Hi-Res

Picking up where we left off last week, we're taking a look back at the first six months of interviews with Philadelphia creatives like Steve DeCusatis, John and Amy Saal of UnTuck Design, Ben Leuner, Jeff Rickard, Dom Savini, Mike and Nicole McQuade of The McQuades and Johnny Bilotta. Follow the show on Twitter @hirespod and check back on January 5th for a brand new episode. Thanks for being a part of HiRes and we'll see you again in 2016! This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

As we head into the holidays, we're taking a look back at some of the fantastic guests that have made up the first six months of the show. Listen in on great conversations with creative guests like Eligio Sgaramella and Anthony Groves of IperDesign, Steve Boyle, Melissa McFeeters, Anthony Nguyen, Rick Wolff, Chris Fernandez, Glenn Holsten and Dominic Episcopo. Plus, come back next week to hear even more in Part Two of the HiRes Primer. Thanks for being a part of HiRes and we'll see you in the new year with a brand new episode. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

Ariel Braverman is a designer of many talents. She does user-experience and interaction design, she creates pieces for one-off projects and art shows and — the topic of our conversation today on HiRes — she does whimsical illustration and design. She grew up on a diet of Disney animation, picture books and Saturday morning cartoons, but it wasn't until college when a professor assigned her Chris Ware's Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth, that she discovered a love for comics. From there she delved into comic and zine culture, even going as far as to write her senior thesis as a comic. Once she broke out on her own professionally, she brought her passion for comics to the 2012 Cloudmine Annual Report, creating a fun and inventive narrative for the Philly Tech startup. We talk about all of this plus her favorite types of projects, struggling with perfection and tales from the DMV. Visit arielbraverman.com to see more of her work and follow her on Twitter and Instagram. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

This week the podcast gets a little #writerish. Katie Sweeney is a passionate copywriter who has embraced the freelance life. She liked advertising in college and while working in the marketing department for Barron's magazine she was encouraged by a mentor to pursue her passion for it. After honing her skills further, she delved into the advertising world, working at agencies for a while and now on her own as a freelance copywriter. She has now built a diverse portfolio of branding and advertising campaigns, websites, and — her favorite — naming projects. We could tell you more about Katie, but we'd never do her "about" page on her website justice. Instead, we'll let you submerge with us for another episode in "The Submarine," at Agency M, where Ryan and Katie talk about keeping lists, the challenges of working remote and the anxiety of pressing "send." Visit katiesweeney.com and follow her on Twitter @k8iedid. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

Jen Denis is the creative brand officer for Honeygrow and she joins the show for the podcast's first "walk and talk." Jen has over thirteen years experience in building and reinvigorating brands. She initially started working with Honeygrow on a freelance basis, but when Honeygrow recognized her passion they invited her to join them full-time. Since then, Jen has been steeped in "the world of Honeygrow," developing a lifestyle concept based on honest eating and fresh, locally-sourced food. With an engaging social media presence and a website that weaves together the story of their food and the people who enjoy it, she has cultivated an engaging brand presence. Jen joins Ryan on a beautiful August afternoon to talk about all of this plus being agile enough to grow your brand with your business, evolving with social media and challenging yourself outside of your comfort zone. Visit honeygrow.com and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Today's show is sponsored by PHLDesign.co and Western Grace Brandy.

If it sounds like Matt Bouloutian can’t sit still during this interview, it’s because he’s got a lot to show us. Sitting in his home office — the headquarters for Modern Good — Matt is surrounded by posters, brochures and books, all evidence of the wonderful work that he has done. Whether talking about his work with BalletX, Newburgh Brewing Company and Pig Iron Theatre, he enthuses about design and branding. Matt originally gravitated towards chemistry as a career path, but after his first photography class at Temple his path was set towards branding and design. He worked in New York City after school and moved back to Philadelphia to establish Modern Good in 2007. Committed to working in the arts, he started an ongoing relationship with BalletX, continuing to push the boldness and creativity of their branding materials, most recently earning honors for The Graphis Poster Annual 2015. Matt and Ryan also talk about his work on a label for Newburgh Brewing Company’s Creme Ale, creating an intricately detailed design that pushes the format and was recently selected as the winner of the 2015 CNBC Most Loved Label Competition. Plus, Ryan and Matt go over some of his most recent projects, including the one he eventually had to walk away from. Learn more about Matt at moderngood.com. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

