AIGA Design Podcast
By AIGA, the professional association for design
Design at Scale: Richard Moross and the Story of MOO
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello speak with Richard Moross, founder and CEO of MOO, about his journey from early entrepreneurial experiments to building a globally recognized print and design company.
Richard reflects on the evolution of MOO, the balance between quality and scale, the value of thoughtful company culture, and how hybrid work is reshaping collaboration.
The conversation also explores the deeper relationship between design and performance, the importance of making design accessible to all, and how inspiration can come from unexpected places—like film, or a trip to the supermarket. Richard shares his personal leadership rituals and offers recommendations for films that continue to spark his creativity.
How do we navigate the duality of crafting exceptional design while making it accessible to all?
Movie Recommendations:
Watch the video version of this podcast interview on the AIGA Design YouTube Channel
Designing Change in Bureaucracy with Ivan Boscariol
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello speak with Ivan Boscariol, Senior Innovation Specialist and public service designer at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Ivan shares his journey from a background in international relations to working at the intersection of design, innovation, and public service in Latin America.
The conversation explores what it means to be a designer within a large public institution, and how to navigate the cultural and bureaucratic complexities that come with the territory. Ivan reflects on the importance of intentionality in design, the need to adapt innovation processes to local contexts, and why trust and collaboration are essential to driving change.
He also unpacks the multiple meanings of design practice—as a verb and as a noun—and how those interpretations shift across cultures. Offering a fresh perspective, Ivan highlights the often-overlooked upsides of bureaucracy, and how structure can actually support innovation within large, complex organizations like the IDB.
From the challenges of scaling solutions to the power of relationship-building, this episode offers valuable insights into designing for impact within systems that are often slow to change—but full of potential.
What if we viewed bureaucracy not as a barrier, but as a material we can design with?
Documentary: Horizon Zero Dawn
Designing Memory: Exploring Syria’s Creative Legacy with Kinda Ghannoum
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Kinda Ghannoum shares her captivating journey from architecture into the vibrant world of graphic design, emphasizing her passion for preserving cultural heritage through the Syrian Design Archive.
Hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello discuss with Kinda the vital role design plays in documenting history, elevating cultural identities, and inspiring future creativity amidst political challenges.
Kinda explores the nuanced relationship between her Polish and Syrian heritage, revealing how these cultural layers enrich her creative process and contribute to her distinct approach to design. She emphasizes accessibility and storytelling, underlining the significance of sharing design resources widely and effectively.
The conversation delves into the broader landscape of Arabic visual identity, showcasing how each Arab country preserves tradition while cultivating unique design aesthetics. Kinda highlights Arabic script's integral role in visual storytelling and cultural representation. She also shares her experiences collaborating on the Syrian Design Archive, underscoring collective storytelling and teamwork in promoting cultural understanding and appreciation.
How do you preserve cultural authenticity while embracing modern design practices?
Connect with Kinda Ghannoum on Instagram
Explore the Syrian Design Archive on Facebook and Instagram
Kinda’s book recommendation: The Arab of the Future
Join us for the 2025 AIGA Design Conference, October 9-11 in Los Angeles, California – https://www.aiga.org/design/aiga-design-conference
Humanizing Creativity Through Physical Design with Michael Kaye of Sylvain
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Michael Kaye, Chief Design Officer at Sylvain, to explore the intersection of design, branding, and the evolving creative landscape. Michael’s journey, driven by a compelling shift from fine arts to practical design, highlights his unique approach to creativity—balancing aesthetic expression with real-world functionality.
Michael delves into the nuances of book cover design, illustrating how typography becomes a storyteller's essential tool and how book jackets can function as powerful mini-brands for authors. He emphasizes the importance of context, encouraging designers to deeply understand cultural references and trends to create work that resonates authentically.
With the rise of AI tools reshaping the design industry, Michael reflects thoughtfully on their potential, advocating for their role as enhancers rather than replacements of human creativity. He underscores the importance of maintaining physicality and sensory experiences in design, ensuring emotional depth and layered meaning remain intact amidst digital advancements.
This conversation also touches on the challenges designers face with algorithms influencing digital experiences, highlighting the ethical considerations required to preserve authenticity and integrity. Michael’s approach champions creativity rooted in genuine human connection, meaningful engagement, and intentional performance.
How do you balance innovation with authenticity in your design practice?
Michael Kaye on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayemichael/
Sylvain’s website: https://sylvain.co/
Join us for the 2025 AIGA Design Conference, October 9-11 in Los Angeles, California – https://www.aiga.org/design/aiga-design-conference
Making Work Suck Less with Erin Shems, Ezippy Co., Creative Operations Agency
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Erin Shems, a creative operations leader and entrepreneur who has built a career on getting things done. Erin’s unconventional journey started early—first going to work, then going to school—and led her to industries she’s always been drawn to, from video games to toys.Erin is passionate about mental health and human-centered processes, advocating for workplaces where people can be their authentic selves—starting with how they dress and speak. She challenges the idea that authenticity and performance are opposites, instead proposing that authenticity itself is a type of performance. We shift and adapt depending on who we’re with, how we feel, and the dynamics of our work environment.She shares insights from her years leading operations in creative industries, bridging the gap between design, marketing, and business teams. Erin reflects on how technological progress shaped her entry into the industry and speculates on the next generation’s behaviors, especially in the age of social media and AI. She also discusses workplace trends, pointing out how large companies often replicate each other’s initiatives in a “follow-the-leader” mode.Now an entrepreneur, Erin is on a mission to help people make work suck less. She offers practical advice on improving daily routines and embracing more fulfilling professional lives. Her motto? Make work fun again.How do you bring authenticity to your work?Erin’s company: ezippyco.comErin’s linkedin page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinshems/Substack: https://lostwallettheory.substack.com/?utm_source=global-searchJoin us for the 2025 AIGA Design Conference, October 9-11 in Los Angeles, California - https://www.aiga.org/design/aiga-design-conferenceListen/Subscribe to the audio version of this podcast on your preferred platform - https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/aigadesign References mentioned in this episode:The Cerulean Sweater Scene from The Devil Wears Prada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rDTRuCOs9gThe Straat Museum (Amsterdam): https://straatmuseum.com/enPowerhouse Museum Ultimo (Australia): https://powerhouseultimo.insw.com/
How to Work Less, Earn More with Karl Sakas
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview author and consultant Karl Sakas ("Say Kiss”). Karl’s clients often call him their “agency therapist.”
