99% Invisible: Mini-Stories Volume 20 – A Deep Dive into Design in Daily Life

Released January 7, 2025 | Host: Roman Mars

In the 20th edition of Mini-Stories, Roman Mars explores the intricate and often unnoticed elements of design that shape our daily lives. This episode delves into the history and impact of the snooze button, the unique neon aesthetic of Cold War-era Warsaw, innovative fire safety designs in Japan, and the experimental Smell o Vision technology in cinema. Through engaging storytelling and expert insights, Mars uncovers the subtle yet profound ways design influences our experiences.

The Evolution of the Snooze Button

The episode opens with Roman Mars reflecting on the ubiquitous yet often maligned snooze button. He humorously describes his own household’s chaotic morning routine, highlighting the universal struggle with waking up:

Roman Mars [00:00]: "What does it mean to be rich? Maybe it's less about reaching a magic number and more about discovering the magic in life."

Mars traces the snooze button's origins back to ancient and industrial methods of waking, such as Plato's water-based alarm and massive factory whistles during the Industrial Revolution. He emphasizes the pivotal moment in 1956 when GE Telechron introduced the first alarm clock with a snooze button:

Roman Mars [03:44]: "A tap on my head will let you snooze longer. My face lights up to my day."

The discussion highlights how the nine-minute snooze became standardized due to manufacturing constraints, despite people’s subconscious desire to delay waking multiple times. Mars critiques the snooze button's effectiveness, suggesting it often leads to fragmented sleep rather than a restful start to the day.

Neonization: Warsaw’s Bright Response to Dark Times

Transitioning from personal routines to urban design, Mars and guest Kelly Prime explore the transformation of Warsaw during the Cold War through state-sponsored neon signage. Kelly Prime introduces the concept:

Kelly Prime [06:16]: "I want to tell you a story about a different neon aesthetic. It's one that was created in the Eastern Bloc right in the middle of the Cold War."

In the mid-1950s, Warsaw's communist government initiated Neonization, a program aimed at uplifting public morale by illuminating the city with cohesive and modern neon signs. David Hill, director of the Neon Museum in Warsaw, explains the intention behind the project:

David Hill [08:08]: "This will placate the public. This will bamboozle them. This will make people happy again."

Unlike the chaotic neon landscapes of American cities, Warsaw’s neon signs were meticulously designed and centrally approved, creating a harmonious and unified aesthetic. Kelly Prime showcases examples of these signs, including expansive floral designs for a flower shop and iconic symbols like the pink mermaid for the public library.

Kelly Prime [11:22]: "They look like someone has been doodling, but on an entire building with neon."

Despite their initial success in beautifying the city, the effectiveness of Neonization in fostering genuine happiness under communism is debated. By the early 1980s, economic and political tensions led to the decline of neon signs, culminating in the Great Recycling Scheme of 1989, which saw the destruction of most of Warsaw’s neon legacy.

Kelly Prime [16:35]: "People were paid to go out into the city, find the neon signs, and destroy them."

However, a resurgence of interest in recent decades has led to a renaissance of neon in Warsaw, blending historical designs with modern interpretations to attract both locals and tourists.

Fire Department Access Stickers in Japan

In a segment with Kurt Kohlstedt, the discussion shifts to a subtle yet crucial design element in Japanese architecture: red triangular stickers indicating fire department access points. Kurt recounts his discovery in Tokyo:

Kurt Kohlstedt [22:08]: "These are red triangle, the tip pointing down, and it's centered right in the middle of every window that I see."

These stickers, known as fire department access stickers, play a vital role in emergency preparedness. They inform firefighters of window locations that can be easily opened or shattered in case of an emergency, serving as designated meeting points for rescue operations.

Kurt Kohlstedt [24:10]: "It's a meeting point."

Roman Mars connects this discovery to his earlier experiences with similar safety features, highlighting the universal importance of thoughtful design in public safety.

Smell o Vision: When Movies Engaged More Senses

The episode concludes with Gillian Jacobs presenting the fascinating yet flawed experiment of Smell o Vision in cinema. She narrates the story of the 1960 film Scent of Mystery, which attempted to revolutionize the movie-going experience by incorporating synchronized scents:

Gillian Jacobs [32:14]: "Smell o Vision was going to be different because it was the first time the scents were going to be intentionally embedded into the production of the film."

Developed by Mike Todd Jr., Smell o Vision utilized a device called the smell brain to release specific scents in sync with the film's scenes. Despite the innovative idea, the technology faced numerous challenges:

Joan [35:00]: "Some of the smells were too strong. Sometimes the smells came late, sometimes you couldn't smell anything at all."

The high costs and technical difficulties led to the film’s failure, tarnishing the concept as an impractical gimmick. However, Jacobs notes that the legacy of Smell o Vision lives on through later attempts to integrate scents into media, such as scratch-and-sniff cards in films like Polyester and innovations in video games.

Gillian Jacobs [36:58]: "It seems like people will never let go of the stream of smelling their media content."

Conclusion

Mini-Stories Volume 20 masterfully illustrates how design transcends aesthetics, embedding itself into the fabric of our daily experiences and societal structures. From the personal inconvenience of a snooze button to the grand urban planning of Warsaw’s neonization, the episode underscores the profound impact design has on behavior, safety, and cultural identity. Roman Mars and his guests invite listeners to appreciate the hidden elements that shape their environments, reminding us that design is indeed everywhere—often working silently behind the scenes.

Notable Quotes:

• Roman Mars [03:44]: "A tap on my head will let you snooze longer. My face lights up to my day."

• Kelly Prime [06:16]: "I want to tell you a story about a different neon aesthetic. It's one that was created in the Eastern Bloc right in the middle of the Cold War."

• David Hill [08:08]: "This will placate the public. This will bamboozle them. This will make people happy again."

• Kurt Kohlstedt [22:08]: "These are red triangle, the tip pointing down, and it's centered right in the middle of every window that I see."

• Gillian Jacobs [32:14]: "Smell o Vision was going to be different because it was the first time the scents were going to be intentionally embedded into the production of the film."

Credits:

Produced by Jason De Leon, Kelly Prime, Kurt Kohlstedt, Gillian Jacobs, and Vivian Leigh. Edited by Christopher Johnson and Nina Patak. Mixed by Martine Gonzalez. Music by Swan Real and George Langford. Executive Producer: Kathy Chu. Senior Editor: Delaney Hall.

For more information and to explore past episodes, visit 99pi.org.