We have a cheerful and thoughtful conversation with art director Chloe Sharp in this special festive episode. With a career spanning some of the most influential women's titles in publishing, Chloe now serves as the deputy art director at Stylist Magazine and has recently ventured into teaching at Shillington.

Together we explore topics such as art direction, managing budgets, and Chloe's love of kitsch and nostalgia. We also delve into a key discussion about how to make work work for you - a valuable mindset for anyone feeling stuck, seeking new career opportunities, or grappling with personal or professional obstacles.

Whether you're in need of a moment of reflection during the festive season or simply looking for some inspiration, this episode offers a refreshing break from the ordinary.

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

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Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Indy Johar is the Executive Director of Dark Matter Labs, an organization dedicated to exploring the complexities of living systems and pioneering new frameworks for societal organization. 

Indy shares his insights into reimagining society and reshaping the rules and structures we live by, inviting us to consider alternative pathways that prioritize equity, resilience, and environmental harmony. Throughout our conversation, Indy challenges conventional approaches, examining how we might collectively design a future that moves beyond outdated paradigms and short-term thinking.

This discussion serves as both a deep reflection and a call to action, encouraging us to look beyond daily routines and mainstream narratives. 

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

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Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Sebastian Curi is an illustrator, graphic designer, painter, and animator. But don’t let that overwhelm you—he’s a wonderful, down-to-earth person.

In our conversation, he openly shares his career path, what he’s learned along the way, and the role of learning itself, a major theme in our discussion. Sebastian highlights not only the importance of continuous learning but also the joy it brings. He reminds us that hitting 30 or approaching 40 doesn’t mean you’re stuck or a “finished” creative who will never evolve. It's a motivating listen to keep going and keep honing our craft.

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

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Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Listen now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Jess Gilliam is the Brand Creative Director at Giphy. She’s also an artist and maker, whose creative output is full of joy and play.

In our conversation, Jess offers her thoughts on being an artist in the modern world, with the constant push and pull of having a 'grown-up' job versus making art that’s linked to your sense of being a playful child. We also discuss the pressures of being an adult and having a so-called proper job.

Jess also shares her journey of coming back to herself and unlocking her creativity, mirrored by her move from New York back home to California.

We also discuss the ins and outs of Jess’s creative practice, and her work at Giphy. It’s a wonderful, soothing, relatable conversation.

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

--

Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Tim Soar is the founder of Soar Running. His diverse professional journey spans collaboration with renowned designer Neville Brody, establishing his own fashion label, and over a decade in the music industry as a DJ.

His discovery of running marked a pivotal shift in his life, particularly as he navigated the profound grief of losing a family member. It also led to the founding of Soar Running, a technical running apparel brand that has quickly become the go-to for runners who value both high-performance gear and a modern, clean aesthetic.

Tim’s narrative is one of resilience, curiosity, and deep reflection on failure, a theme he passionately engages with.

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

--

Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Sachini Imbuldeniya is the co-founder of the creative agency House of Oddities. Sachini’s career has spanned multiple creative fields, from her editorial work at News UK to helping launch their illustration agency, Studio Pi. Our conversation delves into the challenges faced by those who break the mold in the advertising world and the pivotal role that rebels and disruptors play in reimagining the future. It’s a thought-provoking dialogue, full of insights about storytelling, creativity, and challenging the status quo. 

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

--

Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Jonny Tansley is the Global Design Lead at Durex. In our conversation Jonny opens up about how strategic design choices can significantly influence consumer behavior, sharing compelling examples like addressing the challenge of "shelf shame"—the hesitation consumers feel when purchasing personal products.

We also explore the balance between maintaining a strong global brand identity and adapting to local cultural nuances and we discuss the contrasting realms of working in-house versus freelancing. Jonny provides valuable insights into how these different professional environments impact creativity, collaboration, and personal growth within the design field.

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

--

Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Charlene Prempeh is the founder of A Vibe Called Tech, a creative agency that approaches creativity through an intersectional lens. She’s also a writer - her first book Now You See Me: An Introduction to 100 Years of Black Design was published last year and she’s also a contributing editor at the Financial Times.

In our conversation, we discuss Charlene's career path, the non linear careers and lives, and how they’re completely valid and often extremely rich and varied. We discuss the importance of storytelling and doing it authentically, and how brands can show up for creatives of all sorts to enable their flourishing. And of course, in our conversation we also cover art - one of Charlene’s enduring passions. 

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

--

Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Amy Houston is a senior reporter at The Drum - a leading online platform covering marketing, advertising, and creativity. Amy is well known in the industry for her insightful analysis and reporting that understands the complex dynamics between consumer demands and brand innovation.

In our conversation, Amy shares her insights into the advertising industry, and observations on how the shifting consumer behavior is reshaping the marketplace. We also discuss the role of innovation in advertising, and the importance of humor as a tool for connection - brands that leverage wit and creativity often capture consumer attention in a way that traditional approaches cannot.

Our conversation also explores the ethics in advertising and Amy speaks passionately about the increasing responsibility brands have to create positive change in society.

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online graphic design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

The course is 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time across 4 global timezones, and graduates consistently land jobs at top studios.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

--

Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

--

Podcast music and production: James Greenfield

Hiroki Asai is the head of creative and marketing at Airbnb, where he leads the company’s creative vision and brand strategy. In our conversation, we dive into his early career at Apple and  explore the significance of in-house creative teams and their influence on maintaining brand integrity in fast-paced industries.

Our conversation moves into the challenges Airbnb faced during the global pandemic and Hiroki also shares insights into Airbnb’s recent launch of ICONS, a curated collection of extraordinary stays—from the whimsical house from Pixar’s Up to The X-Mansion.

Beyond strategy and execution, we reflect on broader themes such as optimism, problem-solving, and the intersection of design and marketing. Hiroki offers a unique perspective on the importance of stories, emotions, and human connections.

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Discover Shillington

Shillington is an online design school I highly recommend.

If you’re looking to finally get your graphic design skills to the next level and enter or transition within the industry, their graphic design course is for you.

To find out more, visit ShillingtonEducation.com

--

Get featured in press

Get your digital copy of The Insider's Guide to PR for Creative Businesses at justynagreen.com/prguide and use code ONDESIGN at the checkout for 20% off.

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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield