DesignChat

DC91 AIGA Mentor Program Party

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:44:10 -0700

This week DesignChat is live from the AIGA Chicago Mentor Program party. We talk to a number of participants in the program and learn about their experiences. The audio/video quality is a little rough on this one because well… we're at a party.

DC_90 Rich Sullivan

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 05:43:50 -0700

Rich Sullivan of Red Square Agency joins us from Mobil, Alabama for DesignChat. He tells us how his company has been able to expand during the recession and shares his thoughts on the current state of social media and viral marketing.

DC_88 Jason Santa Maria

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 10:33:09 -0700

Design superstar Jason Santa Maria (aka: The Most SEO'd Designer on the Internet) spends an hour with us discussing his fan/work relationship with They Might Be Giants, seeing one of his logos tattooed on someone, his excitement for the world of TypeKit and his biggest design catastrophe.

DC_87 Make

Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:51:57 -0700

From the beginnings of their "babycakes" college romance in Michigan to the blossoming of their careers in Chicago, Abby and Jesse bring the same vibrance of their relationship to their work together.

The best quote of the show goes to Abby Wynne, "Gotham is way too slutty for me right now."

DC_86 Carolina de Bartolo

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 07:27:49 -0700

An amazing website used to promote the book Explorations in Typography; Mastering the Fine Art of Typesetting lead me to discover its writer and typography instructor, Carolina de Bartolo. Together we nerd-out on typography and the roller coaster we all ride as we learn how to practice it.

Carolina's charm and infectious laughter carry us through our hour-long conversation, which included two video questions and a handful of though-provoking audience text-questions.

DC_85 Bright Bright Great

Sat, 28 May 2011 16:46:27 -0700

The team at Bright Bright Great joins us from Chicago. They tell us about how they got started and what it's like working in a boutique design group. They discuss their approach to projects, client relationships and collaboration.

DC_54 Art Chantry

Mon, 09 May 2011 17:34:23 -0700

As part of the 2010 AIGA Chicago Design Week, DesignChat was held in front of a live audience at Columbia College in Chicago. For this special event, Art Chantry joins us from his studio in Tacoma, Washington. Art tells us about his experiences in the business and shares a unique perspective on the world of design.

DC_84 Von Glitschka

Sun, 01 May 2011 14:14:10 -0700

Von Glitschka joins us from his studio in Oregon for DesignChat. He tells us about his first experiences working in the industry and how he became successful as a one-man shop. He talks about his methods and where his inspiration and motivation comes from.

DC_83 Kyle LaMere

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:54:08 -0700

Kyle LaMere, the photographer behind IshootRockstars, joins us from Chicago. He tells us about his background in design and how he transitioned to photography. He talks about what it's like being a full-time freelancer and some his goals for the future.

DC_82 Rule29

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:59:05 -0700

This week DesignChat is on location at Rule29 talking with Justin Ahrens and other members of the R29 team. Justin tells us about his new book, Life Kerning, and Rule29's latest documentary, This is My Normal. We get to see the trailer for the first time and learn about what went into the making of the film.

DC_81 Carsonified

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 00:17:12 -0800

Allison House and Nick Pettit join us from Florida to talk web design. They tell us what it's like working at Carsonified and discuss some of their current projects like Think Vitamin Membership and Doctype.

DC_80 Tina Roth Eisenberg

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 08:34:02 -0800

Tina Roth Eisenberg joins us from New York City. Founder of the design blog/studio, Swissmiss, she tells us about some of her projects including CreativeMornings and TeuxDeux. She also gives us some clues as to what new and exciting things we can expect to see from her in the near future.

DC_79 Eight Hour Day

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 21:05:43 -0800

Nathan Strandberg and Katie Kirk of Eight Hour Day join us from San Francisco. They tell us about their unique way of combining work with travel and shed some light on their day to day.

DC_74 Olivia Bee

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:41:33 -0800

16 year old photography phenom, Olivia Bee joins us from Portland, Oregon. She talks about her passion for photography and offers a fresh perspective on working in the creative industry. She tells us a little bit about her techniques and gives us some of the back story on how she came to work with clients like Converse and Nike.

DC_78 Hydro74

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 07:49:56 -0800

Joshua Smith, aka Hydro74, joins us from Orlando. He tells us about some his early jobs and experiences in the industry, and how that led him to where he is now. We talk about business, methods, strategy and learn a little bit about the madness that is Hydro74.