They discuss the challenges agency owners face, including misconceptions about agency ownership, pricing strategies, and the importance of understanding market rates. Karl shares insights on productizing services, revenue growth, and how to escape the daily grind of agency ownership. The conversation emphasizes the need for agency owners to work smarter, not harder, and to focus on their strengths while delegating tasks effectively. They also delve into various aspects of running an agency, including the challenges of client strategy and sales, the importance of visualizing the future of the agency, understanding cultural differences in business practices, and the multifaceted nature of performance in leadership.
- Karl's latest book, Work Less, Earn More - https://amzn.to/41n4jvn
- Sakas and Company - https://sakasandcompany.com/
- Karl’s upcoming book, Calm the Chos: 10 Ways to Run a Better Agency - https://calmthechaos.xyz/
- Recommended book - Overcoming Underearning: A Five-Step Plan to a Richer Life by Barbara Stanny - https://amzn.to/4i5bptK
- Recommended book - Meltdown: Why Our Systems Fail and What We Can Do About It Hardcover by by Chris Clearfield and András Tilcsik - https://amzn.to/3X2WdoY
- Join us for the 2025 AIGA Design Conference, October 9-11 in Los Angeles, California - https://www.aiga.org/design/aiga-design-conference
- Listen/Subscribe to the audio version of this podcast on your preferred platform - https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/aigadesign
Scott Berkun on Why Design is Hard
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello and guest Scott Berkun, author of Why Design is Hard, discuss the complexities of design, touching on themes such as the challenges designers face, the importance of understanding business contexts, and the role of curiosity as a superpower. We explore the concept of 'gravity problems' in design, emphasizing the need for designers to navigate organizational politics and influence effectively. The conversation also explores the myths surrounding design, the evolving identity of designers in the workplace, and the impact of AI on the future of design.
Takeaways
Designers often assume they know better without understanding the context.
Gravity problems are unsolvable issues that designers must learn to navigate.
Understanding the business context can enhance a designer's influence.
Curiosity is a vital skill for designers to build relationships.
Designers should focus on the value they bring beyond aesthetics.
The myth of the 'eureka moment' oversimplifies the design process.
Designers can influence decisions by visualizing problems and solutions.
Career paths should prioritize fulfilling work over job titles.
AI will change the design landscape, but human oversight remains essential.
Building trust and relationships is crucial for designers to succeed.
References & Recommendations
Why Design is Hard (Scott’s book) - https://amzn.to/4amlzUb
Jaguar Rebrand Video, “Copy Nothing” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLtFIrqhfng
Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life (reference for “gravity problems”) - https://amzn.to/40yeM6D
Netflix documentary about Paula Scher referenced in the episode - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCfBYE97rFk
Feline Philosophy: Cats and the Meaning of Life - https://amzn.to/3C7icUA
Scott Berkun’s website - https://scottberkun.com/
Watch the video version of the AIGA Design Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/AIGAdesign
Data Visualization & Migration with Marta Foresti & Federica Fragapane from the LAGO Collective
In the third episode of the season of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Marta Foresti and Federica Fragapane. Marta is the founder and CEO of LAGO Collective, as well as a visiting senior fellow at ODI Global and the Moleskine Foundation. Federica is an independent information designer who has collaborated with organizations like Google, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the European Union, BBC Science Focus, Columbia University, and La Lettura.
Marta and Federica discovered each other’s work through social media and realized they shared a common motivation: using design to create impactful projects. Their mutual interest in the movement of people as a global phenomenon led them to collaborate at LAGO Collective. Through their work, they’ve come to understand that design’s power goes beyond representing data or creating beautiful visuals; it can actively perform and generate knowledge.
Marta explains that at LAGO Collective, projects often begin with a desire to tell a story, followed by research, rather than starting with a research question to guide the story.
Federica challenges traditional imagery used in data visualization by introducing new symbols that offer an alternative narrative. She emphasizes the importance of intentionality in the design process, ensuring that the visuals align with the intended message and impact.
They also discuss how to work with both qualitative and quantitative data to craft compelling storytelling through data visualization. For Marta and Federica, their projects are not just about presenting information but about performing for the audience—engaging them in a meaningful way.
Both Marta and Federica are committed to introducing new stories that influence public discourse, challenge dominant narratives, and combat misinformation.
They envision LAGO Collective as a space where people can have open conversations that inspire change. What topic would you bring to LAGO Collective for a new conversation?
Assembling Tomorrow with Scott Doorley & Carissa Carter from the Stanford d.school
In the second episode of this season of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, professors at the Stanford d.school, discussing their career and their new book Assembling Tomorrow.
Their motivation to write the book came from the feeling of how unsettling they believe the world is right now and the belief we can craft a better tomorrow. Carissa believes Design is not just about the products we create but the experiences that create and the system that we live in.
In the book, they introduce the concept of Runaway Design and the unpredictability of technology's evolution. They delve into our interactions with materials, physical and digital, and explore the implications that might arise from it.
Their book navigates in a fiction and non-fiction space and tackles speculative design methods. Scott and Carissa argue that design begins as fiction since everything is imagined before it’s created. Scott reflects on the fact that society is changing things but challenges listeners by asking: What do we actually want to change?
