Office Hour Tangents

This Tangent began in the coffee shop when Zappy Zapolin, resident Psychedelic Concierge and cool conversationalist, said that we'll see domesticated robots in a significant number of homes in about 3 years (ie. robots that vacuum). That conversation spilled into the booth...which includes a Teddy Ruxpin on PsychedelicsMentioned in this episode:@zappyzapoline(https://zappyzapolin.com)Reality o...

It’s almost March, but these ideas have been living rent-free in my notes since January...and they’re too important to delete. In this episode, I’m clearing out my "Podcast Ideas" list by giving myself a 5-minute limit to expound on nine distinct topics sitting at the intersection of culture, design, and technology Topics: 1. Smartphone Cameras Negatively Effect Memory 2. Art for Art&#39...

For my 30th ep 🎉 I get into why I even do these podcasts/streams/videos (hint: therapy). I also get into A.I. music, Timbaland and his new A.I. artist, Milli Vanilli (the group Milli Vanilli, not saying that Tims new artist is Milli Vanilli...but 🤔 😁), and even Macromedia Dreamweaver. It's a rather scatterbrained episode, but I think I tied it together in a fittingly tangential manner 🤞🏽✌...

The Tangent I go off on for this ep revolves around HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), my introduction to them and some of my past experiences attending one as an undergraduate (Alabama A&M) and professor (Florida A&M). I delve into issues such as representation and funding as well as lighter topics like HBCU "Classics" and kicking it on The Ave. As someone who...

Dive deep into a fascinating discussion exploring the intersection of "Art" and "Design" across the worlds of Hip-Hop and the NBA!In this video, we break down how these two concepts manifest in the careers and legacies of cultural giants. Is Kendrick Lamar's lyricism pure art, or is there an element of calculated design in his album rollouts? Does LeBron James's sustained dominance represent a met...

V1 of this was my attempt at a scripted/essay-type cast. I generally read from a script I wrote (should've memorized it, but...), something that I've never done before. I wasn't sure how it turned out so I immediately re-did it without the script to see what style translates best. I TRULY understand that no one really cares, but I guess this is part of my personal discovery process. If...

Thinking creatively is easier said than done. Expanding our thoughts beyond ourselves is a valuable skill to have in these days of automation and algorithm driven processes. Design thinking techniques help us tap into alternate pathways to problem solving. These more organic routes help to keep us grounded and expansive at the same time. This cast touches on tapping into these aforementioned alter...

This ep was inspired by a technology and A.I. panel I sat in on at a conference I had just left. I couldn't wait to share my thoughts with friends, but, none of my friends want to discuss such things so....I stopped by the podcast booth to let it out. Unfortunately, the booth I normally use was in service so I took the opportunity to test the new one. I touch on A.I., but from the perspective of w...

This isn't necessarily a Pixel vs iPhone debate...it's more of a personal and pragmatic examination of how the Android and iOS operating systems feel and fit. In this ep I detail my journey from being an Android guy, specifically a Google Pixel fan boy, to switching to an iPhone, to switching back to a Pixel, to switching BACK to the iPhone. I use the notes that I took after I went back to the Pix...

Following a discussion regarding the direction of social media and the subsequent episode that followed, I invited the students into the booth to further discuss the future of social media from their perspectives. YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/brandancraft⁠ Apple Podcasts: ⁠https://rb.gy/2yffl0⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft⁠ Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/brandancraft...

Kendrick Lamar's halftime show was the tangent we (I) went off on in class and provides fodder for this episode. I start with Michael Jackson and end with MUSTAAAAAAAAAAARD so, yeah, it's focused chaos, but good focused chaos. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/brandancraft Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/branda...

In class we got into a discussion regarding the direction of social media. I started telling them about Black Planet and MySpace and their blank stares prompted me to table the discussion for this podcast episode. Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft X: https://www.x.com/brandancraft https://www.bran...

