Mike Nicholls

As we wind down this year’s Black History Month (and our anniversary month — 11 years!), we’ve got a super-sized episode with someone I’ve wanted to have on the podcast for a long time — the one and only Mike Nicholls. Mike is an award-winning storyteller with deep roots in hip-hop culture and design, and is probably most well-known for creating Umber — the design and culture magazine that highlights the global perspectives of Black people and POC from around the world.

Mike talked about how his love for magazines inspired him to create Umber, and shared some of the triumphs and challenges he’s faced over the years as the brand has evolved from a magazine into a media platform. He also spoke about his time as a designer in Atlanta, Philly, and Chicago, how Oakland inspires his work, and talked about how being a designer and a hip-hop artist helps keep his artistic integrity intact.

For Mike, his creative expression is about more than just making ends meet — it’s about creating with a purpose and about telling stories that resonate on a deeper level and embrace the authenticity of Black and brown experiences!

Sponsored by Brevity & Wit

Brevity & Wit

Brevity & Wit is a strategy and design firm committed to designing a more inclusive and equitable world. They are always looking to expand their roster of freelance design consultants in the U.S., particularly brand strategists, copywriters, graphic designers and Web developers.

If you know how to deliver excellent creative work reliably, and enjoy the autonomy of a virtual-based, freelance life (with no non-competes), check them out at brevityandwit.com.

Sponsored by School of Visual Arts

The BFA Design program at the School of Visual Arts consistently produces innovative and acclaimed work that is rooted in a strong foundational understanding of visual communication. It encourages creativity through cutting-edge tools, visionary design techniques, and offers burgeoning creatives a space to find their voice.

Students in BFA Advertising are prepared for success in the dynamic advertising industry in a program led by faculty from New York’s top ad agencies. Situated at the center of the advertising capital of the world, the program inspires the next generation of creative thinkers and elite professionals to design the future.

School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for over seven decades. Comprising 7,000 students at its Manhattan campus and more than 41,000 alumni from 128 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. For information about the College’s 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.

It’s time for Revision Path’s annual audience survey! Give us your feedback on the podcast, and you could win a $250 Amazon.com gift card from us! Head over to revisionpath.com/survey today. The survey closes on May 31, 2020. Thank you!
Ed Williams

You might not think of Memphis, Tennessee as a bustling creative city, but folks like Ed Williams are here to show you the truth. By day, he works as a creative manager at the National Civil Rights Museum, helping shape the brand design and strategy for the museum for all its visitors. But by night, he is the founder of Mayke Entertainment, and creates comic stories with culturally-rich superheroes from all walks of life!

We started off with some quick talk about Ed’s museum work, and from there we went into a conversation about Memphis’ design scene and then learned how Ed turned his talent for art into a career in design. He also shared how he’s holding up during this pandemic, and gave a behind-the-scenes look at Mayke Entertainment and what’s coming up in the future. Give this episode a listen and learn about what Ed Williams brings to the creative community!

Sponsor

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.

Michele WashingtonThis week’s interview is with Michele Washington, a creative director, brand strategist, educator, connector…the adjectives go on and on. Three of the people we’ve interviewed before (Andrew Bass, Maurice Woods, Steve Jones) have mentioned her and I was so glad to get a chance to talk about her work and decades of experience in the graphic industry.

Show Notes

Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in sponsoring the Revision Path podcast, either episodically or exclusively? Send me an email if you are interested in advertising your business and let’s make it happen!