The conversation also touches on their evolving relationships with AI tools and how this is part of their creative process in an exploratory way. They share how some of their students are exploring AI’s limitations in the physical world and reflecting on how this highlights the depth of human knowledge. They believe their work is bringing visibility to the invisibility brought by technology.
What about you? How are you shaping the future you believe in?
Assembling Tomorrow: https://amzn.to/3P3QzP7
Watch the video version of the AIGA Design Podcast on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBsiKvJPy6IEKSanoWtz2-xFggU0ncuBM
Design + Performance (New Season/Theme) with Gary Jaffe, Independent Filmmaker
This is the kick-off episode introducing the new season of the AIGA Design Podcast with our new theme, DESIGN + PERFORMANCE.
The theme is open for designers to interpret it in their own unique ways, bringing individual perspectives to the table. In this episode, we explore how we approach design considering the nuances of performance in creative fields.
Host Lee-Sean Huang interviews independent filmmaker Gary Jaffe about his professional journey and creative process.
They delve into multiple interpretations of "performance" and its tangible and intangible roles in filmmaking. They discuss the decisions a film director makes (and doesn’t make), emphasizing the importance of trusting the team you work with. They highlight the need to create space for individuals to fully perform their roles, allowing the team’s collective skills to shine.
For Gary, much like in business, a film carries its own vision. Setting clear goals for how the movie should look is essential, but embracing the unexpected reality is also a vital part of the creative process.
As designers, everything we experience serves as inspiration for our work. Ensuring a clear reference point from the beginning helps keep the project on track and aligned with everyone involved.
Gary believes that the way he presents himself reflects his creative identity and aligns with the style of work he produces.
What about you? How do you perform design?
Watch/subscribe to the video version of the AIGA Design Podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxpZCam3dhI&list=PLBsiKvJPy6IEKSanoWtz2-xFggU0ncuBM
Robert Brunner on Designing Products for Scale
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang talks with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and Partner at Ammunition. With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio.
When asked about the early years of his career, he shared that growing up in a household where both parents were makers inspired him and continues to influence his work. While in university, he initially believed civil engineering was the right path for him. However, after reflecting more deeply on his passion, he realized that industrial design was his true calling.
He founded Ammunition two decades ago, and the studio continues to thrive. Ammunition is a multidisciplinary studio that keeps the products they design at the center, making sure they create products that matter. He is also committed to focusing on the economics of product development, particularly when it comes to scaling. He shared the challenges faced in designing Beats by Dre over the past 19 years, as well as in developing Square, which democratized credit card transactions for small business owners.
When it comes to generative AI, while he acknowledges its potential to support design automation and development refinement, he believes that the connection design creates with people cannot be outsourced.
The advice Robert shared with us and tells his kids as well is that when you see yourself working on a project in the middle of the night and don’t care how late it is, you have found your passion and your purpose that will allow you to grow.
Clip: Robert Brunner on changing his major to design
This clip is a preview of our upcoming AIGA Design Podcast with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and Partner at Ammunition. With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio.
The full episode with Robert Brunner, which also happens to be our season finale, comes out on September 17, 2024.
Community Engagement & Cultural Change with Jenn Stucker
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang interviews Jenn Stucker, Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University. They discuss the importance of community engagement in design, the expanding definition of design as a profession, the role of design communities like AIGA in career development and standard setting, and more.
Key Topics and Themes:
- Community Engagement in Design: Stucker shares her experiences incorporating community engagement into her design practice, including co-founding the AIGA Toledo chapter and leading community-based projects like “You Are Here” and “Sit & Tell.”
- Expanding Definition of Design: The conversation explores how design is more than just creating visually appealing products. It’s about improving everyday lives through experiences and behaviors.
- Design Education: Stucker discusses her approach to teaching design, emphasizing the importance of developing mindful individuals who can engage with the social, cultural, and technological world.
- Design Leadership: As one of the first designers to complete the AIGA Professional Design Certification Program, Stucker shares insights on design leadership and the value of professional development.
- The Value of Design Communities: The episode highlights the importance of design communities like AIGA in fostering collaboration, providing resources, and advocating for the value of design.
- Design and Cultural Change: Stucker emphasizes the role of design in creating cultural shifts and making a positive impact on society, even through incremental changes.
- Design and Higher Education: The discussion touches on the lack of high-level administrators with design backgrounds in higher education and the potential for designers to contribute to solving challenges in this sector.
- Ethics in Design: The episode briefly addresses the ethical considerations in design, particularly in the context of emerging technologies like AI.
- Learning and Growth: Stucker shares her ongoing learning journey through her Ph.D. studies and her participation in the AIGA Professional Design Certification Program.
Additional Notes:
- Reflecting her family's cultural heritage, Stucker named her design practice Sisu Design, a Finnish word meaning “guts,” “tenacity,” or “resilience.”
- The episode references the “In the Round” speaker series at Bowling Green State University, which focuses on Native American and Indigenous speakers across various creative disciplines.
- Stucker shares a quote from Gloria Steinem, “Power can be taken but not given. It is the process of taking that’s empowerment in itself.”
- The episode concludes with Stucker reflecting on her advice to designers: “Start small but think big.”
Clip: Community Engagement & Cultural Change with Jenn Stucker
Full episode coming August 12, 2024
Jenn Stucker, Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University: "As a person that chairs my program, I often have to meet with prospective students and their parents. And I talk about those common notions, right? It's like, 'okay, so where did your interest come from?' And I'm sure, and I hear things like 'logos, brochures, t-shirts, you know, that's why I'm interested in this.' And I said, 'you know, those are great.' I said, 'but I want you to know it is much more than that.' And I said, 'at the heart, it's about improving everyday lives.' That is a core tenet of the way we feel about it here, and that we do that through experience and behavior. Start small, but think big. I think we all want to save the world. We all want to do really, really big, impactful things. But things happen through cultural shift and cultural change. And so, Yes, there are big flashbang things that make change happen great, you know, but there's also things that have to happen incrementally, and why not be part of that incremental space change."
