The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast

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...

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 e...

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 o...

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 c...

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...

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...

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 r...

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 t...

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 e...

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...

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 zfa...

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 e...

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 Fr...

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 p...

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 Drapli...

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 Gr...

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...

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 furio...

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...

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...

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 For...

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...

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 bear...

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 ass...

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 Angr...