Underscore

Our guest is ⁠⁠Chicago-based community organizer, educator, and designer ⁠Amira Hegazy. In this episode, Amira speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about “love and care” as guiding principles that shape and drive the design process and work we do as designers. She walks us through her research about Chicago neighborhoods and the typography that represents their identities. She shares the importance of listening and understanding as crucial methods of honoring and respecting the history and legacies of cultures of communities. We also hear about her perspective on teaching and the classroom as being a space for inquiry into the ethics and implications of design across a range of contexts. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is ⁠⁠Chicago-based graphic designer Sean Fermoyle⁠⁠. In this episode, Sean speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about logo redesigns, ways for designers to share their expertise with clients and stakeholders to get buy-in, how to manage ideas and find balance across professional and personal projects, and much more. Sean also shares the story of discovering graphic design in high school and how teachers helped him connect the dots between his interests and the possibility of a career in design. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is ⁠Rich Alapack⁠, entrepreneur, artist, designer, public speaker, creative consultant, and the founder of we all live here. In this episode, Rich speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about creativity and design being catalysts that spark inspiration and positive community impact. He shares stories of working with community leaders, libraries, schools, and businesses and takes us behind the scenes of teaching children curiosity, creativity, and confidence. Additionally, we dive deep into the process of co-creating murals, Chicago, embracing failure, taking risks, and much more. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is Brian Shutters, Director of Shuttershot Productions. In this episode, Shutters speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠ about his insight into the power of being a generalist. He shares how this approach not only leads him to what he refers to as 'side quests' but also enables him to experiment and create across diverse mediums and industries. Brian takes us behind the scenes of some of his projects, explaining to us how he combines narrative with craft and sheds light on the journey of discovering one's creative voice, while providing practical advice on how to activate and sustain it and walks us through his process of infusing this creative spirit into both client work and personal projects. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is Bud Rodecker, Design Director and Partner at the Chicago-based studio Span. In this episode, Bud shares with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ his approach to finding inspiration in unexpected places and dives deep into his approach to the creative process and the importance that he places on research through the method of keeping ongoing archives of experiments and references. He also tells us the story of how a pirated copy of Photoshop given to him by his brother was the catalyst that kicked off his graphic design passion as a teenager. Bud shares his definition of what excellence in graphic design looks like, going into detail and breaking down typography, color, and effective visual communication. He speaks about what makes Chicago unique in contrast to other major cities and shares his perspective on Span’s commitment to being environmentally conscious and the ways in which, through their work, they are engaged with organizations and clients that are agents of change, not just locally but globally. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is Tyler English⁠ , a letterpress designer and founder of Ulterior Press. In this digital age of screens, software, user experiences, and obsessions with pixel perfection — it is inspiring to hear from Tyler about his letterpress practices and the ways in which he meticulously works with typography, ink, and paper to create work that is rooted in the ways in which graphic design was once done. In this episode, Tyler speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about the hard-to-describe feeling of making things with your hands as opposed to on the computer and the familiarity and freedom that comes from working within the limitations of particular mediums, whether it is letterpress, music, or writing. He shares the insights and surprises that he gains from working with letterpress and the process of seeing an idea all the way through production. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is educator and graphic designer Sajad Amini. In this episode, Amini speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠ about ethics, the role and responsibility of the graphic designer, and the variety of ways in which language and semiotics come together to create realities that, more often than not, are unexpected. Amini shares examples that showcase graphic design as both being complicit in problem-solving and problem-making and the importance of making decisions that are value-driven and equitable. We learn about his teaching philosophy and methods for encouraging critical thinking amongst his students and the reason why he believes authenticity and experimentation are crucial within the design process. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is Will Miller, Senior Director of Design at the Chicago-based creative studio, Firebelly. In this episode, Miller speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠ about his design process, the importance of drawing inspiration from personal interests, ways to build trust with clients and stakeholders, craft, typography, designing in Chicago for over two decades, and so much more. We also hear about the lessons he learns in empathy and compassion from dogs and pets and the ways in which he carries those teachings into his work. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is designer and business owner Cheryl Bever. In this episode, Cheryl speaks with host ⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠ about her transition from fashion design to graphic design, her thoughts on the pressures of social media, confidence, running a business, working independently, and much more. She shares with us the importance and value that she places on community and belonging, and as a collaborator of the Chicago Graphic Design Club, she dives deep into her approach to our programming. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is designer and partner at the Chicago-based studio Span John Pobojewski. In this episode, John speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his background and education in music and the ways it influences his approach to his graphic design practice.  From 2003–2019 John was a designer and later partner at Thirst alongside Rick Valicenti — and he shares with us his experiences and lessons learned from that time. He dives deep into his belief that design is one of the many ways to look at the world as a place of discovery and possibilities, in which designers have an opportunity to respond through their creative disciplines and values.  We also hear about the power of listening, which serves as an imperative skill that allows us to create thoughtful and purpose-led solutions to problems, and so much more. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.