Jun 23, 2021Mapping Your PracticeThis is an exercise to look at the things you’re good at, what you want to learn, and what you love to do at work. If you want to skip the explanation of how this came to be and go straight to how to use it, go ahead. Why I Needed a Map I…Design Thinking6 min readDesign Thinking6 min read
Published inAIGA DC·Sep 10, 2018Bill Barbot on Being PunkBill Barbot is one of the founders of the creative agency Threespot, a firm that says on their website that their mission is to “use our time and talents to make a difference. All day, every day.” Before Threespot, Barbot played guitar and sang in bands in the DC punk…Music9 min readMusic9 min read
Published inAIGA DC·Mar 14, 2018Girls’ Night In : A Conversation with Alisha RamosAlisha Ramos is the founder and CEO of “Girls’ Night In,” a brand focused on women and self-care. Since its launch as an email newsletter in January 2017, it has grown into a larger platform for online and in-person events that promote community and growth. As someone who recently made…Entrepreneurship4 min readEntrepreneurship4 min read
Published inAIGA DC·Feb 13, 2018Are Design Awards Worth It? Past AIGA 50 Winners Say YesEntering work for a design award may seem like a daunting task. But there are good reasons to make the leap — for affirmation, motivation and even new business. With the deadline for designers to enter AIGA 50 just around the corner, we’re sharing thoughts from some past winners on…Design3 min readDesign3 min read
Published inAIGA DC·Oct 23, 2017Mike Monteiro: “If you’re waiting for someone else to do the right thing, you’re doing it wrong.”Mike Monteiro has built a reputation as a powerful public speaker and a force for ethics in design practice. In advance of his talk for DC Design Week on How to Fight Fascism he talked with me about DC, being in the room, getting fired, and fucking up. AIGA DC…Design7 min readDesign7 min read
Published inAIGA DC·Oct 19, 2017Emory Douglas on Doing Design for ActivismDuring the 1960s and 70s, Emory Douglas was Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party and the creative force behind The Black Panther newspaper. Douglas talked with AIGA DC in advance of his DC Design Week event at Bowie State University to share his ideas of how to marry…Black Panthers3 min readBlack Panthers3 min read
Published inAIGA DC·Aug 29, 2017Look What Saul Bass Made Taylor Swift DoThe buzz around Taylor Swift’s new “Look What You Made Me Do” can go in plenty of directions. Is it about Kim and Kanye? What does Katy Perry think? Has Swift shed her “good girl” reputation? Who is she talking to on the phone? But let’s take a minute…Movies3 min readMovies3 min read
Published inAIGA DC·Aug 1, 2017Designing for Bands and Getting Paid: Jeffrey Everett on the D.C. Creative SceneJeffrey Everett, the designer behind Rockets Are Red and El Jefe Design, is putting together a poster retrospective at The Gallery at Lost Origin Productions. “Facing the Music: Thirteen Years of Concert Posters” officially opens Aug. 15, but Everett will give an exclusive talk for AIGA DC on Aug. 14…Music7 min readMusic7 min read
Published inAIGA DC·May 3, 2017Trials and Triumphs of Designing for GovernmentDesigning for the federal government has its challenges. It is also one of the most important places for good design to happen. — When I joined the federal government five years ago, I didn’t think I’d survive the first six months. After years of working for tiny startups and small arts organizations, the sheer size of what I was approaching terrified me. Some of how I did my job wasn’t just about company…Government5 min readGovernment5 min read
