Design Together

We've spoken with many designers who pivoted careers and jumped between jobs in their first years after graduation, but what about graduates who find a good fit on their first try? Nick has been with Think Company since he was hired there out of school, and he chalks it up to discovering a passion for UX as Abby's student in his senior year. Join us as we talk about how to negotiate a salary, what makes a strong UI/UX portfolio, and why you shouldn't be nervous about not knowing your design passion during your college years.

This season is all about designers' transitions from school to the working world – but what about graduates who went on to give back and become educators? In this episode, we chatted with Dylan Ball about his journey from school to work… and back to school again, this time as a Computer Technology teacher. In the process, Dylan shares what he learned about building professional skills at design school, spotting red flags in a potential employer, and honing in on what line of work brings you joy. 

From LinkedIn networking to rejections in the interview stage, job hunting isn't easy – take it from Vash Persaud, who sat down with us to talk about her transition from school to her fellowship at AdFellows. In this episode, Vash breaks down how her support network at school led to opportunities in the professional world, her experience working at a design fellowship, and why you should always explore new connections (even if they don't lead straight to jobs.) Tune in as we explore the world of building a professional presence after school.

“The path to your career is not exactly straight.” These are Madison's words as she describes the process of getting her job at Merje, from sending out countless applications to getting her position and diving into the world of environmental design. In this episode, Madison offers advice on pursuing mission-driven work, negotiating salaries, navigating client critiques, and approaching job applications with confidence. 

What happens if you land your dream job fresh out of college… but you're already working somewhere else? We spoke with Frank White, Graphic Designer at Comcast Spectator, about his work designing for the Philadelphia Flyers and the process of transitioning between jobs after school. Leaving a job just a few months after your hire date is widely accepted in the design world, but it can still lead to some intimidating conversations. In this episode, we talk about navigating that transition and overcoming fear so you can land a job you love.

Join us for a conversation with Anmol Dhamrait as she recounts her career adventure from undergraduate and graduate school to internships, project management and more. In this episode Anmol offers advice on balancing work and education, staying open minded in your career path, and the value of bringing a design background to the business world. Aspiring (and current) art directors, project managers, and leaders will want to tune in to this one!

Starting out as a designer can mean constantly moving between jobs, working styles, and design specialties – and Sam Cush is exemplary of this shifting landscape, with a laundry list of experience in everything from printmaking to biotech. We sat down with Sam to talk about the journey to their current role at J2, from internships to freelancing to jumping between full-time jobs. Stick around for Sam's input on how to advocate for yourself as a professional designer, knowing when it's time to try a new job, and how to build (and leverage!) your network in school and beyond.

The new season of Design Together is geared toward designers in the early stages of their careers. The topics covered include the shift from academic life to the workforce and the various challenges and triumphs accompanying this transition. We've coined this season "Starting Out." Our first guest is Allie Osipov, a Senior Designer from WebMechanix. Graduating in the throes of the pandemic meant unique challenges for Allie's job hunt after school. In this episode, we hear about Allie's experience searching for a good career fit, how she balances work and play, and why you should never be afraid to ask questions in the professional world.

Ever wonder what it is like to work at an award-winning small design studio? Join us for a chat with the founder of SK Designworks, Soonduk Krebs, and senior designer Georgiana Constantinescu. We discuss their workflows, making deadlines, their favorite projects, and most importantly what not to wear to an interview at SK Designworks. 

Join us for a chat with Rachel Elnar, David Carr-Berry, and Elysia Syriac, the team behind Adobe Creative Jams. A typical Jam includes training bootcamps, keynote speakers, a design challenge, and judging and feedback. Producing a Creative Jam is a ton of work, but this team makes it look easy. Find out what is in their secret sauce (hint: it's out of this world). 

On this episode of Design Together we chat with the leadership team at handsome. Hear from CEO John Roescher, President Jennifer Allen, and CCO Pablo Marques, as we discuss the evolution of handsome and learn what makes their unique agency model work. 

Join us to discuss the behind-the-scenes of organizing a design conference. Our conversation with George Garrastegui Jr., Educator and Process Advocate, and Nakita Pope, Chief Chick of Branding Chicks, covers everything from planning the 2022 AIGA Design and Business Conference, to why joining a professional organization has value. This conference is all about the merging of business and design and is something we know our listeners will want to attend. 

In this episode of Design Together, we connect with Clara Galan, Global Education Community Lead at Adobe, along with two members of the Adobe Education Leaders, Joseph Labrecque, Instructor of Technology at University of Colorado Boulder and Diane Keeler, Manager of Digital Production at Occidental College. This episode is great for educators, especially those interested in learning more about the education communities at Adobe. 

In season's three opening episode we talk with Bill Kenney, Co-Founder and CEO at Focus Lab and Stephanie Taylor-Coleman, Brand Support Manager at Focus Lab. Bill shares Focus Lab's unique approach to presenting weekly updates to clients and how important client education is for their process. Stephanie joins us to share how she landed at Focus Lab and walks us through how the Brand Support team provides support to branding clients post a rebrand. This episode is great for anyone interested in branding and the design process.  

In this bonus episode, we're joined by Ben Greengrass and D'Angelo Heyward, who met through the D&AD mentorship program. Ben is the Creative Director of the design agency ThoughtMatter, while D'Angelo is a designer and illustrator who was accepted into the D&AD Shift program last spring. The program includes an intensive night school led by industry experts and mentorship for self-made creatives without a college degree. Join us to hear how Ben and D'Angelo connected, worked together, and hint, hint, will continue to work together in the future! 

