Type is one of those elements that I use it every day, I could not do my job without, and yet as much as I know about it, there is even more that I do not know. That’s why I find it such a great opportunity to speak with guests like Allan Haley of Monotype Imaging. Allan knows more about letters than I ever will, so it was great to have him on this episode of The Reflex Blue Show.

Joined by co-host Ben Lueders, we talk about Monotype Imaging, web fonts, how to become a type designer and the hardest letter in the English alphabet to design.

We also speak a bit about his 2012 HOW Conference presentation (Allan is one of the speakers) coming this June in Boston.

We’ll be back in two weeks recapping the ads from some football game. See you then!

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 5 Episode 2 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Looks like we ended the fourth season of The Reflex Blue Show with 12 episodes featuring guests such as James Victore, Jessica Hische, Michael Osborne, and Dyana Valentine. We also somehow found the time (with help from Ben Lueders) to cover 3 national conferences (in HOW, How Interactive, and AIGA) with 12 special episodes featuring guests like Emily Potts, Von Glitschka, Doug Powell, Cami Travis-Groves, and Terry White.

Season 5 kicks off with the biggest change we’ve ever made on this show – my co-host, Nate Voss, is stepping down from his podcasting duties. I am a bit unsure of how this will effect the direction of the show, but I’d love to take you with me on this adventure – and thank you for listening, it’s the reason I keep doing this.

In my six plus years of podcasting now, I have realized that the show has not always been just me and Nate, but has grown into what it is because of the listeners, and because of the great guests we have been able to have on the show. It is with that in mind that I bring back one of our most frequent friends of the show in Steve Gordon, and our newest one in Ben Lueders.

New Year? I guess it’s time we discuss 2011 then, as we each talk about what we found to be the Design Event of 2011; the Design Product of 2011; and the Design Story of 2011. Then I empty my fridge of vintage (i.e. old) soda in a taste test.

Hope you enjoy the new show.

Your host,
Donovan Beery

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 5 Episode 1 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The How Interactive Design Conference came to a close today with a lengthy yet groundbreaking 3 hr training session. Terry White, Adobe’s “Worldwide Design Evangelist”, introduced the largely print-based crowd to Adobe’s latest web product: Adobe Muse.

Our Day 3 recap begins with an in-depth explanation of Adobe Muse from Terry White himself- and then we talk with two print designers, Cami Rutkowski and Paige Clark of Seattle WA, who were absolutely stunned by Terry’s presentation- and the conference in general.

(A special thanks to Cami and Paige- who at first were rather shy about being featured on such a high-profile design blog… but obviously, turned out to be a fantastic radio duo. You two should start your own design podcast!)

-Ben Lueders // Eleven19 Communications

Download The Reflex Blue Show,HOW IDC 2011 Recap Day 3 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

In the first half of my Day 2 podcast I am joined by conference goers Tess Donohoe and Rick Hassen. Tess works in the interactive design department of American Greetings in LA, and Rick is the husband half of a husband and wife design team out of Point Reyes Station CA. These two share what they have been getting out of the conference.

In the second half of the program I am joined by HOW speaker Patrick McNeil and HOW mc Grace Dobush (both pictured above). Patrick is a content director for the HOW Interactive Design website, and Grace is the executive director of that website. It was great to chat with this lively dynamic design duo!

(Listen for Tess Donohoe jumping in with her own questions for Patrick and Grace towards the end of the show!)

-Ben Lueders // Eleven19 Communications

Download The Reflex Blue Show,HOW IDC 2011 Recap Day 2 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Yesterday at the HOW Interactive Design Conference I sat down next to a well-dressed business man with a Blackberry. Since all the HOW speakers had been taking turns bashing Blackberries I thought I should talk to him to see how he was taking it (I also thought it might make me feel better about being demoted to the ol’ flip phone). Well- that man turned out to be Gary Lynch- the guy that runs all the HOW conferences! You can hear my interview with him at the beginning of the recap below.

Later that evening, during the happy hour, I happened to sit next to two very intelligent/articulate young designers named Micah Sledge and Sherryl Anderson. (That’s their pretty picture up above) They both seemed to have gotten a lot out of the conference- but don’t take my word for it though, LISTEN TO THE PODCAST!

(Apologies in advance for my extremely sore throat- and holding the mic too closely to my mouth. What can I say- it was my first time!)

-Ben Lueders // Eleven19 Communications

Download The Reflex Blue Show,HOW IDC 2011 Recap Day 1 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Well- that wasn’t so bad…

In preparation for my podcasting/blogging for 36point.com at the HOW Interactive Design Conference in San Francisco, Donovan Beery fired up the ol’ garageband and condenser mic for a small test run of the ol’ Reflex Blue Show. CHECK IT.

Farewell good listeners- when we meet again it shall be on the bright shores of balmy San Francisco!

-Ben Lueders // Eleven 19 Communications

Download The Reflex Blue Show: HOW Interactive Design Adventure: Day ZERO or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Spending almost an hour being made to feel like a Fox News flame-war anchor, I admit, may have gotten me into a feisty mood when it came to naming today’s show (the graphic, though, is just me being a dick because Donovan left me off the last podcast’s artwork).

The breakdown:

Barack Obama‘s campaign holds a poster contest that doesn’t maybe crosses a the line from grassroots community builder into KILL-IT-WITH-FIRE Spec Work. AIGA overreacts and/or overcompensates writes a letter. Nate and Drew who may be thankful his name actually didn’t make the show title? spar while Donovan tries to make Nate feel like an idiot for even bringing it up tries to make Nate feel like an idiot for even bringing it up.

THE FINAL VERDICT MAY SHOCK YOUno it won’t.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 12 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

I wrapped up my blogging of Pivot for the Neenah Paper blog by covering some letterpress posters and my looking at RVs.

And for our audio recap of the conference, we brought in Cami Travis-Groves, Mike Joosse, and Bill Moran of Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum. After seeing his letterpress posters I covered, how could I not?

Download The Reflex Blue Show: AIGA Pivot Conference Special: DAY THREE or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Once again, I’ll keep this short, as my conference reviews are already in written form at the Neenah Paper blog. Since yesterdays recap, I spoke of sitting on a chair made of seat belts, Robert Brunner still being a design genius and Chip Kidd becoming a super villain.

As for the day two recap, I bring in one of our favorite guests in Justin Ahrens, the voice of Neenah Paper’s social media in Jamie Saunders and one of the last conferences’ Command X participants telling us what it’s like on the other side of the competition in Ryan Fitzgibbon.

Download The Reflex Blue Show: AIGA Pivot Conference Special: DAY TWO or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Somehow I ended up in Phoenix, and so far, great. I’ll keep these posts short, as I am writing my recaps over at the Neenah Paper blog. To read those, here is my first day recap, and here is my first night recap.

But for the audio recap of Day One at Pivot on The Reflex Blue Show, we bring you AIGA Nebraska President Craig Hughes, AIGA National Board Member Drew Davies, and AIGA National President Doug Powell.

Download The Reflex Blue Show: AIGA Pivot Conference Special: DAY ONE or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

How we made it through half of a season without having Steve Gordon, Jr. swing by to guest on a show is beyond me – and a problem we decided to fix immediately. So, welcome back to the show Steve! This time around, we start by talking of the Field Paper show in Omaha, Nebraska, which led to me getting this week’s topic from the immensely talented Cathy Solarana. We basically talk about staying relevant, and positioning yourself as a freelancer when you are no longer just a year or two outside of school.

We spend the second half of the show going over all sorts of things: Steve’s new book (which he just found out about this month), 365 Habits of Successful Graphic Designers: Insider Secrets from Top Designers on Working Smart and Staying Creative (ends up that Rockport is packaging his previous book with two others in a new volume); Steve judging the HOW International Design Awards with Ann Willoughby and Mary Zalla; other upcoming F+W Media competitions; me blogging for Neenah Paper at the upcoming AIGA Pivot Conference in Phoenix; and what we are working on right now.

I’ll be back with daily podcast recaps from the big Phoenix event in a couple weeks, and we’ll be back with new shows starting in a month. Thanks for listening, and here is a link to the behind-the-scenes work on the new Neenah Paper promotions Design Army did (the ones we keep referencing in this episode).

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 11 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

This week’s show — new and recorded live while the microphones were on — is an operatic examination of Things. We spend a slight amount of time recapping our recappings of HOWlive twenty-eleven (presumably for the final time); the finer points of local AIGA awards shows; a magical pen that records your drawings and turns them into more drawings; finally begin to delve into Adobe Creative Suite Five Period Five (a conversation will continue, dear friends, as we endeavor to uncover its dark, dark secrets); and do a little, tiny bit of dribbbling. Maybe more?

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 10 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

David Sherwin of frog joins us for the last of the seven shows we recorded from the 2011 HOW Conferences in Chicago. A big thanks goes out to the staff at HOW for helping us secure an interview room, and allowing us to walk around the closing evening events with a microphone recording our daily recaps. Great people at the organization.

As for David, he works for one of the big shops, and speaks some about their work, some about his sweet book – Creative Workshop: 80 Challenges to Sharpen Your Design Skills, a bit about his ChangeOrder blog, and some about help in setting up the upcoming HOW Interactive Conference (November 2-4, 2011 in San Francisco).

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 9 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

For those of you that really pay attention to the show, obviously the interview we planned to follow up last week’s show with James Victore somehow did not happen. Not sure what happened – hey, that HOW Conference can be nuts – trying to keep a schedule straight with all that is going on, well, if one guest out of seven doesn’t show up, it’s not the worst thing.