DC_76 John Pobojewski and Bud Rodecker

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:51:05 -0800

John Pobojewski and Bud Rodecker join us from the office of Thirst in Chicago. They tell us about their paths, processes and what it's like working with Rick Valicenti.

DC_75 Dawn Hancock and Shannon Downey

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:25:38 -0800

Dawn Hancock of Firebelly Design and Shannon Downey of Pivotal Production, join us to talk about Grant for Good. G4G selects one nonprofit organization and donates services and expertise to focus on their strategy and marketing for an entire year. We also discuss the AIGA Chicago Mentor Program and hear from some of the participants in the most recent session

DC_73 Bob Zeni

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:40:24 -0800

Bob Zeni, Director of Strategy for the Society of Typographic Arts, joins us on the eve of the STA Archive10 gala event. He tells us about the event and shares his wisdom on a variety of design-related topics.

DC_72 Threadless

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:29:29 -0800

The Threadless crew joins us from their brand new office in Chicago. Topics of discussion include crowdsourcing, community and the unique experience that Threadless creates.

DC_71 The Post Family

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 23:12:22 -0800

Members of the Chicago design collaborative, The Post Family, join us from their studio in Chicago. They tell us about their involvement in the documentary "Typeface," and share the ups and downs and ins and outs of working in a collaborative environment.

DC_70 Jessica Hische

Tue, 04 Jan 2011 21:33:56 -0800

The insanely talented Jessica Hische joins us from New York for DesignChat. We talk type, illustration and all things design. Jessica tells us a bit about her career path, client relationships and sheds a bit of light on her design philosophies that have helped her become so successful.

DC_69 Cusp Conference

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 05:31:29 -0800

This week DesignChat is live from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago for the 2010 Cusp ConferenceI Join us as we recap the days events and speak to a number of this years amazing presenters.

DC_68 Cusp Giveaway

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:30:04 -0800

As an official media sponsor of the 2010 Cusp Conference, we were able to give out 2 tickets to the conference at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago! Check out this episode to learn a little bit more about the Cusp Conference presenters and see who dropped in on DesignChat.

DC_67 Armin Vit

Wed, 01 Dec 2010 19:45:55 -0800

Armin Vit, co-founder of UnderConsideration joins us from Texas. He tells us what it is like working with his wife and how they balance work with family. He shares his thoughts on the current state of design and talks a little about why blogs and forums are such great stages for conversation.

DC_66 Quite Strong

Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:29:39 -0800

The ladies of the newly formed design collaborative, Quite Strong, join us from their studio in Chicago. All five designers share the mic to talk about why they decided to join together and the goals that they have as a group.

DC_65 Erin Loechner

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:15:48 -0800

Erin Loechner joins us from Indiana to talk about her blog, Design for Mankind, and her latest project with HGTV. Erin tells us how she finds inspiration for her posts and how she has been able to gain viewership. She also gives advice on networking and the importance of reaching out.

DC_64 smbolic

Wed, 03 Nov 2010 06:07:10 -0700

Dave Mason and Kevin Krueger join us live from their agency and DesignChat's home base, smbolic, formerly known as SamataMason. They tell us about their very recent name changing and how the Cusp Conference came to be. We go on a tour of their office and hear about some of the more memorable moments in their careers.

DC_63 Erik Spiekermann

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 21:17:29 -0700

We were lucky enough to catch Erik Spiekermann, German typographer and designer , while he was on a trip to San Francisco. He talks about his role in the digital type revolution with FontShop and shares his opinions on a number of issues facing designers including specialization, perfectionism and procrastination.

DC_62 Steve Hartman

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 08:26:10 -0700

Steve Hartman, creative director at Falk Harrison, joins us from St. Louis. He tells us about his involvement with the STA Archive10 show, his round robin career path and his influences in design.

DC_61 Kate Bingaman Burt

Sat, 02 Oct 2010 21:01:52 -0700

Kate Bingaman Burt, creator of Obsessive Consumption takes time out of her busy schedule for some DesignChatting. She talks about past and current projects and how she is bringing the design community to the classroom.

DC_60 Robert Kiraz

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 22:32:03 -0700

Robert Kiraz, CEO and founder of Vokle, drops in for a chat. He tells us about his creative background and his inspiration for creating the video chat platform used on DesignChat and many other live internet broadcasts. Robert also discusses what it's been like as a startup and gives us an idea of what's to come for Vokle.

