The Design Podcast

Johanna Drewe is Partner and Creative Director of the London branding and design studio – Output.

Output is a team producing distinctive visual identities for companies big and small, from their work with Mixcloud and Clear Bank to redefining what many of us would have described as the “old man identity” of the UK entertainment channel – Dave. Well… that was before Ouput got their hands on it. 

In our interview, we explore Johanna's path from a creator to a creative leader - revealing some of her early struggles with the transition (the need to let go of the micro-detail and focus on the bigger picture) through to her approach and her role today as the studio's (undoubtedly successful) Creative Director. 

Building on the theme of thought leadership, we expand the conversation into the studio's culture, unpacking their optimistic, explorative and slightly rebellious character. We touch upon their adaptive process and how those same values have transitioned into their benefits package – from flexi hours, community programmes and a 9-day-fortnight. Why? Output believes that designing the best environment for their people yields their best work – something that we have no doubt is true. 

Tune in now for the final episode of season three with the charismatic and charming – Johanna Drewe. 

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Niccolò Miranda is an award-winning Art Director, Interactive Designer, and Developer based in Amsterdam.

In just five years since Niccolò entered the web design scene, he has captured our attention with his playful and bold work for a spectrum of clients, including Prada, Cobo, and Chiara Luzzana. Niccolò has become a familiar name with Awwwards collecting numerous recognitions, teaching at their virtual academy, and talking at their conference. His work has also received recognition from The FWA, Cannes Lions, and DDA.

It's no surprise, given the rocket ship that Niccolò's riding, that we spend time unpacking his personal principles, creative process, and sources of inspiration from the more recognisable influences in his work, such as graphic novels and gaming to cooking and even Harry Potter's Daily Prophet (the latter perhaps evidently present in his personal site - Paper Portfolio).

Niccolò also reveals his developing interest and work with AI, NFTs, and the Metaverse. Oh… and his latest celebrity-backed project in the space.

Join us for a light-hearted yet deeply reflective conversation with one of this generation's most inspiring digital designers.

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Jakob Wagner is a multi-award-winning Product Designer who has been creating iconic work from his Copenhagen-based studio for the last 30 years.

His minimalist yet sophisticated style has seen him reach international acclaim, with his work winning numerous awards from IF and Red Dot. He’s been awarded Designer of the Year, and you can find his work displayed in MoMA's permanent collection next time you're in NYC.

In 2020, his studio made a pivotal change to work exclusively with brands that align with his personal commitment to "improve our shared future". Along with this new direction, Jakob set out to develop an entirely new product company – Rejoyn, which strives to create products with a deeper meaning, helping us to reconnect with our ancestral past and discover the next "human operating system".

We look at his studio's three decades of invention and innovation, touching upon some of his most famous collaborations with technology and furniture brands. But, where it gets really good, is where we get deep into the 'unseen, but felt' aspect of design – the intangible energy and meaning that objects have provided the human race throughout millennia and how Jakob's new focus is a commitment to taking a look at the past, to inform the future. In other words, how design can help us unlock a better version of ourselves, moving from the distraction of modern life to a new 'human OS’.

If that didn't intrigue you enough, Jakob wraps up our interview with his personal design values – over thirty years of experience boiled down in a few short minutes (which gives Dieter Rams a run for his money).

This might be the most profoundly philosophical conversation yet on The Design Podcast.

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Michael Fullman is Chief Creative Officer at VTProDesign, an interactive design consultancy with the mantra "let's make cool sh*t".

Our conversation focuses on unpacking the studio's culture and creative secrets – how they utilise emerging tech, theatre, and diverse experiences within the team to develop opinions for clients, including; Ray-Ban, Netflix and Pokémon.

We look at the risks required to produce 'something new and bold' and the value in embracing the unknown. The secret? To have fun with the process and bring everyone on the journey. Alongside your ability as Michael puts it, "to drown your baby"... (it has to be said he is referring to ideas, not literally infants). This made us laugh, given the brutalist framing, but he makes a great point. You must set aside some of your emotions at a particular stage to develop as an individual and produce meaningful work.

We discuss the unseen vibe and energy of good design, that intangible yet authentic feeling when something unexpected or magical happens. Alongside this, given Michael's experience and portfolio, we ask for his perspectives on Web 3.0 and the Metaverse – its potential of being an enabler for the next evolution in 'community' and the challenges of adoption, purpose and making it accessible for the masses.

You're going to love this one. Tune in now and hear us laugh as we unpack some big topics with Michael.

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Geetika Agrawal is a former Creative Director, and avid traveller turned tech Founder and CEO of VAWAA. An award-winning travel company with a unique offering – switching a week on the beach for an immersive mini-apprenticeship with a master artist.

Our conversation explores the twists and turns of starting your own business – done in a fashion that challenges convention and has us reflecting on the art of the possible.

We found ourselves inspired throughout as Geetika revealed her journey, from moving halfway across the world to study in Los Angeles to her choice to leave a successful career at R/GA and New York to spend a year travelling the globe and building VAWAA.

