AIGA Design Podcast

In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang explores the process of aviation branding with guest Edmond Huot. Their conversation also focuses on how to build and maintain relationships with various client and community stakeholders, including local and Indigenous peoples served by airlines and airports. Edmond Huot is the Chief Creative Officer of Forward Studio, where he leads the New York City-based firm’s global branding practice, which focuses primarily on the airline, aerospace, and transportation sectors. A true AvGeek at heart and originally from small-town Canada, Huot started his career in the early 1990s. He has turned his childhood fascination with aviation into his career. Edmond has worked on a wide range of airlines around the world, from Hawaii to Alaska to sunny California, focusing on their brand concepts, passenger experience, and liveries. The core of Edmond’s design philosophy centers around a deep respect for how airlines are cultural icons for their communities, nations, and the traveling public. He is committed to creating brand experiences that are authentic and resonate deeply with people. Storytelling is central to his design approach, using elements to convey an airline’s identity and values effectively.

In this special episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang, Senior Director of Learning & Programs, takes listeners behind the scenes of the planning process for the 2024 Design Conference (Online, October 10-12). How do we select speakers for the conference? Why are we doing an online conference this year, and what are the challenges and opportunities around that? And how is AIGA responding to the broader context of what is going on with design associations, conferences, and the industry at large? Listen all the way through this special episode to get a coupon code for $50 off tickets for the 2024 AIGA Design Conference. AIGA Design Educators Community Call for Proposals: This call for proposals seeks submissions from educators, graduate students, and industry professionals that address ideas and topics connected to the theme Margins as it applies to design education and research. Proposals of 500 words or less are due by Friday, July 26, 2024. No extensions will be offered. Does your company want to sponsor a session at the AIGA Design Conference? Or do you have questions or ideas for the conference or the podcast? Send us a message or a voicemail at podcast@aiga.org. P.S. The 2025 AIGA Design Conference will be back in person: October 9-11 at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles.

Full episode coming July 15, 2024 Edmond Huot: "What's the dream? what are people aspiring to? As a creative and someone whose job it is to provide that path for our clients to understand and celebrate what that means to be human when you travel, whether it's this perception of glamour, whether it's an appreciation of traveling great distances to see people we care about to never lose sight of that part of the equation and to figure out ways to weave it into product innovation and efficiencies of the business, that's I think an important part, that's the part that I get the most enjoyment out of...figuring out how to build stories around things that we take for granted." Edmond Huot is the Chief Creative Officer of Forward Studio, where he leads the New York City-based firm’s global branding practice, which focuses primarily on the airline, aerospace, and transportation sectors. A true AvGeek at heart and originally from small-town Canada, Huot started his career in the early 1990s. He has turned his childhood fascination with aviation into his career. Edmond has worked on a wide range of airlines around the world, from Hawaii to Alaska to sunny California, focusing on their brand concepts, passenger experience, and liveries. The core of Edmond’s design philosophy centers around a deep respect for how airlines are cultural icons for their communities, nations, and the traveling public. He is committed to creating brand experiences that are authentic and resonate deeply with people. Storytelling is central to his design approach, using elements to convey an airline’s identity and values effectively.

This episode features John Glasgow and Jonathan Kenyon, co-founders of Vault49, which has partnered with the best of the best, from the most recognizable global brands to celebrities and start-ups. Named Global Design Agency of Record for two of Diageo’s biggest brands, Baileys and Guinness, Vault49 also counts Netflix, Gatorade, and Doritos as current clients.  Cannes Lions, Clio, D&AD, DBA Design Effectiveness, Pentawards, Design Week, and Dieline have all honored Vault49 with the highest awards. With an ongoing commitment to racial justice in and beyond the creative industry, Vault49 is also a proud founding partner of THE SWAP. This unique creative and cultural exchange program inspires and empowers young people from underrepresented communities. https://vault49.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vault49/ https://www.instagram.com/vault49/ https://twitter.com/Vault49

What does an evolving design studio look like and how do you make money while maintaining your passion? In this episode, AIGA Member Matthew McIver, a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, unravel the intricacies of pivoting business models and pricing strategies. Join us as we we explore Matthew's entrepreneurial journey over the past 15 years, uncovering valuable lessons learned and the evolution of Commence Studio's approach to business and client relationships. Topics include: 1️⃣ Entrepreneurial journey: Explore the lessons learned and key milestones that shaped Commence Studio's evolution. 2️⃣ Navigating margins and profitability: Dive into the strategies for managing both creative and financial margins to foster maximum creativity and business success. 3️⃣ Business model pivots: Learn how Commence Studio adapted its pricing strategies to meet the changing demands of the market. 💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard. 🎧 Learn more about Matthew's agency journey here. 📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.