DC_59 Tad Carpenter

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 13:38:37 -0700

Tad Carpenter, designer and illustrator extraordinaire joins us from Kansas City. He tells us about his business Vahalla Studios and what it's like balancing a workload that consists of both design and illustration. Tad shows us some of his recent work and shares stories about his experiences in the business.

DC_58 Maria Grillo

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:35:45 -0700

Maria Grillo, of the Grillo Group weathers a massive storm to chat with us about design. She tells us what it was like working with Rick Valicenti and VSA Partners and also what it's like working for yourself. She shares with us, some of the things that inspire her as well as strategies for tackling projects.

DC_57 Andrew Byrom

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 08:50:55 -0700

Andrew Byrom, typeface and graphic designer drops in for DesignChat. He shares his thoughts on type design and how technology influences design. Andrew discusses how his career path has led him to where he is and talks about his latest collaboration with Stefan Sagmeister.

DC_56 Terry Marks

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 09:40:57 -0700

Terry Marks, founder of TMARKS joins us from Seattle and shares his valuable insight on the business of design. Terry discusses what it's like starting a business, what keeps him going and why good design is so important.

DC_55 Debbie Millman

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:35:51 -0700

Debbie Millman, AIGA national president, partner at Sterling Brands and creator of Design Matters, takes some time to visit with the DesignChat community. She discusses how she got started in the business, what it's like being the president of AIGA and her plans for the future of Design Matters.

DC_53 Grip Design

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 06:18:21 -0700

Kevin McConkey, principal of Grip Design in Chicago fakes getting a call from Debbie Millman,

tries to get me to belive he designed comic sans, admits one of his clients is a brewery and he drinks his profits, and then claims he did the whole chat with his pants off.

DC_52 Elastic People

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 05:10:41 -0700

Out of Miami, founder of Elastic People Carlos Perez survives two power outages to hang out with DesignChatters. While doing so, he reveals that his group is releasing a new music video in 3D and shares his insights about the influence of digital on the latin music industry.

DC_51 Jonnie Hallman

Sun, 27 Jun 2010 08:58:39 -0700

Jonnie Hallman, creator of DestroyFlicker, DestroyTwitter and countless other apps shares with us his insights on the intersection of development and design, and his new venture with Adobe.

DC_50 Nicholas Felton

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:33:15 -0700

Nicholas Felton chats as he goes pro for the second time. Once as a graphic designer, and now designing statistics. Ryan probes into Nicholas' involvement with Daytum, a simple application that intersects usability and statistics, and the role it has in tracking nuances of daily life.

DC_49 Design Revolution Roadshow

Sun, 25 Apr 2010 21:50:08 -0700

Project H stops in to chat. They are at week five of their Design Revolution Road Show pulling a vintage Airstream filled with products designed around humanitarian needs. Emily and Matt talk about the trip thus far from within the Airstream, highlighting a few products and looking towards the future. This is one to watch.

DC_48 Plural

Mon, 05 Apr 2010 09:53:23 -0700

Ryan takes on Chicago-based studio Plural Design. Founders Renata Graw and Jerimiah Chiu chat it up about the challenges and successes of being small, new, and honest. Plural stresses to stay experiential continually finding the energy to draw type, produce imagery, and bring personal projects into the studio. By way of collaborative nature they produce a diverse range of work with close ties to the studio's vision.

DC_47 Sean Adams

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 20:26:46 -0700

Recent president of AIGA National and partner of AdamsMorioka Sean Adams visits with the design community to talk about his studio's work and how happy he is with Debbie Millman's transition to the presidency. Also, we take our first video questions from the audience!

DC_46 Luke Williams

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:24:50 -0700

Emerging typographic superstar Luke Williams tells about his recent entry in the Chicago-based TYPEFORCE show, and what life is like working at a big agency. Our conversation is cut a bit short by some technical difficulty, so I show some of our pre-show chatter.

DC_45 Whitney Hess

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:58:35 -0700

User interface blogger and designer Whitney Hess and I have a great time drinking beers and chatting about her adventures. She tells us that the best UX job in the world right now is designing for the iPad, and why she thinks it should be waterproof.

DC_44 Rick Valicenti

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 11:28:20 -0800

Rick Valicenti discusses with DesignChat his move away from being the vendor to becoming the consultant, closing a startup to pursue his future in design. Creating Thrist. He explains his most integral asset in doing so was to push design and to give back repeatedly to the design community.