Actually, we still ended up with seven interviews. I was sneaking into the back row of Mig Reyes‘ talk (once again you groups out there  – you need to book Mig to talk, he is really getting good at this speaking thing), and I run into James Victore (just hours after we spoke with him), and he said something like “hey Donovan, you need Jessica on your show. Hey Jessica, you need to be on his show.” So, I sat down, we looked at schedules, and we recorded a podcast with Jessica Hische the next day.

Jessica speaks about her work in lettering, her daily drop cap site, her chart on if you should work for free,  her i can haz art school site, putting more online about her self than she should, and more.

Next week we’ll launch the last of our Howlive interviews and go back to our regular bi-weekly(ish) schedule. In the meantime, enjoy the show, and be sure to check out the amazing work of Jessica Hische.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 8 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

James Victore has one of the best looking books I have seen in the past few years out right now showcasing his work. Victore or, Who Died and Made You Boss?, designed by Paul Sahre, and printed with enough ink to kill a man is obviously the first thing we need to talk about.

From there we cover some of the past 25 years of Victore’s career, and movies. Out of the past couple years, James Victore recommends The Town. I recommend Hot Tub Time Machine.

After recording this, I told some friends they NEEDED to see this guy talk the next day at HOWlive. I am told he did not disappoint, and delivered a presentation much like his work: one that makes you want to do better work – and work that matters.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 7 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Michael Osborne spoke at the first HOW Conference I attended two years ago in Austin. He talk about running a non-profit design studio called Joey’s Corner was one of the highlights of the conference – for me at least. Since that talk, I actually upped the amount of pro-bono work I had been doing, rather than scaling back as finances would think I should. So when I saw that he would be speaking at the Dieline section of HOWlive this year, he was at the top of the list for people we really wanted to have on the show.

We welcome not only Michael Osborne, but also Dennis Whalen of Michael Osborne Design where we speak briefly about the work of the studio. And somewhere along the way we also talk of Michael’s Packaging 4 class at the Academy of Art University. Amazing student work.

But first, we speak of stamps. One of the things I love most about recording these shows is the uncertainty of where the conversations will lead – and this one starts off by spending half the show speaking about United States Postage stamps. The art above shows the two stamps we speak the highest of. The 2002 Love stamp designed by Michael Osborne, and the 3 cent baseball stamp from 1939. Enjoy.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 6 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

I remember when Emily Cohen came to Omaha back in August of 2005 to speak to our local AIGA Chapter. The information she shared about pricing and winning pitches was one of the most useful talks I’ve ever been to. Unfortunately, it would take another two months before we started podcasting, so we never had the opportunity to have her on as a guest.

Another thing I’ve learned is that if you want to see great speakers, the HOW Conference seems to have them in bunches. So, when we were asked who we wanted to interview while at the HOWlive events last month, Emily was the first guest on my list. She still does business helping design firms and such as Emily Cohen, but now works with in-house teams at Cohen Miller Consulting.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 5 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Bryn Mooth, who was the face of HOW and the HOW Conference for as long as I can remember, attended this year’s conference as an attendee. But leaving the world of writing? No, she’s just moved on to writing about food at her new site, writes4food.

So we talk of food, writing, 20 years of HOW, and then – interruptions – lot of interruptions. Ends up that after recording our last episode with Dyana Valentine and Stefan Mumaw, the staff of the conference center cleaned our recording room out. In the process, our microphones and some other items were just gone. I will give the Hyatt staff some props for quick action on this one. Too quick, as we get interrupted a number of times here. Even before recording was done (as you will hear through the breaks in this show), half of our items were found. The microphones made it back within a few hours. The other items? I assume they got thrown in a dumpster.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 4 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Has it been a week since Nate and I left Chicago after spending six days and five nights at the HOW Design Live event? According to the calendar?

Well, before even the first recap of the event was recorded, I had spent most of Wednesday in the windy city waiting for Nate to get there. He had spent the entire day in a vehicle with Stefan Mumaw, who was on our show talking about his Caffeine books in Season 2, driving from Kansas City. I was really hoping for some epic road trip stories, but I think other than traffic, it was pretty standard stuff.

As Stefan was with Nate, and he has a new book out (Chasing the Monster Idea: The Marketer’s Almanac for Predicting Idea Epicness), we made him stop in and chat with us and our scheduled guest.

As for the scheduled guest? Dyana Valentine speaks more about the “Perfect Pitches” we spoke about last year. This was a lot of fun, and really set off our week on the right foot. Enjoy.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 3 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Von Glitschka, Jon Sandruck, and Jason Early stop over to discuss the finale day of the HOW Design Live conference. Then Tom Nemitz and I talk about lunch plans for the day.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, HOWLive 2011: Day Five Recap or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Linda Cassady and Jamie Saunders stop by to recap the last full day of events at the HOW Design Live conference.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, HOWLive 2011: Day Four Recap or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

James Victore, Ken Visocky O’Grady, and Mike Joosse recap the day that is referred to as three in the HOW Design Live conference that is happening in this great city they call Chicago.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, HOWLive 2011: Day Three Recap or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Emily Potts, Matt Porter, Steve Gordon, Theresa D’Alessandro, Ensley Peters, and Tom Nemitz recap the first day of the HOW Design Live straight from the hotel bar at the Hyatt.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, HOWLive 2011: Day Two Recap or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Justin Ahrens, Von Glitschka, and Maria Singleton join us at the Creative Freelancer Happy Hour as we discuss the first day(-ish!) of the HOW Design Live in Chicago, Illinois.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, HOWLive 2011: Day One Recap or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Justin Ahrens, who you know and love (?) if you have listened to this show for any amount of time, joins us yet again and this time we beat some information out of him about actual paying work. Dude’s always helping people, changing the world and making lives better, and frankly we’re tired of hearing about it. So we talk about some real billable, paying work.

We also dig into what he’s cooking for the HOW Design Live show in just a few weeks, and Jon Cryer‘s illustrious movie career. And scotch. LISTEN! LISTEN!

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 2 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Mig Reyes is no stranger to The Reflex Blue Show. Mig made an appearance while working at Rule29 on Episode #23,  talked about social media with us on our Season 1 Finale, dropped student tips on almost every show we recorded for Season 2, and he seems to show up on a number of our conference specials, but a few months in a regular schedule is like years in Mig time. It’s obviously time we catch up to all he has been up to.

We kick off Season 4 speaking to Mig about his design industry advice site Humble Pied, his work at Threadless, and his upcoming talk on “How the New Kids on the Block do it” at the How Conference this June in his home city of Chicago.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 4 Episode 1 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Our last show of 2010! In 2011!

We take questions from the field of Twitter (follow the site on @36point, Nate @vossome, and Donovan @eleven19), and then, we talk about them! It’s a killer end to the season, really. It at least gave me an excuse to turn Tron Girl there into InDesign Tron Girl. Which I love.

So listen up!

Download The Reflex Bluw Show, Season 3, Episode whatever or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

This nearly-two-hour podcast is the very ultimate in Superbowl TV Commercial recaps. All the best, none of the rest. Our panel of six experts (including Design Princess Ashley McFeely, Show Friends Aaron Stubbe and Joe Sparano, and Steve “Aren’t I Too Famous For This Yet?” RDQlus Gordon) cut through nine categories of awesomeness to bring you the very best of the best of the best of Superbowl Ads. Listen in to see how we picked winners (and runners up) for the following categories:

• “Best” Use of a Celebrity or Athlete
• Best Nutshot or Nutshot-Like Behavior
• Worst Use of 3 Million Dollars
• Best Movie Trailer
• Best Use of Sexy to Sell an Unsexy Product or Service
• Character You Would Most Like to Party With
• Best Series
• Best Ad, Serious
• Best Ad, Comedy

Download The Superb Owl Spectacular iii or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Steve Gordon introduced us, through Twitter, to Brandon Herbel of Make Believe Studio. Not only does Brandon do great work for music acts nationwide, but he also started his own clothing company eight months ago. When we found out he was located right in our backyard of Omaha, Nebraska, we had to have him stop by to be on the show. We speak of the new Make Believe Clothing Company and his other ventures. And how can we speak of any fashion without having Steve on the show, where he shares a bit more about his ventures into clothing – and then we talk Starbucks.

For those people not within a block of a Starbucks, it appears they are all rebranding.

We’ll be back in a couple weeks with our annual Twitter show, so send us questions @36point and we’ll answer them on the next show.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 19 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Aaron Stubbe, from Clark Creative Group, returns for the continuation of how to present work to clients. We also bring in regular guest Steve Gordon, of RDQLUS Creative, to round out the panel. You have to do what is comfortable to you, but hopefully we give some otherwise decent advice. Thoughts? Leave them below.

In what then turns out to be almost a double episode in itself, we start discussing the current design projects we’re working on.

And, how can we live in the state of Nebraska without discussing a logo makeover caused by our University switching to the Big Ten? The discussion gets so heated, and somewhat off-topic, that Nate even did a special 1PT.Rule story arch this week to continue the conversation onward. Wait, that was also off-topic, so back to the new Big 10 logo designed over at Pentagram. Is it a Big Ten, a B 10, a B 10 Ten, a Big 10 Ten, or a Big Ten B 10 Ten? Join the discussion at Brand New. And for those who don’t follow the Big Ten at all, the short story is the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s athletic department decided to leave the Big Twelve conference after this year and join the Big Ten. Since the Big Ten has had eleven teams since 1990, and Colorado is also leaving the Big Twelve this year, the Big Ten will now have twelve teams and the Big Twelve will now have ten teams. Isn’t this why we follow sports?

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 18 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Aaron Stubbe is one talented Art Director (he works at Clark Creative Group in Omaha). Also, in editing this show, I found the man has a voice for radio. Besides being our guest on The Reflex Blue show, his vocal skills have to be helpful at presenting work to clients, right? I hope so, because that’s what we’re talking about this time around.

