Graphic Support Group Podcast

Welcome back for a new season of GSG! We are beyond thrilled to kick off a new season by sharing our chat with the one and only Eike König of Berlin’s HORT studio. A true inspiration, Eike gave us a lot to think about over the course of our abundant conversation. He shared so much of himself, talking about his community, his own battles with depression, his background in competitive gymnastics and how it impacted his ideas of discipline, and how he has attempted to challenge the rules and ideas of graphic design from his studio’s early beginnings, all with a cast of ever-revolving collaborators. Unlike our other episodes, we offer this one up nearly unedited (minus some technical difficulties). Trust us, it’s. worth the listen. Thanks again for listening and thank you Eike!

A special episode long in the making, we finally got a chance to sit down with our dear friend Elizabeth Leeper, the calming voice behind our meditations and hotline. Liz guides James and Drew through a joint Support Session, giving us a unique opportunity to reflect on our relationship and our progress in making this project. We’ve learned a lot along the way and we want to thank everyone who’s been a part of the journey, especially our lovely guests and listeners. This marks the end of Season 2. Stay tuned because we have a lot in store for Season 3! Please don’t hesitate to send us a note, call the hotline, and give us some feedback if you have any thoughts.

We chat with the mercurial Belgian duo about using an alter ego as both a creative shield and a motivator to keep pushing fresh ideas.

We speak with the prolific psychedelic pattern-weaver, Dutch designer Hansje Van Halem, about a life spent in the weeds of dense form, coping with overcompensation, and how it feels to crash and burn.

We spoke with Mindy Seu, inspired by her continued excitement and exploration in design practice. She braves many precarious territories and often assumes the role of being “the least experienced person” in the room. Enjoy this conversation as we dive into leveraging ‘default’ modes of expression, humor, and staying focused in our curiosity.

We caught up with the multi-faceted designer and researcher Shruthi Manjula Balakrishna from her Austin, TX home. Her diverse career has pushed her to surprising and profound places. Listen in on how she’s adapted through her many changes and the qualms that came with each step.

We talk with Hong Kong-based cartoonist and art worker Kaitlin Chan about international school, Goop, and much more. There's a lot to unpack here and much more to confess.

We got to spend some precious time with the Creative Director of House of Gul, Ali Godil. The Portland-based Pakistani-American designer dropped incredible wisdom and knowledge about self, immigrant identity, and just being grounded in beauty. We’re really excited to share this one!

This is a long one, but very amazing talk with Japanese American designer Ray Masaki. Ray just self-published a book, "Why is the salaryman carrying a surfboard?". We chat about his experience moving to Japan and also the important contents of his book, which outlines the Japanese design industry being complicit with white supremacy.