DC_43 Steven Heller

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 09:37:28 -0800

In Ep. 43 DesignChat talks with editor, author, and art director Steven Heller about his work as the co-chair for Designer as Author program at the School of Visual Arts. Steven also discusses how his early work for underground papers and the anti-establishment helped shape his creative voice, and how this translates to visual communication today.

DC_42 Chuck Anderson

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:20:55 -0800

The inspiring designer and illustrator Chuck Anderson shares his successes and inspirations with us. We lost the video on this one but keep watching because we show examples of his work!!!

DC_41 Jim Armetta

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 12:00:00 -0800

Jim Armetta of Alter Image and I trudge our way through the depths of what it means to be a photography AND CGI studio. He is very gracious as we deal with the earthquake that hit my house, my flat tire, and having to broadcast under very difficult circumstances.

DC_40 Ray Noland

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:17:25 -0800

Ray Noland tells us his about his art and being part of the bigger picture during the 2008 election of Barack Obama.

DC_39 The iPad

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:28:02 -0800

On the day that Apple released the iPad, guests Ben Parr from Mashable and Sarah Evans of Sevans Strategy talk about the new device's implications.

DC_38 Milton Glaser

Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:00:00 -0800

In Milton's first-ever video chat appearance, we talk about the future paid content structure of newyorktimes.com, how Milton gets his news, and the computer as a collaboration tool. Milton shares multitudes of advice bestowed upon him through his own learnings and interactions in the world as a designer and observer of humanity.

DC_37 Gong Szeto

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:00:00 -0800

Gong Szeto tells us what its like designing high performance equity derivatives trading systems. And then explains what exactly that means.

DC_36 Justin Ahrens

Wed, 30 Dec 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Founder and Principal of Rule 29 Justin Ahrens shares his thoughts on his recent trip to Africa and the resulting documentary 'This is Our Home,' the origins of the Design Monkey, and what life is like at the Rule 29 house.

DC_35 Josh Bodnar

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 15:23:00 -0800

Emmy Winner (for the opening sequence to Dexter) Josh Bodnar shares his views from the motion designer's perspective.

DC_34 Cameron Moll

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Designer, author, and speaker Cameron Moll talks about his beginnings in web design, AuthenticJobs.com, and his recent typographic posters.

DC_33 Emily Pilloton

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:00:00 -0800

Founder and Executive Director of Project H Design, Emily Pilloton tells us how she is bringing design to those in the most need of it.

DC_32 James White

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:00:00 -0800

DC_31 Mirko Ilic

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:00:00 -0800

DC_30 Aaron Dignan

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:22:00 -0800

Aaron Dignan is a founder of Undercurrent, a digital strategy agency out of New York City. He has keen observations about the world of digital and social media interactions.

DC_29 John Cohn

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:43:16 -0800

IBM Fellow and Chief Scientist of Automation John Cohn shares with us what that exactly means. To sum up, he designed the processing chips in the XBOX 360, Playstation 3, AND the Wii!!! Not only that, but he had a big role in the Discovery Channel's 'The Colony' TV series. It was described best as a controlled experiment to see exactly what it would take to survive and rebuild after a global catasrophe. For 10 weeks they had to survive with no electricity, no running water, and no communication from the outside world.

Cohn talks about the end of silicon computing and the materials we will use in the future. He riffs on the benefits of cloud computing, nano-technology, his ventures on his blog (dedicated to his deceased son, Sam - Google Sam's Stones), the new age of energy, how people view the engineering profession, and much much more. John Cohn is a wealth of information that benifits everyone who comes in contact with him.

DC_28 Evan Fry

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0700

Advertising giant Evan Fry has been rockin' it at Crispin Porter and Bogusky for the last 6 years. Just weeks after his departure, we meet up with him to talk about his new venture, BFA Productions. Little did we know that the VERY NEXT MORNING he would be announcing his new crowdsource-based agency, Victors and Spoils.

DC_27 Dustin Hostetler

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0700

..copy to come.

DC_26 Jason Fried

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0700

Jason Fried of 37signals.com on an extended version of DesignChat talks about entrepreneurial business, product development, their relationship with Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos, how they built BASECAMP, how they build new features, how they hire, his first impressions of GOOGLE WAVE, pricing and value, ANNOUNCES THE FREE 37SIGNALS HIRISE IPHONE APP, his love for the design of The Drudge Report, how slick design is overrated, invents the word PICTURIZE, why the Chicago Olympics bid failed, his dissapointment in Intuit's selling of Mint.com, how they price their products, ANNOUNCES THE NEW WEB DESIGN JOB FINDING, Google Voice app on the iPhone, what breaks his heart, being on the BOD of Groupon, the 37signals logo design, the best business advice he's ever received from Jeff Bezos, reveals his love for landscape architecture, where he gets his confidence, why he hates modified cars,

more copy to come.