Designing Airline Brands with Edmond Huot
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang explores the process of aviation branding with guest Edmond Huot. Their conversation also focuses on how to build and maintain relationships with various client and community stakeholders, including local and Indigenous peoples served by airlines and airports.
Edmond Huot is the Chief Creative Officer of Forward Studio, where he leads the New York City-based firm’s global branding practice, which focuses primarily on the airline, aerospace, and transportation sectors. A true AvGeek at heart and originally from small-town Canada, Huot started his career in the early 1990s. He has turned his childhood fascination with aviation into his career. Edmond has worked on a wide range of airlines around the world, from Hawaii to Alaska to sunny California, focusing on their brand concepts, passenger experience, and liveries.
The core of Edmond’s design philosophy centers around a deep respect for how airlines are cultural icons for their communities, nations, and the traveling public. He is committed to creating brand experiences that are authentic and resonate deeply with people. Storytelling is central to his design approach, using elements to convey an airline’s identity and values effectively.
Designing a Design Conference with Lee-Sean Huang (Special Episode)
In this special episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang, Senior Director of Learning & Programs, takes listeners behind the scenes of the planning process for the 2024 Design Conference (Online, October 10-12).
How do we select speakers for the conference? Why are we doing an online conference this year, and what are the challenges and opportunities around that? And how is AIGA responding to the broader context of what is going on with design associations, conferences, and the industry at large?
Listen all the way through this special episode to get a coupon code for $50 off tickets for the 2024 AIGA Design Conference.
AIGA Design Educators Community Call for Proposals: This call for proposals seeks submissions from educators, graduate students, and industry professionals that address ideas and topics connected to the theme Margins as it applies to design education and research. Proposals of 500 words or less are due by Friday, July 26, 2024. No extensions will be offered.
Does your company want to sponsor a session at the AIGA Design Conference? Or do you have questions or ideas for the conference or the podcast? Send us a message or a voicemail at podcast@aiga.org.
P.S. The 2025 AIGA Design Conference will be back in person: October 9-11 at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles.
Clip: Designing Airline Brands with Edmond Huot
Full episode coming July 15, 2024
Edmond Huot: "What's the dream? what are people aspiring to? As a creative and someone whose job it is to provide that path for our clients to understand and celebrate what that means to be human when you travel, whether it's this perception of glamour, whether it's an appreciation of traveling great distances to see people we care about to never lose sight of that part of the equation and to figure out ways to weave it into product innovation and efficiencies of the business, that's I think an important part, that's the part that I get the most enjoyment out of...figuring out how to build stories around things that we take for granted."
Edmond Huot is the Chief Creative Officer of Forward Studio, where he leads the New York City-based firm’s global branding practice, which focuses primarily on the airline, aerospace, and transportation sectors. A true AvGeek at heart and originally from small-town Canada, Huot started his career in the early 1990s. He has turned his childhood fascination with aviation into his career. Edmond has worked on a wide range of airlines around the world, from Hawaii to Alaska to sunny California, focusing on their brand concepts, passenger experience, and liveries.
The core of Edmond’s design philosophy centers around a deep respect for how airlines are cultural icons for their communities, nations, and the traveling public. He is committed to creating brand experiences that are authentic and resonate deeply with people. Storytelling is central to his design approach, using elements to convey an airline’s identity and values effectively.
From the Margins to the Mainstream with Vault49
Pivoting your Creative Business with Matthew McIver
What does an evolving design studio look like and how do you make money while maintaining your passion?
In this episode, AIGA Member Matthew McIver, a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, unravel the intricacies of pivoting business models and pricing strategies. Join us as we we explore Matthew's entrepreneurial journey over the past 15 years, uncovering valuable lessons learned and the evolution of Commence Studio's approach to business and client relationships.
Topics include:
1️⃣ Entrepreneurial journey: Explore the lessons learned and key milestones that shaped Commence Studio's evolution.
2️⃣ Navigating margins and profitability: Dive into the strategies for managing both creative and financial margins to foster maximum creativity and business success.
3️⃣ Business model pivots: Learn how Commence Studio adapted its pricing strategies to meet the changing demands of the market.
💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard.
🎧 Learn more about Matthew's agency journey here.
📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.
Clip: Margins and Padding of Running a Studio with Matt McIver
In this preview clip, Matthew McIver and Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA's senior director of learning and programs, discuss the important role of financial margins and padding in business. The AIGA Design Podcast will be going on a brief mid-season spring hiatus and return with our full episode with Matthew on May 20, 2024.
💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard.
📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.
Crafting a Career Roadmap with Sarah Doody
How do you package your unique career journey?
In this episode, Sarah Doody, founder of Career Strategy Lab™, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, delve into the intricacies of crafting a career roadmap to navigate your professional journey. Join us as we explore the importance of setting short and long-term goals, building your compass statement, and leveraging unique strategies to stand out in the design industry.
Topics include:
1️⃣ Crafting a career roadmap: Discover the value of setting short and long-term goals to guide your professional journey.
2️⃣ Building your compass statement: Learn how to articulate your vision and filter opportunities that align with your career aspirations.
3️⃣ The power of anti-networking: Explore strategies for building meaningful relationships and standing out in a crowded job market.
🤝 Sarah Doody is the founder of Career Strategy Lab™, a program that helps UX and product professionals at all career stages navigate their job search and articulate their skills and experience through individualized and group coaching. She is also the host of the Career Strategy Lab podcast.
Since 2021, professionals who have worked with Sarah have increased their salaries by 40% on average and have been hired at prestigious brands such as Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Nordstrom, Spotify, Blue Origin on average in 3.5 months. The program has been so successful since it’s launch that the combined salary of program graduates hired topped nearly $6 million.
