Revision Path

It's May, and our first interview of the month is with the talented and dynamic Toni Patterson. Toni has been killing the design scene in Baltimore for years through her company Skye Media Group, and her success is a true testament to the power of community.

We started off going into how Toni first got interested in design, then we talk about why branding is important for businesses, and about her latest project Skye Soiree. Whether you're a designer, an entrepreneur, or just someone who wants a peek behind the curtain of how designers work on projects, there's something in our conversation for you. Dig in and enjoy!

This week's episode is a bit of a walk down memory lane. Back in 2014, London-based designer Brian Hollingsworth was Revision Path's first international interview. Three years later, I'm checking back in on Brian to see what's new over on his side of the pond.

We start off with a look at the London design scene for Black designers, then we go into the evolution of his current studio, Hollingsworth& and some of his other projects, including a design blog and being part of an art collective! Later on, we explore creative insecurity, and how that plays into Brian's artistic endeavors and entrepreneurial goals. I hope you enjoy this week's episode!

Brian Hollingsworth's 2014 Interview

Brian Hollingsworth on Instagram

Hollingsworth&

The Design Times

We're wrapping up our two-part series with a conversation with the extremely talented Tré Seals. His specialties lie in branding and illustration, but Tré is also a fantastic typographer.

The interview starts off with Tré describing how he got interested in design, and talks about his time at Stevenson University (where he learned from one our former guests, Andrea Pippins). Tré also talks about his company, Vocal Type Co., and we get into a discussion on typography and fonts as he talks about the project he'd most love to do one day. You're definitely going to want to keep an eye out for Tré Seals!

For the next two weeks, I'm looking at two talented young creatives in the DMV area. First up: animator Tynesha Foreman. When she described herself to me as someone "with a proclivity for the grotesque," I knew I had to look into her work and bring on the show!

Our conversation began by going into some of her current work at The Atlantic, and she talked about how she approaches new projects and where her love for animation began. Tynesha also spoke a bit about diversity in animation, some of her inspirations and influences, and where she wants to be career-wise in the next few years. Tynesha has such a unique and powerful visual style, so I think we'll definitely see more from her for years to come!

(*Note: The audio quality is a little crunchy on this episode, but we cleaned it up as much as possible.*)

If you've ever thought about having your own online course, then you'll definitely want to listen to this week's interview with Janelle Allen! She's a learning designer with a background in education, and her company Zen Courses helps people create online curricula using a process and system that's structured for success.

Janelle starts off talking about how she got into learning design, and we take a look at the current environment of online learning and discuss the pros and cons. Janelle also shares where her passion for education comes from, and she goes a little bit into her passion for deejaying! Janelle can teach you the ABCs and then make you dance on the 1s and 2s! Dope! Get into this week's interview!

We're closing out March by talking with with London-based product designer and creative technologist Alex Fefegha. As the creative director of his own Alex's work has taken him all over the world, and he's currently creative director of Comuzi, an agency with clients like the BBC, the University of the Arts London and NHS England.

Our talk is less of an interview and more of a conversation. We touch on a few entrepreneurial topics like starting a studio and finding clients, the state of diversity in design in London and the United Kingdom, and I ask Alex what he thinks prevents more Black designers from becoming recognized leaders in design. It's a little bit of a departure from the norm, but I'm glad that we were able to candidly discuss these topics. Thanks Alex!

I've had my eye on Chikezie Ejiasi and his work since we profiled him for 28 Days of the Web back in 2015. Fast forward to now, and Chikezie is working as a senior interaction designer at Google on their new Daydream VR platform.

We had a lot to talk about! He shared information about Daydream and why virtual reality is becoming so popular right now, his "anti-conference" stance, and how not following a traditional design path helped set him up for success today. It's a great conversation that I'm sure you're going to enjoy!

(Thanks to one of our patrons, Nate Koechley, for the introduction!)

Chikezie Ejiasi on Twitter

Chikezie Ejiasi's Website

It's been a minute since we've had someone at Google on the show, so I was really excited to have the chance to interview Melissa Smith, a user experience researcher at Google working primarily on the YouTube mobile and desktop products.

We talked about how user experience research factors into her work, why it's an important part of the design process, and talk about how she shifted from studying engineering towards her current work. There's even a conversation about self-driving cars! It's great knowing women like Melissa are at the forefront of helping make better experiences for all of us online!

(Thanks to one of our patrons, Nate Koechley, for the introduction!)

Melissa Smith's Website

Melissa Smith on Twitter

Fly Fleet for iOS

When you think about a designer who has built a body of work, think of Ariem Anthony. As a production design manager for Airbnb, he serves a critical role between the design and engineering departments. More than that, Ariem is a self-taught designer with over 25 years of experience to his name across print, web, multimedia, for companies such as Apple and Netflix.

We start off by talking about the importance of production design, discussing Airbnb's open culture, exploring the advantages of being a self-taught designer, and going into what kept him motivated throughout the years as the design industry has grown and changed. Ariem's journey as a designer is proof that doing the work can take you farther than you ever imagined!

It's Revision Path's fourth anniversary! We're celebrating the occasion by taking a look back at some of the memorable guests we've had over the years, including Jacinda Walker, Ced Funches, AIGA Medalist Emory Douglas, and more. Plus, we have a special guest near the end of the episode, so make sure you stick around for that.

It has truly been an honor and a blessing to interview all the 200+ Black designers, developers, and creatives that have been on Revision Path. Thanks to all of you who have listened, downloaded, shared, pledged, and spread the word about Revision Path. There's more coming from Revision Path this year, so keep your eyes peeled for updates! (Gee, I wonder what we should do for our fifth anniversary?)