The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Graphic Designer & Design Educator Nick Longo on The Angry Designer LIVE from Creative South 2024 Jun 06, 2024

Show notes

In this episode of Angry Designers Live, we sit down with Nick Longo, a Southern California native and passionate branding expert. As a co-host of the Deeply Graphic Designcast and the producer and host of Office Hours on Adobe Live, Nick is a familiar voice in the design community, offering insights and guidance to designers worldwide.
Nick currently leads Longo Designs, a branding studio specializing in strategic, storytelling design for the food and beverage industry. Nick has honed his craft over years of dedication and creativity working with brand giants like Kellogg’s, Kohl’s, Burger King, Macy’s, Kraft Foods, DreamWorks, and Starbucks..
Nick's expertise doesn't stop at his studio. He's a design instructor at his alma mater, California State University, Northridge, where he shares his knowledge and experience with the next generation of designers.
On a personal note, Nick has helped me rethink my opinion on design educators. His fresh, innovative approach to teaching design has changed my perspective, highlighting the crucial role educators can play in shaping future designers.
Tune in to hear Nick's journey, his approach to storytelling through design, and his relentless pursuit of branding excellence.
Angry Designer LIVE brings you event-based interviews with designers, speakers, and guests from top creative events. This series continues with an exclusive session from Creative South 2024 in Columbus, Georgia.

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A No Bull Approach for Graphic Designers to Offer Brand Strategy Services Jun 04, 2024

Show notes

While Graphic Design projects can be fun and exciting, they are often limited and the relationship short lived. What if there was a way Graphic Designer can provide more value, generate better work, and unlock lucrative opportunities?

This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we tear down the fluff and give you a straight-up guide to adding broader branding services to your skill set. Get ready for angry experiences, advice, and practical strategies to help you transition from designer to brand strategist.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why expanding into branding is crucial for designers
Why Graphic Designers are perfect to offer brand strategy
How to create and deliver a compelling brand promise
Practical steps to integrate branding services into your offerings

By the end of this episode, you’ll be ready to boost client satisfaction and command higher fees offering higher value services that you already have the ability for.

Don’t miss out on these game-changing insights—and start transforming your design career today.

No Nonsense Survival Skills for Graphic Designers May 28, 2024

Show notes

Graphic designers face a relentless industry—it's not just about creativity, but about survival. From cutthroat competition to ever-evolving trends, burnout, toxic work environments, the pressure can feel overwhelming. But what if mastering a few key survival skills could turn the tide in your favor?

This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we serve up a no-nonsense guide packed with essential survival skills every graphic designer needs to succeed. We’re cutting through the fluff and delivering hard-hitting advice to help you navigate the toughest aspects of your career.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

How Graphic Designers could be at risk in todays economy
A reality check to call out bull in the industry
9 hard hitting survival skills every Graphic Designer should follow

Through a mix of no-bull advice, real-world stories, experiences, and tactical strategies, we’ll show you how to transform your approach to your career. By the end of this episode, you'll have the tools to not just survive, but thrive in the Graphic Design industry.

Don’t miss out on these game-changing insights—tune in and start building the career longevity and rates you deserve.

Sophie Mills, founder of GC Grumpy Frog from Creative South 2024 on the Angry Designer LIVE May 23, 2024

Show notes

Angry Designer LIVE is event based interview sessions performed with designers, speakers, and guests at Creative events. This series is from Creative South 2024 held in Columbus Georgia.
This episode we feature one of the most truly special guests we've ever had. Joining us is Sophie Mills, the talented founder of @GCGrumpyFrog! 🐸
At just 10 years old, this is Sophies 2nd year at Creative South - not as a guest, but as a vendor! Her Grumpy Frog brand of lovable characters were available as pins, stickers, merch and much more.
From doodling in procreate to building her Grumpy Frog family, Sophie shares her aspirations for the future and even offers some of the most practical, valuable advice for fellow Graphic Designers.
This episode may be short, but it's packed with sweetness and wisdom you won't want to miss!
Catch it on Apple Podcast, Spotify, YouTube, or click the link in our bio to listen.

How Losing a Client Can Be A Graphic Designers Biggest Win May 21, 2024

Show notes

Graphic designers know the sting of losing a client—it's like a slap in the face that can shake your confidence. Every graphic designer will face client loss at some point. Whether it's due to budget cuts, better offers elsewhere, or plain old bad chemistry, the impact feels brutal and, if left unchecked, can lead to imposter syndrome.

But what if that brutal moment is actually a hidden opportunity?

This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we lay out a battle plan to not just survive, but thrive after a client walks out the door. Armed with a mix of fiery advice, tactical strategies, and inspiring comeback stories, this episode is loaded with everything a graphic designer needs to turn a loss into a significant gain.

