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Creative Boom
Join host Katy Cowan on The Creative Boom Podcast, where candid conversations with fellow creatives explore the real stories behind our careers—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. Whether you're a graphic designer, illustrator, animator, marketer or creative entrepreneur, this show brings warmth, humour, and insight into the challenges and triumphs of the creative journey.
We tackle everything from confidence to burnout, offering advice and inspiration for building a fulfilling, sustainable career while not shying away from the tougher topics. Expect fun, honesty, and plenty of takeaways to help you thrive both personally and professionally.
The Creative Boom Podcast is part of Creative Boom, a magazine that has been a leading platform for the creative community since 2009. Discover more at www.creativeboom.com.
37. The magic of designing film props for Wes Anderson, with Annie Atkins
Annie Atkins is the much-loved graphic props designer who has the dream job we all want and is most famous for her work on Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and Isle of Dogs. Here, we talk about Annie's journey so far, about death warrants, her love of typography and the curiosity of Jeff Goldblum. We discover what it was like to work with Wes Anderson and Steven Spielberg – and why it's perfectly ok to sometimes make mistakes.
01:05:1001/02/2021
36. Why designers must not stay silent, with Harrison Wheeler
Harrison Wheeler is a UX Design Manager at LinkedIn in Silicon Valley. For the last 15 years, his diverse career has taken him from freelancing and later scaling a startup to working at one of the largest social media platforms in the world. Here, we talk about how the Internet has changed the world. We discuss Black Lives Matter and inclusivity in design. There’s even a story about how an Apple Watch saved Harrison's life – something that reveals his true strength and resolve.
01:05:5225/01/2021
35. How to find your creative superpower, with Meg Lewis
On a mission to make the world a happier place, Meg Lewis is a designer, comedian, performer and educator who will put a smile on your face. With clients including Google, Dropbox and Barbie, and her own hit podcast that combines mindfulness and comedy, Meg has enjoyed a fantastic career to date. She puts her success down to discovering her superpowers and finding a purpose. Here, we'll get to uncover those secrets on building a personal brand while enjoying a giggle over "wet cheese" and poops.
01:09:3325/01/2021
33. Why courage, not confidence, is the key to success, with Debbie Millman
One of today's most influential designers, Debbie Millman is also the host of Design Matters with previous guests including Milton Glaser and Barbara Kruger. For 20 years, she was president of Sterling Brands and in 2009 she co-founded the world’s first graduate programme in branding at New York's School of Visual Arts. Join us, as we talk about rocky career paths, the beauty (and sadness) of getting older, and why having courage is so empowering. There's even some insight into where Debbie might be heading next.
59:2525/01/2021
34. Twenty years of DixonBaxi and all its lessons, with Simon Dixon
Simon Dixon is the co-founder of DixonBaxi, one of the world's most respected brand and design consultancies, boasting clients as big as Netflix, AC Milan and the Premier League. The London firm, which has achieved god-like status amongst the design community, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. In this episode, we get a fascinating, no-nonsense insight into the brains behind DixonBaxi, and learn more about what it takes to be a great designer.
53:2725/01/2021
32. Diversity in publishing and turning Disney down twice, with Dapo Adeola
Dapo Adeola is an award-winning designer and illustrator who creates fun and upbeat characters and images that challenge expectations around gender and race. He's also the co-creator of the best-selling children's picture book, Look Up. Here, we talk about carving a career out of art and design, the importance of representation and why kindness and compassion will keep you sane. We also discover why Dapo had to turn down Disney twice.
01:09:2725/01/2021
31. Pivoting work to focus on graphic art, with Sarah Boris
Sarah Boris is an award-winning graphic designer, creative director and artist based in London who's worked with some of the world's leading publishing houses and art organisations, including Phaidon Press, The Photographers' Gallery, Tate and Barbican. Here, we chat about the events of 2020, and how the year transformed her perspective and practice. We'll also discover what makes her happy.