The real question though? How do we even cover anything worthwhile in our short show format with a topic this big? Simply put – we can’t – so we don’t even try. This episode is merely the first of two parts. We’ll cover part two in the next episode. Until then, enjoy.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 17 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Pricing and estimating design projects is one of those things we didn’t expect to have to do when we decided to become designers. But if you freelance or go out on your own, you need to come up with some number for people to pay you. Pricing seems to involve trial and error, adjustments for the local market, and a bit of guess work.

To help us sort out some of these issues, we bring in guest Justin Ahrens of Rule29 in Geneva, Illinois.

And since there is a holiday coming up, and we always need a creative outlet, don’t forget to enter and/or vote in Rule29′s 3rd Annual Hand Turkey Illustration Extravaganza.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 16 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Nate and I talk about a few things this time including The Donut Project, the AIGA Nebraska Show, and Jeff Fisher’s fantastic job of keeping an updated list of upcoming design competitions.

Mostly though we speak of billing. Billing and following up on billing (otherwise known as collecting). If you have advice you’d also like to share, or questions we didn’t cover, leave them below. Next time we’ll be back to speak of pricing. Sort-of a reverse order, but it’s a constant cycle.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 15 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Robert Maguire (@welcomehomerob on Twitter)  stops by to discuss some happenings at The Gap with Nate and I. I have been on record saying putting things in Helvetica Bold will make them look better than most things out there with no additional effort. Ends up that adding a weird blue box to it has the reverse effect.

We had planned on another topic, but that will have to wait for next time. Discussing this story was something we found out we had way to much of a take on to find time for much else.

If you disagree, leave a comment below. Comments left with a floating blue box behind them get extra credit.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 14 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

We bring back Steve Gordon to talk about talking. And talk about piggyback rides. And talk about talking to clients. But not to talk about giving piggyback rides to clients – we have to save something for next time…

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 13 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Back in the studio once more! Donovan and I welcome special show-friend Joe Sparano via Oxide Design and, since they are taking on Logo and Letterhead 12 from Rockport publishing (download the free-ass entry form here), we take some time to talk about the relevancy of letterheads — once the bastion of identity design projects — in the modern world of digital communication. We also introduce a few new segments to the show, including What Are You Designing and the What’s New What’s Update.

We’re back in business over here.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 12 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

It’s only fitting that the seventh, and final, interview we recorded at the 2010 HOW Conference in Denver was with the man that handled the closing keynote.

If the goal was to have everyone leave the event inspired—done. They found the perfect person to do it. Kevin Carroll is the guy that makes you want try harder. He’s the person that reminds you to do more without actually saying the words. His books on the red rubber ball have been seen in about every design competition since they’ve been out. With reason – Willoughby Design did an amazing job bringing his words to life.

But before we can talk about what Kevin does, we talk about the after-party from the night before. Did you miss that in the schedule? Ends up DJ Noah did to, so he took it in his own hands to create one (that’s the ‘done at 3am the night before’ flyer in our graphic above). Re-live the party, or live it for the first time, with the complete music audio here. Let’s hope he DJs a party (official or not, as long as I find out about it) next year – it was a crazy time.

Just talking with Kevin got me more excited to check out the 2011 conference in Chicago than anything else. I can’t wait. Hope to see you there.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 11 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The sixth of the seven interviews we recorded from the 2010 HOW Conference in Denver was with David B. Berman.

One of the big happenings at the How Conference is the vendor area. It’s like a full tradeshow in that room. Not like a state fair with people selling pots and pans – sweet vendors like Neenah Paper right inside the door. French Paper always has some hot giveaways people line up for, but no booth gets the early crowd like Veer. I realized I was near their booth when the crowd got so packed I couldn’t see their booth. It was around this time that I met a guy named David Berman, and we started to chat. He asked about this podcast we did, and I told him to swing by our recording in a few minutes. He did. That was the HOW Day Two Recap.

Not putting the pieces together, Nate ended up at his presentation the next day and was blown away by the energy David has. We did what was needed to get him on the show, and time or schedules aside, we made it happen.

His book, Do Good Design: How Designers Can Change the World, is our topic. Check out a preview on Google Books to see a preview of this amazing book. We all live here. This is our profession. Change the world.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 10 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The fifth of the seven interviews we recorded from the 2010 HOW Conference in Denver was with Dyana Valentine.

We went to Denver a day before the actual HOW Conference began, and ended up spending the day at the Creative Freelancer Conference across the street. I have to mention that we showed up a few minutes early – any stereotypes of freelancers being late were instantly blown out of the water, as the room was already filled – and we had to look around for an empty seat. I look at the table, and in front of me is a large stack of business cards and 1″ buttons with a logo I recognized. A logo I remember seeing on the website of our favorite guest, Steve Gordon (see the work on his site here).

A quick introduction, an hour or two of speakers, and Dyana took the stage and walked the room through creating a perfect elevator pitch for their business. That’s it, we knew Dyana needed to be on the show, and even with a full slate of five interviews already scheduled, we fit in another (next week’s story will be like déjà-vu if you want to know how this math adds up to the seven mentioned in the first sentence).

Dyana talks about these perfect pitches, helping creatives make their business thrive, and her favorite Scrabble word. And we’ll be back next week with another interview. Enjoy.

Bonus: Dyana has her session worksheets posted online to use for your own business here.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 9 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The fourth of the seven interviews we recorded from the 2010 HOW Conference in Denver was with Debbie Millman.

Debbie was on our previous podcast (Be A Design Cast) twice (#25 and #44), stopped by during our 2009 HOW Recaps on The Reflex Blue Show (days two and three), but this is a guest that could carry her own show for a hundred episodes. Oh wait, she’s done that too.

Debbie speaks of her job as the President of AIGA, her current work at Sterling Brands, her newest book (Look Both Ways: Illustrated Essays on the Intersection of Life and Design), and how she makes popcorn.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 8 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The third of the seven interviews we recorded from the 2010 HOW Conference in Denver was with the first graphic designer hired by a company called Adobe.

Russell Brown, now the Senior Creative Director at Adobe, speaks a bit about the history of the company, the creation of Photoshop (he was one of four people listed in that first splash screen), CS5 and more.

He then answers the question presented to him from last week’s show. You know, “What is up with Flash?”

We’ll be back next week with Debbie Millman, see you then.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 7 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The second of the seven interviews we recorded from the 2010 HOW Conference in Denver was with Shel Perkins of Shel Perkins & Associates.

Shel was speaking at the Creative Freelancer Conference, as he consults with creatives on all of the aspects of running a creative studio – but the talent itself. We speak of his involvement on the AIGA National Board, where he helped start up the AIGA Center for Practice Management.

We also spend time talking about his recently updated book, Talent Is Not Enough: Business Secrets For Designers. We always talk about the parts of running a design shop that don’t include the designing itself – and Shel is the one who knows best. It was a fun, and informative chat. Enjoy.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 6 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The first of the seven interviews we recorded from the 2010 HOW Conference in Denver involves a panel from HOW itself.

We speak a bit about the design empire that is the HOW brand both online and off with three of the people who make the brand what it is: (pictured left to right) Bridgid McCarren (HOW art director), Amy Owen (HOW Books managing editor) and Jessica Kuhn (HOW associate/online editor).

We also chat about what HOW has coming up, and about the conference itself. Enjoy – and we’ll be back next week with Shel Perkins of Shel Perkins & Associates.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 5 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Before our trip back from the 2010 How Conference we took a few minutes to wrap up the experience just outside of the closing keynote.

Amy Hawk, Stefan Mumaw of Reign, Justin Ahrens of Rule 29, and Von Glitschka all stop by as well.

If you want more, follow Justin’s Designer Sobriety, get Von’s amazing presentation, or learn more about Stefan’s session.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, 2010 HOW Conference Special: WRAP UP or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Tuesday brought was was the last full-day of programming at the 2010 How Conference – I am both completely worn out, and full-if energy at the same time from what has ended up being four crazy days of constant activity.

Neenah Paper was the host of the closing night’s event, and they decided to throw a white party. There was way more white than I was expecting – who knew designers even had this much white in their wardrobe. But before we went in, we spoke with a few of the other conference guests in the hallway: Armin Vit of Under Consideration, Peleg Top, Cortney Christensen of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, and Terry Collier, Ph.D. (where he talks about the 3M Visual Attention Service he works on). And Mig Reyes stopped by at the end to offer another student tip.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, 2010 HOW Conference Special: DAY FOUR or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Monday – and the How Conference kicked into full gear.

We bring in Steph Doyle and Darcy Hinrichs to recap the day with us.

The day went by way to quickly, hoping today turns out just as exciting. Catch us with the day vis Twitter (@36point and @vossome), and we’ll be back tomorrow!

Download The Reflex Blue Show, 2010 HOW Conference Special: DAY THREE or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Sunday brought us the end of the Creative Freelancer Conference, the start of the In-HOWSE Designer Conference, some pre-conference sessions, and most-importantly, the kick-off of the 2010 How Conference, where we recorded from the party itself.

The highlights of my day were spent attending the first part of “Caffeine for the Creative Team: Turning Brainstorming into Brainsqualling“ with Stefan Mumaw & Wendy Lee Oldfield. Stefan (guest of show #42) really knows how to motivate people to be creative. Maybe it was the fact that he was dresses as a nun, maybe it was the craft items he had on the tables (he said he chose to drive instead of fly here from Kansas City partly due to his need to bring along forty pairs of scissors for his workshop). I was having such a great time (and even learning useful brainstorming methods), that I felt a bit bad about having to leave in order to catch Shel Perkins speak on “The Art and Science of Pricing a Project” at the Creative Freelancer Conference across the street. It was nice to hear someone give advise on pricing that makes sense, relates to the current clients of a smaller shop, and keeps you focused on the future.