Sarah has been named a Future of Work expert by Forbes and is a regular Forbes.com contributor. She has also been featured in Fast Company, Insider, Fox Business, and more. Sarah is also to author her first book, The Product of You: How to Design, Market, and Sell Yourself in Your Career, forthcoming in 2024.
✨ Connect with Sarah on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.
📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.
Clip: Designing Your Career with Sarah Doody
On the next episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, guest Sarah Doody discusses applying product design principles to your career, crafting a career roadmap, and more. Full episode release: March 18, 2024.
🤝 Sarah Doody is the founder of Career Strategy Lab, a program that helps UX and product professionals at all career stages navigate their job search and articulate their skills and experience through individualized and group coaching. She is also the host of the Career Strategy Lab podcast.
Topics include:
1️⃣ Crafting a career roadmap: Discover the value of setting short and long-term goals to guide your professional journey.
2️⃣ Building your compass statement: Learn how to articulate your vision and filter opportunities that align with your career aspirations.
3️⃣ The power of anti-networking: Explore strategies for building meaningful relationships and standing out in a crowded job market.
Why design research is stuck with Danny Spitzberg and Humphrey Obuobi
Has design research hit a plateau?
In this episode, Danny Spitzberg and Humphrey Obuobi, two design researchers in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA delve into the challenges and explore the gap between personal and professional learning in design research.
Topics include:
the value of co-design catchphrases and why they keep resurfacing
the challenges and rewards of collaborating with marginalized communities on designing solutions that address their needs
how design and policy can intersect more effectively to address social challenges and promote equity
🔍 Danny Spitzberg, a user research expert in the cooperative economy, co-founded the Workers’ Algorithm Observatory. He sheds light on auditing algorithms for workers and allies, advocating for concrete improvements in digital technology standards.
🔍 Humphrey Obuobi, founder of LETS Studio, focuses on building infrastructure for a healthier democracy. A student-researcher with UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab, Humphrey is dedicated to local, community-powered social innovation.
📖 Read Danny and Humphrey's Q&A article published on AIGA.org
🙋 LETS Studio, Humphrey's professional practice, invites collaborations and volunteers at letsstudio.org.
🔬 The Workers’ Algorithm Observatory advocates for algorithmic accountability; explore their studies at wao.cs.princeton.edu.
📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.
Clip: Why Design Research is Stuck
Preview clip of our upcoming episode with Danny Spitzberg and Humphrey Obuobi on Why Design Research is Stuck. Full episode release on February 20, 2024.
Welcome to the 2024 Season of AIGA Design Podcast: MARGINS
Designing success outside the lines – AIGA's 2024 journey begins at the margins.
Welcome to the first episode of the 2024 season of the AIGA Design Podcast! Join Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, as he explores the theme "MARGINS" and sets the stage for an exciting year of AIGA Design programming.
🎟️ Register for the Yale BPCL Open House webinar.
📚 Learn more about the AIGA Professional Design Certification.
🏆 Learn more and enter AIGA Design Competitions.
📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.
Want to join us as a guest on a future show? Fill out this form here.
Colton Schweitzer on Kickass UX
In this episode Colton Schweitzer, co-founder of Kickass UX and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA talk about:
- How Banksy inspired Colton to get into graphic design
- How creating a board game introduced Colton to UX and landed him a job
- The differences between a design bootcamp and a college degree program
- How to identify and address common gaps in UX design education
- How recent design graduates can make their portfolios stand out and some hope for current UX job seekers
- What makes the Kickass UX program different and how graduates of the program have found success
- Why graphic designers should learn UX even if they aren’t planning a career pivot
- How can designers overcome subjectivity when dealing with stakeholders
- What are the “Treasure Map” and “Kung Fu Master” metaphors for the UX process and how do they make you a more powerful designer with a “why skillset”
- How Colton applies UX principles to designing the pedagogy and business model for his venture, Kickass UX
- And more!
Use code AIGA75 for $75 off your first month of Kickass UX's UX/UI Expert course
AIGA's Design Futures research referenced in the episode
Colton's cartoon alter ego, Kitty AF recently released a holiday book How the Cat Ruined Christmas
Irish Bouzouki clip by PhotoCapeBreton via Pixabay
This is the final episode of 2023. Happy holidays! See you next year.
Maigen Thomas on career changes and starting a new design job
Maigen Thomas is a senior UX designer, career switcher, and "Maven of Mentoring" for fellow UI/UX bootcamp graduates. In this episode, Maigen and Lee-Sean discuss leveraging life experiences into design, what to do in the first 30 days of a new job to set yourself up for success, gamification, and more!
Maigen's Real World Experience Workshop: https://maigenux.gumroad.com/l/real-world-exp-workshop
Octalysis Prime: https://join.octalysisprime.com
Pentagram 50 at the 2023 AIGA Design Conference
Debbie Millman interviews Pentagram partners Emily Oberman, Giorgia Lupi, Marina Willer, Natasha Jen, and Paula Scher. Recorded LIVE at the 2023 AIGA Design Conference in New York City!
Clip: Steven Steiner on Designer Archetypes
What is your designer archetype? Are you a generalist, strategist, researcher, architect, artist, author, or design operations person? How does knowing your archetype help you progress in your career? We discuss these archetypes and more in the full episode of the AIGA Design Podcast with Steven Steiner: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aigadesign/episodes/Steven-Steiner-on-designer-archetypes--career-coaching--and-communicating-your-value-e29h0h4
Steven Steiner is a Career Coach for Designers who helps them get what they want next with the right levels of industry knowledge, rigor, and moral support.
