Owen Davey visits The Reflex Blue Show (remotely, via the UK) and we discuss starting a career as an illustrator, the changes in the field over the years, and doing illustrations for social media. We also spend a bit of time talking about The Mandalorian, and some of the other shows we enjoy.
Enjoy.
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Lauren Hom visits The Reflex Blue Show (remotely, via Detroit, Michigan) to discuss how she got into lettering. This has led to murals, starting her own online classes, and working for some rather well-known brands.
We also discuss her current plans to go to culinary school in a couple of years, and making changes in your career in general.
Thanks again to soon-to-be-graduating designer Hanna Zimmermann for co-hosting from Lincoln, Nebraska. We end the show, well, we sort-of recorded an entire show after the show, with Lauren giving Hanna advice for any graduating design student.
Enjoy.
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Brooke Robinson stops by The Reflex Blue Show (well, remotely, via Austin, Texas) to talk about her journey from graphic designer, to fine artist, to bicycling the West coast, to founding Goodtype. We also talk about the wildly popular @goodtype Instagram page; her latest book, Goodtype : The Art of Lettering; and her own fine art studio, Sunsurfer.
Wow, Season 14 already? Season 13 certainly lived up to it’s unlucky number of a reputation by having an eight-month delay between episodes 4 and 5 (due to a global pandemic). But, since our regular in-person show is going to be remote for a while, we’re back for Season 14 with a much shorter delay than usual.
A big thanks goes out to so-to-be-graduating designer Hanna Zimmermann. While interning for us the past three weeks, she made the suggestions for 4 of our first 5 guests; co-hosted on 4 of the next 5 shows (remote via Lincoln, Nebraska); and also created the Reflex Blue Show logo and episode graphics we will be using for seasons 14 & 15.
Enjoy.
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Nate Voss! Just over 15(?!) years ago, Nate watched Steve Jobs talk about bringing podcasts into iTunes and immediately went to thoughts that he should be podcasting about design and invited Tom Nemitz to help (my typed recap from 5 years ago is here). I somehow also got invited to record, and the Be A Design Cast was born. After a couple-ish years, we went off to start The Reflex Blue Show. Nate left co-hosting after season 4 (when he moved to Kansas City), but did make a number of appearances in the next two years.
After watching ‘The Mandalorian‘ season 2, episode 6, I texted that all I really wanted to do was podcast about Boba Fett and such. So, that’s what we do. Well, we spend the first half talking about design and the best projects Nate’s done in the 9 years since he left Omaha – as well as moving from being a print designer to now spending years designing apps.
Then we just talk Star Wars for a while. We wrap up the show by speaking about 2020, Covid, and how it’s changed, well, everything. Thanks for listening as we wrap up Season 13. We’ll be back in 2021.
Enjoy.
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Justin Dauer – who I last spoke to and interviewed in 2017 while promoting his book “Cultivating a Creative Culture”, returns to discuss the book’s 2nd Edition: “Creative Culture: Human-Centered Interaction, Design, & Inspiration“. Well, more than just a second edition, as the content has doubled in size, and added a hardcover.
But yeah, what a difference 3 years has brought. The book, and our discussion, features a lot about setting a culture for your company that design and creativity can flourish in. A lot of this is physical environment, but as most of us have been remote working, it turns out that a lot of the lessons translate to the virtual world as well.
And even though I have not travelled to any conferences this year (and I am not sure there were any to travel to), when we spoke 3 years ago, I was at the HOW Conference in Chicago, Justin stopped by with his bags packed and on the way to the airport for a different conference in Florida. Seems like a decade ago! But even conferences go on (although heavily adapted this year). Turns out we both participated in the same conference this summer without realizing it – AIGA’s 2020 Portfolio Festival. I hope they make this into an annual thing, as it was well run, and great for graduation students. I was involved in reviewing portfolios, and Justin gave one of the keynotes on “Humility: The Designer’s Most Essential Trait“.
We also talk about onboarding a new team member virtually, job hunting in the unique environment that is 2020, changes in office working, and more.
Enjoy.
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