But that was just me, and there is way to much to cover for one, so we bring in a number of guests including: Andy Epstein (who is currently editing the HOW In-HOWse blog), Cortney Christensen of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Nick Nawroth, Katie Hall, Missy Bergen, Mig Reyes (who is no stranger to the show, and currently doing great work at Threadless), David Berman (author of “Do Good Design – How Designers Can Change the World“), Tom Wright of Neenah Paper, Lauren Hybinette, AIGA Colorado Membership Chair Joe Marsh, and Jeff Fisher (guest of show #33).

Looking forward to what day three of the design event of the year brings us. We’ll report back tomorrow morning – as well as report through the day on Twitter (@36point and @vossome).

Download The Reflex Blue Show, 2010 HOW Conference Special: DAY TWO or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

First off, big thanks to Justin for making the first few hours of our trip to Denver worth it for that alone. Not only did he greet us with a sign that made us realize we were in for serious design business all week, but he got us started off with a session of Street Fighter on the PS3 before lunch. Faces were kicked.

After lunch, it was off to the conference center to check in, and it was all about the Creative Freelancer Conference. We recap the conference and talk about what is in front of us the rest of the week with a variety of guests in today’s show: HOW Conference Speaker Jeni Herberger, Freelance Designer Michael King, Jamie Saunders of Neenah Paper (she also runs their Twitter account @neenahpaper), Jackie Brown of Jax Design, Bryn Mooth of HOW Design, and no show is complete without Steve Gordon.

Day two will bring us the closing of the Creative Freelancer Conference, the opening of the In-HOWSE Designer Conference, and the kick-off of the 2010 How Conference.

Check back for more updates, or follow us on Twitter (@36point and @vossome) as we spend the week in Denver, Colorado covering the design event of the year.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, 2010 HOW Conference Special: DAY ONE or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Before what turned out to be a great speaking event put on AIGA Nebraska last Thursday, Ellen Lupton stopped by the studio to talk about a wide variety of topics. Besides the soon-to-be-released update of her already historic book Thinking with Type, we talk about the book she wrote with her sister – one that even your mother would enjoy about design – Design Your Life: The Pleasures and Perils of Everyday Things (as well as how to properly buy a bra – Ellen tells us what mistake over 80% of us make).

The other books of Ellen’s that we cover in a show that goes by way-to-fast are: D.I.Y.: Kids, D.I.Y.: Design It Yourself (a book so cool even Urban Outfitters carried it), and Exploring Materials: Creative Design for Everyday Objects.

We also take a break to ask Ellen about her writing at Fast Company. And since she wrote Time and Identity: What Your Clock Says About Your Personality, we have her see what she can figure out about me from the timepieces in my office. The show ends with a cameo by AIGA Nebraska’s Director of Finance, Jim Wolf. He’s still wrong though, I stand by my answer of Paul Rand. The answer is always Paul Rand.

It was a pleasure to speak with Ellen Lupton, and if you ever get an opportunity to see her speak, I highly recommend it. Her talk was informative, fun, and filled with great visuals. Exactly what you would expect from an AIGA Medalist.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 4 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Justin Ahrens of Rule29, and Von Glitschka of Glitschka Studios graciously spent time with us over what turned out to be a buggy day of Internet chatting on Friday. Thankfully, once the bugs worked themselves out by take three, it was a conversation that just flew by.

Both Justin and Von are speaking at next month’s How Conference in Denver, so we make them verbally battle it out over why you should see their presentations over the other ones there. Are they convincing? Chime in below.

Since both Justin and Von have been on the show last, the books just keep coming, as Justin has produced The Best of Business Card 9, and Von has created the amazing Drip Dot Swirl pattern book.

It was great to speak to both of them again, but the reason for having them on together? A recent trek to Africa to film a documentary for Life in Abundance. We speak of the life-changing trip that took both very talented artists out of their comfort zones and into the world of filmmaking. And in an environment that is literally known as the slums. Von has also been blogging about the experience starting with this post, for those that want a more in-depth feel for how one project can change you. I look forward to seeing the future works that the trip will produce. Amazing stuff so far.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 3 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

We bring Steve Gordon back (for the first time in Season 3) to discuss the HOW Conference in June (use Steve’s promo code SG10 to save $50 on registration) and the little fight Apple is having with Adobe in regards to Flash. Is Flash really crashing Macs at a rate that only Stitch was built for? Is Flash bad for iPhones and iPads, but good for Google? It’s so far around the Internets I’m not even sure which tube to link to.

But as important as all of this is, when walking though the local No Frills Wednesday evening, I ran across this year’s new flavors of Mountain Dew – so figured we’d start the show with another taste test. I guess you can vote for your favorite flavor online, but since the site is in Flash, it crashed my Safari browser and won’t show up on my iPhone. Strange. But are trying new flavors of Dew safe? We didn’t know either, so we brought Chris Kelly back to have him test with us.

Let us know your thoughts below, and enjoy.

UPDATE 5/3/10 from @iKitty Podcast pics show per track: http://twitpic.com/1kotfm

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 2 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

The Reflex Blue Show Season 3 looks to be starting just in time to get us geared up for the HOW Conference in June. Can we seriously be less then two months out to the biggest design event of the year? And the second biggest event? Probably the Adobe CS5 launch.

This episode we bring back Chris Kelly to talk about CS5, complain about Twitter’s idea to create intrusive ads into our feeds, and force Chris Kelly get a Twitter account (@amazingchrisk). Follow him!

Let us know if the embedded player we’ve added to the post is of any use, what you think of the new 36 Point site, or any other comments about the show below.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 3 Episode 1 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The Reflex Blue Show

Every now and then we decide to get serious – a 2 credit stock photo of a handshake serious – this is one of those times.

On past shows we’ve covered freelancing, getting your portfolio ready for an interview (still one of our best podcasts), and getting an internship. But sometimes you just need a straight-up job, and that usually takes an interview. To share the perspective of a younger designer in the this process, we bring in the talented Chris Kelly.

And a special thanks goes out to Mig Reyes for the student tip. When Mig was on the Season 1 finale, he said he’d provide the student tips for Season 2 of the Reflex Blue Show, and he delivered.

We’ll be back in a month with Season 3, which will also include daily recaps from the HOW Conference in June.

Download The Reflex Blue Show, Season 2 Episode 22 or, click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

We bring back last year’s Superb Owl i host Tom Nemitz, as well as guests Steve Gordon and Rob Maguire to recap the ads played during Sunday’s football game. Nicole Blauw also makes her first appearance on The Reflex Blue Show, and brings the knowledge that the rest of us lack on more topics than I care to speak of.

The Superb Owl Spectacular is probably the most fun we have recording a podcast each year – enjoy.

Download 36 Point Superb Owl Spectacular i i (43 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Last Saturday, What Cheer was holding an open house to celebrate their new office space. They may not have had a Street Fighter II machine in the lobby like we do, but there was an Elvis pinball (TCB!) machine in the building. They also had a camera set up to automatically take pictures every 10 or 15 seconds, leaving prrof that Nate and I were both there. The evening also gave us a chance to see the new Secret Penguin office next door (still under construction), and talk with the head penguin himself, Dave Nelson.

Dave had previously been a guest on the Be A Design Cast (#28: The Freelance Show) when he was part of Divvy Collective, and a guest of The Reflex Blue Show (#11: Epic Fail) when he shared office space with What Cheer. As Dave is in a two-week limbo between offices, and working out of his house, we figured it was an ideal time to steal an hour of his time to talk about the industry.

The big buzz is all about the iPad (which we had things to say about) and how to get work in this economy (which it ends up we didn’t have much to say about, so it’s best to just listen to Michael Bierut talk about clients). We end by speaking about what Secret Penguin has been up to lately: getting skateparks in Omaha, an award-winning website for an OB/GYN, and all sorts of Martial Arts.

And of course, Mig Reyes brings us the student tip. And Dave supplied the Red Bull Sugarfree.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 21 (26 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

It was exactly one year ago today that Nate set up the @36Point Twitter account, and told me to use it. That weekend we drove to Fort Smith to help judge the AAF-Fort Smith ADDY show, and documented the travel with regular tweeting. The following week, we decided we’d ask our wonderful show listeners to ask us our take on anything design related via Twitter, and recorded our first Twitter Show (The Reflex Blue Show #26).

A year later, we figured it was time again – a whole show talking about what was sent to us just an hour or so before recording. @nick_merritt, @iKitty, and @notoriouslb3 ask – and we answer.

For those who like a little more detail on what we cover: view Al’s very cool Haiti poster, check out some vertically-striped socks, turn ahead the clock, witness the return of a ‘hillbilly’, love or hate a serif, view a movie, drool over some crowns, dress like a Skywalker, and listen to Mig Reyes tell you how to be successful.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 20 (27 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

How far have we come in design over the past 10 years? Think butterfly ballots and iPods.

How far has technology evolved between Y2K and the end of 2009? Obviously not enough to where a laptop running GarageBand and iChat can handle more then 15 minutes of audio before crashing with memory problems is the answer to that one.

The aughts also brought designers the merger of Adobe and Macromedia, the demise of the rolodex and a change in how stock imagery is bought.

So this week we bring Steve Gordon and Adam Nielsen out of the frozen lands of Hoth (or Omaha, it’s the same place this week) to recap the last ten years with Nate and I, while making predictions of the next ten.

And how can a design podcast on the past ten years not mention the design blogs, the design podcasts and forums? We can’t – we cover them as well.

As the show progresses, it becomes like the Highlander, “in the end, there can be only one.” The technology delays kill the time we have with Adam. Nate is soon to follow (and since Nate was stranded on a remote area of Hoth, and had to conference in, we immediately moved to more traditional recording methods, making the sound instantly better). Steve and I are left dueling for the Immortality that we both feel destined for until Mig Reyes swoops in with the final say and wins the game.