01:07:1825/01/2021
30. Graduating as a creative during a global pandemic, with Kofi Nelson
Manchester-based multidisciplinary artist Kofi Nelson has just graduated in graphic design from the University of Salford and is also a music producer, collaborating with musicians around the world. Here, we talk about entering the working world under the shadow of Covid-19 and an uncertain economy. We also talk about music and its accessibility, overcoming self-doubt, and finding ways to stay creative during difficult times.
43:5326/07/2020
29. Aardman, creative passions, and taking time to learn, with Gavin Strange
By day, Gavin Strange is a director and designer for Aardman Animations in Bristol, the people behind Wallace and Grommit, and Shaun the Sheep. By night, he's a "passion project pursuer" where he indulges in everything from filmmaking and toy design to illustration and photography. In this episode, we chat about his boundless energy, his love of giving back, why he avoids the "heavy stuff" and why you can only rely on yourself to improve your skills.
01:03:5919/07/2020
28. Finding a love of design through data at ustwo, with Neef Rehman
Neef Rehman is a web developer and designer, working at ustwo in London, the digital agency famous for its award-winning Monument Valley game. He's also behind the company's new scheme to help first-time founders through mentorship and support. Recorded pre-lockdown, we discuss how he fell in love of design after dealing with data at one of his first jobs, and why he's now proud to be giving back to the industry. He also shares his thoughts on mental health, the danger of facades and why honesty is better for everyone.
51:4012/07/2020
27. Discovering your creative calling, with Danielle Rhoda
Describing herself as a "maker of things", Danielle Rhoda is a freelance illustrator and animator based in Manchester, UK. Originally from Poland and "partly raised" in Nottingham, she calls herself a northerner at heart after graduating from the Manchester School of Art in 2018 and deciding to settle in the city. We talk about how she's finding self-employment so far, especially during lockdown. We also talk about dystopian fiction, zombies, cycling, and surviving a creative career as introverts.
01:11:5305/07/2020
26. How to survive your first year of freelancing, with Robert Lomas
Known for producing bold and colourful work full of optimism, Robert Lomas is an independent designer working across animation, illustration and branding. Based in Manchester but originally from Blackpool, Robert has just gone freelance after being the lead designer and animator at Design By Day.
Passionate about supporting others, spreading positivity and giving back wherever possible, Robert shares plenty of honest insight and reassuring wisdom to help all of us be happier creatives.
01:06:4828/06/2020
25. Switching to motion design and doing what you love, with Dan Silverstone
Dan Silverstone started out as a graphic designer at a "safe" council job before he found the courage to leave and join GRIN, a creative studio in Birmingham. It was there that he developed his creative skills, becoming senior designer and later, art director. Today, he specialises in motion and loves to indulge in lots of side projects via his venture, Pica. In this episode, we chat about growing up in Birmingham, switching careers to do more of what you love, and his love of video games and cyberpunk.
01:22:4921/06/2020
24. Redefining success and building your own table, with Sophie Amono
Sophie Amono is a qualified journalist, marketing specialist, and founder of social media agency, Stuffs. Originally from London, she began her career working at Dazed & Confused and The Times, before moving to Glasgow in 2015. In this episode we chat about her journey, the struggles she's faced, about Covid-19 and the lockdown, feminism, and finding her voice. We talk about Black Lives Matter and how we hope the world is changing for the better. Sophie also shares her views on success and how we need to change its meaning, perhaps learning to slow down, too.
01:07:5414/06/2020
23. Overcoming burnout and moving north for a better life, with Michael C Place
Michael C Place is a Yorkshire-born graphic designer, creative director and founder of the successful design studio, Build. Prior to setting up his own business, he famously worked for Trevor Jackson at Bite It! and with Ian Anderson at The Designers Republic in the 1990s. We chat about those early days, the design industry in general and some of his most memorable projects. He also shares lots of wisdom on running a small studio outside of London. This is an honest and humble chat with one of the biggest names in design.