For this episode I chop it up with my friend and mentor Brian Stone about UI projects we've worked on together and his new book "Stories, Quips, and Quotes: A Designer's Guide to Teaching and Learning" Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft X: https://www.x.com/brandancraft https://www.brandancraft.com...

Which brands are you devoted to? What brands do you advocate for? Do you follow any brands blindly? Do you support a cult brand? This episode touches on how certain brands take on cult-like identities and how this can effect consumer movements and decisions. Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft X: ht...

This episode goes all over the place, living up to the Tangent moniker as I explore brands and what consumers truly value. Is it the label? Is it the quality? Is it the blue bubble? Is it the cool? and how do cool things lose their cool? Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft X: https://www.x.com/brand...

This Tangent came about when I was trying to encourage students to portray more confidence when talking about their work. Sometimes you just have to pop out and talk your 🤬 😤 Featured: Video snippet: Tech N9ne - Fragile https://youtu.be/MRL6M60Y-yY?si=4phyHWJLnu6PfOgi Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/branda...

Video games are a go-to topic for me when I need to grab the attention of my students. It's one of the few commonalities we share so bringing up the topic almost always sparks a response and attention. For this Tangent I go outside of the games and lightly examine the controllers that make these games go. Featured: Many of the colorful controller images came from: https://nerdist.com/article/h...

En route to my main topic (UI & videogame controllers) I touched on a Tangent regarding Andre 3000's "Listening to the Sun" visual accompaniment to his Flute Album and how it may inspire creatives to create without boundaries. Featured: André 3000 - Listening To The Sun (an intimate album film for New Blue Sun 11/17/2023) https://youtu.be/2nOxSeBhQAA?si=jwrcjCvf6Cvtyy9T In My Hea...

Follow up episode where I continue to discuss Grand Theft Auto Online, specifically the upcoming GTA VI game, and how crypto and AI could provide us a clearer view of the future. I also geek out as I find common ground between the original TMNT arcade game and the conceptually amazing (and scary) new game Bodycam. Featured: GTA VI Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdBZY2fkU-0 The Sandbox: h...

Dawn and I take a trip down memory lane as we talk about the first business the both of us founded right out of college, how it impacted the city of Columbus, Ohio, and more importantly, how it forged our divergent professional and entrepreneurial paths.  Featured: Brandan's Online Portfolio http://www.brandancraft.com (Interaction Design/The UrbanStarr) Ruffle: Flash Emulator https://ruffle.r...

After touching on Kendrick Lamar's "Pop Out" 🤦🏽‍♂️ I talk about Grand Theft Auto V Online, particularly GTA RP, and how it may be the closest thing we have to Ready Player One right now. Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft X: https://www.x.com/brandancraft https://www.brandancraft.co...

In this episode I take on the Drake vs Kendrick Lamar..."debate" from the perspective of them being brands or products. Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandancraft X: https://www.x.com/brandancraft https://www.brandancraft.com Straight from class to the cast, Brandan Craft, a visual communication...

...Even though these two new standalone AI devices (Humane's AI Pin & Teenage Engineering's rabbit r1) have been getting HORRENDOUS pre-launch reviews, I try to see these groundbreaking devices as they may become...today's versions of the original mp3 players 🤔 Watch or Listen on Spotify: https://rb.gy/hu0itv Apple Podcasts: https://rb.gy/2yffl0 Instagram: https://www.instagram.co...

This episode's Tangent "STEMs" from a interview/conversation that I had with a good friend regarding why I gravitated to STEM fields as a professional. The question forced me to answer something that I've never really thought about, but definitely wanted to explore further. The result is an interesting Tangent that slightly changed how I view myself and may cause viewers to give...

These Office Hour Tangents jumps around a bit due to the nature of what's being taught in class. I being with how I used the solar eclipse to jumpstart a design thinking course. I then follow up on the "Who's The Next Face of the NBA" episode with Nike premiering Victor Wembanyama's new brand mark. The rest of the time is dedicated to how student's responded to my questio...