Do you have some wild predictions of your own for the next ten years? Be sure to leave them here.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 19 (28 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

If memory serves me correctly, I met Jason Tselentis during an AIGA Nebraska event where House Industries presented at a bowling event. After the presentation, Jason ended up being in the same group of lanes I was during the after-presentation bowling. Over the next year or so, I spoke with Jason at a number of AIGA events, until he left the city to get a master’s degree.

Years later, we ran into each other in the online world, with him writing for Speak Up and me at the also defunct Be A Design Group. It was only a matter of time before he finally stepped foot back in Nebraska, where we got him to stop by and record a podcast with us.

Since Jason also teaches design, we start with a conversation of specialization versus generalization in design degrees and design businesses. From there we show him that which he has never seen. The new ‘Aol.’ mark.

Mig Reyes makes a return with a student tip, and we end speaking of Jason’s upcoming (2011) Rockport book on Type.

And please, let us know if you use the measurement known as the pica. Do you?      

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 18 (26 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

We got word that David Barringer was coming through Omaha to judge the AIGA Nebraska Show, and jumped at the chance to talk with him. Well, I ended up being in LA at the time, so I had Steve Gordon step in for me on this one (which was a good decision, because the recording is a hoot).

Besides discussing his Bug Kit and new book, There’s Nothing Funny About Design (with a cover by Felix Sockwell), the discussion ranges from Emigre, Chuck, the difference between stealing and an homage, service vs. commodity, Shogun Warriors and other random topics.

Buried in the conversation is also great advice on getting freelance writing, design business models, clients and a mention of David Barringer’s article on top hats. Nate even does me the service of giving himself a wicked burn in my absence. Epic friend move.

As always, leave your comments below, and we’ll be back in two weeks.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 17 (26 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Once we left the Willoughby Design Group, we were off to check out some comic shops, an impromptu tour of HAMMERPRESS (we need to schedule another Kansas City podcast tour just to talk to these amazing designers), then went to visit Christine Taylor and get a short tour of the Hallmark offices. By far, this place had more resources for creatives in one area than I have ever seen. When you hire this many creatives, it is nice to see they do a lot of good things to keep them that way. Original items like this are just hanging in the hallway.

And in between the tour and dinner at the amazing Oklahoma Joe’s (now I get why KC is known for BBQ), we spoke with Christine about the Tron arcade game and a lot of the pop culture entities she has to work on for her day job. Things like The Simpsons, Star Wars, Twilight, The Office and 30 Rock. And we bring you another student tip from Mig Reyes.

We leave a few things undecided, and need your help to determine:

• What is the 3rd best Star Wars movie?
• What is the best 30 minutes from any of the Star Wars movies?
• And do I need to watch any bit of that Twilight movie?

Let us know in the comments below.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 16 (30 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

After recording the last show, and having lunch with Stefan Mumaw, our Kansas City podcast trip took us to stop three: Willoughby Design Group. For the half hour we sat and spoke with her, I don’t think Ann Willoughby stopped working for thirty seconds. She was sketching the entire time, and we got an immediate sense of a talent level that is rare (like flashbacks of visiting the San Francisco offices of Pentagram).

We covered a wide range of topics including her many projects dedicated to environmentally friendly items, the barn and redesigning the environment people work in. We end with her recalling a story of living through the era of MadMen as a female in a male dominated profession – and how that has thankfully changed, and how design is better because of that change.

As we were wrapping up, we ran into the Drifting Creatives in the hallway. We only spoke for a minute, but I applaud them for making cross-country treks to learn more about the industry. We have learned so much just going to a few cities and speaking to designers who have much more experience than us, I can only imagine what a life-changing journey they have taken so far.

Once again, Mig Reyes provides our student tip.

Leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. We have one more stop on our Kansas City podcast trip, which will air in two weeks.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 15 (27 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Rocking it LIVE LIVE LIVE from the show floor — three days ago. Our efforts to bring you the AIGA Make/Think Conference were routed by our shotty server-to-wi-fi connection at the convention center and hotel. Everything else worked great, but when it came to uploading the files, we tasted bitter defeat time and time again. Eventually the stress became to great, and we decided to bring this show back and launch it from the comfort of our own studio chairs.

This show was taped directly following the second day’s (sure it says Day One up there, but our number system is not encumbered by facts) festivities, and with Steve Hartman and Justin Ahrens running the room while we spoke to the passers-by, we crammed an amazing amount of talent into these 25 minutes. In no particular order:

• Chip Kidd, who explodes about being a judge for Command-X
• Bonnie Siegler, who created and served as a judge on Command-X
• Michael Bierut, host of Command-X and gracious gift-giver of time, dance-offs
• Kurt Andersen, host of Studio 360 and emcee of Make/Think, who totally rocked it this year
• Tom Wright from Neenah Paper, huge sponsor of Make/Think and the Life in Abundance print we spoke about during 20/20
• Mig Reyes, from our show’s regular Mig Tips and being awesome all the time
• Steve Hartman, from Creativille
• Justin Ahrens and Tim Damitz, from Rule29
• Gary Mosteller, from we’re-not-sure-where but hey, it’s our show, and you’re welcome on it

So give it a listen — more shows are coming this week!

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, AIGA Make/Think Special: DAY ONE or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Travelouge Day Zero: Steve, Tom, Donovan and I travel to Memphis for the AIGA Conference and cover what we’re looking forward to most. Short but quite sweet. –nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, AIGA Make/Think Special: DAY ZERO or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

After speaking with Mike Adair and Bob Holt at Hallmark, the next stop on our Kansas City podcast tour was to find Stefan Mumaw at Reign. As we pulled up to the entry, we noticed Hammerpress Letterpress and Design Studio, and decided to stop by a bit later in the day to see the presses. For now, it was up to the third floor, in what may be the most square footage I have ever seen for a four-person design shop. But the guitars, massive open spaces and white boards everywhere told us they were serious about the creative.

Even though Reign has only been around for a few months (Stefan just moved to Kansas City this year), you can already sense that it won’t take long for them to make their mark on the city’s design scene. But Reign was only part of what we wanted to speak about, we mainly wanted to talk about the other hobbies Stefan has, which seems to be writing design books.

Starting with Simple Websites and Redesigning Websites, Stefan then moved on to teaming up with Wendy Lee Oldfield and creating two books that seem to be everywhere in the design circles now: Caffeine for the Creative Mind and the just released Caffeine for the Creative Team. If you ever run out of creative, these books will give you the pick-up you need to get going again, and this is what we mostly talk about. When you create two books like these, it’s really all we want to cover.

After the fact, we realized what we should have talked about is if Stefan Mumaw is a hobo. Let’s consider that Stefan just moved across country and is working in a basically vacant building. Now let’s remember that Stefan took us to Jack Stack BBQ for lunch and confessed that he is all about the Burnt Ends when it comes to his BBQ. Aren’t burnt ends like the pieces of meat that fall off the real food? Like table scraps? And now we remember that this episode of The Reflex Blue Show is the only one being released during 36 Hobo week? Not sure if this is all coincidence.

Finally we bring another student tip from Mig Reyes. This may also make Mig a hobo. Sorry.

Our roadtrip returns in a few weeks with Ann Willoughby, but look for some sort of special episode from the AIGA Make/Think Conference in Memphis between now and then.

And as always, leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below. And anyone who has more information on what burnt ends are, and why they taste so good, please share.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 14 (29 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

When I told my friend Ryan I was going to the HOW Conference in Austin this year, he said I had to go see the hoops&yoyo presentation. I think I probably nodded and smiled like I knew what he was talking about – but I had no clue. Obviously I had not stopped into a Hallmark recently, because these characters are everywhere.

Ryan was right, it was one of the best presentations I saw at HOW, as the creators of the hoops&yoyo, Mike Adair (Hoops, the pink bunny) and Bob Holt (YoYo, the green rabbit) presented with Bev Carlson (the voice of the little blue Piddles) on the behind the scenes creation of this line of e-cards, greeting cards, merchandise, shorts and a bit of the other work they do at Hallmark.

Immediately after the HOW Conference, I told Nate that we needed to make the latest podcast roadtrip we’ve been talking about happen. We set a date (9/9/09), and lined up four shows to record in what turned out to be an eighteen hour adventure starting somewhat before six in the morning. First stop: Hallmark at 9:30.

Bob Holt and Mike Adair are two creatives that have been doing great work at Hallmark for a combined time of over forty years, and they know funny. It’s talent like this that makes Hallmark the leader in smiles when cards are opened. But it was just a few years ago that hoops&yoyo became all that they are now known for, and we were more than happy to talk to them about their characters.

This show also features a student tip from Mig Reyes that I love, as it’s one I have told classes of students before, but not nearly as well as Mig says it here. Today’s show ends with another student(?) website review. Join along in looking at the work of Craig Clark.

The roadtrip recordings return in two weeks with stop two: Stefan Mumaw.

And as always, leave your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 13 (34 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store. 

Terry Marks of TMARKS Design graces our latest show. The show that barely happened in the end as it turns out. Immediately after recording, Terry had to head home sick. And the student tip from Mig Reyes also only arrived after Mig was able to recover from his bus getting hit by a truck just minutes before. 

But we’re glad it all turned out fine for everyone in the end, as Terry talks with us about his new book with Matthew Porter from Rockport: Good Design; Deconstructing Form and Function and What Makes Good Design Work. 

We also speak about the three dozen or so logos he’s done for DC Comics, how could we not?

And hang around until the end (or use the chapter markers we’ve gone back to including in our shows to jump directly to it) for a special appearance by the one and only Eddy Wang.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 12 (26 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

We welcome former AIGA national president Bill Grant to the show today. This is the guy who actually did what I assumed was impossible, and created the original AIGA Design Business and Ethics series.

