Books are the perfect gift. They transport us across borders and open doors to fascinating communities. In today's episode, we journey to Berlin to visit publisher Gestalten's headquarters and chat with founder and CEO, Robert Klanten. Gestalten has been a global tastemaker since 1995, with a keen eye for the driving forces behind various communities, expertly spotlighting the characteristics and aesthetics that make them distinctive.

From renowned designers like Charles & Ray Eames to travel, fashion, and even cooking, Gestalten covers it all. They showcase intimate cultural portraits and inspiring individuals from communities across the globe. Join us as we explore the secret to Gestalten’s lasting impact and learn how you, too, can write your own captivating story.

We also want to hear from you! We’re researching what makes communities, memberships, and movements so powerful. Or in short, how to better design for belonging. You can help by sharing your own experiences in our first listener survey.

Go to memberful.design/community to complete the survey. It only takes a minute to share your wisdom and it’s completely anonymous. We’ll share takeaways on a future show. So keep listening and let’s learn together.

Memberful Design is a show about firestarters sparking initiatives that have a lasting impact. Formerly known as Verwondering, the leading design podcast of the Netherlands. Now, we’re bringing this award-winning series to the international stage in English.

Memberful Design is crafted with love by the team behind the design studio Momkai. At Momkai, we've learned that building experiences that empower communities create durable initiatives. Over the past 20 years, we've put this knowledge into practice on projects from all over Europe, the US, and Japan. Are you looking for a fresh perspective or want to join the team? Go to momkai.com and get in touch.

Memberful Design is hosted by Harald Dunnink, Momkai’s founder and co-founder of journalism platform De Correspondent. As a creative director, he loves telling stories. With the birth of his daughter he finally found an audience that’s always demanding more.

His guests on the show help you think like a designer, decide like an entrepreneur, and dream big like an optimist. Discover what it takes to let your plans succeed and create meaningful connections, through Memberful Design.