AS WE CREATE

Graeme Swank's path to the creative world was anything but straight, but now he knows he's where he's supposed to be. We talk about his time at Cooper Union - both as a student and faculty - as well as current projects he's working on with Typetr and Hoodzpah Design.

kHyal's diverse background encompasses experiences rooted in fine art, high end audio, graphic design, marketing, and fashion design. As the founder of Fizz Agency and MegaGlam, the lifestyle brand combining fashion, design and street art, kHyal is far from slowing down.

Jeremy Brazeal is the Executive Creative Director for Reality. Although Jeremy's roots started in illustration - he always had his heart set on becoming a creative director. Though there were a few detours along the way, Jeremy eventually led creative teams for both Lego and Coca-Cola. We talk design, leadership, and how cycling keeps him in balance. Enjoy this conversation!

Kelly Walters is an artist, designer, educator, researcher and the founder of Bright Polka Dot. Ever since Kelly was a student at University of Connecticut, many of her creative efforts have focused on race and representation in design. In addition to her studio, Kelly is also the Director of the Communication Design BFA program at Parsons School of Design. We also discuss how continuing her own education is vital to the success of her students.

Nate Solberg's creative curiosity started at a very young age and he shares how a massive college project shaped his work ethic. He talks about some influential internships and his current role at North American Entertainment Group. We are also very grateful for Nate as he created the logo and brand of this very podcast.

Cassandra Hamer's love of design started very early in her childhood with her classmates being some of her first "clients". Currently, she is on the in house design team of Ace Hardware and talks about how she got there. She shares with us how the lack of design education in public schools contributed to her eagerness to learn and was the motivation to write ABC's of Design.

Bob Vitale is one of the founding members of the design studio, SVP Partners. He shares how a supportive family allowed him to pursue graphic design and how that sparked the beginning of his career. We also discuss a charity organization near and dear to Bob's heart called Sticks for Soldiers, which provides support to wounded military veterans.

For the past 10 years, designer Chuck Brooks has been at the award-winning design studio, Box 8 Creative in New Haven. Chuck shares some insight into the creative team's process that has helped steer many successful brands such as Mecha Noodle Bar, Alvarium Brewing and Roasting, and Doro Restaurant Group.

Butch Quick is an illustrator and designer who's interest in comic books at a young age set him on his creative path. We discuss his experience as a concept artist and his love of package design. Having been in the business for over 40 years, Butch is still evolving, and his more recent interest in portrait photography has allowed him a whole new way to connect.

Dan Taylor talks about his early days at RIT and then moving to New York City and interning at Pushpin Studios. He talks about how Taylor Design came to be and how he and his team stay focused in an ever-changing world.