Bill has also just done what many of us designers dream to – sell his own merchandise. But rather than taking the online store approach, he opened a physical storefront directly below his office called “The Store“.

And for those wondering what Bill is going to be up to next, we also speak briefly about his upcoming book, 1000 More Graphic Elements: Unique Elements for Distinctive Designs, Volume II.

The show ends with a fantastic student tip by Mig Reyes. Take up his advice in the comments below.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 11 (28 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The return of Adam Nielsen brings us to discuss our opinions on a couple of listener questions. Tony from Illustrate Omaha asks “How do you educate a client about your process without it all going over their heads?” and Mig Reyes has wondered, “What’s the value in getting included in books? For newer designers, what are tips on getting in?”

We also stop for three minutes to review a student portfolio site by Geoff Thibeau.

After the recording, we had so much energy left that we decided to go see the Omaha Royals play some AAA ball, where Nate (dressed as a corn cob) raced previous guests Tom Nemitz (in a beer suit) and Robert Maguire (wearing a very manly steak outfit) right in the middle of the second inning in front of a crowd of thousands. And cob wins!

Are we on- or off-track? Let us know in the comments below.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 10 (28 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Adam Nielsen stops by the studio to discuss the best way to distract ourselves from actual work during the summer. We break it down to five types of distractions for designers: website, design event, movie/concert, items to hunt for, and non-design event.

To make sure our answers are on-track, we asked design experts Sean Adams, Justin Ahrens, Steve Hartman, Steven Heller, and Debbie Millman the correct answers, and read them on the show. Hartman even brings photos to back up his answer.

What are your distractions for the summer? Leave them in the comments below.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 9 (35 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Today we welcome Steve Gordon as our guest to do a complete recap of our experiences from the HOW Conference.

We also spend some time discussing Graphic Design, Referenced by Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez Palacio, and how it may be the best graphic design textbook released since Meggs’, and possibly even better.

And of course, we discuss the office decoration we just got. Things will never be the same around here again.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 8 (36 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Day Three of The HOW Conference Special Reflex Blue Show podcasts come with serious thunder today. Day Two seemed a bit like an appetizer in comparison to tonight’s seven-course steak-and-lobster dinner featuring Matt Porter (master of the Neenah Paper Blog), twitter-captain and designer/writer Seth Lilly, HOW Editor / Conference Mastemind Bryn Mooth, the two-man vaudeville act that is Steve Gordon and Justin Ahrens, and the return of Debbie Millman and Armin Vit which brings the whole damn show to a close.

It’s magic, and I can say from experience that if you weren’t at HOW this year, this is probably as close to it as you can get. We get a pretty serious blow-by-blow of UnderConsiderations Mano a Mano competition from yesterday, a lot more looks into the sessions and speakers, and lots and lots of bagging on Marc English’s double-super-long presentation. Word.

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY THREE (23meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

The How Conference daily podcasts continue with a slightly shorter episode that is literally bursting at the seams with no more than six guests playing a rousing game of pass-the-mic, including Clint Walkingstick, (eL) Ron Hubbard, a second illustrious appearance by both Kenneth and Jenneth Visocky-O’Grady, U&lc/SpeakUp/BrandNew-man Armin Vit, and Design Goddess Debbie Millman. Not a bad way to spend a quarter-hour –

Are you in Austin? Want to be on the show? Hit the 4th Floor everyday at 5:00 (right after the close) and chat it up!

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY TWO (12meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Doing it right from Austin, Texas, live from the Conference Center’s 4th Floor — The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special continues!

Day One guests include speakers/authors Jen & Ken Visocky O’Grady, author/speaker/man-about-town Steve Gordon, and Not-Anymore-Speaker/Not-Quite-Author Justin Ahrens (who graces us with a full-show appearance)! It’s all about setting the tone for the conference and covering the pre-conference workshops (sort of), and the lead-up to the conference itself — as it appears on Twitter? Also featuring the mad psyching-out of the O’Gradys vis a vis Armin Vit’s Design History & Practice: Mano a Mano battle royale that is apparently going down like Chinatown Thursday night.

Are you in Austin? Want to be on the show? Hit the 4th Floor everyday at 5:00 (right after the close) and chat it up!

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY ONE (17meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Donovan hits the tarmac in Austin Texas for the 2009 HOW Design Conference. We’re recapping every day’s event right here on 36 Point, so check back each night to see what you’re missing, and what you’re not!

Today we’re joined by Courtney Christensen from the City of Kansas, Missouri and get a special late walk-in from Rule 29′s Justin Ahrens for a microcast that gets our feet wet on this pocasting from hundreds of miles away business.

Major coverage starts tomorrow!

Download The Reflex Blue Show HOW Conference Special: DAY ZERO (10meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Nate and I really clean out all of the missed news topics of the past month as this one goes all over the place. For some, this may be as close to hanging out with us for a half-hour as you may want to ever get.

We talk of Steve’s upcoming book release party, the launch of FPO, Debbie Millman taking over as president of AIGA, new Mountain Dew flavors (which causes Nate to start yelling Leroy Jenkins so loud it messed with our recording, causing some file damage and thus that part being removed), and much more.

The next few shows will be as live as we get from the HOW Conference, and then back to our regular schedule in a month.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 7 (32 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Steve Gordon of RDQLUS dropped by the recording studio to discuss critiques. What do you want in a critique of your design? We all have various opinions, but do find some common ground in this fast-paced episode.

The recording went by so fast we forgot to even mention that it’s the last one being recorded at the current Eleven19 corporate headquarters, as I’ll be moving to a larger office a mere four blocks away this weekend.

So, what do you look for in critiques? Do you agree or disagree with our thoughts? Leave your comments and opinions below.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 6 (32 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/05/graphic-design-critiques-podcast.html/feed 6 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/05/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-4.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/05/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-4.html#comments Thu, 14 May 2009 12:00:00 +0000 Donovan Beery http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=175

Seriously, how many speakers can be at The HOW Conference? Turns out around 50 or so, and we found another one to talk to in logo/identity expert Jeff Fisher of LogoMotives.

Jeff’s a person who we’ve talked to enough on the Internet, seen his work in over 100 books, as well as writing a couple himself, that we felt like we had already spoken to. Turn out not. Well, until now anyway.

We chat up some talk on identities, Identity Crisis!, The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success, and among some other things, his alter-ego Toots Caboose.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 5 (28 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/05/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-4.html/feed 4 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-2.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-2.html#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:45:00 +0000 Donovan Beery http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=167

The HOW Conference. I’m told that if you need to be re-energized in the field of design that it’s the best thing to do. I’m going this year, Steve Gordon is on some panel, and we spoke on the last show about how Armin Vit moved to Austin just to be closer to the action.

Is it that great? We decided to investigate further by having Bryn Mooth, editor of HOW Magazine on the show. And since we’re speaking HOW, we had Steve Gordon stop by to join in. And be sure to hang around until the end, where Mig Reyes once again drops of this episode’s student tip.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 4 (25 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-2.html/feed 4 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-3.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-3.html#comments Thu, 16 Apr 2009 12:00:29 +0000 Donovan Beery http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=160

Monday, April 13, 2009. That’s the day design Twitters everywhere heard and repeated the news. Speak Up was being closed. Since 2002, Speak Up had been THE online place for designers to discuss their passion in real-time. There have been other blogs, other commentary sites and podcasts, but Speak Up was the place for conversation. The articles were simply the starting point to get the talking started. Since then, parts of Speak Up have been spun-off onto their own sites like Brand New, Quipsologies and Word It. What’s next? Well, we spoke to Armin Vit, co-owner of Under Consideration about the rise and fall of Speak Up Monday afternoon to find out.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 3 (22 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-3.html/feed 0 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-1.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-1.html#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:44:57 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=152

A day late and all kinds of labyrinthine Garage Band issues later, we have a terrific interview with author Timothy O’Donnell, who’s first book takes a look at the work behind the work. We got a copy of Sketchbook at the studio and we must say — it is impressive. There’s a laundry list of notable designers here, ranging from Small Stakes to Marian Batnjes to Lance Wyman, designer of the ’68 Mexico Olympics. Timothy takes us through the book from idea through conception, which mega-famous designers turned him down, and how to get in and out of Pentagram in under and hour when confronted by Michael Bierut’s 85 sketchbooks. Be sure to check it out when it releases next month.

Sorry for the poor sound quality on this one folks — with as much trouble as we had on this recording/editing I almost feel lucky to have a show at all! We’ll try not to subject you to too many more like this.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 2 (22 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/04/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2-1.html/feed 1 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/03/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/03/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2.html#comments Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:21:49 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=145

Season 2 on the Reflex Blue Show begins now! With three guests, for crying out loud! Justin Ahrens, Steve Hartman, and current-leader-for-sexiest-on-air-voice Christine Taylor join us to talk about designing for the greater good the business-side of doing pro-bono work. It’s fantastic and we might just start doing three-guest shows every episode now. This also features a Season 2 new feature — the Mig Tip. I guarantee you are not prepared to handle it. 

(PS: The audio gets a little low quality in the middle and again near the end. Sorry but it was the only way to save it from being lost)

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Season 2 Episode 1 (28 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

Also, check check it: New season 2 artwork hotness. Look for it on iTunes, and while you’re there, write a review for us. Because we love you!

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/03/the-reflex-blue-show-season-2.html/feed 4 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-27.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-27.html#comments Thu, 05 Mar 2009 14:27:11 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=137

Welcome to the season finale of The Reflex Blue Show! Don’t worry, we’ll still be back in two weeks, it’s just that it’s been a whole year and we felt like we should call it a “Season.”

