In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello sit down with Helder Santo, a partner at Unnamed, to explore the dynamic intersection of design, technology, and performance. Helder shares his journey through the evolving landscape of digital marketing and design, highlighting key moments from his career at renowned creative agencies. The conversation delves into the concept of a regenerative design ecosystem, the challenges of venture building in creative ag...
Jul 30, 2025•44 min•Season 10Ep. 14
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello speak with Sunny Bonnell, Co-Founder & CEO of Motto, about the powerful intersection of design and performance. Sunny shares her nonlinear career journey, emphasizing the importance of stirring emotion and inspiring action through creativity. The conversation delves into the essentials of brand transformation, the significance of visionary leadership, and how the design ecosystem is rapidly evolving with techno...
Jul 08, 2025•37 min•Season 10Ep. 13
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello speak with Maria Fernanda La Rotta, co-founder and head of strategy at Switch Strategy , about her dynamic career journey and the mission of her company to champion inclusion and drive innovation. Maria reflects on the strategic value of a design MBA, her commitment to empowering the next generation through her teaching role at Parsons, and how Switch Strategy specializes in developing niche markets for growth. The...
Jun 24, 2025•47 min•Season 10Ep. 12
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello speak with Richard Moross, founder and CEO of MOO , about his journey from early entrepreneurial experiments to building a globally recognized print and design company. Richard reflects on the evolution of MOO, the balance between quality and scale, the value of thoughtful company culture, and how hybrid work is reshaping collaboration. The conversation also explores the deeper relationship between design and perform...
May 21, 2025•39 min•Season 10Ep. 11
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello speak with Ivan Boscariol, Senior Innovation Specialist and public service designer at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Ivan shares his journey from a background in international relations to working at the intersection of design, innovation, and public service in Latin America. The conversation explores what it means to be a designer within a large public institution, and how to navigate the cultural and b...
May 06, 2025•54 min•Season 10Ep. 10
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Kinda Ghannoum shares her captivating journey from architecture into the vibrant world of graphic design, emphasizing her passion for preserving cultural heritage through the Syrian Design Archive. Hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello discuss with Kinda the vital role design plays in documenting history, elevating cultural identities, and inspiring future creativity amidst political challenges. Kinda explores the nuanced relationship between her P...
Apr 21, 2025•30 min•Season 10Ep. 9
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Michael Kaye, Chief Design Officer at Sylvain, to explore the intersection of design, branding, and the evolving creative landscape. Michael’s journey, driven by a compelling shift from fine arts to practical design, highlights his unique approach to creativity—balancing aesthetic expression with real-world functionality. Michael delves into the nuances of book cover design, illustrating how typograph...
Apr 03, 2025•54 min•Season 10Ep. 7
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Erin Shems, a creative operations leader and entrepreneur who has built a career on getting things done. Erin’s unconventional journey started early—first going to work, then going to school—and led her to industries she’s always been drawn to, from video games to toys.Erin is passionate about mental health and human-centered processes, advocating for workplaces where people can be their authentic sel...
Mar 04, 2025•51 min•Season 10Ep. 6
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview author and consultant Karl Sakas ("Say Kiss”). Karl’s clients often call him their “agency therapist.” They discuss the challenges agency owners face, including misconceptions about agency ownership, pricing strategies, and the importance of understanding market rates. Karl shares insights on productizing services, revenue growth, and how to escape the daily grind of agency ownership. The conversation ...
Feb 18, 2025•51 min•Season 10Ep. 5
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello and guest Scott Berkun, author of Why Design is Hard, discuss the complexities of design, touching on themes such as the challenges designers face, the importance of understanding business contexts, and the role of curiosity as a superpower. We explore the concept of 'gravity problems' in design, emphasizing the need for designers to navigate organizational politics and influence effectively. The conversation a...
Jan 23, 2025•41 min•Season 10Ep. 4
In the third episode of the season of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Marta Foresti and Federica Fragapane. Marta is the founder and CEO of LAGO Collective , as well as a visiting senior fellow at ODI Global and the Moleskine Foundation. Federica is an independent information designer who has collaborated with organizations like Google, the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the European Union, BBC Science Focus, Columbia University, and L...
Jan 09, 2025•57 min•Season 10Ep. 3
In the second episode of this season of the AIGA Design Podcast, hosts Lee-Sean Huang and Giulia Donatello interview Scott Doorley and Carissa Carter, professors at the Stanford d.school, discussing their career and their new book Assembling Tomorrow. Their motivation to write the book came from the feeling of how unsettling they believe the world is right now and the belief we can craft a better tomorrow. Carissa believes Design is not just about the products we create but the experiences that ...
Dec 18, 2024•44 min•Season 10Ep. 2
This is the kick-off episode introducing the new season of the AIGA Design Podcast with our new theme, DESIGN + PERFORMANCE . The theme is open for designers to interpret it in their own unique ways, bringing individual perspectives to the table. In this episode, we explore how we approach design considering the nuances of performance in creative fields. Host Lee-Sean Huang interviews independent filmmaker Gary Jaffe about his professional journey and creative process. They delve into multiple i...
Dec 11, 2024•23 min•Season 10Ep. 1
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang talks with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and Partner at Ammunition . With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio. When asked about the early years of his career, he shared that growing up in a household where both parents were makers inspired him and cont...
Sep 17, 2024•44 min•Season 9Ep. 14
This clip is a preview of our upcoming AIGA Design Podcast with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and Partner at Ammunition . With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio. The full episode with Robert Brunner, which also happens to be our season finale, comes out on September 17, 2024....
Aug 26, 2024•1 min•Season 9Ep. 13
In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang interviews Jenn Stucker, Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University. They discuss the importance of community engagement in design, the expanding definition of design as a profession, the role of design communities like AIGA in career development and standard setting, and more. Key Topics and Themes: Community Engagement in Design: Stucker shares her experiences incorporating community engageme...
Aug 12, 2024•48 min•Season 9Ep. 13
Full episode coming August 12, 2024 Jenn Stucker, Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University: "As a person that chairs my program, I often have to meet with prospective students and their parents. And I talk about those common notions, right? It's like, 'okay, so where did your interest come from?' And I'm sure, and I hear things like 'logos, brochures, t-shirts, you know, that's why I'm interested in this.' And I said, 'you know, those are great.' I said, ...
Jul 31, 2024•53 sec•Season 9Ep. 12
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, ae...
Jul 15, 2024•44 min•Season 9Ep. 11
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 ind...
Jul 03, 2024•19 min•Season 9Ep. 10
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 o...
Jul 01, 2024•42 sec•Season 9Ep. 9
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 a...
Jun 18, 2024•50 min•Season 9Ep. 8
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 St...
May 20, 2024•45 min•Season 9Ep. 7
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 companie...
Apr 03, 2024•9 min•Season 9Ep. 6
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:...
Mar 18, 2024•43 min•Season 9Ep. 5
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 . To...
Mar 07, 2024•1 min•Season 9Ep. 4
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 solution...
Feb 20, 2024•47 min•Season 9Ep. 3
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.
Feb 14, 2024•59 sec•Season 9Ep. 2
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 . 📫...
Feb 05, 2024•7 min•Season 9Ep. 1
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
Dec 12, 2023•5 min
In this episode Colton Schweitzer , co-founder of Kickass UX and Lee-Sean Huang , senior director of learning and programs at AIGA talk about: How Banksy inspired Colton to get into graphic design How creating a board game introduced Colton to UX and landed him a job The differences between a design bootcamp and a college degree program How to identify and address common gaps in UX design education How recent design graduates can make their portfolios stand out and some hope for current UX job s...
Dec 04, 2023•48 min
