Indiana State University Professor Nancy Nicols-Pethick joins the team to talk shop and how she uses her unique experiences to push students to find passion in their work, learn how to address failures, and recognize how to aim for higher personal standards rather than settling for their current skill level. We cover mastering creative foundations,…

In this episode, the Team talks about accessibility and design. Guest host Lauren DeMarks talks about user experience (UX) design and the spectrum of use cases for ensuring equitable experiences regardless of temporary or long-term physical disabilities. Show Notes: Overall, what does it mean to have accessible design? Lauren, would you like to giv…

In this episode guest host Lauren DeMarks joins the Team as talks about ways to level up as a graphic designer. Show Notes: What does it mean to “level up?” More than just software skills, aesthetic, or even becoming more efficient Higher level of performance, thinking, innovating, systems thinking, etc… Tangible markers of successful leveling up: …

In this episode, guest Crystal Black talks about issues related to doing design work for friends and the pitfalls of not using a contract. Egg Timer News: Canva buys Affinity! Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark Cela Host, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen Pericleous Host, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson…

In this episode, The Team attempts to stay on task and talk about work-life balance for Graphic Designers. Show Notes: General Overview What is work/life balance? Specific Situations School vs. “Real World” Extra cirriculars, friends, social life, after-work events, side gig (??), hobbies Kristen’s advice: don’t take on too much directly out of sch…

In this episode, The Team explore different software used in professional graphic design. Show Notes: Today we’re going to address a question we get all the time: “There are SO many programs, what do I really need to learn?!” School won’t teach you everything, but it will teach you how to learn, where to find tutorials, what questions to ask, etc. …

In this episode, The Team explores the graphic design interviewing process and the tough questions and situations that may arise during the process. Show notes: Interview Questions, Answers, and Etiquette. Not every question ever, just some of the hard ones! Tell us about yourself! What’s the weakest piece in your portfolio? Answering questions abo…

In this episode The Team Interviews UX Designer Lauren DeMarks! Lauren talks about her time as a design student, intern, and Senior UX Designer. Show Notes: Working as a designer in a very specific niche and how I adjusted out of school apprehensive about diving right into edtech right out of college because it sounded kind of limiting on its face,…

By Mark Cela, Kristen Pericleous, Dan Lawson

In this episode, The Team chats about the positive and negative influences of Artificial Intelligence on Graphic Design and Design Education. Show Notes: Where do we see AI right now in our industry? Photoshop, Midjourney, ChatGPT, Adobe Premiere… any others? Is Adobe getting too powerful? Will it kill the industry professional? Who owns the rights…

In this episode, The Team answers listener questions, discusses ImagineFX Magazine, and finally answers the question, "Does Kristen own a tiara?" Time stamp information: (07:41) How do you overcome imposter syndrome when starting your job? (08:24) I'm going to be a new designer going into the field after getting married, my partners job often has u…

In this episode, The Team covers salary negotiating techniques, cost of living considerations, and how to calculate how much you should ask for when negotiating your salary for a graphic design job! Show Notes: Negotiate a SalaryKnow your worth Track all your expenses for a month: Needs: Rent, gas, insurance, bills, etc. Wants: Dinner, dates, going…

In this episode The Team explores how and why designers should catalog their successes in order to become more confident and well-rounded in their careers. Show notes: Purpose: Promotes Professional Confidence Practice self-promotion Brag! Demonstrate breadth of experience Keep public-facing spaces current Identify holes in skill or experience Diff…

In this episode The Team talks about what they do to overcome creative ruts, advice on coming up with unique ideas, and how the struggle to be original is actually positive for you. Show Notes: Let’s talk about something that I’m sure is on everyone’s mind, especially as we are getting closer and closer to the holidays: Getting in and out of a crea…

In this episode, The Team discusses what it's like to be a freelance Graphic Designer with cohost Dan Lawson. Show Notes: High Level Overview How you got started freelancing What your typical day or week looks like Design time vs business development Prospecting/getting new clients meeting/communicating with clients Dive deeper into the nitty gritt…

In this episode, The Team examines the career path to becoming a college-level educator in Graphic Design. We talk about degree requirements, expectations on the job, and just how easy/difficult it is to land one of these positions at various institutional levels! Show Notes: Deep Dive Educator Levels: Job Titles (Adjunct, Visiting Professor, Instr…

In this episode the Team continues the discussion about career paths in Graphic Design, what makes each career path unique, and provides advice that may help you decide if a specific discipline is right for you! Buckets of Design Jobs: There are ways to drill down even further, but this is a high-level view of the different directions you can take …

In this episode Mark Cela, Kristen Pericleous, and Dan Lawson begin a two-part discussion about education and career paths for graphic designers. The conversation covers the positives and negatives of higher education, and what types of degrees designers may consider for different career paths. Show notes: Is design education necessary? What it did…

In this episode, the team discusses the moment each of them knew Graphic Design was the correct career path for them. Show Notes: I saw something in the "real world" that made me realize "Ooooh, someone had to have designed that!" What was the moment you KNEW choosing art would work out for you? Advice for young artist, either just getting into the…