Episode 268: Nicholas Johnson

Nicholas Johnson is a freelance graphic designer located in Brooklyn, NY.

I met Nicholas Johnson this year at the AIGA Awards Gala, and after just a few minutes of speaking with him, I knew I had to have him on the podcast. Nicholas is committed to more representation for designers of color, and that’s reflected both through his work and in an upcoming book project.

We talked about where Nicholas’ desire for representation comes from, and from there we went into a discussion on the notion of a Black design aesthetic, and Nicholas shared the advice that’s stuck with him throughout his design journey, as well as what he wants to work on in the next five years. You’ll definitely see and hear more from Nicholas in the future!

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Revision Path is sponsored by Facebook Design. No one designs at scale quite like Facebook does, and that scale is only matched by their commitment to giving back to the design community.
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Revision Path is also sponsored by Glitch. Glitch is the friendly community where you can build the app of your dreams. Stuck on something? Get help! You got this!
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Revision Path is also brought to you by Google Design! Google Design is committed to sharing the best design thinking from Google and beyond. Sign up for their newsletter!
Revision Path is brought to you by Mailchimp. Huge thanks to them for their support of the show! Visit them today and say thanks!
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Episode 267: Kevin White

Kevin White is an illustrator and UX strategist in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Kevin White calls himself a “UX strategist”, but that title barely scratches the surface of what he does. Aside from his work as a senior experience designer, he’s also a talented illustrator, a design educator, and a devoted family man. But according to Kevin, his origin story as a design professional is an example of what not to do. (Naturally, I had to know more about this.)

We started off talking about the ubiquity of UX in today’s modern design industry, and from there Kevin goes into the early days of his career, and we take a slight detour to discuss social media, sound design, branding, and even the historical archives of the Internet! We touched on a lot of topics in our conversation, but I think what stands out the most is that there is no one true path to becoming a designer. Learn more about Kevin in this week’s interview!

Did you like this episode? Get special behind-the-scenes access for just $5/month!

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Revision Path is sponsored by Facebook Design. No one designs at scale quite like Facebook does, and that scale is only matched by their commitment to giving back to the design community.
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Revision Path is also sponsored by Glitch. Glitch is the friendly community where you can build the app of your dreams. Stuck on something? Get help! You got this!
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Revision Path is also brought to you by Google Design! Google Design is committed to sharing the best design thinking from Google and beyond. Sign up for their newsletter!
Revision Path is brought to you by Mailchimp. Huge thanks to them for their support of the show! Visit them today and say thanks!
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Episode 266: Jarrett Key

Jarrett Key is a multidisciplinary fine artist currently in Providence, Rhode Island.

Jarrett Key creates works that transcend multiple boundaries. As a fine artist, Jarrett uses hair — like, literally painting with their entire head of hair — to make pieces that are full of life, passion, and tension. Speaking of tension, I just happened to have the chance to talk to Jarrett during a particularly tense time in life right now — graduate school!

We started off talking about what it’s like adjusting to being back in Providence, Rhode Island, and Jarrett spoke about the decision to return and what they hope to gain from this experience. Jarrett also listed their artistic influences, remembered life growing up in the South, explained what people tend to get wrong about art, and more. According to Jarrett, everyone has a story to share if they take the time to dig deep and discover what it is. Hopefully this interview inspires you to do just that!

Did you like this episode? Get special behind-the-scenes access for just $5/month!

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Revision Path is sponsored by Facebook Design. No one designs at scale quite like Facebook does, and that scale is only matched by their commitment to giving back to the design community.
fbdesign_logo_75
Revision Path is also sponsored by Glitch. Glitch is the friendly community where you can build the app of your dreams. Stuck on something? Get help! You got this!
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Revision Path is also brought to you by Google Design! Google Design is committed to sharing the best design thinking from Google and beyond. Sign up for their newsletter!
Revision Path is brought to you by Mailchimp. Huge thanks to them for their support of the show! Visit them today and say thanks!
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Episode 265: Leah Gilliam

Leah Gilliam is an award-winning artist and design strategist in Brooklyn, NY.

Leah Gilliam is a force. As an award-winning artist, she uses technology to tell stories, bring awareness to issues, and to ask questions about important topics. And as a design strategist, she lends her expertise with building inclusive spaces to organizations like Out in Tech and Girls Who Code, where she currently serves as VP of strategy and innovation. Did I mention she’s also a creator who has made everything from 16mm films to interactive installations to board games?

Like I said, Leah Gilliam is a force.

We sat down to talk about how she first got involved in design strategy, and from there we explored her work as an artist and a teacher, and dove into topics surrounding creativity, finding balance, solving projects, and the notion of a Black queer design aesthetic. I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to share Leah’s story and her work with you, so make sure you take a listen!

Did you like this episode? Get special behind-the-scenes access for just $5/month!

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Revision Path is sponsored by Facebook Design. No one designs at scale quite like Facebook does, and that scale is only matched by their commitment to giving back to the design community.
fbdesign_logo_75
Revision Path is also sponsored by Glitch. Glitch is the friendly community where you can build the app of your dreams. Stuck on something? Get help! You got this!
glitch_75
Revision Path is also brought to you by Google Design! Google Design is committed to sharing the best design thinking from Google and beyond. Sign up for their newsletter!
Revision Path is brought to you by Mailchimp. Huge thanks to them for their support of the show! Visit them today and say thanks!
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Episode 264: Courtney Wilburn

Courtney Wilburn is lead DevOps engineer for The Wirecutter.

Thanks to engineers like Courtney Wilburn, your favorite sites can stay online even when they’re getting slammed with visitors. And as the lead DevOps engineer for the popular product review site Wirecutter, she definitely knows her stuff when it comes to the Web.

During our conversation, we talked about how she first got interested in DevOps, and Courtney shared some of the tools she uses, and how she took a non-traditional path into tech after college. She also discussed some skills that designers can hone to help out DevOps engineers, and she spoke about how bringing your full self to work helps with creative freedom. So the next time you’re browsing the web and you think about what it takes to keep websites running smoothly, think of Courtney!

Did you like this episode? Get special behind-the-scenes access for just $5/month!

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Revision Path is sponsored by Facebook Design. No one designs at scale quite like Facebook does, and that scale is only matched by their commitment to giving back to the design community.
fbdesign_logo_75
Revision Path is also sponsored by Glitch. Glitch is the friendly community where you can build the app of your dreams. Stuck on something? Get help! You got this!
glitch_75
Revision Path is also brought to you by Google Design! Google Design is committed to sharing the best design thinking from Google and beyond. Sign up for their newsletter!
Revision Path is brought to you by Mailchimp. Huge thanks to them for their support of the show! Visit them today and say thanks!
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