Hi-Res

In this bonus episode Ryan talks with Jeff Rickard, the designer behind the Philly 10K branding. Jeff always had a love for art, but his route to graphic design was a circuitous one. He talks about how his career path ultimately led him back to design and how he started working with the team at Philadelphia Runner, who developed the Philly 10K. Jeff had the unique perspective of being in on the conversations of what they wanted the run to be from the very beginning. He developed a wholly unique look for the event that is reflected in everything from the logo and social media badge right down to the event signage and T-shirts. Now as the race enters its second year, he has the challenge of keeping the branding fresh while honoring the aesthetic he established in year one. He and Ryan talk about the responsibility of developing a brand from the ground up as well as the delayed gratification of pulling it off. They also have a rather prophetic conversation about podcasts. Learn more about Jeff at www.jeffrickard.com and follow him on Twitter @jeffrickard. The Philly 10K takes place on August 30. Learn more about the event at www.thephilly10k.com. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

Steve DeCusatis has cultivated a career in identity design, iconography and branding. He has worked in both design and agency settings, and in 2011 he started his own design studio and faced the challenge of developing his own brand. The resulting design reflects his passion for clean, type-driven design and was recognized in the AIGA Philadelphia Design Awards in 2013. It was also highlighted in Creative Anarchy, a publication by HOW Design. He has also taken his passion for hand-lettering further through two projects. The first — "Phila Penna" — was originally developed as part of his stationary and ultimately evolved into its own dynamic brand as a tribute to Philly and has given him the opportunity to experiment with merchandising. The second was his contribution to Posters Against Ebola, a project to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. Steve talks with Ryan about evolving your own brand, doodling for yourself and giving back through design. See more of Steve's work at www.stevedecusatis.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @stevedecusatis. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co.

Take one look at photographer Steve Boyle's portfolio and you'll get a sense of how he strives to capture the physicality, intensity and drive in his athletic subjects. It is with a similar drive that Steve pursues his personal projects, two of which he discusses with Ryan on this episode of HiRes. The first, "Powder Sports," was born out of experimenting with detailed shots of athletes in action coupled with a powder explosion. After further experimentation during retouching he crafted a collection of striking visuals that were ultimately featured in a full-page pictorial in the Sunday New York Times. The other piece was an inspirational project he created with a good friend about Ben Jackson. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Ben continues to pursue competing at the international level in weight lifting. Steve captured his determination and will in a video that became part of Gatorade's #winfromwithin campaign and has won several advertising awards. Visit steveboylephoto.com to see more of Steve's work and follow him on Twitter and on Instagram @steveboylephoto. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co

Glenn Holsten is an award-winning documentary film director who loves to create compelling story experiences of all lengths for screens of all sizes. His most recent work, Hollywood Beauty Salon, is a feature length documentary that tells the story of a tiny beauty parlor tucked inside the Germantown Recovery Community, a non-profit mental health facility in Northwest Philadelphia, which is a program of NHS Human Services. The film weaves together stories of struggles with darkness – including mental health challenges, addiction, trauma and abuse – with powerful narratives of hope and light, revealing the strength of this special community. Glenn shares with Ryan his first memories of filmmaking, his personal connections with documenting mental illness, and evil Santas. Learn more and see clips from the film at hollywoodbeautysalonmovie.com or like them on Facebook. This episode is sponsored by PHLDesign.co

Johnny Bilotta is the creative lead for Arcweb Technologies, where he oversees all production design and development of software user experience, user interface design and user interaction for mobile, desktop and web projects. Johnny believes sketching, iteration and collaboration are key to the success of products and process, and he sits down with Ryan in the "Submarine" for an discussion about the Design Studio Method — a brainstorming methodology that encourages collaboration, generates a lot of ideas and creates a culture of shared ownership. They also talk about "stealing" ideas, using Pinterest for more than recipes and why you should always have a pencil handy. Follow Johnny on Twitter @johnnynines and check out Arcweb Technologies at arcweb.co

If you're a fan of Breaking Bad then you're already familiar with photographer Ben Leuner's work. He's responsible for some of the most iconic images associated with the show, capturing Walter White's incredible journey from a chemistry teacher in his tidy-whiteys to "Heisnberg" in all his glory. Ben and Ryan talk about the work ethic of making sure the client has the shot they need, working with Bryan Cranston and the phenomenon of seeing your work in unique places.

Melissa McFeeters is an accomplished freelance illustrator and graphic designer. Her work for the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy and Practice was included in the 2014 Communication Arts Illustration Annual and was the project that helped her define her style and approach. But her current Instagram project, #100daysofpapercutz, is a departure from that signature style; a series of unique paper cut illustrations which she posts each day. Ryan sits down with Melissa to talk about tackling intense subject matter, challenging yourself to do something new and Star Wars. Visit www.melissamcfeeters.com and follow her on Instagram: melissamcf

The week of April 12 was an interesting one for designer Rick Wolff. Hillary Clinton had just released her logo for her presidential campaign, and upon seeing the divisive mark Wolff took to his computer and created a full typographic set based on its style. On a whim, he introduced "Hillary Bold" to the world via Twitter and watched his joke spread across the nation, making the jump from social media to actual media including the Washington Post and NBC's Meet the Press. Rick and Ryan talk about the complexities of creating a font, the varying reactions to his work and the phenomenon of #hillvetica.

In the third episode of HiRes's official launch, Ryan sits down with Amy and John Saal, the principals of Untuck Design Studio.   Amy and John provide imaginative, well-principled creative services to large and small businesses, non-profit organizations, communications agencies, in-house marketing teams, and individuals. They specialize in unique print and interactive solutions for corporate identity systems, brand development and management, collateral systems, direct mail web design and development and annual reports. Amy and John share the branding project that became the launching pad for their agency and discuss the importance of pursing work you are passionate about.

On the inaugural episode of HiRes Ryan sits down with Eligio Sgaramella and Anthony Groves of IperDesign, located in Old City, Philadelphia. IperDesign is a creative branding and digital design studio that brings together the unique perspectives of experienced advertising, multimedia, programming, copywriting, product and interior design professionals. Founded over twelve years ago by Eligio and Anthony, they talk to Ryan about the creating their first app for Dale Carnegie when people were still trying to wrap their heads around what apps were. The Dale Carnegie Secrets of Success app went on to reach number one among the best-selling training apps in the iTunes store less than a week after its launch.