From strategic rebound tips to real-life success stories of design giants who transformed losses into legendary comebacks, this episode is packed with so much valuable information to transform your lowest lows into your highest highs.

By the end of this episode, you will discover how every setback is a setup for a comeback, helping you find the lessons hidden in each challenge.

Kristy Campbell from Creative South 2024 on the Angry Designer LIVE May 16, 2024

Show notes

Angry Designer LIVE is event based interview sessions performed with designers, speakers, and guests at Creative events. This series is from Creative South 2024 held in Columbus Georgia.
In this first, official episode, meet Kristy Campbell, the no-nonsense brand identity specialist and graphic designer shaking up the industry from The Stables in Orewa, New Zealand. With over a decade of experience and a degree in Graphic Design and Animation, Kristy leads a fierce all-female team with an unapologetic drive.
Sick and tired of the mundane in-house design gigs—imagine being chained to one set of fonts and a bland three-tone palette—Kristy decided enough was enough. She launched a 100-day design challenge on Instagram to reignite her creative spark, shared her bold creations, and landed her first client. Just like that, her freelance career took off like a rocket.
Kristy’s #1 mission with Pink Pony Creative? To craft unforgettable and unmistakable branding and visual identities for bold businesses ready to make waves. But she doesn't stop there. Kristy is on a crusade to educate the masses about the power of cohesive and consistent aesthetics, emphasizing the importance of a personal brand. She preaches the gospel of strategic, branded design elements and marketing collateral, and she rocks her own branded Pink across everything she touches, proving the impact of personal branding.
Ready to learn from a true industry rebel? Tune in and get ready to be inspired by Kristy’s journey and her relentless pursuit of design excellence.

Graphic Design Interviews & Portfolio Reviews - 25 Years of Insider Tips & Expert Advice May 14, 2024

Show notes

Ready to get an edge on your next Graphic Design Interview or portfolio review? Job interviews are hard, and so few tell us what they're actually looking for, where people go wrong, and why some never get call backs.
This week on The Angry Designer Podcast, we talk all about our experiences in interviewing hundreds of graphic designers over the past 25 years for positions in our creative agency - zfactor.
We cover the important points that have stood out over the years to us, provide some interview advice, portfolio advice, and what we feel you should do from start to finish to get that job.
From nailing your portfolio presentation to mastering tricky questions, this episode reveals tips and tricks you won’t want to miss out on.

CJ Cawley: Battling Social Trolls for the Greater Good of Graphic Design PART 2 May 07, 2024

Show notes

Think social media is just fun and games? Think again. It can sometimes require thick skin, tenacity, and the courage to do your thing no matter what any one says. No one embraces this idea more than the ultra animated and entertainingly educational CJ Cawley!
Join The Angry Designers In part 2 of our awesome chat with CJ Cawley, a super talented Graphic Designer, where he reveals his experience with the dark side of social media and shares his strategy to dealing with personal hate messages and negative comments.
This is an episode you won’t want to miss!

Winning Hearts & Followers - A Conversation with Graphic Designer CJ Cawley Apr 30, 2024

Show notes

Social media can be a game changer for Graphic Designers, giving them a chance to showcase their creativity, personality and brand!
Meet CJ Cawley, a super talented graphic designer who’s all over your social feeds. He has captivated audiences across various platforms with his dynamic and engaging content that is not only gaining tons of followers but also winning everyone's hearts. CJ Cawley mixes fun stuff with neat design tips in videos that blend education with entertainment, and people just can’t get enough of it.
Tune into The Angry Designer Podcast for the first part of a riveting and humorous dialogue with the one and only CJ Cawley. We’ll dive deep into his personal and professional journey, exploring his early challenges and his path to becoming a successful freelance designer...not to mention rice and ketchup.
Join us as we uncover the stories behind CJ Cawley's viral success and get to know the man who’s made learning design as entertaining as it is enlightening!

The Power of Community in Graphic Design Apr 23, 2024

Show notes

Ever wondered how top designers stay inspired and on top of their game? The key, to unlocking your full Graphic Design potential, to an endless amount of inspiration, support, and resources isn't a tool or software–it's community.
In this LIVE recording of The Angry Designers Podcast, the duo leave the great white north, and travel over 1500km to Columbus, Georgia for the Creative South Graphic Design Conference.
With a conference motto of 'Come as Friends, leave as Family', the designers discover:
- what makes Creative South so special
- experience what community actually means
- the importance it has in a Graphic Designers future
Joining a Graphic Design Community Could Be the Best Decision of Your Career! United, We Design!
This episode spins off a Brand new series of Live Event Interviews called, The Angry Designer LIVE, which will run each week along side our regularly scheduled podcasts.

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