Christian Howard

I first learned about Christian Howard via De Angela Duff, and while it may have taken a few years, I’m glad we finally had a chance to sit down for a conversation because I find his career path extremely fascinating.

Christian is a narrative design strategist, and we discussed how he uses storytelling to help guide companies through times of huge transformations. We also talked about his time teaching at NYU, how he found his way into narrative strategy via game design, the difference between strategists and designers, and what he’s doing now to help build a more equitable future. For Christian, his myriad work and life experiences have led him to design, and I think his story is captivating and will inspire you to consider what paths you can take in the future with the skills you possess. Enjoy!

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Facebook Design is a proud sponsor of Revision Path. The Facebook Design community is designing for human needs at unprecedented scale. Across Facebookโ€™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.

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We’re back in the Bay Area this week, and we’re talking to illustrator and senior UI/UX designer Frances Liddell! She comes from an illustrious legacy through Jackson State University, but as you’ll hear in the interview, that doesn’t mean that she hasn’t had to work hard to obtain success.

We talked about her “aha moment” as a designer, and we spent a lot of time dissecting and discussing HBCUs, “the pipeline”, and the design community. Frances also shared her experiences in San Francisco, including going to design school there and transitioning into her current role. Shout out to Cornelius Toole in our Slack community for the introduction!

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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 Hover. The first 100 clicks on hover.com/revisionpath will get 10% off their domain!
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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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Revision Path is also brought to you by SiteGround. Save 60% off all hosting plans by visiting siteground.com/revisionpath. Excellent!

We’ve had several folks from Slack here on Revision Path, and the latest one is digital designer Angelica McKinley! She has a wealth of experience in digital storytelling from working at The New York Times, and she’s now making the switch from print to tech.

We talked about her work at The New York Times, which went into a discussion on how Black creatives use tech as well as on the importance of HBCU pipelines. Angelica also shared what has her excited at the moment, and what she plans to accomplish for the rest of this year. 2017 has been a big year for Angelica, and I’m glad that she’s one of hundreds of talented Black creatives out in the Bay Area!

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 Hover. The first 100 clicks on hover.com/revisionpath will get 10% off their domain!
hover_logo_75
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
Revision Path is also brought to you by SiteGround. Save 60% off all hosting plans by visiting siteground.com/revisionpath. Excellent!

This week’s guest is Michael Hollander, senior character animator at Telltale Games. You’ve no doubt seen his work through some of their best-selling titles, including Batman, The Walking Dead, and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. (And if you were a kid in the 90s like I was, you’ll probably recognize him from the unsung superhero action series V.R. Troopers!) Wait until you hear his story!

Michael talked about how he got his big break into acting and modeling, and the shift that occurred which changed his career trajectory towards design and animation. Michael also has a lot of great advice for those of you looking to get into the entertainment industry, and we briefly touch on the issues of diversity and representation. It’s really inspiring and amazing to hear how Michael has carved out a niche for himself, and I really think you’ll learn a lot from his experiences. This interview is a great one!

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 Hover. Visit hover.com/revisionpath and save 10% off your first purchase! Big thanks to Hover!
hover_logo_75
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
Revision Path is also brought to you by SiteGround. Save 60% off all hosting plans by visiting siteground.com/revisionpath. Excellent!