Mitch and Joshua are joined by Sean Blanda for a conversation about truth, bullshit, and posturing. Sean is the Director and Editor-in-Chief of 99u, an organization that publishes books, magazines, online content, and also holds an annual conference for creative professionals and students. We discuss Sean’s ideas about self-proclaimed experts, knowing the actual value of listening to other people, and developing your own voice as a creative practitioner. We also debate the value of self-awareness, and try to understand what to look for in a conference.

Joshua and Mitch talk about design competitions with guest Brian Edlefson, who is a designer and educator from Michigan. Mitch was just a judge at AIGA Minnesota’s Design Show 2016, and Brian was a judge of the same Design Show in 2014. We try to understand the value of design competitions, and explore issues that comes from judging work that exists within a competition instead of inside a real context. We also consider what is missing from these competitions, and wether they are worth entering or not.

Mitch and Joshua are joined by designer and educator Tim Belonax for a wide-ranging chat about process. We consider how to teach process as both an approach and as a methodology, without merely asking students to imitate their teachers. Tim also talks about his time at Facebook’s Analog Research Laboratory, and his book “The Reward is in the Process”. We also debate the value and distraction of social media, and discuss why podcasting is becoming such a popular way to discuss design.

Mitch speaks with designers and twin sisters Amy and Jennifer Hood from Hoodzpah Design Co. in Southern California. Amy and Jen explain how they became successful designers without the benefit of a traditional college education, and what they wish students were learning in college. They also consider the importance of self-initiated projects, and what it is like being women in today’s design culture.

Since graduation is coming up, Mitch talks with his former students Carra Sykes and Marleigh Culver about how school prepared (and did not prepare) them for life as working designers. We also find out how they got their current jobs, what inspires them, and what being a young female designer is like in today’s world. Carra and Marleigh also offer advice for soon-to-graduate students about what’s next.

Joshua and Mitch welcome designer and educator Mig Reyes to the podcast to chat about teaching at The Starter League. We also discuss his time at Basecamp and Threadless, the sameness of design on the web, and why taking more time might make your work better. Mig also explains why Lorem Ipsum is bad, and why Chicago is a great design city.

Mitch and Joshua are joined by NY Times Product Design Director Renda Morton to talk about working with teams instead of clients, being anonymous, and how to integrate user feedback on a huge property like the NY Times website. We also talk about the worst things we ever made, the trouble with Lorem Ipsum, and educating product designers.

Keetra Dean Dixon maintains a hybrid practice creating art, design, illustration, and experiences. Mitch is joined by his wife and design partner Anne Jordan, and returning guest Nancy Bernardo to speak with Keetra about moving to rural Alaska from New York City, what her routines and studio space are like, and how she keeps developing her curiosity. Keetra also lets us in on her favorite podcasts, and why humor is the ultimate form of genius.

In this episode Joshua and Mitch talk to architect, graphic designer, author, and TED Conference founder Richard Saul Wurman. Wurman touches on why he’s written books ranging from the collected writing of Louis Kahn to understanding health care, his approach to teaching, and working with fear.

Joshua and Mitch welcome Kerry William Purcell, who is a British author writing about design, photography, and visual cultural theory. Starting with his book about Alexy Brodovitch, we talk about the relationship between history and contemporary practice, and discuss how designers should look outside the established canon of design history. We also try to understand the American Presidential election, and examine how we make connections with design artifacts before we know what design artifacts are.