Our special guest today is The World’s Most Connected Young Designer, Mig Reyes. Mig is here to talk to young designers about how to get themselves out there, make connections, and make things happen for their burgeoning careers. And that is what he does. He also pimps a software program he has nothing to do with, but hey, that would be like dissing ourselves for liking the sweet, sweet taste of Mt. Dew Kung Fu Lighting flavor. The nectar of the Gods, that is. Have a listen, you just might learn something!

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 28 (24 meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-27.html/feed 4 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/02/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-26.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/02/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-26.html#comments Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:39:43 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=130

A show so chock full of great moments I don’t even know what to call it. So whatever. Welcoming Steve RDQlus Gordon back for the second straight show we send more shout-outs out than is actually healthy and cover a huge range of topics from a recap of my interview with Joe Duffy on Design Matters, to our One Year Anniversary Party +Design Benefit, to the Kraft logo redesign, and finally ending on the incredible Quest For G video and the ramifications thereof. Like Steve, absolutely gorgeous.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 27 (27 meg, ironically enough) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/02/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-26.html/feed 3 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/02/the-36-point-superb-owl-specta.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/02/the-36-point-superb-owl-specta.html#comments Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:50:37 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=120

GAME ON!

Who cares if it’s a few days late!? We wrangle Tom The Showstopper Nemitz, Steve RDQlus Gordon, Handsome Rob Maguire, and Design Princess Ashley Mc- wait, Ashley didn’t make it…

We wrangle a bunch of Men and Beers together to discuss the finer points of Superbowl Advertising. The Pros (Coke/Pepsi), the Semi-Pros (Doritos), the Cons (GoDaddy), the failures (Busch), and the Cinderella Stories (WTF Cash4Gold?) are covered in this nearly-hour-long blowout. You can’t even handle it. You can not. But you can has.

UPDATE: Link fix’d.

–nv–

Download The 36 Point Superb Owl Spectacular i (40-ish meg) or click here to subscribe to The Reflex Blue Show from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/02/the-36-point-superb-owl-specta.html/feed 1 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-25.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-25.html#comments Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:49:29 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=115

Taking the most out of Twitter and ensuring only a small amount of work on our part, we put out the call for topics at twitter.com/36point and the resulting madness has been captured, smoothly edited, put to music, and is now available for your listening pleasures. We also get right back into last show’s topic to cover a rather large chunk of listener mail and pimp out our One Year Anniversary Party, Saturday, February 28 in Omaha. Be there.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 26 (21 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-25.html/feed 6 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-24.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-24.html#comments Fri, 16 Jan 2009 15:20:28 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=107

We open up this show with News of the World — very important news at that! Fort Smith ADDYs! Nate hosts Design Matters! CA cuts back! After that we get deep, deep into gettin’ it DONE as a graphic design freelancer in this horrible economy. We break it down by cost per item and how to get the best new business equipment for the least amount of scratch. You may be surprised by the results!

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 25 (21 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-24.html/feed 9 http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-23.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-23.html#comments Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:58:47 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=98

Happy holidays and happy new year from 36 Point! We welcome Adam Nielsen back to do our much-promised Holiday Design Review show. We cover Starbucks, Target, Xbox, Macy’s and more, all submitted by our listeners. A good time was had by all.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 24 (25 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2009/01/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-23.html/feed 2 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/12/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-22.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/12/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-22.html#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:46:27 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=91

My solo trip to Chicago was punctuated with a trip 1 hour West to visit Justin Ahrens along with the fine fellows and lovely (lovely) ladies of Rule 29. Upon arrival in the frigid cold, I was showered with warmth and companionship, hospitality, and enough booze to drown a small horse. Justin, a frequent fixture of the HOW Conference and no-coast designer extraordinaire, took time away from his Brady-Bunch-happy office family to chat with me and guest-host Mig Reyes. Then, as often happens when I am alone at the controls, I lost the second half of the show, so we finished up via iChat with Donovan back in the saddle this morning to talk about Rule 29′s involvement with Life in Abundance and a few other topics of note. Please enjoy podcast 23 with your own tastey 312 beverage.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 23 (29 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/12/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-22.html/feed 5 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/12/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-21.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/12/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-21.html#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 10:17:52 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=83

Today, finally, we coax Steve Gordon into revealing his new book, 100 Habits of Successful Freelance Designers, available this Spring from Rockport. While we dart and dash between a few topics (such as Donovan’s absurd GI Joe collection and my resultant absurd level of jealousy) Steve drops info bombs on where the book came from, what it’s all about, and what readers can expect when it releases.

Also on Episode 22 we cover the 2008 36 Point Holiday Design Review, reviving an old favorite from the Be A Design Cast days, which will be dictated to us by you, our readers and listeners. We also touch on a very, very important topic regarding the STEP 100 Reader’s Choice awards this year. Listen in and wonder –

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 22 (27.5 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/12/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-21.html/feed 2 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/11/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-20.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/11/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-20.html#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:22:26 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=77

We spend a minute or two at the beginning of this week’s episode going over what should be the last our extensive, mind-shattering coverage of the CS4 launch, now that Donovan actually owns it and his Dock holds the marking of colored squares with black type. The bulk of what we cover today is branding and rebranding for yourself — a common problem for designers for a number of reasons. We get neck deep in it with you, and make our hands into a little foothold so you can climb out on Episode 21 of The Reflex Blue Show.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 21 (27 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/11/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-20.html/feed 2 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/11/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-19.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/11/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-19.html#comments Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:48:44 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=72

Welcome back! Due to a rebalanced week we are moving Reflex-Blue Wednesdays to Reflex-Blue Thursdays until further notice! We’ll still have plenty to see the rest of the week, and if you haven’t checked out 1PT.Rule yet please do — and bookmark it with a passion usually reserved for Harry Potter novels.

We jump back into the show covering all of the exciting things happen on the site lately before delving into the expensive world of Adobe CS4 and the confusing, inexplicable world of the Pepsi rebranding. Enjoy!

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 20 (22 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/11/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-19.html/feed 7 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/10/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-18.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/10/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-18.html#comments Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:33:48 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=52

Von Glitschka (of Vonster, Art Backwash, the FBI, Illustration Class, and author of Crumble.Crackle.Burn. and the forthcoming Drip.Dot.Swirl.) returns to the show for the first time (on the new show)! Von was in town to judge the local design competition and sat down with us again. Originally this show would have been Episode 20, with Episode 19 devoted to the newly announced Adobe CS4 — except that halfway through Von drops the bomb on us that he was heavily involved in many of the updated features that make us purr about Illustrator CS4. We also cover Logo Lounge (which he judged — another bomb) and how there are designers out there who actually don’t get something in the book when they enter. (we have never entered, BTW.) Also joining us is special guest Steve RDQlus Gordon.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 19 (22 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/10/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-18.html/feed 4 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/09/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-17.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/09/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-17.html#comments Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:42:02 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=50

In our first show since the last show, we take one single listener question and stretch it into 40 minutes of awesomeness with our friend Adam Nielsen, whom I am certain would like me to mention you can find him at the soon-to-be-newly launched Good-Twin.com. But the show’s not about Adam, it’s about 36 Point’s recommendations for Fall Reading for Graphic Designers (even Superstar® Drew Davies phones his in), broken down into some odd and only loosely-followed guidelines. It’s a very fun show, done in a single take, and it caps with a DVD Review of Speed Racer, which does not fare well under our steely gaze.

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 18 (35 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

Classic Book Recommendations
Current Book Recommendations
New/Upcoming Book Recommendations

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/09/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-17.html/feed 20 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/09/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-16.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/09/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-16.html#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 01:01:01 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=48

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 17 (27 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/09/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-16.html/feed 2 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/08/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-15.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/08/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-15.html#comments Wed, 27 Aug 2008 21:47:17 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=46

Mountain Dew. Greenlabelart.com. Steve’s book (a little). My book (more than is healthy). Art Backwash. The Olympics. London 2012. Death Race vs. North by Northwest. This show runs the gamut on just about every possible graphic design end-of-summer topic we could possibly come up with. Steve and Donovan ambush me on my own illustrative-children’s-novella, I do my best to answer questions without coming across as a total jerk. Hopefully I cannot has FAIL on that task. The last 120 seconds are a mind-blowing ratta-tat-tat of topic transitions and teases that must be heard to be believed. Also I think we’re going to do more movie reviews, too. Thanks for listening, as always

– nv –

…summer isn’t over, they will lie to you, they will tell you it’s true, but summer isn’t over…

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 16 (24 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/08/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-15.html/feed 10 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/08/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-14.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/08/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-14.html#comments Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:57:16 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=45

Hello internets! We’d like to take a moment to welcome ourselves back to you! We welcome social-networking genius and web 2.0 savant David Kadavy back to the show to chat for a pleasant 34 minutes about social networking and entrepreneurial instinct of designers. We also spend a solid 5 to 10 minutes with the most pointless Mountain Dew Taste Test of all time (Not Halo Mt. Dew = FAIL).

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 15 (24.5 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/08/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-14.html/feed 8 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/07/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-13.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/07/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-13.html#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:04:29 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=42

“Today we are joined by Stanley Hainsworth’s hair, and, by extension, Stanley Hainsworth himself.”

Stanley Hainsworth, if taken by his past works, could easily be described as a genius of design (take those stints creative-directing companies like Nike, Lego, and Starbucks for the past 20 years, for example). But when you add in his uncanny appearance, you know you must call him a mad genius! Not that he’s unpleasant, by any means. Stanley is in fact quite nice, and as it happens very forthcoming about his work.

