Episode 291: Dexter Ferguson

Dexter Ferguson is a product designer for Airbus Aerial in Atlanta.

Dexter Ferguson might be a young designer in this industry, but he is committed to using his abilities to really help change the world. By day, he works at Airbus Aerial as a product designer, helping insurance companies make decisions on damages and risks. When work is over, Dexter puts on his entrepreneur hat as the founder of DebtBennies, a job listing board with companies that will help you pay down your student loans. Pretty innovative!

We talked about how Dexter is able to balance both 9-to-5 work with running his own side projects, and he even gave some really great advice to those out there looking to get to the next level in their career. We also spent some time examining Atlanta’s design and tech scene, with Dexter sharing some his favorite things to do in the city. Dexter’s philosophy of striving for progress ensures that his trajectory in this industry is going to be a positive one, and I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from him in the future!

It’s survey time!

Take our annual audience survey atย revisionpath.com/survey, and help shape the future of Revision Path! Survey ends on April 30 at midnight ET! Thanks for your feedback!

Episode 290: Will Miner

Will Miner is the Head of UX at 2U in Brooklyn.

A common theme on Revision Path is that there’s no set path to being a part of the design industry. Will Miner, the senior director of UX at the education companyย 2U, is a prime example of this. As technology helps level the playing field for a number of different areas of study, professionals like Will help make sure that experience is simple and user-friendly.

We started off talking about Will’s work at 2U, including building and leading teams while keeping diversity and accessibility in mind. He also shared how he first got into design via plant science, why he decided getting an MBA would help further his design career, and even shared news about his next big move. Will is a prime example that there are lots of ways to succeed in this field!

It’s survey time!

Take our annual audience survey atย revisionpath.com/survey, and help shape the future of Revision Path! Survey ends on April 30 at midnight ET! Thanks for your feedback!

Episode 289: Dave Hall

Dave Hall is the vice president of digital design for the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN).

Guests of the show know that before we do an interview, I always ask them what I call “the Oprah question.” But how do you ask the Oprah question to someone who works for Oprah? Turns out that when you’re Dave Hall, that’s a pretty easy task. As the VP of digital design for the Oprah Winfrey Network, Dave oversees a number of different design professionals from coast to coast to create interactive and eye-catching work for web and TV.

Dave walked me through a typical day, including sharing how he works with his team and how they approach new projects. We also spent time talking about the possibilities and challenges for designing for television, and Dave shared information on his upcoming graphic novel project! Dave says that you don’t have to ask for permission to be successful, and his journey as a designer proves that!

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 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!
mailchimp-logo

Episode 288: Jonathan Sangster

Jonathan Sangster is an artist, educator, and designer in Chicago, IL.

If you’re a part of Chicago’s design scene, then you’ve no doubt heard of the multitalented Jonathan Sangster. They are currently an assistant professor of design at Chicago State University, and they also collaborate on projects involving visual art, design, printed matter, typography and visual experimentation.

We spoke about Jonathan’s recent exhibition at this year’sย Typeforce, and from there they shared a peek into their creative process which challenges binary thoughts by layering experiences and pursuing different points of view through visual outputs. Jonathan also talked about what he learns from his students, the Chicago design community, and a lot more. Thank you Jonathan for your work and for talking with us about what you do!

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 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!
mailchimp-logo

Episode 287: Shani Sandy

Multidisciplinary designer Shani Sandy is a design executive at IBM.

Shani Sandy is a real mover and a shaker in this industry. As a design executive for IBM, she combines business leadership and creative concepts to help advance design thinking for clients all over the world. But how did she go from freelance work to being a lead at one of the top tech companies in the world? Find out in this week’s interview!

Shani and I spoke about design thinking and what IBM looks for from designers, and she gave some great advice for designers who are looking to take their career to the next level and advance into bigger and greater roles. We also talked about building teams, diversity in tech and design, hiring and recruiting, and a lot more. The key to Shani’s success has been carving out your own lane, and I think this week’s interview really shows she’s done a phenomenal job doing just that!

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 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!
mailchimp-logo