Steven Steiner on designer archetypes, career coaching, and communicating your value
What is your designer archetype? Are you a generalist, strategist, researcher, architect, artist, author, or design operations person? How does knowing your archetype help you progress in your career? We discuss these archetypes and more in this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast with our guest Steven Steiner.
Steven Steiner is a Career Coach for Designers who helps them get what they want next with the right levels of industry knowledge, rigor, and moral support.
Steven’s career achievements include 15+ years as an award-winning designer, manager, and educator. He’s held roles in-house, start-up, and agency teams for international and regional brands where he delivered results for TV, kiosk, responsive web, and mobile experiences.
Now, he wants to help YOU reach YOUR career goals.
Visit careercoachfordesigners.com to learn more about how Steven can help you right now and join the Career Community for Designers that he hosts on Slack.
Connect with Steven on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensteiner/
FEED SWAP: Yellow Glitter, Collective Change and Community-Centered Design with Lee-Sean Huang
FEED SWAP: Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA's director of design content and learning, recently appeared on Steven Wakabayashi's Yellow Glitter Podcast to talk about collective change, community-centered design, his midlife career crisis, and more.
Listen/subscribe to the Yellow Glitter Podcast: https://yellowglitterpodcast.com/podcast/42-collective-change-and-community-centered-design-with-lee-sean-huang/
Stay tuned for new original episodes of the AIGA Design Podcast in September 2023.
Join us for the AIGA Design Conference in New York City, October 12-14. Get your tickets before the price increase on September 7. We will sell out. Online streaming tickets are also available. https://www.aiga.org/design/aiga-design-conference
Learning with Ritesh Gupta, Useful School
We are back for a special summer special edition of the podcast. We are catching up with Ritesh Gupta, founder of Useful School, which offers 12-week online pay-what-you-can classes in product design, branding, decolonization, and financial wellness aimed at beginner and advanced creatives of color. Applications to the Useful School fall cohort are due August 18, 2023. Learn more: https://www.usefulschool.com/
Listen to our original 2022 interview with Ritesh here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aigadesign/episodes/Design-Adjacent-with-Ritesh-Gupta--Founder-of-the-Useful-School-on-re-visioning-design-education--radical-changes--impact-of-design--and-finding-a-coach-e1jt5if
Check out AIGA's professional development and learning opportunities on our website: https://www.aiga.org/professional-development/aiga-passport-to-learning
From the Archives: Matt Groening at the 2002 AIGA Design Conference
In this episode, we present a clip of Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons and Futurama, speaking at the 2002 AIGA Design Conference in Washington DC. This footage has not been seen or heard publicly for over 20 years. Groening shares a story he had never told before, explains why he values design conferences, gives advice to fellow illustrators, reveals the namesake of Homer Simpson, and divulges some of the things the Fox Network censored from his shows.
Watch the video version of this podcast on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/814432149/f56404d0b2
Connect in person with your design community at the 2023 AIGA Design Conference, October 12-14 in New York City. Prepare to get inspired and re-energized while learning in community from designers at the cutting edge of today's hot topics. https://www.aiga.org/design/aiga-design-conference
Rodrigo Canales and Michael Bierut on Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders
“If you want to be a truly effective designer, you need to make sure that whatever it is that you’re designing is also designed to reside within a broader and more complex organization…and is not just solving for the problem that you are analyzing, which is what designers are excellent at.” - Rodrigo Canales
Rodrigo Canales, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior at the Yale School of Management, and Michael Bierut, Partner at Pentagram discuss the challenges that designers face as we advance as leaders in our careers and how the Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders program equips design leaders to address those challenges.
Join us for our Business Perspectives for Creative Leaders open house on Thursday, February 16 at 3 pm Eastern. RSVP: https://my.aiga.org/event-details?id=04831ca3-ba96-ed11-a81b-000d3a000cf9
And learn more about the program here: https://www.aiga.org/professional-development/business-perspectives-for-creative-leaders
Hugh Dubberly on design as finding balance in systems and why problem solving is not enough
"Thinking of design as problem-solving is an improvement over thinking of design as art, but as we move into a world of systems, the idea of solving a problem may be replaced by the idea of finding balance in a system..."
This clip from Hugh Dubberly is from a never-before-released interview conducted in 2019 at NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hugh will be teaching a workshop on Generative AI for Designers with Shelley Evenson, managing director of Song at the AIGA Executive Leadership Summit (Alexandria, VA, March 12-14, 2023).
Learn more and sign up for the AIGA Executive Leadership Summit: https://www.aiga.org/design/design-conferences/aiga-executive-leadership-summit
More about Hugh: http://www.dubberly.com/about
The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression & Reflection with Anne H. Berry, Jennifer Rittner, and Kelly Walters (RECORDED LIVE in Seattle at the AIGA Design Conference)
The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression & Reflection spotlights teaching practices, research, stories, and conversations from a Black/African diasporic lens.
Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA's director of design content and learning interviews editors Anne H. Berry, Jennifer Rittner, and Kelly Walters about the purpose, people, and processes behind the book. This episode was recorded live at the AIGA Design Conference in Seattle in October 2022.
Fast Company recently named The Black Experience in Design one of the best design books of 2022.
FEED SWAP - Did I Do That? - The Surreal World with Lee-Sean Huang
While we are still on break from producing new content, we will continue cross-posting podcast episodes from the design community, and other audio content.
Last month at the AIGA Design Conference, Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA's Director of Design Content and Learning and the producer of our podcasts, had the chance to hang out with Sean Schumacher and record an episode called “The Surreal World” for Sean's podcast which is called “Did I Do That?”
“Did I Do That?” is a conversation-style podcast about doing design, making mistakes, and the fun we have along the way.
https://www.dididothat.design/episode/the-surreal-world-with-lee-sean-huang
FEED SWAP - The Futures Archive S02E10: Automatic Door
AIGA has just wrapped our season of Design Adjacent. In the meantime, we will be posting some bonus materials to our feed while we figure out the future format of our shows. Our first feed swap is with The Futures Archive.
