Color is something a lot of graphic designers struggle with - including us. But color is one of the most, if not THE most important design aspects for a brand! Schools may teach us color theory and how to use a color wheel - but are they teaching us about the big picture stuff and even more importantly HOW to choose the right color? This week on The Angry Designer, the bearded brutes go beyond the basics, uncovering how you can pick the perfect color for your projects! In this episode, the color...
Dec 06, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 105
Are you slipping as a Graphic Designer? Picked up a bad habit or 2 that has turned you into a Bad Graphic Designer? It's a topic so broad, it deserved two episodes, and this one isn't one you want to miss! There are a few telltale signs that you're driving dangerously close to bad graphic designer territory - It's up to you whether you ignore them and risk your career for the easy life, or tackle that sh*t head on and become a better designer for it! Join the Angry Designers for an extra-angry e...
Nov 29, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 104
Whether you've been a Graphic Designer for 2 years or 20, it's easy to get some bad habits. Getting a bit too comfortable, getting a little sloppy, cutting a corner here, there - then laziness kicks in and before we know it, we've turned into a sh*tty designer. So, how do you avoid ruining your game and your reputation? What are the warning signs to watch out for and take notice of before it's too late? They are often small habits in design, type or in your attitude that creep up to a whole lott...
Nov 22, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 103
Digital design platforms like Canva and the NEW Adobe Express are becoming more and more popular, with a massive amount of ready-made designs available for the masses to tap into. Hey look, Canva can be great for a small business that needs a quick, disposable design. It's constantly evolving and introducing new capabilities (more recently including text-to-image AI). In the right hands, it can an awesome tool. But we have to ask - does tweaking a few colors here and adding a few shapes there gi...
Nov 15, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Are you ready for More Graphic Design. More Inspiration. More Advice. More Janda! Please join us for the second half of our epic conversation with the awesome Michael Janda @morejanda ! Join the bearded beasts and their extra special guest as they tackle topics such as Covid's impact on creativity, the threat of AI to graphic designers and the importance of paying just as much attention to your creative strategy as you do to your color palettes. Stay Angry our Friends ––––––––––– Join Anger Mana...
Nov 08, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 101
What does it take to go the distance as a Graphic Designer? Start an agency, sell an agency, and then become a Celebrity Graphic designer? We go deep with Michael Janda, talking about life, business, design, comic books and everything in between, while we also celebrate our 100th episode! 🙌 Michael is a true testament to the graphic design grid, proving that hard work and dedication really do pay off. Working his way up from small-time gigs, to Senior Creative Director at Fox Studios, Michael e...
Nov 01, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 100
How do I deal with a sh*tty creative boss? It's something we get asked about A LOT. We see so much advice online from people who'll tell you to screw 'em, check out mentally, quiet quit, mess with their stuff, go behind their backs...it's TERRIBLE advice. Sure, your boss might be an a**hole, but how you deal with them is a direct reflection on YOU. Ultimately, it's YOUR reputation that's on the line when you go up against a sh*tty boss. Check out this fury-filled episode where the bearded beasts...
Oct 25, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 99
Mac vs PC. Left Brain vs Right Brain. Logical vs Creative. There are so many stereo types (dare we say myths) to describe the relationship between Designers & Developers. Coders, Programmers, Developers are often overlooked in the design space. They aren't the ones getting the credit for how great something works. Yet, they're the ones working away behind the scenes, making sure those great designs have some kick-ass functionality to them. Despite our differences, at the heart of it all, des...
Oct 18, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 98
What separates good graphic designers from GREAT designers? What makes a successful graphic design career or a successful agency? It's not being a fantastic designer with unlimited creativity. It's not mastering illustrator & photoshop. It's not having mad business skills or being gifted with clients. Grab a drink, settle in and join Massimo as he flies solo on this week’s episode of The Angry Designer (not to worry, Shawn will be back soon). Listen in as he reminisces on his career from the...
Oct 11, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Should Graphic Designers be Generalists or should they be Specialists? Why wouldn't you take any job or customer that comes your way? Why limit your client-tele, your creative freedom, your potential for greatness! A lot of graphic designers are wary of specializing, but from personal experience, finding a niche and sticking to it was the best damn decision zfactor ever made - to the tune of 7 figures! Join The Angry Designers for another absorbing episode where the bearded brutes uncover the Ri...