On this episode of Design Together, Natalie Nixon, PhD, author of the award-winning book “The Creativity Leap“ and Founder and Creativity Strategist at Figure 8 Thinking joins us to share her insights on creativity and what bridges creativity and collaboration. Natalie helps demystify creativity through wonder and rigor as we confront the barriers preventing many from taking their own creative leap. 

What is community branding? How does research help inform creative decision-making? Whose voices are heard when designing a brand that will represent an entire community? And what happens when a newly elected official takes over mid-rebrand? Join us for a chat with RJ Thompson, an award-winning marketing and graphic design professional. RJ wears many hats, one being the founder of +Public, a company focused on community branding. 

This week, Courtney Spencer, Global Head of Design at ZX Ventures, joins us to share her unique story of success. We'll discuss all of the folks she's collaborated with on her way to the top and how she's currently working with design teams across the globe. Courtney's excitement for life is contagious, whether walking into a board room or recording this show. This episode is great for those new to design and those hoping to work their way up. 

David Schwarz, a founding partner from Hush, joins us to discuss leading with your gut, being naive enough to take the leap to become a business owner, and how to find the right partner with complementary goals. I'll give you a clue, it all comes down to a Banh Mi sandwich. David is an articulate, inspirational storyteller who will resonate with all of my listeners in both the design industry and academia. 

Join us as we chat with Sara Hall, User Experience Practice Lead at the City of Philadelphia. Hear about how Sara's background in architecture and industrial design lead her to a career in user experience design and why she is so passionate about design for the public good. Learn what challenges you face when your stakeholders are an entire city of over one and a half million people. 

This episode is a special one, and something I am very excited to bring to you, my listeners. Many of us run small, independent design studios and often collaboration looks different for this niche of designers. We are nimble and often have a network of freelancers we bring on as needed, but how do we grow our offerings without making the financial commitment for new hires. Corey Pontz, founder of CWP Design Studio, and Jennifer Edwards, Co-Founder of better_, join forces to bring together design and strategy and share how their independent companies work together on everything from proposals to workflow, from brainstorming to the delivery of some amazing work. This episode is an eye-opener for any small business owner as well as those newer to the industry. 

On this episode of Design Together, Chad Reichert, Professor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit (CCS) and Proprietor at spirit3design joins us to share how he collaborates both in and out of the classroom. Learn how CCS incorporates sponsored projects into their curriculum, and how these projects impact the students and allow them to build the skills they need to be successful collaborations. This episode is great for all educators and anyone interested in learning how design is being taught in 2021. 

The brutally honest consultant and author, Emily Cohen, joins us to share her unique insights on collaboration. Having worked with countless design studios of all sizes, Emily is an expert in knowing what makes a team gel. And in true Emily fashion, she doesn't hold back when letting us know her honest thoughts on the term "creative culture." This episode is perfect for anyone looking to expand their team, as well as those just getting started. PS: There is a gem of an interview question suggestion in this episode you won't want to miss! 

On this episode of Design Together, Gavin Cooper, Senior Manager of UX Strategy at Vanguard, joins us to share what has shaped his career and his approach to working collaboratively. We discuss what it is like to work on a team at Vanguard and how your collaborative skills are rewarded on the job. This episode is perfect for anyone who is on a product team, whether you are just starting out, or if you've been in the industry for years. 

Sergio Claudio, Sr. Director, Enterprise & Commercial Experience at Adobe, joins us to share his insights on how to facilitate a successful collaboration, what mindset an individual should approach collaboration with to be effective, and what methodologies he likes to use for group problem-solving. This episode is great for those new to design as well as seasoned professionals who want some new tricks for their own facilitator toolboxes. 

Today's show is a first for us as we have two guests. Allan Espiritu and Kevin Kernan, partners from GD Loft, share how they came to work together, how their skills complement each other, and how they involve their clients in their process. This is a great episode for any entrepreneurs looking to start a studio, as well as everyone folks interested in design for the public good (GD Loft does a lot of it)! 

Matt Dombrowski, an Associate Professor of Emerging Media at the University of Central Florida and the Creative Director Limbitless Solutions joins us to share how he came to collaborate with the team at Limbitless Solutions. This creative collaboration is one of the most inspirational projects you will hear about this year! Anyone interested in using your skills to impact others will enjoy this episode. 

Join us for a conversation with Lisa Gottfried, an educator at the project-based learning (PBL) high school, New Technology in Napa Valley, California where she teaches digital design. Lisa is also an Adobe Education Leader and inspired me to start this podcast! If you haven't heard of the PBL learning model, this is an episode you must listen to! This episode is great for both educators and design collaborators. 

In the first episode of season two, I talk with David Dylan Thomas, author of "Design for Cognitive Bias." Learn how to avoid the bandwagon effect and what mechanisms we can all use to improve collaboration. This episode is great for both those new to design as well as seasoned designers! 

In the final episode of my first mini-season, I chat with Josh Goldblum, founder of BlueCadet. Josh talks about creating a collaborative culture, and how he has helped his team break some habits that work against this culture. Josh also shares the mistakes he made in the early days of BlueCadet, as well as the different approaches to collaboration and office structure they have tried along the way.

In our second episode, I connect with Danielle Traitz, Senior Design Lead at Think Company in Philadelphia. Danielle shares how her team uses a whiteboard to collaborate and how this process was transformed into the digital space. We also discuss how Think Company includes their clients as collaborators and why this is so important to their process.

Matthew McGlynn, Associate Creative Director at Comcast joins me to discuss how the “pods” at Comcast collaborate on various projects. He shares how the pods are constructed, the roles the team members play, and how collaborative work has evolved at Comcast. We also cover various tools his team uses to work together, and how these processes shifted once the pandemic hit.