In this preview clip, Matthew McIver and Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA's senior director of learning and programs, discuss the important role of financial margins and padding in business. The AIGA Design Podcast will be going on a brief mid-season spring hiatus and return with our full episode with Matthew on May 20, 2024. 💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard. 📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.

How do you package your unique career journey? In this episode, Sarah Doody, founder of Career Strategy Lab™, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, delve into the intricacies of crafting a career roadmap to navigate your professional journey. Join us as we explore the importance of setting short and long-term goals, building your compass statement, and leveraging unique strategies to stand out in the design industry. Topics include: 1️⃣ Crafting a career roadmap: Discover the value of setting short and long-term goals to guide your professional journey. 2️⃣ Building your compass statement: Learn how to articulate your vision and filter opportunities that align with your career aspirations. 3️⃣ The power of anti-networking: Explore strategies for building meaningful relationships and standing out in a crowded job market. 🤝 Sarah Doody is the founder of Career Strategy Lab™, a program that helps UX and product professionals at all career stages navigate their job search and articulate their skills and experience through individualized and group coaching. She is also the host of the Career Strategy Lab podcast. Since 2021, professionals who have worked with Sarah have increased their salaries by 40% on average and have been hired at prestigious brands such as Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Nordstrom, Spotify, Blue Origin on average in 3.5 months. The program has been so successful since it’s launch that the combined salary of program graduates hired topped nearly $6 million. Sarah has been named a Future of Work expert by Forbes and is a regular Forbes.com contributor. She has also been featured in Fast Company, Insider, Fox Business, and more. Sarah is also to author her first book, The Product of You: How to Design, Market, and Sell Yourself in Your Career, forthcoming in 2024. ✨ Connect with Sarah on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter. 📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.

On the next episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, guest Sarah Doody discusses applying product design principles to your career, crafting a career roadmap, and more. Full episode release: March 18, 2024. 🤝 Sarah Doody is the founder of Career Strategy Lab, a program that helps UX and product professionals at all career stages navigate their job search and articulate their skills and experience through individualized and group coaching. She is also the host of the Career Strategy Lab podcast. Topics include: 1️⃣ Crafting a career roadmap: Discover the value of setting short and long-term goals to guide your professional journey. 2️⃣ Building your compass statement: Learn how to articulate your vision and filter opportunities that align with your career aspirations. 3️⃣ The power of anti-networking: Explore strategies for building meaningful relationships and standing out in a crowded job market.

Has design research hit a plateau? In this episode, Danny Spitzberg and Humphrey Obuobi, two design researchers in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA delve into the challenges and explore the gap between personal and professional learning in design research. Topics include: the value of co-design catchphrases and why they keep resurfacing the challenges and rewards of collaborating with marginalized communities on designing solutions that address their needs how design and policy can intersect more effectively to address social challenges and promote equity 🔍 Danny Spitzberg, a user research expert in the cooperative economy, co-founded the Workers’ Algorithm Observatory. He sheds light on auditing algorithms for workers and allies, advocating for concrete improvements in digital technology standards. 🔍 Humphrey Obuobi, founder of LETS Studio, focuses on building infrastructure for a healthier democracy. A student-researcher with UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab, Humphrey is dedicated to local, community-powered social innovation. 📖 Read Danny and Humphrey's Q&A article published on AIGA.org 🙋 LETS Studio, Humphrey's professional practice, invites collaborations and volunteers at letsstudio.org. 🔬 The Workers’ Algorithm Observatory advocates for algorithmic accountability; explore their studies at wao.cs.princeton.edu. 📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.

Preview clip of our upcoming episode with Danny Spitzberg and Humphrey Obuobi on Why Design Research is Stuck. Full episode release on February 20, 2024.

Designing success outside the lines – AIGA's 2024 journey begins at the margins. Welcome to the first episode of the 2024 season of the AIGA Design Podcast! Join Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, as he explores the theme "MARGINS" and sets the stage for an exciting year of AIGA Design programming. 🎟️ Register for the Yale BPCL Open House webinar. 📚 Learn more about the AIGA Professional Design Certification. 🏆 Learn more and enter AIGA Design Competitions. 📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news. Want to join us as a guest on a future show? Fill out this form here.

Listen to the full interview with Colton Schweitzer, co-founder of Kickass UX here: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aigadesign/episodes/Colton-Schweitzer-on-Kickass-UX-e2ci2ke Use code AIGA75 for $75 off your first month of ⁠Kickass UX's UX/UI Expert course