Oct 04, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Starting out in Graphic Design can be tough. Everyone wants bigger, better customers -but bigger, better customers want to deal with bigger, better businesses! So how do you get out of this vicious cycle? How do you portray big business energy while still a start-up, and snag those all important clients? Is this what Fake-it until you make it means? Join The Angry Designers as they discuss how zfactor beat start-up stigma. With first hand advice and tricks of the trade from the bearded beasts, t...
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 95
You know them to recognize them - but Brand Mascots aren't right for your clients. Or are they? From Tony the Tiger to Ronald McDonald - Brand Mascots have captured the hearts of people globally! But they're just for kids right? No serious brand would ever consider using one would they? Join The Angry Designers as they discover the wonderful world of Brand Mascots. In this not-so-angry episode, the gents tackle the fun topic of Brand Mascots, and talk about: Difference between a logo and a masco...
Sep 20, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Join The Angry Designers as they discuss even more ANGRY topics with the King Graphic Design Underdog himself Mr Aaron Draplin. How does he feel about all those talks he has under his belt? What’s next for Aaron? Is he a Mac or a PC guy? All this and more on the next episode of The Angry Designer Podcast! Don't forget, you can also WATCH The Angry Designers over on YouTube Stay Angry our Friends ––––––––––– Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3 Want to se...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 93
While we're not your typical "interview" podcast, Aaron Draplin is not your typical 'celebrity' graphic designer - which is why we felt there was no one else better suited to be our first guest. In this episode, we go deep - past the typical interview or industry questions and learn about what makes Aaron Tic, what keeps him up at night, and what the future holds. From personal to professional and everything in between, we learn about the man behind the larger-than-life legend. Founder of the ic...
Sep 05, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 92
As a Graphic Designer, being a perfectionist is good, right? Spending countless hours on details no one would notice, obsessing over just the right amount of whitespace, waking up in the middle of the night questioning your decisions, second guessing your final product even AFTER sending your concepts to your client. This is good, right? Whether your reasoning is because you want to be like Draplin, Do, Janda, Beirut, or that your customers deserve nothing less than perfection, or that YOU don't...
Aug 30, 2022•39 min•Season 1Ep. 92
It's inevitable - ALL Graphic Designers will experience a crappy client (or 10). Even after 25 years of owning and operating a creative agency, they STILL come around! Luckily, we've gotten pretty damn good at spotting them, and protecting ourselves. Join The Angry Designers this week for another furious episode, as we take you through our top 15 lessons learned from dealing with bad Graphic Design customers across the years. Listen, laugh and get angry as we share the things YOU can do to ensur...
Aug 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Logos tend to be a soft spot for Graphic Designers. But have you noticed that ALOT of the big brand logos all seem to be looking the same lately? From big tech, to high fashion, logos have substituted creativity for simplicity...but is this a good thing? Are they genuinely being creative, or could there be other factors involved? Join this fuelled episode of The Angry Designer as the bearded boys try to unpack this era of oversimplified logos. In this feisty episode, the guys cover topics like: ...
Aug 16, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 90
How often have you looked at award winning design work and wondered "How the heck did that win?" Love them or hate them, awards are a part of the Graphic Design industry...but should they be? From superficial judging criteria and nepotism, to entry fee's and heart aches, are Graphic Design Awards really all they're cracked up to be? Join the Angry Designers for another furiously fun filled episode where they put Graphic Design Awards in the firing line. In this episode, the guys cover: - Are Gra...
Aug 09, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 89
Do you need a graphic design degree to be considered a REAL graphic designer? While a degree in graphic design CAN open some doors and give you theoretical knowledge of the industry, how much can it really teach you about what it takes to become a great graphic designer? Can we really be relying on decades-old syllabus' taught by a has-been teacher who refuse to get with the times? Join the Angry Designers in this rage filled episode on the positives and negatives of schooling for a Graphic Desi...
Aug 02, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 88
Graphic Designers love logo design projects. Some are great, but oh-so-many are just...visual pollution. And it's not surprising considering all-to-often designers jam in as many possible effects to create a logo version of the Nyan Cat. Where does a graphic designer start to ensure they don't go too far in creating an amazing logo that will rock for your client? In this Logosode of The Angry Designer, Shawn & Massimo share their tried and true Logo Design Principles that have propelled thei...
