Design Together

This episode is a special one, and something I am very excited to bring to you, my listeners. Many of us run small, independent design studios and often collaboration looks different for this niche of designers. We are nimble and often have a network of freelancers we bring on as needed, but how do we grow our offerings without making the financial commitment for new hires. Corey Pontz, founder of CWP Design Studio, and Jennifer Edwards, Co-Founder of better_, join forces to bring together design and strategy and share how their independent companies work together on everything from proposals to workflow, from brainstorming to the delivery of some amazing work. This episode is an eye-opener for any small business owner as well as those newer to the industry.

On this episode of Design Together, Chad Reichert, Professor at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit (CCS) and Proprietor at spirit3design joins us to share how he collaborates both in and out of the classroom. Learn how CCS incorporates sponsored projects into their curriculum, and how these projects impact the students and allow them to build the skills they need to be successful collaborations. This episode is great for all educators and anyone interested in learning how design is being taught in 2021.

The brutally honest consultant and author, Emily Cohen, joins us to share her unique insights on collaboration. Having worked with countless design studios of all sizes, Emily is an expert in knowing what makes a team gel. And in true Emily fashion, she doesn't hold back when letting us know her honest thoughts on the term "creative culture." This episode is perfect for anyone looking to expand their team, as well as those just getting started. PS: There is a gem of an interview question suggestion in this episode you won't want to miss!

On this episode of Design Together, Gavin Cooper, Senior Manager of UX Strategy at Vanguard, joins us to share what has shaped his career and his approach to working collaboratively. We discuss what it is like to work on a team at Vanguard and how your collaborative skills are rewarded on the job. This episode is perfect for anyone who is on a product team, whether you are just starting out, or if you've been in the industry for years.

Sergio Claudio, Sr. Director, Enterprise & Commercial Experience at Adobe, joins us to share his insights on how to facilitate a successful collaboration, what mindset an individual should approach collaboration with to be effective, and what methodologies he likes to use for group problem-solving. This episode is great for those new to design as well as seasoned professionals who want some new tricks for their own facilitator toolboxes.

Today's show is a first for us as we have two guests. Allan Espiritu and Kevin Kernan, partners from GD Loft, share how they came to work together, how their skills complement each other, and how they involve their clients in their process. This is a great episode for any entrepreneurs looking to start a studio, as well as everyone folks interested in design for the public good (GD Loft does a lot of it)!

Matt Dombrowski, an Associate Professor of Emerging Media at the University of Central Florida and the Creative Director Limbitless Solutions joins us to share how he came to collaborate with the team at Limbitless Solutions. This creative collaboration is one of the most inspirational projects you will hear about this year! Anyone interested in using your skills to impact others will enjoy this episode.

Join us for a conversation with Lisa Gottfried, an educator at the project-based learning (PBL) high school, New Technology in Napa Valley, California where she teaches digital design. Lisa is also an Adobe Education Leader and inspired me to start this podcast! If you haven't heard of the PBL learning model, this is an episode you must listen to! This episode is great for both educators and design collaborators.

In the first episode of season two, I talk with David Dylan Thomas, author of "Design for Cognitive Bias." Learn how to avoid the bandwagon effect and what mechanisms we can all use to improve collaboration. This episode is great for both those new to design as well as seasoned designers!

In the final episode of my first mini-season, I chat with Josh Goldblum, founder of BlueCadet. Josh talks about creating a collaborative culture, and how he has helped his team break some habits that work against this culture. Josh also shares the mistakes he made in the early days of BlueCadet, as well as the different approaches to collaboration and office structure they have tried along the way.