Pentagram Partner Natasha Jen on Why Times Square Is Kind of Great

"I actually find Times Square to be a real signage phenomenon," says award-winning designer Natasha Jen. "It is so extreme, it is so coherent, it is so relentless. All the LED that basically just plasters all the surfaces. It may not be the most pleasant experience... but as an aesthetic experience I find it quite incredible."

Jen is the youngest partner at New York City-based multidisciplinary design firm Pentagram. She was named one of nine Designers Who Matter by Wired Magazine in 2014, and has worked with clients as diverse as Youtube, Nike, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among many others. In this, the fourth episode of Curbed's inaugural podcast, The Appeal, we sit down with Jen and talk about the many misconceptions around her profession (she's not going to design your website), what makes good signage, her relationship with colors (not a huge fan), and her love of green tea (self-explanatory). Give it a listen here.

• The Curbed Appeal: Episode Four with Guest Natasha Jen [Soundcloud]

• The Curbed Appeal: Episode Three with Guest Justina Blakeney [Curbed]

• The Curbed Appeal [iTunes]