The Futures Archive is a podcast from Design Observer that looks at the history of human-centered design with a critical eye to its future. You can subscribe on Apple podcasts, or your favorite podcatcher.
On this episode, host Lee Moreau and co-host Sloan Leo discuss the automatic door, and how we can design thresholds of all kinds to be inviting to all people with additional insights from Laurent Stalder, Bess Williamson, Wendy Ju, and David Gissen.
You can view a complete transcript and find more information about this episode here.
Design Adjacent with Shauna Carey, Chief Executive Officer, IDEO.org on gratitude, social impact, finding the best solutions, challenges, curving paths, and small steps to the future
Shauna Carey currently serves as Chief Executive Officer, leveraging her deep expertise in both design and social impact to oversee the strategy and vision for IDEO.org. Previously, in her role as Executive Design Director & Chief Communications Officer, Shauna worked alongside design teams and communities to surface insights to unlock new possibilities, create narratives that inspire action, and share stories about the impact of design. Over the past nine years at IDEO.org, Shauna has worked on projects and programs focused on advancing health equity, criminal justice reform, refugee rights, gender equality, and climate resilience. She also previously served as Managing Director and co-lead of our New York studio.
Prior to joining IDEO.org, Shauna worked to expand access to quality education and health care at organizations like Room to Read and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. She also helped launch and grow a number of mission-driven startups in Europe and the San Francisco Bay Area. A social scientist at heart, Shauna holds a bachelor’s degree in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Outside of work, she’s happiest barefoot on a beach somewhere or at home in Brooklyn, where she can usually be found wandering around with a strong cup of coffee in hand.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Design Adjacent with Rebecca Tegtmeyer and Marty Maxwell Lane on collaboration, importance of seeing people in person, shared values and goals, and working through challenges
Our guests are authors of the book, “Collaboration in Design Education: Case Studies & Teaching Methodologies” which you can learn more about here: https://collabdesigned.com/.
Rebecca Tegtmeyer is a graphic design educator and practitioner. Through her active research, writing, making, and teaching agenda she investigates the role of a designer and the creative process through a variety of forms – from static to dynamic, time-based to print. Working both individually and collaboratively, she approaches design as a catalyst in facilitating systems that challenge and inspire – further extending the capabilities and responsibilities of a designer in today’s complex world. Current collaborative research projects focus on prioritizing the student experience and strengthening the values of design education. She is also examining the role of hand sewing in designing data visualizations that bring awareness to the economic inequities of motherhood.
Currently, Rebecca is an Associate Professor and the Associate Chairperson in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University. She teaches undergraduates and graduates in the areas of interaction design, motion design, typography, user experience, and branding design. She is an active contributor to both the BFA in Graphic Design and the BA in Experience Architecture degree programs.
Marty Maxwell Lane is a graphic design educator, maker, researcher, and writer. Her research focuses on design that facilitates learning and empowerment through investigations pertaining to design pedagogy, collaboration, and participatory design. Her active role in the design community has led her to present at competitive conferences in Cyprus, Berlin, London, Rome, Toronto, and the United States. Marty served as a regular contributor to the design magazine Parse (subsidiary of How magazine) and several other academic journals, magazines, and books such as Failing Forward and Type Rules! The Designer’s Guide to Professional Typography. As a long-time AIGA member, Marty has served on numerous boards, including as Director of Education for the Kansas City Chapter, Co-chair of the national AIGA Design Educators Steering Committee, and AIGA National Board Member. She is currently an advisor for the Northwest Arkansas Chapter.
Marty is currently an Associate Professor of Graphic Design in the School of Art at the University of Arkansas, where she also serves as the Director of the School. She specializes in human-centered design, design pedagogy, and leadership.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Design Adjacent with Zachary Kaiser, Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Experience Architecture at Michigan State University on design and technology, privacy, and writing
Zachary Kaiser is Associate Professor of Graphic Design and Experience Architecture at Michigan State University, USA. His research and creative practice examine the politics of technology and the role of design in shaping the parameters of individual, social, and political possibility. His work has been featured in national and international exhibitions, and his writing, on topics ranging from the future of the arts in higher education to dream-reading technologies, appears in both scholarly and popular publications.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Design Adjacent with Camille Finan, Host and Producer of Remodel Your Life Podcast on false assumptions, finding allies in your space, over meeting expectations, and internalizing functionality
For more than 25 years, Camille Finan has been building kitchens and helping women create something beautiful. She started her journey in a rather unexpected way though. She was a business development consultant and taught marketing to graduate students in California, and while she loved helping people start and grow small businesses, she didn’t feel she had the chance to be very creative with her hands. She shut down her business and went back to the basics. She dug ditches and hung drywall in the beginning but slowly over time, she realized she really loved carpentry and joined the carpenters union. That led her down a path of exploring different kinds of carpentry, eventually falling in love with kitchens.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Design Adjacent with Paul Taylor, Chief Creative Officer and Founding Partner, BrandOpus on cracked eggs and iconic brands
Paul Taylor is the Chief Creative Officer and Founding Partner at global branding agency BrandOpus. Founded in 2007, BrandOpus creates meaningful and connected brand experience for some of the world's most revered brands. Fusing wisdom with wonderment, his role today is to lead all creative output across the London, New York, Chicago and Melbourne studios. Paul has served brand experience for a wide portfolio of brands including Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, McCain, Britvic and First Direct. His work has been recognized by the likes of D&AD, The Design Business Association, Pentawards and The Drum.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Design Adjacent with Chris Hervochon, Better Way CPA, virtual CFO for marketing and creative agencies and nonprofit organizations
On this episode of AIGA Design Adjacent…Moving from hobby to work, taking advantage of the experts in your corner, value of a business coach, investing in yourself, making data work for you, and being helpful with Chris Hervochon, Better Way CPA, Virtual CFO for marketing and creative agencies and nonprofit organizations
Chris Hervochon, CPA, CVA is the sole proprietor of his CPA firm. Chris Hervochon provides outsourced accounting and tax preparation for small businesses and individuals. Before starting his own CPA firm, Chris spent ten years between forensic accounting and corporate accounting and finance. He has been featured in publications such as the Journal of Accountancy, Accounting Today, AMEX Open Forum, Parakeeto Podcast, The Agency Management Institute Podcast and the Digital Marketing Agency Builders Podcast for his industry knowledge and accounting expertise.
