Read what people are saying about 99% Invisible, and please get in touch with any press inquiries.

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“99% Invisible…is completely wonderful and entertaining and beautifully produced…”
— Ira Glass, This American Life

“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

“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

“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, design columnist for The New York Times

30 of the Best Podcasts for Curious Minds in 2019

October 10, 2019 "99% Invisible tells the fascinating stories behind the parts of our world we don't always pay much attention to. As an added bonus, host Roman Mars has one of the smoothest voices in podcasting."

The 10 Nonfiction Podcasts That Changed the Genre

October 1, 2019 "Roman Mars’s 99% Invisible is an institution in more ways than one. On the one hand, it is the preeminent source of stories about design and the relationship between people and the physical world... on the other, it’s the cornerstone of Radiotopia, a beloved independent podcast collective ..."

The 7 Podcasts You Should Have (Already) Discovered

March 12, 2019 "Hosted by Roman Mars, 99% Invisible explores the hidden designs and architecture that shape our lives. If you’ve ever wondered why our world is the way it is, this show has your answers."

5 Minutes With... Roman Mars

2018 "Popular podcast '99% Invisible' explores the "unnoticed design that shapes our world" - we sit down with its author, Roman Mars, to try and see the world through his eyes."

Making Waves: 100 Artists Putting the East Bay on the Map

May 31, 2018 "If there’s such a thing as a podcasting rock star, it’s Mars, whose chart-topping design radio show and podcast on KALW, 99% Invisible, carved a path forward for the next generation of independent audio producers."

The 50 Best Podcasts of 2017

December 21, 2017 "Roman Mars knows that the harmony that connects designers, physical structures, function, and human ambition is as rich and complicated as that created by any orchestra."

10 Podcasts To Get You Through Your Commute

August 29, 2017 "Host Roman Mars (possibly the greatest name of any podcaster alive today) devotes each episode of 99% Invisible to a different aspect of design or architecture that you've probably never noticed."

How Studying Design Turned Roman Mars into a Pathological Optimist

May 2, 2017 "Roman Mars thinks deeply about things most of us barely notice... As creator and host of the podcast 99% Invisible, the onetime plant geneticist spends his days making audio gold about architecture and design, from suburban McMansions to political logos."

The 50 best podcasts of 2016

December 21, 2016 "Roman Mars delves into design and architecture records to uncover the people and ideas who have shaped the world around us."

20 Great Podcasts Under 25 Minutes Long

October 20, 2016 "Roman Mars is a legendary design supergeek, and his show, 99% Invisible, which serves listeners stories about the life of design and the designs that informs our lives, is a temple of thoughtful, practiced observation."

Building Public Radio 2.0 

November 12, 2014 "Oakland-based podcaster Roman Mars is propping up independent radio producers across the country through Radiotopia, a new collective of innovative storytelling shows."

Roman Mars' Secret to Irresistible Storytelling

March 18, 2014 “The title of Roman Mars's popular podcast, 99% Invisible, actually reveals something crucial about telling compelling stories: helping people put their fingers on the (nearly) intangible.”

Roman Mars: Public Radio Maverick

August 6, 2013 "Almost exactly one year ago, Roman Mars' 'tiny radio show about design' proved itself a big online hit when it became the most highly funded journalism Kickstarter to date."

'99% Invisible': More Visible Than Ever

July 18, 2012 "I've mentioned my love of a little podcast/radio show called 99% Invisible. Hosted by Roman Mars, its short episodes delve into 'design, architecture and the 99% invisible activity that shapes our world'."

Roman Mars Interview

April 6, 2012 "Radio producer Roman Mars discusses the connection between ’zines and radio, why he ditched science and the reason he named his show 99% Invisible."

Radiolab Presents: 99% Invisible

December 12, 2011 “Roman Mars loves to spotlight the seams and joints that make up the world around us. He's the host of an irresistible podcast called 99% Invisible”

Show: 99% Invisible

March 21, 2011 "Roman creates lovely little form-is-content pieces about design. They stick with you. Come check out an episode or subscribe to the whole thing, and read Roman’s encouraging notes about making creative work."
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