DC_25 Cronan

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:00:00 -0700

...copy to come

DC_24 Big Spaceship

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:55:00 -0700

...copy to come.

DC_23 Danny Outlaw

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:01:00 -0700

DC_21 Carlos Segura

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:00:00 -0700

Carlos Segura, fellow Chicagoan and designer talks about his blogs: Car Type, Truck Type, Bike Type, Moto Type, How to make a business out of doing things you love, His hit band in Spain, his first job at an agency in Baton LaRouge Louisiana, knowing the difference between advertising and design, learning that making beautiful things isn't good enough, starting Segura Inc, starting T26 Type Foundry, starting 5inch, getting off your butt and doing something, and never show anything in your portfolio that you would apologize for.

DC_20 Fabio Sasso

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:00:00 -0700

...to come

DC_19 Paul Jenkins

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 16:09:00 -0700

copy to come

DC_18 Dyna Moe

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:00:00 -0700

copy to come...

DC_17 Daniel Burka

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:00:00 -0700

To Come...

DC_15 Pete Cashmore

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:01:00 -0700

Pete Cashmore
With the recent 4th birthday for Mashable.com, founder Pete Cashmore finds himself at the epicenter of social media on the web. Having started the blog at age 19, he has grown it to be the largest and most successfull blog focusing on web 2.0 and social media.
Having recently invited DesignChat to the Mashable Mashchat lounge, Pete talks to the design community about the beginnings of Mashable, how he views the importance of design, and how he thinks we'll interact in the future.

DC_14 Nick Campbell

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0700

Greyscale Gorilla
During a time when inspired people are taking to the web to tell people about their passions, Nick Cambell shows us that there is an audience that will respond. Campbell, aka @nickvegas on Twitter, tells us about his beginnings with audio and video, shows off his video reel, talks about multiple creative endevors in the creative field, knowing your tools, developing an animated font for the Webby Awards, the origin of the name GreyscaleGorilla, his iPhone Shake It Photo app, and much more.

DC_13 Red Square Agency

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0700

A little history:
DesignChat originally started as a Twitter chat. Once a week, designers would sign on to Twitter and I would moderate a chat that everyone could follow by using the hashtag #designchat. It was inspired by @PRSarahEvan's #jourchat, a weekly discussion between PR specialists and journalists.

It was a very new way of interacting with the online design community and a bit of an experiment for me. Around week 9 we started to invite special guests to participate in the conversation. Then participants began to ask for transcripts of the conversation if they missed that week. Interest was growing.

That week, I was participating in a live video chat that Mashable was hosting on their site. Pete Cashmore (founder of Mashable) was talking to Sarah Evans (founder Sevans Strategy) and they were talking about social media. I was commenting in a chat forum and after the discussion was over, I plugged DesignChat, and Pete immediately offered me the use of the Mashable chat lounge. After I was done jumping up and down I said, "Yes, of course."

Two weeks later after a second live broadcast, I looked at my friend Chuck who was helping me with the tech on the chat, and said, "We have to start recording these." The next week, DC_13 was the first episode that we did a screen capture on.

That is why our podcast episodes start at episode 13.

The twitter chats may be revived at some point, but they'll never replace the video chat. They're too different from each other, and I think sometime in the near future they will coincide.

Yet another milestone in the development of DesignChat was my relationshipt with SamataMason, a local design agency. They took an interest in what I was accomplishing with the show and asked how they could help. It is this act of kindness that helped me legitimize the value of the show. Once a week, they open up their offices to me, and I use their bandwidth to live stream video. They support me with tech, lighting, and a projector to show examples of design and the DesignChat logo. Also, it doesn't hurt that they are recognized in the design industry as one of the leaders in innovation and visualization of change. Follow @visualizechange on Twitter.

Red Square Agency
It was very clear in January of 2009 that some people and organizations already had a strong understanding of how to use Twitter. RedSquareAgency was one of them. Their posts were either packed full of wit or shared some cool aspect of how the agency was run. As a designer, I was smitten with them. They stank of cool swagger and potent creative juice. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not accompanied by a gluttonus ego, because when I asked Rich Sullivan, ECD and voice of RedSquare, to join our new community for an hour he graciously accepted.