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I really had a blast talking with Kristy Tillman, the design director for the Society of Grownups. While she’s probably most well-known for The Detroit Water Project, Kristy has also been a designer at big agencies and companies like IDEO, Reebok, and PUMA.

We started off talking about the rigors of the hiring process when it comes to designers, civic design and what that means to her, and then went straight into dissecting diversity in the design industry (particularly as it relates to the workplace). It’s a little more candid than most interviews, but it’s 100% real talk. I just wish our conversation would have been longer! Maybe a Part 2 of this interview will come in the future…

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If you’ve read USA Weekend magazine in your Sunday paper, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve seen Leon Lawrence III’s amazing work. As USA Weekend‘s design director, he’s worked with photographers, copywriters, and other fellow creatives to design the magazine from top to bottom for almost 15 years.

We talked about Leon’s everyday work with the magazine, along with his beginnings as art director of Emerge magazine, his stint as former vice-president of the Organization of Black Designers, and his book “Career Diary of a Publication Design Director“. Leon has an incredible back story and loads and loads of knowledge for current and up and coming design students.

All these gifts just in time for Christmas! Enjoy!

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