Our guest is illustrator and designer Mick Champayne. She refers to her work as having beauty and brains while being strategic and thoughtful. In addition, Champayne uses illustration as a tool for storytelling that tackles everything from light-hearted memes to serious social commentary — believing that art can be a catalyst for conversation and connection.

Currently, Champayne is a Sr. Visual Designer at Google.

In this episode, Champayne speaks with host Christian Solorzano about her introduction to art as a child, the internet, memes, motherhood, speculative design, humor, the creative process, and more.

Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Our guest is master storyteller and creative Steven White. Over the years, he's facilitated innovative creative workshops and sessions with military special forces and thousands of corporate executives and business leaders. 

Most recently, he published his first graphic novel, Ancient Futures, a sci-fi fantasy that tells the story of humankind through the lens of afro-cyberpunk assassins. An epic tale told on multiple levels — a dark global organization waging war on science, a rogue professor with unbelievable technology, angels sacrificing heavenly status, and the super-dimensional force coming to oppose them...and one dude caught up in it all, just trying to lead a Dope Life.

Currently, he runs Seven Studio, which expands minds via space and time through work in arts, entertainment, and metacognition. In addition, he has a Master’s in Design Methods from the Institute of Design.

In this episode, White speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his early introductions to storytelling, the discipline of following your creative aspirations, writing graphic novels, and more.

Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Our guest is designer, illustrator, and artist Brian Morris. For the past 25 years, he’s devoted much of his time to working in digital agencies. Most recently, he held the role of Executive Creative Director at a big four consulting firm. Today, he is a full-time self-employed artist working in the NFT and AI space while collaborating with other artists and perfecting his craft.

In this episode, Morris speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his introduction to creativity, giving himself a tattoo when he was eight, leaving a job to pursue his passions, NFTs, artificial intelligence, and more.

Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Our guest is Ashley Lukasik, CEO and founder of the consulting agency Murmuring and longtime collaborator and supporter of the Chicago Graphic Design Club. She has a Master’s in Anthropology from the University of Chicago and spent years at IIT Institute of Design as Director of Corporate Relations, Communications & Marketing. In addition, Ashley was also the co-producer of the 2019 documentary, The New Bauhaus, a film about the legacy of the designer and artist Laszlo Moholy-Nagy. 

In this episode, Lukasik speaks with host Christian Solorzano and discusses humanity’s relationship to technology, the importance of immersive experiences, and the role design plays in how we experience the world. 

Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Our guest is Tanner Woodford, Executive Director and Founder of the Design Museum of Chicago. Woodford has been a key figure in Chicago’s design community for over a decade, creating spaces for critical dialogue, connection, and inspiration. He’s an optimist by nature and a believer that design has the capacity to improve the human condition. In addition, he’s an educator, artist, muralist, and coin collector.

In this episode, Woodford speaks with host Christian Solorzano and shares stories about his early introduction to graphic design, the beginning of the Design Museum of Chicago, his influences, and ways to strengthen design's role throughout the city.

Music by the band Eighties Slang.

The designer Francis has deep Chicago roots. Although they are no longer in Chicago, their work continues to be heavily inspired by their relationship to Chicago's 90s design community and culture. Francis is a designer who prioritizes graphic design before anything else. They're unapologetic in their criticism of the design industry. Still, they make an effort to push the boundaries of what is possible and inspire the next generation to do good work.

In this episode, Francis speaks with host Christian Solorzano and discusses their education and upbringing in Chicago during the 90s, their influences, approach to working with clients, philosophy, and more.

Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Over the past two decades, graphic designer, Nick Adam has been shaping and contributing to Chicago’s visual culture through collaborations with institutions, studios, and leaders. He describes himself as strategic and values-driven, focusing on and exploring identities and stories while producing work that leads to rich conversation and experiences by merging craft, theory, and optimism.

In 2018, he graduated with an MFA in Graphic Design from RISD. Currently, he is a Design Principal at the design studio Span. Before that, he was an Associate Principal at Rick Valicenti’s studio, Thirst, and before that, Strategic Director at Firebelly.

In this episode, Nick Adam speaks with host Christian Solorzano and Jaime Cisneros and, discusses his upbringing, early design influences, approach to design, the Chicago design community, and more.

Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Since 1991 Carlos Segura has been running his studio, Segura Inc. In 1994 he founded T26 type foundry, and today, he continues to create beautiful work with purpose, meaning, and immense attention to detail.

In this episode, Segura speaks with host Christian Solorzano and discusses his design philosophy, approach to working with clients, and shares stories about the Chicago design community. Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Bob Zeni is no stranger to the design community. In the past, year after year, Zeni contributed his time to fostering the celebration of craft and excellence in design. Zeni graduated in 1974 with a degree in journalism, and 1988, he began his design agency, Bob Zeni & Associates, where he worked on visual identity systems, editorial design, and digital and print design. 

In this episode, Zeni speaks with host Christian Solorzano and discusses his journey, experience, and stories about the Chicago design community. Music by the band Eighties Slang.

Mx. Studio was founded by designers Jonathan Sangster and KT Duffy. Together they focus on projects that involve branding, identity development, front-end web development, VR and AR environments, design, print, social media, concept development, video, and digital fabrication. In this episode, Sangster and KT speak with host Christian Solorzano and discuss their approach to design, breaking conventions, sharing their solutions to building an equitable industry that champions diversity of thought, and more. Episode edited by Irina Goldman. Music by the band Eighties Slang.