Jul 26, 2022•41 min•Season 1Ep. 87
Every now and again, an awesome graphic designer comes along and shakes things up in the industry. Aaron @draplin is one of those dudes. A larger-than-life personality, known for his simple yet undeniably eye-catching logos, and creator of the iconic @fieldnotesbrand , Draplin has worked with some of the biggest brands on the planet, including Nike, Burton Snowboards, Esquire, Red Wing and the Ford Motor Company. So who better than to gather some graphic design field notes from than the self-tit...
Jul 19, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 86
Networking - is it a word that strikes fear into the heart of a Graphic Designer, or do you jump at the chance to get out there and meet like-minded creatives and clients? For a Graphic Designer, networking is SO important for building your business, your personal brand, your contact list but it also isn't something that comes naturally to a lot of creatives who are used to being tucked away behind the safety of a screen (even more so in a post-pandemic world). Join The Angry Designers for anoth...
Jul 12, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Too many Graphic Designers reach the top of their Career, only to fall HARD when they begin to neglect all the things that made them great to begin with. From sh*tty customer service, to straight up refusing to get on board with the latest technology - career killers are out there, and trust us when we say you DON'T wanna get caught out by them. In this episode of The Angry Designer, the bearded brutes combat career killers, what they are and give you practical advice on how to avoid them! Topic...
Jul 05, 2022•50 min•Season 1Ep. 84
Graphic design associations - are they helpful, or just full of hype? For some industries, associations play a pretty important role in solving problems, setting standards, and improving conditions within that industry. But do we REALLY need them in the graphic design world? In this podcast episode of The Angry Designer, the bearded brutes take a no holds barred look at graphic design industry associations, why they exist, who they ACTUALLY serve, and whether or not they really are just a bunch ...
Jun 28, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 83
Keep Calm, and Design on! Graphic designers spend a lot of energy staying calm to all the little (or giant) annoyances we deal with on a daily basis. You might find it hard to believe, but even our joyful Angry Designers spend a lot of their days annoyed…at projects, at clients, at themselves…the causes of annoyance are ENDLESS. Taking a light approach to a heavy topic, in this episode of The Angry Designer podcast, the bearded gents countdown 25 ways to annoy a graphic designer. You may laugh, ...
Jun 21, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Season 1Ep. 82
For graphic designers to survive and thrive in the modern world, they NEED to be able to expand their skills to keep up with digital elements of the game. For many of us - that now includes websites. But does that mean we need to know how to code websites, or simply just understand the basic principles of coding? Join The Angry Designers as they dive into the world of Code; a land of opportunity or regret for Graphic designers? In this episode, the bewhiskered beasts discuss: - different types o...
Jun 14, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Can AI artificial intelligence really take the place of a graphic designer? There's a lot of anxiety circulating these days around the future of graphic design, with more advanced AI systems showing up in the design space. Dalle 2 and Google Imagen are text to image AI software that can convert a phrase to a beautiful image equal to (or better) than most digital designers. What does the future of Graphic design look like, and what graphic design jobs will be replaced? Join the Angry Designers as...
Jun 07, 2022•49 min•Season 1Ep. 80
There are graphic design greats, then there are graphic design LEGENDS like Michael Bierut. Partner at Pentagram design in NYC for 25 years, Beirut is the master of iconic logos and flexible branding systems for globally recognized brands, like MIT, Mastercard, Verizon and Saks Fifth Avenue. So who better to bestow words of wisdom upon the graphic design world than him? In this episode of The Angry Designer, the bearded brutes unpick the mastery behind Michael Beirut, taking you through 10 of hi...
May 31, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Be it lack of business knowledge, sellers guilt or simply confidence, money is a tough topic for graphic designers to navigate. In this episode of the Angry Designer, the bearded design-bankers discuss some of the biggest mistakes they've made pricing & quoting projects. In this episode, the guys will cover - biggest game changers for zfactor billings - common pricing mistakes - recommendations for better pricing moving forward This episode may make you laugh, may make you cry, but it WILL h...
May 24, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Money - the thing we all love to have, but HATE to talk about. For creatives, money can be a really difficult area to navigate. Are you charging enough for your work? Are you charging too little? How do you begin to put a price tag on your skills, knowledge and experience, without scaring off clients? In todays episode of The Angry Designer, the bearded lumber-jack wannabe's chow down on the often unsavoury topic of money. In this first of two podcast episodes, the guys will cover topics like: M...
May 17, 2022•58 min•Season 1Ep. 77
