The Quickie - Conversations with Designers

Latest Episodes:

Episode 179 - Israel Pargas - Owner at Vanquish Design - Newbury Park CA. Jan 17, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is Israel Pargas. He is a 3D artist, designer, and owner at Vanquish Design our of Newbury Park CA.
During this episode we talk about:
-how he was born in Mexico and moved to the US around 8 years old.
-his father being an architect and how that shaped him.
-the creative entrepreneur that he follows closely and why.
-the hand-illustrated packaging project he was a part of and why it was so cool.
-the early design days, struggling with self-doubt, and what re-assured him he was on the right path.
-the project he was a part of where there were too many decision-makers involved.
-so much more.
I enjoyed chatting with Israel and hearing about the move from creative to creative business owner. Check out what they have cooking on Instagram. @vanquish.design

Episode 178 - Part Two - Tracie Ching - Freelance Illustrator - Washington DC. Jan 16, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is Tracie Ching. She is a Freelance Illustrator out of Washington DC. Even though she is a super busy mom with three kids, she is hustling and has had the opportunity to work with Michelle Obama, Star Wars, John Wick, Lizzo, Captain Marvel and so many more!
During Part Two of this episode we talk about:
-why the last 18 months have been the toughest time in her career.
-not saying "no" to Michelle Obama and that campaign project that she accepted due to the importance, knowing it would be a huge challenge.
-the challenges of being a woman in the creative industry.
-the incredible and unexpected thing that came from her Captain Marvel project, and why she is so proud of it.
So good. What else can I say! Tracie is amazing. @tracieching

Episode 178 - Part One - Tracie Ching - Freelance Illustrator - Washington DC. Jan 15, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is Tracie Ching. She is a Freelance Illustrator out of Washington DC. Even though she is a super busy mom with three kids, she is hustling and has had the opportunity to work with Michelle Obama, Star Wars, John Wick, Lizzo, Captain Marvel and so many more!
During Part One of this episode we talk about:
-how she is from a family of makers.
-her lifestyle design and having her eyes on freelance right from graduation.
-the artist and printmaker that really influenced her early on.
-the artists that she looks up to now and why.
-the kickstarter print project that became a huge step for her in her freelance career.
There is so much more in this episode and Tracie is super kind and shares it with us! @tracieching

Episode 177 - Part Two - David Saracino - Illustrator + Visual Development Artist in Brooklyn NY. Jan 14, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is David Saracino. He is an Illustrator and Visual development artist out of Brooklyn NY. His work has been featured in the NY Times, Washington Post, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal and he has worked with HUGE Inc., Target, Google Android, Facebook, and more.
During Part Two of this interview we talk about:
-the four most challenging times in his career, what the obstacles were, and what happened.
-the Google Android project he was a part of that didn't make it to the finish line, what happened, and why.
-the SXSW and Instagram project he was a part of, how it came up, and why he is so proud of it.
There is so much more in part two of this interview too. Such a great honest conversation and a peek behind the curtain of building a freelance creative career in New York. @dfsaracino

Episode 177 - Part One - David Saracino - Illustrator + Visual Development Artist in Brooklyn NY. Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is David Saracino. He is an Illustrator and Visual development artist out of Brooklyn NY. His work has been featured in the NY Times, Washington Post, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal and he has worked with HUGE Inc., Target, Google Android, Facebook, and more.
During Part One of this interview we talk about:
-his childhood moving from Buffalo to Italy and the cultural influences that had on him.
-how his parents are artists and creatives and that he was always drawing.
-his intro to commercial animation.
-the work he did for the New Yorker and why it was so influential to him.
-GQ Germany.
-the benefits of sending physical printed pieces to art directors instead of just emails.
David had a really unique childhood with multiple cultures playing a role. I really enjoyed hearing his stories. @dfsaracino

Episode 176 - Part Two - Derek Friday - Experiential Designer - Finndustry - Boulder CO. Jan 10, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is Derek Friday. He is an experiential designer working as Finndustry out of Boulder CO.
During part two of this episode we talk about:
-the german company that he does work for, how that came to be, and the large format prints that he does for them.
-how ultra-marathon running helped pull him out of a challenging period in his career.
-a project in Poland that he was a part of that went a bit sideways, how, and why.
-the award-winning hotel project he was a part of and why he is so proud of it.
Derek is a great guy to talk to. Really honest and shares some great lessons he has learned through his career. @derekfriday

Episode 176 - Part One - Derek Friday - Experiential Designer - Finndustry - Boulder CO. Jan 09, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is Derek Friday. He is an experiential designer working as Finndustry out of Boulder CO.
During part one of this episode we talk about:
-how he originally trained as an architect.
-his adventures as an ultra marathon runner.
-his journey from architect to experiential designer.
-the artist that influenced him early on and what Derek used to collect.
-print - loads of stuff about print, some projects Derek has been a part of, and why print is amazing.
There are also a whole bunch of other gems in there that I didn't share yet. So check it out! Part one! @derekfriday

Episode 175 - Morgan and Marc - Partners and Designers at Bamff Studio - Calgary AB. Jan 08, 2020

Show notes

Today's guests are Morgan and Marc. They are Partners and Designers at Bamff Studio in Calgary AB.
During this interview we talk about:
-the creation story of Bamff Studio, how they met, and how the two freelancers teamed up.
-the album cover artwork that really stuck with Marc.
-the logo and designer that was influential to Morgan.
-the packaging "oops" Marc made and what he learned.
-the label print project where they got to use some fun print finishes.
-mental health stuff you can get hung up on as a freelancer.
-the brewery project that they are really proud to have been a part of and why.
I should also add that the brewery was also recently featured in NYTimes Travel for having awesome 80's throw back design style and being a great place to grab a beer and hang out. As good as the product is I'm sure, the design really brought it home. @bamffstudio

Episode 174 - Jon Kutt - Graphic Designer - The High Road Design - Kitchener ON. Jan 07, 2020

Show notes

Today's guest is Jon Kutt. He is a Graphic Designer working as The High Road Design out of Kitchener ON.
During this episode we talk about:
-his gigposter days.
-how he got into graphic design while he was a bar manager.
-that he is actually red/green color blind.
-the projects he worked on for Blackberry.
-the challenge of learning to work directly with clients.
-the Symantec Icon project that he was a part of that immediately grew beyond the original scope, lasted 6 to 7 months, and then...
-the Canadian clothing company he does work for and why he is so proud of it.
Jon has been in the game for a while now and he shares some great lessons here! @the_high_road_design

Episode 173 - Josh Lewis - Illustrator and Designer - Colorado Springs Co. Jan 06, 2020

Show notes

Today my guest is Josh Lewis. He is an Illustrator and Designer who specializes in children's illustrations out of Colorado Springs Co.
During this episode we talk about:
-how he would draw NFL logos and Disney characters as a kid.
-he didn't intend to become an illustrator and started down a different career path.
-how he has a children's book author and illustrator in his family history.
-print and the mini-book mailer series he is sending out to prospective publishers and clients.
-the in house client presentation that started out great but he soon found out that due to his communication skills he missed a great opportunity.
his first-ever bite-size book project and how it came from a story his son had created.
Josh is a very talented illustrator and I really enjoyed hearing his journey to where he is, and how his kids and family are playing a role in his career. @joshjlewis

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