Anthony Burke's By Design

Before electric refrigeration, how did we keep our food from spoiling? Most Australians didn’t have access to a fridge until the 1950s, so how did people battle the heat and insects before then? From the Coolgardie safe to the smart fridges of today, the evolution of refrigeration in Australia is a fascinating story.

Necessity drives innovation. As conflict and climate pressures displace millions creating safe, dignified places to live has become an urgent global challenge. What can wealthy nations learn from architects working with fewer resources? The Aga Khan Award for Architecture seeks out design projects that improve lives, through creative, human-centred architecture.

Despite the invention of many new technologies, the book still thrives. From ancient codecs to today’s lightweight paperbacks the written word has found its way into many hands, thanks to the evolution of its design. And even while e-books and audio books flood the market, the hard copy remains a popular option for many.

With information at our fingertips today, why do we still have libraries? While the internet and personal computers mean we can access pretty much what we want, when we want it – technology can’t give us what we truly crave: connection and community. Libraries today have to work much harder to create a space that serves diverse community needs – but with innovative design these spaces are being reimagined into something much more than repositories for books.

It's small enough to fit in a pocket, but lipstick has left an outsized mark on history. Far from being a simple beauty product, it has symbolised privilege, protest, glamour and independence across centuries and cultures.

In Scandinavia, nature is the ultimate design guide. Clean lines, light-filled spaces and a seamless connection to the outdoors are hallmarks of the region's architecture. Award-winning Norwegian architect Kjetil Thorsen from Snøhetta talks about what feeds into the unique approach to design in Scandinavia and the ultimate inspiration: nature.

Where would you prefer to age: in an institution or your own home? The recent Four Corners episode The Waiting Game investigated how the current aged care system is failing thousands of Australians who want to stay in their own home as they age. It’s a dire situation with many vulnerable older people being left in precarious scenarios. But what if good design could make ageing in place easier, safer and more comfortable? Guest: Professor Phillippa Carnemolla, School of Architecture and Built Environment at the University of Technology Sydney

Hypodermic needles. They may provoke anxiety, but behind their infamous sting lies a remarkable design story. Born from centuries of experimentation, the hypodermic needle transformed medicine by delivering drugs safely, accurately and effectively beneath the skin. From glass syringes to disposable plastics and needle-free alternatives, this is the evolution of a device that reshaped modern healthcare.

Urban growth is threatening endangered species that live around cities at the same time that many of them are finding sanctuary in the rooves of our houses or under our floorboards. So is it time for us to start designing homes that have specific species in mind?

Urban growth is threatening endangered species that live around cities at the same time that many of them are finding sanctuary in the rooves of our houses or under our floorboards. So is it time for us to start designing homes that have specific species in mind?

It’s hard to imagine modern life without it, but toilet paper as we know it has only been around in the West since the mid-19th century. While paper was being used for personal hygiene in China centuries earlier, the humble loo roll has undergone a surprisingly fascinating design evolution.

Bees are in trouble, but the fix isn't the one most of us reach for. Most of Australia's 1,700-odd native bee species are solitary, and many nest in bare ground rather than a colony. So what does help? It might be the messy corner of the backyard, the bare patch of dirt, the herbs you let run to flower.

Few materials are as loathed, or as unavoidable. Concrete built the Pantheon and the Opera House, then spent the back half of the twentieth century being blamed for everything ugly in the city — a reputation brutalism earned it, fairly or not. But raw concrete has also produced buildings people travel across the world to stand inside. So why is this environmentally disastrous material still so much a part of our building toolkit, and how has it evolved along the way?

For many Australians, pets aren't just animals, they're family. And increasingly, our homes are being designed with them in mind. From luxury dog lounges to elaborate catios, we explore how pet-friendly design is changing our living spaces, and how new cat containment laws are inspiring owners to rethink what a happy home for Mr Whiskers really looks like.

It’s hard to imagine a worksite without them, but high viz vests are a relatively modern invention. From its earliest incarnation on the railways of Glasgow to the early 2000s when every politician appeared to be fronting a camera in one - the high viz vest has come to mean so much more than safety.

Are algorithms controlling your interior purchases and also driving your home renno? We know that influencers and content creators have their own “brand”, but they’re also incentivized to support different products. So, when inspiration is collated from influencers online how much is about individual taste, and how much comes down to the back-end marketing streams that flow from one platform to the next?

It’s a vital resource that keeps us alive, but how often have you thought about how we manage to have water readily available to us? From the first wooden pipes laid by early settlers to the invention of the tap - we trace the design evolution of our water systems.

They're big, ugly and noisy, and no one wants to live near them. But what if we've got the design of data centres all wrong? What if we started from the premise that data centres need to live within our environmental and social boundaries? Instead of accepting what is, what if we imagine what could be?

Humans were trained to think of plastic bags as disposable. Before they were invented, we were more accustomed to using sustainable means to carry our groceries - like in boxes or material bags. The invention of plastic transformed everyday life forever - in both good ways and bad.

Why settle on one colour when your car could wear hundreds? New automotive technologies are making colour-changing vehicles a real possibility, challenging long-held assumptions about personalisation, resale value and the role colour plays in car design.