The Quickie - Conversations with Designers

Today's guest is Flora Gordon. She is an Intuitive Graphic Designer and Art Director in Vancouver BC. During this episode we talk about:-her transition to full-time freelance about 10 years ago. -the teacher at art school that helped her shape her portfolio that helped her next step. -the ad that influenced her and showed her how clever design could be. -the magazine and editorial design internship that she had and what she learned there. -the struggle she had trying to find the right fit for her in the design world. -the importance of communication and how challenging a project can become when that falls apart.-her intuitive design process.-the design course she created that she is really proud of. I really enjoyed hearing Flora's unique take and approach to design. She also nails the ask-it-forward question from my previous guest. @floragordon

Today's guest is Andrew Hochradel. He is a Freelance Designer under Hoch.co and America's Emcee. During this episode we talk about:-the story of the America's Emcee campaign and how it started.-how he was teaching design history for 7 years, and various roles doing branding and creative work for 8+ years before starting Hoch.co.-the movie that introduced him to visual communication. -the poster project he created, what it was, what it taught him, and why it was so influential to him. -context for content and where print fits in design and customer experience. -why the biggest challenge he has faced in his career so far is right now. -the merch project he was a part of where he made up a bible verse -- accidentally. -the Red Bull project he worked on with a number of different creatives including the Hood sisters from Hoodzpah, and why it was so important to him. Andrew is an incredible person to talk to and his positive perspective on life and challenges lights me up! A wonderful person! @hochdotco

Today's guest is George F. Baker III. He is an Illustrator, Muralist, and Conversation creator working as GFB3 out of Atlanta GA. During this episode we talk about:-the different creative careers that he pursued before starting GFB3 and nailing down the direction he was most passionate about. -the phone call that he received from a friend that changed his career direction and what came from that. -one of the first murals he saw and why it is so influential to him. -how his first canvas was actually the t-shirt. -why 2019 has been the most challenging year in his career so far. -the project he took on that he tried to do all by himself even though he had help, and what he learned in the process. -the live mural project he did for the NFL, how that project came up, and what he first thought when it arrived in his inbox. George is an open book and speaks from the heart. He shares stories open and honestly. I could have a week of George episodes. @gfb3

Today's guest is Emilie Chen. She is a Freelance Designer and Art Director out of London EN. She is also one of the leaders for the London chapter of Ladies Wine & Design.During this episode we talk about: -why getting a library card started fulfilling her creative path. -how her first direction was actually into Science and Biology. -the printed theatre program she did the design for and why it still stands out to her. -how she graduated from uni the year of the recession and the challenges she faced finding work in Paris at that time. -the recruiter she met during that time that reassured her that her work was great but suggested she try a different method to stand out. -the theatre project she had a tough time representing what the show was about through design, the lesson she learned, and what happened. Emilie has a really unique journey to the creative field and her love for theatre, museums, and art really come through. @spottedbyem

Today's guest is Aaron Masik. He is a Senior Designer at UpperDeck Cards and also a Freelance Art Director at Masik Creative in San Diego CA. During this episode we talk about: -his journey to design as a kid and the first piece of design software he got to play around with. -how he was let go from the design studio he worked at within the first year of being there and it was right after he got married.-his long shot of getting into sports design and the 16-hour drives that made his dream a reality. -the variety of print materials that he designs at UpperDeck and the variety of substrates he is using for them. Including materials embedded with diamonds. -his time design Rampage jerseys while he was with the Spurs and what that meant to him. -how to handle non-designer feedback when they can't see your vision or reasoning. -the WNBA team project he was proud to be a part of. I am really excited to share this one as I was a huge hockey card collector when I was a kid, still have them too! Aaron is a great guy to talk to with stories to share! @masik18

Today's guest is me...your host of The Quickie Podcast. Yeah...Host and Guest today. This is Saturday Bonus episode 3 of 4. For the next 4 Saturdays, I'm going to teach you a little something about print.During this episode "I" talk about:-things to look for to prepare your file for sending to a printer.-color separations, layers, bleeds, crop marks, images converted to RGB, but also some that are talked about a bit less. -bonus talk about CMYK Greys and browns and an advanced tip about booklet signatures. November 23rd - proofing, press checks, liabilities.

Today's guest is Joshua Jacobs. He is J7 Creative - a branding and packaging studio focused in the cannabis space out of San Diego CA.During this episode we talk about:-how after a couple of years into his design career he started noticing how the designs and things he grew up around made its way into his style. -the CocaCola project he was a part of and why that was so influential to him. -how he nearly left design entirely. He went and got a job working for a cannabis producer and how he found his way back to design. -working with Aaron Draplin and how a conversation that they had really freed him to look at design his way. -the cataloge project he worked on using quark express back in the day and how that projet introduced him to printing and presschecks.-the project where he started to feel taken advantage of and what he learned from that. -the letterpress packaging project he created for a cannabis company and how that put him on the map and got him a lot of online attention. Joshua is filled with stories and I really enjoyed chatting with him and hearing more about his journey. @j7creative

Today's guest is Peter Asprey. He is the Owner and Creative Director at Asprey Creative out of Melbourne AUS. During this episode we talk about:-his childhood and the project that he got 15 / 10 on, what that project was, and why that was so important to his journey at the time. -the challenges he has faced and lessons he has learned while running his studio. -a critical, but non-creative skill.-a food packaging project where he and his team knocked it out of the park, it was amazing, shook up the category, did great for the business, only to turn around 6 years later and turn into an awkward mess. -the ice cream project he is proud to have been a part of and how it expanded from "just a packaging design" to so much more. Peter has over 30 years in the design game and shares a bunch of knowledge and lessons with us. @aspreycreative

Today's guest is Lindsay Stripling. She is a very talented illustrator and designer working out of San Francisco CA. During this episode we talk about: -how she loved drawing maps as a child and the magazine that was really influential to her which is still available, and my kids get it, and thats cool. -how college was really the first time that art and illustration started to feel like where she should be. -how she navigated after college graduation and how her transition to freelance all went down. -how she is using print with her art and illustrations.-why this year has been one of the most challenging times in her career. -the "mystery painting" project she did and what she learned in that process.-the time that Lisa Congdon purchased 5 of her paintings and what that felt like for her. We also talk about the Hood Sisters from Hoodzpah design and their Business Course that she attended and how that helped her. Along with a bunch of other fun conversation! This is a fun one. @lindsayvictorialee

Today's guest is Jon Benson. He is a Senior Designer at Rooster Teeth in Austin TX. During this episode we talk about:-how Jon grew up in a creative family and what he was surrounded by. -how when he first got into design he was very close-minded about what a true "designer" was. -his time at Hobby Lobby where he started doing more hand lettering and how that influenced him. -the print he produced for Hobby Lobby and the feeling he had when his designs were out there and available across all of their stores. -the brand refresh project he was a part of at Hobby Lobby and why is so proud of that. -the freelance project where he was accidentally included on an internal client email and what that taught him. Jon also shares some current struggles that he is having in his career and how he is working through them. Open, honest, and easy to talk to! @jonbensondesigns