Adrian Franks is a one-of-a-kind renaissance man. His work as a UX creative director at IBM focuses on experience design (iX) for their global business services brand, but trust me — his skills don’t stop there.

Our conversation began with Adrian walking us through his typical days of meetings and projects, but things really came alive when we talked about his days growing up and learning design in Atlanta. Adrian also talked about how he connected with the venerable film maker Spike Lee for a series of art projects, and shared some great advice on the types of skills designers need to have in order to achieve their best work. I’m so glad we have designers like Adrian out there who can show us what the true possibilities of creativity can be!

Facebook Design is a proud sponsor of Revision Path. The Facebook Design community is designing for human needs at unprecedented scale. Across Facebook’s family of apps and new product platforms, multi-disciplinary teams come together to create, build and shape communication experiences in service of the essential, universal human need for connection. To learn more, please visit facebook.design.

This episode is brought to you by Abstract: design workflow management for modern design teams.

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Revision Path is a Glitch Media Network podcast, and is produced by Maurice Cherry and edited by Brittani Brown. 


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


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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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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For our 250th episode, I’m so honored to bring you this conversation with creative director, graphic designer, and entrepreneur Julian Alexander. Julian may be most well known for designing the album cover for 50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Trying, and his design work on the Miles Davis box set The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions even earned him a GRAMMY for art direction! Even with those huge accolades under his belt, Julian is a really humble guy, and I think that really comes through in the interview.

We talked about how he got his start in design, his time as a design director for Sony Music, and I asked how his career changed for him after winning the GRAMMY. We also discussed the relationship between design and music, some of his current projects through his studio Slang Inc., and gave some really great advice for designers of all levels. Julian is a true champion for design and designers, and I’m so glad to be able to share his story with you all.

Cheers to 250 episodes of Revision Path!

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

rp_patreon_banner


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!
mailchimp-logo