What really makes this show shine was the interview took place about one month after Stanley Hainsworth left Starbucks to begin his own creative endeavor, Tether, which you can find out all about at www.tethercreate.com, and we kindly persuade Mr. Hainsworth to spill the proverbial beans on the project. Enjoy.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 14 (21 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/07/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-13.html/feed 3 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/07/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-12.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/07/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-12.html#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:40:15 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=40

Bernard Uy (of Wall to Wall Studios) is the kind of guy you can’t help but love when you meet. Charming, friendly, funny, and endlessly intelligent. And please don’t take this show’s cover illustration as a play on his ability to convince his partner to open a second office in Honolulu — and that he should staff it — the man has mad ukulele skills. We talk shop in the beginning, but this episode is really about AIGA Honolulu’s big push for sustainable design: DesignFootprint.org, which leads into our best examination yet of going green in your work. Because when your specialty paper needs to be shipped halfway across the Pacific Ocean, well, I guess you think about those kinds of things.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 13 (20 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/07/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-12.html/feed 3 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/06/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-11.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/06/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-11.html#comments Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:06:29 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=38

This week we welcome special guest Sean Adams of Adams Morioka! Current President of the AIGA and master of all things super-great, Sean was our guest while visiting the great city of Omaha for the AIGA Leadership Retreat last month. Aside from being a great designer and, according to him, a fantastic boss, Sean is really one of the most generous and kind people we’ve had the privilege to share the microphone with.

Sorry for the spotty sound on this show (and a few upcoming); the 36 Point Mobile Recording Studio turned out to be on its last legs during this conversation and died shortly thereafter. We don’t know if that’s what actually makes us sound terrible on this show or not, but Sean sounds great, and that’s who you’re really tuning in for, now isn’t it?

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 12 (21-ish meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/06/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-11.html/feed 6 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/06/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-10.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/06/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-10.html#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 15:48:38 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=36

Let me get this out of the way quickly: WE ARE OLD. We didn’t used to be old. Well, Donovan did, but I sure didn’t. Then suddenly we looked around (and recorded this show) and said the words “youth” and “culture” in tandem aloud, and found ourselves on the other side of the great divide. thankfully we welcome old friends John Henry Muller and Dave Nelson to the show to tell us how we’re doing it wrong. Listen, and if your ears are quick enough, you can actually hear the last vestiges of my youth slipping into the abyss. 

Also: Inexplicably, I swear in this show. A Lot. You’ve been warned.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 11 (24meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/06/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-10.html/feed 2 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/05/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-9.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/05/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-9.html#comments Wed, 21 May 2008 16:54:24 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=34

This week we discuss at lenth the Chicago International Poster Biennial (hereby pronounced “bee-ennial”), which eventually turns into a bunch of whining about rock posters again. We welcome Superstar Designer Drew Davies to the show for the first time ever since the last show and rock it out. Not discussed: neon signs. Peace.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 10 (24meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/05/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-9.html/feed 0 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/05/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-8.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/05/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-8.html#comments Fri, 09 May 2008 09:50:36 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=31

This week: Music Meets Creativity with special guest — Graphic Design’s DJ — Steve (RDQlus) Gordon.

Rarely do you see the designer today without their iPod (or, if you’re one of those people, your Zune) plugged in, filling the gaps in their creativity with their music. While we spend the first few minutes being a little Radiohead-centric, Steve, Donovan and I eventually discuss the parallels of creation great design to creating great music, what music is great for design and what music can kill a creative mood, and why the Halo 3 soundtrack is actually awesome and Donovan needs to shut up about defunct 80′s rock. Enjoy The Reflex Blue Show Episode 9 with a cold one and your favorite playlist.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 9 (22meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/05/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-8.html/feed 28 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-7.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-7.html#comments Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:50:29 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=30

This week we welcome special guest Bennett Peji to the Reflex Blue Show, and what an enjoyable show it was! We’re always thrilled when we get a chance to sit down with the best in the business (just listen to the first 3 minutes for Bennett’s resume. You will suddenly feel somehow inadequate), but even then it’s a rare treat to find designers as passionate and excitable about their work as Peji. He specializes in urban and district branding managing multi-million dollar projects with potentially hundreds of clients, but got his start by opening his own graphic design company while he was still a senior in college to do a single logo. The man’s got what we like to call range.

Thanks again to Bennett for being on the show, and we’ll see you next week!

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 8 (25 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-7.html/feed 6 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-6.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-6.html#comments Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:04:52 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=28

After a week’s hiatus we are back in full effect! Tom Nemitz makes his first Reflex Blue Show appearance as we list the Top 5 Designer Office Items (by category). and those categories are: Poster, 3-Dimensional Object, Wild Card, Reference, and Inspirational Tome. We want to see your answers below! Thanks for listening,

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 7 (28.5 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-6.html/feed 6 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-5.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-5.html#comments Wed, 09 Apr 2008 22:54:46 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=26

Our complete guide to getting a graphic design summer internship. We welcome Design Princess Ashley McFeely back to the show, well, to the Reflex Blue Show, for the first time ever to trade old war stories of internships gone by. Tales of portfolio samples; tales of getting boned by other interns who hate you, and tales of that one guy who got hit by a car. We also give out a Top 5 tips on how to land an internship, so don’t think we forgot about you. A must for design students. Peace out –

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 6 (24 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-5.html/feed 4 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-4.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-4.html#comments Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:44:04 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=24

A few weeks back Donovan and I gave a show stopping presentation at a student portfolio event called Meet the Pros (site and poster design by me). And even though we weren’t their first choice, we were the first ones to say “yes” and low, PORTFOLIOWN’D was born. A rip-roaring take through the entire student portfolio process — from purpose to process, order to interview, we cover how to make a great portfolio from top to bottom. Much of what you are about to hear we learned from our own experiences as former students, as professors, as interviewers and portfolio reviewers, and from people much smarter than ourselves. So sit back, grab a cold one, and relax on your inflatable couch. Enjoy.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 5 (25 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/04/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-4.html/feed 5 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-3.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-3.html#comments Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:37:54 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=21

Episode 4 was recorded, once again, with the generosity of Concordia University and The Professor Paul Berkbigler, to who at this point we owe pretty much our entire show. Hot on the heels of Stefan Bucher’s appearance at the school a few weeks ago, none other than Jim Sherraden of Hatch Show Print fame was in town and we had the incredible opportunity to sit down with him for breakfast and a show (separately, unfortunately) to talk about Hatch — past, present, and future. Jim turned out to be one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and was very gracious with his time and his stories. Hatch continues to be the best place to get a poster on the whole planet, so if you haven’t faxed them your love for a while, I whole-heartedly suggest it.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 4 (20meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-3.html/feed 4 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-2.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-2.html#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:44:55 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=19

On this week’s episode of The Reflex Blue Show, Donovan, David Kadavy and I discuss — at length — Adobe’s new Font Folio Education Essentials, and scarcely anything else. Type fans grab a cold one, but type-snobs are advised to skip the majority of the recording due to the vast levels of typographic ignorance on display here. We do manage a fairly thorough discussion of font-pricing and value, as well as cover the AFFEE from top to bottom.

–nv–

Download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 3 (23 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-2.html/feed 8 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-1.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-1.html#comments Wed, 12 Mar 2008 01:01:01 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=16

Stefan Bucher is the captain of creative passion. You want to feel inspired about the potential of your own work? You want to feel guilty about being burnt out? Hang out with Stefan for a day. On this, our second episode, we did just that. Stefan was, surprisingly, in Nebraska for several days painting a monster mural for Concordia University, and they were gracious enough to spare a few minutes of his time for us; during which we recorded this show and shot video for the short film Stefan Bucher: Monster Maker, where he created the monster we are putting up for auction. Hope you enjoy the show and we’ll see you next week!

–nv–

Click here to download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 2 (22 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate-1.html/feed 2 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate.html#comments Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:49:54 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=12

Welcome to the first episode of The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery! On this week’s episode, we welcome our good friend Steve Hartman of Creativille. Steve is a member of the AIGA Board of Directors and works a great deal with design education for K-12 when he’s not pumping out pure genius at his day job. It also helps that he’s one hell of a nice guy.

Next week’s scheduled episode will feature Stefan Bucher, author of 100 Days of Monsters (baring any airport or travel shenanigans!)

Click here to download The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery, Episode 1 (16 meg) or click here to subscribe directly from the iTunes Music Store.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/03/the-reflex-blue-show-with-nate.html/feed 14 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/02/new-music-for-the-reflex-blue.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/02/new-music-for-the-reflex-blue.html#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 08:02:30 +0000 Nate Voss http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=11

Just heard our first preview of the new music for The Reflex Blue Show, and let me just say our minds are blown.

Fans of the old music — mixed by me in 2005, then again in 2006, in Garage Band using their freebie basic tracks — may be temporarily taken aback by the new tracks, but only long enough for them to hear the jump in quality that can only be described as light years beyond the original music. So out are the stock baselines, stock drums, stock wakka-wakkas and in is the real music.

If you want to hear more of Steve’s amazing DJ talents, you can head to his Dustlab Myspace page. I’m a big fan of Tokens and Headphones.

]]> http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/02/new-music-for-the-reflex-blue.html/feed 1 http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/02/nate-voss-and-donovan-beery-to.html http://www.36point.com/archives/2008/02/nate-voss-and-donovan-beery-to.html#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2008 19:31:47 +0000 Donovan Beery http://36point.com/wordpress/?p=8 After 50+ episodes as hosts of the Be A Design Cast, Nate and I are happy to announce our new venture into podcasting.

Sometime during the first week of March 2008, we will launch the first episode of “The Reflex Blue Show with Nate Voss and Donovan Beery”. We’ll still talk about design, drink more of the Dew while recording than we should, and then talk some more design. Expect us to bring guests from the old show back, and bring new guests in, but overall just have a fun time doing what we now consider our favorite hobby.

Next week, we are happy to welcome our first guest, Steve Hartman from Creativille, Inc. near St. Louis.

We hope you check back next week to listen.

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