by sharing a little glimpse of me and my process, people can connect more deeply with what I’m trying to do—which is to spread Indigenous Joy and remind you that it’s okay to have funkier pieces in your home. I want my products to take you back to 2003, sitting on the family computer, downloading songs off Limewire and eating KD—but reimagined in a more mature, sophisticated way.”

Other Western Canadian designers featured include Edmonton’s OneTwoSix Design and designer Geof Lilge of Division 12, On Our Table and more (he’s also a regular judge for our Western Living Designers of the Year Awards). “The roster of designers on this show is *chefs kiss*—everyone’s work is amazing, which speaks to how thoughtfully curated it all is,” says Campbell. “Each of us brings our own unique energy and superpower. If someone asked all five of us to come together and design a space, I just know it would be something one-of-a-kind—full of unexpected textures, colours, and light.”

The show is produced by Sticks & Stones, directed and edited by award-winning documentary filmmaker Colin Waugh, and written and produced by animator Max Amerongen. The short episodes help viewers grasp and comprehend the content fully—without being overwhelmed by complex design vocabulary.

 

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“That process of artfully compressing everything down into a nice, bite sized story was a very fun challenge, and CBC was great for that,” says Bloeman. “They brought so much storytelling knowledge and expertise to it, and they got what was cool about each of these designed objects that we were digging into. And getting to meet all of the designers was a real joy.”

You can see more of Rashelle Campbell’s work at www.rashelle.ca, and watch CBC On Design episodes from CBC Gem or from Youtube, www.cbc.ca.