Revision Path

We're ending out MailChimp Month on Revision Path with a conversation with Jon Bell. Jon has worn many hats in his career -- design leader, product leader, entrepreneur -- and now he beings his experience to MailChimp as their newest design manager.

Jon and I talked about his philosophy to design, as well as his vision for what he wants to accomplish in his new position. We also talked about how his background in politics helps his current work, the importance of mentors, and what the best things are that he owes his parents. I'm excited to see what Jon will help bring to MailChimp!

Thank you MailChimp for being a sponsor and for allowing me to interview these great designers and developers!

Cyrus Henderson may be new to MailChimp, but he's no stranger to the product design game, As a product designer on the ads team, he's also helped work on some of their latest campaigns.

We talked a lot about learning and inspiration, and he shared some of his influences and gave advice for anyone wanting to get into product design. Cyrus is a great example of someone that's really taken advantage of both social media and the immense amount of design knowledge out there on the Internet to carve out his own place in the design community and make a name for himself. From here, the sky's the limit!

As a software engineer at MailChimp, Raven works in the background to help make sure all of the platform's features run smoothly. It sounds like a big job, but Raven's strong problem solving skills makes it look easy.

Raven has followed quite a nontraditional path before coming to MailChimp, and we talked about how her previous work in politics and as a tech recruiter helped her discover a love for technology and coding. She also shared her advice for anyone who wants to follow in her footsteps, and mentioned what she hopes to accomplish for the rest of 2017. Raven proves that you can be a success in tech if you put your mind to it!

Eric Muntz has been with MailChimp since 2010, and he has really seen it grow into the hugely popular email service provider and marketing automation platform it is today. He also has a lot of perspective on the tech industry as a whole as a long time consultant and software developer.

We talked about how a Blackberry app got his foot in the door at MailChimp, and he shared what he does on a day-to-day basis as the company’s VP of development. We also talked about compromise and balance, and Eric spoke on one of the biggest mistakes he sees happening in the tech community. I really appreciate Eric’s thoughtful approach to the work he does at MailChimp, and how those values help make him a great leader. Enjoy!

Timothy Bardlavens has accomplished a lot since he started designing professionally five years ago. His design journey has taken him from coast to coast, and now he’s at Microsoft helping lead product innovation and UX while also heading up the culture team to foster greater inclusion throughout the company. And he is just getting started!

We talked about how Microsoft has changed over the years, and he shared how he started with humble beginnings in South Carolina and worked his way up to one of the largest tech companies in the world. We also discussed the role of design organizations for designers of color, and we talked about Timothy’s Medium article on leaving AIGA. Timothy’s big goal is to impact the culture, and at the rate he’s going, he’s well on his way to making that happen!

Sibyl Edwards is a true advocate for tech inclusion and women in technology. She's the chief creative inclusion officer for strategy agency Wetogethr, serves as president of DC Web Women, and is a co-founder of Black Female Founders, an organization and platform for Black women entrepreneurs. And that's not even everything she does!

Sibyl talked to me about how she started out as a front-end web developer and the journey she went through to get to her current success. We also chatted about the ongoing conversations around diversity and inclusion in the tech and design industries, and she shared her latest venture -- wellness in tech. Make no mistake, y'all -- Sibyl is the real deal!

Diversity in design for Black people is an important issue, but a lot of its focus tends to go towards employment rather than education. Design researcher Omari Souza has approached the topic from a different angle, and his thesis reveals some startling insights.

Omari shared how he first got into design and how his education at Cleveland Institute of Art and Kent State University inspired his push into design research. Omari is also a new full-time professor at La Roche College in Pittsburgh, so we talked about the importance of representation in design education and even about the design community's silence around political issues concerning Black Americans. We do cover a lot in this interview, and I'm glad we have design researchers like Omari to examine and document this kind of work!

When it comes to his work, Mattieau St. Cyr's philosophy as a creator is to always stay open. The multi-talented Torontonian has his hands in a lot of projects and wields a number of skills. As a visual storyteller, Mattieau created Mannik Realm, a vehicle for all his creative projects which includes film, apparel, design, and more.

We talked about the inspirations behind Mannik Realm, and Mattieau talked about how his time in Japan helped change him as a designer. He also shared the processes behind some of his work, as well as his influences and some of his goals for the rest of the year. According to Mattieau, anything is attainable, and I think Mannik Realm is a great example of creating the world where you want to live!

If you're ever down in Miami for Art Basel (or otherwise), then there's a good chance you've experienced Mikhaile Solomon's influence. As the director of Prizm Art Fair, she's helped curate and exhibit cultural activities from the African diaspora for the past five years.

Listen as Mikhaile talks about how she began with Prizm Art Fair and shares what makes the Miami art and design scene so unique. We also talk about her recent travels throughout Africa, the beauty of Ghana, the controversy behind the Whitney Biennial, and more. I love that we can have these kinds of conversations here, and thanks to Mikhaile for helping bring this culture to the masses!

We're closing out HBCU Month this year on Revision Path by talking with award-winning creative director Derrick Rivers. With over fourteen years of experience, Derrick specializes in using strategy and business tactics along with design and art direction to reach customers across some of the world's most well-known brands.

I caught up with Derrick fresh off his short stint in Chicago, and we talked about the difference between the two cities when it comes to creative community. We also touched on entrepreneurship, the difference between agency and client-side work, and the turning point in his career that set him on a path to success. I'm excited to see what Derrick is going to bring here to Atlanta in the future!