Art School Graduate Podcast

How does someone go from social work to designing footwear at Vans? In this episode of the Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin Robinson sits down with Shawn Williams, a footwear designer at Vans whose journey into the design industry was anything but traditional. After spending years helping people find employment as an employment specialist, Shawn rediscovered his passion for drawing during COVID...

What happens when you build a successful 50-person design agency, sell it, become a Chief Creative Officer, and then decide to start over from scratch? In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast , Justin Robinson sits down with designer, strategist, entrepreneur, and creative leader Gus Granger to discuss the realities of building a creative career that stays aligned with who you are. Gus...

What do stand-up comedy, product design, and artificial intelligence have in common? In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin Robinson sits down with product designer, UX strategist, and comedian O’mar Finley to explore the unexpected overlap between creativity, technology, and human connection.   O’mar shares his journey from growing up in Shreveport, Louisiana, to building a ca...

What happens when a designer leaves a successful advertising career to explore the deeper meaning of design? In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin Robinson sits down with graphic designer, educator, filmmaker, and creative director Shantanu Suman for a powerful conversation about design, culture, identity, and visual storytelling. Born and raised in India, Shantanu worked at s...

How do you build a design career when the path doesn’t exist? In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin Robinson sits down with Nigerian brand designer, type designer, and founder of Udi Foundry, Chisaokwu Joboson, to discuss his journey from studying civil engineering to becoming one of the leading voices in African typography. Chisaokwu shares how he taught himself graphic desig...

In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin Robinson sits down with designer, educator, and founder Maurice Woods for a powerful conversation about creativity, identity, representation, and building purpose through design. Maurice Woods is a Principal Designer at Microsoft, a former professional basketball player, and the founder of Inneract Project, a nonprofit organization dedicat...

How do you go from making things in PowerPoint as a teenager… to building creative worlds for brands like Netflix, ESPN, and MasterClass? In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, Justin sits down with creative director and director Jaye Thompson to discuss his journey through design, advertising, storytelling, and creative identity. From growing up outside Philadelphia to navigating the...

What does it really take to walk away from a “safe” career and build a creative life? In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast , Justin sits down with artist, designer, and hand lettering specialist Dan Lee, also known as DanDrawnWords. From earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering to leaving it all behind, Dan shares the honest story of choosing creativity o...

In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, I sit down with Kaleena Sales, designer, educator, and author of Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design, to talk about how culture, identity, and lived experience shape the way we design. Kaleena is the chair of the Department of Art and Design at Tennessee State University, where she teaches the next generation of designers at an HBCU. I...

In this episode of Art School Graduate, we explore portrait photography, fashion photography, and the creative process behind making images that feel both timeless and contemporary. If you are a self-taught photographer, an emerging creative, or anyone trying to find your visual voice in a gate-kept industry, this conversation is full of real, actionable advice on how to build a creative career on...

How do you turn design into real impact? In this episode of Art School Graduate , art director and collage artist David Perrin breaks down how he uses design to explore social justice, Black culture, and community—and how you can build a purpose-driven creative career. From going from accounting to Design Lead at the Ford Foundation , David shares how he found his voice through collage, overcame i...

Nashville-based lettering artist and designer Cymone Wilder shares how she found her creative voice through texture, experimentation, and honesty. In this episode of Art School Graduate, we explore graphic design, typography, and the creative process behind developing a unique style as a designer. If you are trying to find your style, improve your design skills, or understand how identity shapes c...

Filipino-American graphic designer, educator, and founder of Dynamo Design Group Allan Manzano built a design career rooted in community, culture, and a belief that design is bigger than aesthetics — and he did it by betting on himself after a breaking point that changed everything. In this episode of Art School Graduate, Allan shares the unfiltered story of how a civil engineering student at San...

Mustafa Horton built a 25-year design career without a design degree. No agency. No traditional path. Just talent, resilience, and a refusal to quit. In this episode of Art School Graduate, we sit down with the creative director, founder of United Colors of Design, and creator of the Islamic design studio Dawah Ink to trace one of the most unconventional journeys in graphic design. From losing a b...

🎧 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 👉 @artschoolgraduate_podcast 🎙️ What happens when storytelling meets systems thinking, and design is centered around participation, not just aesthetics? In this episode, we sit down with Lee-Sean Huang and David Colby Reed , co-founders of the strategy and design consultancy Foossa , to unpack how design can truly shape communities, spar...

🔥 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 👉 /@artschoolgraduate_podcast Xavier Ruffin is a Milwaukee, raised creative powerhouse—filmmaker, designer, and co-founder of Cynosure Creative Agency. From experiencing homelessness in his youth to building a bold, culture-forward agency working with brands like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Xavier’s story is one of resilience, vision, and...

🎨 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 👉 /@artschoolgraduate_podcast DeAndra Hodge is an illustrator, graphic designer, educator, and soon-to-be author based in Washington, D.C., best known for her vibrant children’s book illustrations, cultural storytelling, and joyful, people-centered art. She’s illustrated over ten books, including the acclaimed Beyond the Game series and...

🔥 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 👉 / @artschoolgraduate_podcast 🎨 Stephanie Brown is an interdisciplinary artist and host of IN BTWN ARTIST , a podcast about sustainable creative careers. Rooted in her Jamaican and Black American heritage, Stephanie’s work spans photography, installation, and writing, interrogating identity, colorism, and the global impacts of systemic...

🎙️ New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: / @artschoolgraduate_podcast Bria Alexander is a powerhouse creative leader at Adobe serving as a Design Program Manager, inclusive design advocate, AI strategist, and public speaker. In this dynamic conversation, Bria takes us through her inspiring journey from sales enablement to the heart of design operations, proving that where you st...

🎙️ New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications:/ @artschoolgrad_podcast Scott Fuller is the founder of The Studio Temporary, a branding and illustration studio known for its bold simplicity, blue-collar work ethic, and vintage-inspired soul. A longtime favorite at Creative South, Scott brings both humor and honesty to every conversation, unpacking 20+ years of lessons in logo design, i...

New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: @artschoolgradpodcast. Joseph Bullard is a designer, educator, podcast host, and creative storyteller—known for his bold identity work, thoughtful brand strategy, and commitment to shaping the next generation of designers. From serving as a U.S. Army Sergeant to teaching Visual Communication at Austin Community College, Joseph’s path proves...

New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 📺 / @artschoolgraduate_podcast Cody A. Banks is an illustrator, content creator, and the creative mind behind a growing archive of fun, expressive characters made from everyday objects. With over 15 years of experience in Adobe Illustrator, Cody blends vintage cartoon charm with a modern edge—delivering eye-catching designs and easy-to-foll...

New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: @artschoolgraduate_podcast Bryan Bonilla is the Co-Founder of Pirate Worldwide—a fashion and lifestyle brand redefining what it means to blend creativity, culture, and community. In this powerful conversation, Bryan shares how he went from pursuing music to building a purpose-driven brand that's more than just merch. We dive into his journey...

New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: / @artschoolgraduate_podcast Oen Michael Hammonds is a distinguished design executive, educator, and creative mentor who has helped shape the culture of design at IBM. In this thought-provoking conversation, Oen reflects on his journey from traditional graphic designer to leading design enablement at a global tech company—all while championi...

New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications: 📺 /@artschoolgraduate_podcast Judah “Tip” Middleton is a Senior Art Director in the sports industry, author of Free Game: How to Become a Designer in the Sports Industry , and a powerful voice for purpose-driven design. In this motivating episode, Judah shares how she went from designing for her local basketball league to building a creativ...