Geetika imparts almost a decade's worth of start-up stories and experiences with us – made even more intriguing as she kindly shares advice relevant for any designer looking to move from creating products to building their own company.

Tune in now and hear directly from the inspiring Geetika Agrawal.

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We're over the moon to launch the podcast's third season with the renowned Martin Lotti, Chief Design Officer for the Jordan brand at Nike!

Martin is a 25+ year veteran at Nike, with his work having made history on countless global stages – from the iconic Volt footwear showcased at the 2012 Olympics to his collection of national kits for the 2014 World Cup.

Today Martin oversees the creative direction at Jordan, where he and his team continue to develop outstanding garments and footwear that permeate court and street culture - with that distinct and iconic identity that resonates deeply with millions worldwide.

If that wasn't enough of a sales pitch, Martin has appeared in countless interviews with publishers, including The Telegraph, Wall Street Journal, Dezeen and Fast Company.

In this exclusive interview, we look at this iconic designer's backstory, unpacking his earliest memories and influences, his incredibly charming and heartwarming relationship with Nike and Jordan's unique cultural relationship with athletes and customers.

As one of the century's most successful designers, of course, we had to ask Martin to share his insights, and personal design values, alongside some of the unique cultural aspects that drive one of the world's most iconic brands.

You don't want to miss this episode!

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We're thrilled to be joined by the wonderfully insightful Richard Jones, VP of Product Design at Typeform.

Over the last two decades, Rich has worked with some incredible brands and held senior roles leading Creative, UX and Product Management teams for the BBC, ASOS, OVO and MindGym.

With such an incredible and unique resume, we couldn't help ourselves from asking Rich some arguably challenging questions on Product and Design. Kindly and with a good deal of laughter, we discuss some of his personal stories and insights that we know you'll love!

We hop into our time machine once again to explore the twists and turns of Rich's career. From his childhood interest in art to his uni days studying sculpture, his experimentation with running an art gallery masquerading as a high street store and how its economics prompted his venture in digital design. We dig into his experience as Creative Director for BBC iPlayer and how his curiosity about the bigger picture led him to work in multiple senior Product roles before returning to his love of design with Typeform.

This is an episode that no Product Designer should miss! Literally decades of insights from someone who has worked their way to the highest level in both Product and Product Design.

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We're delighted to be joined by Daina Lightfoot, a Lead Designer at Shopify, Creative Director and Offline Creator.

Daina has led and crafted brand identities and experiences for some of the tech industry's most adored brands, including Disney, Slack, Hootsuite, Dropbox and Abstract.

Today Daina works with Shopify as a Lead Designer, shaping brand and product marketing experiences for their global portfolio of financial products.

In our conversation, we explore Daina's origin story to the present day, revealing insights about work ethic, graft and passion, and the choice between pursuing a path of management or a track focused on craft.

If that wasn't enough, we explore the realities of the creative process and the nuisances of building successful brands and campaigns. We also discuss Daina's current role at Shopify and how the business retains a creative and productive culture as a globally distributed team.

Let's get into it!

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We're joined by David Schwarz, a multi-award-winning Creative Leader, Entrepreneur and Founding Partner of HUSH.

David has spent his career designing brand experiences that integrate content, interactivity, architecture, and technology.

After graduating from Art Center College of Design, he worked for notable creative studios, interactive agencies, and design firms in Los Angeles and New York.

Since founding HUSH, David has developed numerous projects across technology, corporate, sport, luxury, beauty, and entertainment categories, most notably for Google, Equinox, Meta, Nike, Barclays, Sonos, and Uber, among others. He also serves as a mentor at New, Inc., the New Museum's incubator program for art, technology, and design.

Thinking about starting your own business? Or simply curious about what it takes to run a design studio? We have you covered. This is an epic episode focusing on creative entrepreneurship with insights from one of the industry's most exciting studios.

Let's get those headphones on (or speaker ready, listeners choice) and get you tuned into this convo with the fantastic David Schwarz!

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In this episode, we’re joined by WMP’s multi-award-winning Director of Product Design, Hugo Martin.

Hugo leads a multidisciplinary creative team taking a holistic approach to design, addressing industrial, brand, film, packaging, and digital experiences. A strategy that's seen the studio's work shape successful outcomes for Wahl, Bolin Webb, Salomon, OCLU and Doro, receiving multiple awards at Red Dot, CES, iF Design Awards.

This wonderful conversation explores a diverse range of topics from Hugo’s personal journey to WMP’s success story and an in-depth look at his work with OCLU, a GoPro competitor that takes a fresh angle to the user experience, from form factor, mounting and film production.

Naturally, we couldn’t resist diving into the studio’s culture and Hugo’s approach to developing client relationships.

Kindly, Hugo, helps us answer some of the big questions for consultants “how do we price our work?” and “can we diversify our revenue streams?”. Hugo talks us through how his transparent approach to pricing and talent sourcing has led to multiple long-term relationships and how that has diversified the studio’s revenue streams.

All this and so much more! Let’s get into it!

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