Chris Fernandez has a traveler's spirit, so it's only fitting that the project he discusses on this episode of HiRes is very much about a journey. Chris is a Senior Art Director at Brownstein Group, where every year an art director and copywriting team are chosen to create the branding for the City of Philadelphia's Mural Arts Program Wall Ball Gala. In 2014 Chris and copywriter (and future guest) Andrew Panebianco were tasked with creating a concept that celebrated the 30th anniversary of Mural Arts as well as the 10th anniversary of the Wall Ball gala. He and Andrew brought to life the mission, scope and evolution of the Mural Arts Program with inspired copy and a distinct, geometric design that invites viewers on a journey through the program's first thirty years. The invitation they created won several Addy Awards in 2015, including the Gold Addy Award for "Special Event Material, Invitation." Chris also talks about his prolific illustration work, which can be found on his Dribbble account. Steeped in comic book and pop culture mythology, his illustrated characters are "pieces of spaghetti" brimming with kinetic energy. Join Ryan and Chris for all of this plus a discussion about creating customized typography, finding a way to do what you love for a living and Easter Eggs. Visit Chris's website clickclickdraw.com and follow him on Twitter @c_illustrates and Instagram at cillustrates. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

"For me…it comes from the idea of scary monsters." Known for his portraits of athletes, hip-hop artists and commercial products and liquors, Dom creates atmospheric visions that are brooding and striking. He started his studio on his 30th birthday and he uses his passion for photography to bring him closer to his other passion: Philadelphia. His clients include the Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Soul, Temple Football, Art in the Age's Root and Snap Liquors, recording artists Freeway, The Roots, Brother Ali and editorial and commercial assignments, including the cover of last year's Philadelphia Magazine's "The Best of Philly 2014." He is very thoughtful to his process and how to apply it across multiple projects. Last year Dom was presented with a different type of opportunity when he was invited to participate in a photography workshop in Cuba. More of a photojournalistic venture, he created a beautiful portfolio that retains his trade mark style and knack for composition while reflecting the authenticity of the country. Dom sits down in "The Submarine" at Agency M with Ryan to discuss just how much self-promotion is enough, scary monsters and how your work can bring you closer to your heroes. Visit domsavini.com and follow him on Instagram. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co

Mike and Nicole McQuade are skilled at using the medium of print to elevate their concepts. The husband and wife duo make up the small yet dynamic design studio, The McQuades. They met while starting their careers in Philadelphia, but opportunity led them to Chicago, where they both honed their crafts. In 2013 they returned to Philadelphia, dedicated to creating beautiful, meaningful design experiences. One of their first clients was the George M. Pullman Educational Foundation, an endowment by the estate of railroad magnate George Pullman that awards high school students with merit-based, need-based scholarships and continuing educational support. Tasked with creating an annual report, they created a thoughtful, tactile experience with a concept that incorporated perforations, varying-sized pages and bold color and typographic combinations. Now, as they prepare to embark on the third year of creating this piece, they talk about the expectations of making something new and fresh each year, the challenges of big ideas with a budget and the importance of mood boards. Visit their site themcquades.com to see more of their work and follow them on Twitter. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

Anthony Nguyen is a hard guy to pin down. He's an interactive designer, a community builder and above all a seeker, constantly looking for new creative outlets. Growing up in Lancaster county, he knew he was not built for country living and yearned for the fast pace of the city, which is what ultimately brought him to Philadelphia, where he has become an active leader in the design community. When speaking about his projects — be it the work he did on the 2012 TCM 31 Days of Oscar site with One Trick Pony or his personal explorations with Cinema 4D Studio — his enthusiasm and positivity are infectious. Ryan joined Anthony at the Navy Yard to talk about both of these projects as well the PHLDesign Community and what it means to him to help grow the Philadelphia design community. See more of Anthony's work at antnguyen.com and follow him on Twitter at @atn1988. Plus, check out PHLDesign.co. and join the conversation at slack.phldesign.co.