Chris' passion for the accounting and finance industry is evident by a number of extra-curricular programs. He volunteers as a committee member of the AICPA Young Member Leadership Committee, and lead of the Retention Task Force. Chris is a member of the Business & Industry and Government Affairs Committees, as well as the CPE Facility Task Force of the South Carolina Association of CPAs.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Design Adjacent with AIGA Medalist Archie Boston on design spirituality, art, culture, and industry, learning for the sake of knowledge, capturing history, and helping others through design
Archie is a nationally known art director, designer, author, business owner, and educator. He was chair of the Graphic Design Program at California State University Long Beach for 12 terms and was named Outstanding Professor of the Year in 2004. He has also operated his design-consulting firm, Archie Boston Graphic Design, since 1972. He was the first African American recipient of the prestigious AIGA Fellows Award from the Los Angeles Chapter of AIGA in 2007. The Fellows Award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to raise the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community. In 2021, he was the recipient of the AIGA Medal for expanding voice—he was recognized for his longstanding commitment to his students as an educator, mentor, and profound influence on the community of Los Angeles, as well as his bold, funny, polemical designs from a lifetime body of work.
Archie and his brother, David, are the creative force that created the 2016 documentary, Black Pioneers of the Sunshine City, which has been shown on WEDU in the Central Florida area during Black History Month, since 2017. He was also interviewed and his posters were featured in the documentary, The Real Mad Men of Advertising of the 1960’s, which was donated to The Smithsonian Museum in 2018.
As one of the few African-American graphic designers in California, he impacted generations of designers as an educator, writer, and designer.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Fireside Chat with Robin Petravic, Co-owner and Managing Director of Heath Ceramics
AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design. Join us in welcoming Robin Petravic, Co-owner and Managing Director of Heath Ceramics.
Heath Ceramics is the 2022 AIGA Corporate Leadership Awardee. Founded in 1948 in Sausalito, California, is an American maker of goods for the home. The company is best known for its handcrafted tableware and architectural tile in distinctive glazes. Led by husband and wife, Robin Petravic and Catherine Bailey, who are shaping the relationship we have to things we own, and the way we come to own them.
Design Adjacent with Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator, Eames Institute on infinite curiosity, chain reactions, design as a method of action, addressing needs, creating connections, and sustainability
Llisa Demetrios, the youngest granddaughter of Ray and Charles Eames, is a third generation maker, following in the footsteps of her creative legacy. Llisa is leading the Eames Institute as Chief Curator, and has previous experience as an Archivist at the MoMA, Eames Official, and has dedicated her life to keeping the Eames name present throughout design endeavors. Additionally, Llisa is on the Board of Directors for the Petaluma Arts Center, and is a passionate bronze sculptor.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.
Fireside Chat with Rick Griffith
AIGA Executive Director Bennie F. Johnson talks with today's leaders in design, business, and technology, focused around the topics of leadership growth, the future of work, and creating a culture of design. Join us in welcoming Rick Griffith, the 2022 AIGA Design Conference Chair, who will share his vision and the theme for this year’s upcoming conference in October taking place in Seattle, WA.
Rick Griffith has been a full-time designer, occasional writer, teacher, activist and printer, who produces, collects and loves artifacts (often made of paper) that are sometimes qualified to be discussed as art. He also participates in a studio called MATTER, and every Saturday he works in the shop at MATTER; these are both enterprises and collaborations with his Partner Debra Johnson.
Design Adjacent with Elise Schuster, Co-Founder and Executive Director, okayso on being a problem solver, standing the gap, creating safe spaces, and building a human first organization.
Elise Schuster is a sexuality educator with 15 years of experience in youth development and pleasure-based sex education. Elise has a masters in public health from Columbia University with a specialization in sexuality and health. Elise began their work in public health at Physicians for Reproductive Health, training doctors to provide adolescent-friendly reproductive health care. They also spent many years teaching workshops at Babeland and having thousands of one-on-one educational pleasure-based sexual health conversations.
After their MPH, Elise spent almost a decade at a premiere NYC youth development center serving over 11,000 marginalized young people every year. Elise had several roles here including running intake and assessment for over 30 new young people every day, overseeing capacity building work, managing 30 student volunteers, starting a professional training institute, and a youth council, and overseeing a $6.5 million wraparound services grant with twelve subgrantee partners.
Elise also serves as a trainer on LGBTQ+ competency issues and regularly facilitates workshops for healthcare professionals, educators, artists, corporations, and more.
About AIGA Design Adjacent
AIGA Design Adjacent is a monthly podcast series with AIGA’s Executive Director, Bennie F. Johnson, in conversation with industry leaders who are innovating and designing the future. These conversations expand beyond the design community, encompassing industries and areas that intersect with design and shift the ways in which we think about and interact with each other and the world around us.
About Bennie F. Johnson
Bennie F. Johnson is the Executive Director of AIGA, the professional association for design. Bennie thrives on the connections between marketing, technology, education, and innovation. With experience in strategic and consumer marketing, brand management, and innovation management, he is drawn to opportunities that allow him to lead and create new modes for business engagement. He has broad experience growing brands, businesses, and organizations with a special focus on venture launch and brand relaunch business environments.