53:3407/06/2020
22. Tackling a lack of diversity in design, with Eve Warren & Anna Wanczyk
Graphic designers and friends Eve Warren and Anna Wanczyk have recently joined forces to launch the first chapter in Yorkshire of Kerning the Gap, a community founded in 2015 to get more women into leadership roles in the design industry. Eve is currently working at Robot Food in Leeds while Anna has recently set up her own studio. It was great to hear about their different career paths and see how they navigate the usual roller coaster of being a creative professional. We also talk about being women in the creative industries, share stories of what we've encountered, and what we hope to see change.
58:3431/05/2020
21. How to market yourself as a designer, with Craig Black
Known for his bold and innovative typographic artworks, Craig Black is a Scottish-born designer, lettering artist and typographer whose worked tirelessly over the last five years to build his own design studio near Glasgow. Here, he shares some of the secrets to his success, including some helpful ideas to boost productivity, improve mental wellbeing and achieve your goals. This is an eye-opening, utterly honest treat that will leave you feeling energised and ready to take on anything.
01:08:3924/05/2020
20. The highs and lows of freelance illustration, with Ana Jaks
Illustrator Ana Jaks creates work that is full of shape, colour, pattern and inclusivity. Originally from the Isle of Man, she went to Falmouth University to study Illustration and then did a Masters in Visual Communications at Bath Spa before graduating in 2015. She's always worked for herself and has so far picked up clients such as Facebook and Nike. I headed down to Bristol in March to meet Ana and chat about freelancing, work/life balance, and why she's spending more time on her hobbies these days.
01:02:4917/05/2020
19. Why graphic designers should break the mould, with Craig Oldham
Award-winning British designer Craig Oldham is behind Office of Craig, the creative studio based in Manchester. He's also written a few books, notably Oh Shit, What Now to support emerging designers. More recently, he's published They Live, a book that celebrates the sci-fi cult movie by John Carpenter. There was much to discuss when I met Craig in Manchester pre-lockdown, including the state of the creative industries, favourite movies, and where he gets his no-nonsense attitude from.
01:15:1410/05/2020
18. How to find your creative voice, with Lisa Congdon
Lisa Congdon is an artist of many talents. Based in Portland, Oregon, she does everything from fine art to illustration, but is best known for her colourful graphic drawings and hand lettering. With an amazing career so far, Lisa has so much advice to share on building a successful creative business. Here, she talks about getting started, surviving the ups and downs, and reveals helpful marketing tips.
01:13:1303/05/2020
17. How to run a lean design studio and stay deliberately small, with Loz Ives
Loz Ives is a Manchester-based graphic designer, typographer and illustrator, and one of the co-founders of Fieldwork – a digital and branding agency which began eight years ago and has gone through many changes. In this episode, we talk about the ups and downs of growing a design studio and why staying "small" isn't such a bad option.
01:00:0126/04/2020
16. The wild story behind Shangri-La at Glastonbury, with Kaye Dunnings
Kaye Dunnings is the creative director of Shangri-La at Glastonbury Festival, which was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary this June until it was postponed. Pre-lockdown, we met in Bristol to chat about how the festival has evolved over the last decade, its wilder days, and how she came to be Shangri-La's creative director. Kaye also shares her thoughts on climate change, alternative living, and why she hopes the future is looking brighter.
01:00:1619/04/2020
15. Opening up as a male designer to tackle mental health, with Jordan Yates
Jordan Yates is a Manchester-based designer, illustrator and animator who's recently gone freelance. As well as navigating the world of self-employment, he's also one of the co-founders of Design Recovery, a free event that gives people a "safe place" to talk openly about mental health. In this episode, we find out the story behind such a positive venture, his own experiences as a male designer, and how he's found freelancing so far.
49:1612/04/2020
14. Moving to Australia for a new role at Design Studio, with Katie Cadwell
Katie Cadwell is a Welsh-born, Falmouth-raised designer, who worked for Supple Studio in Bath until recently. She's just left the UK to join Design Studio as its senior designer in Sydney, Australia. We discuss her new life overseas, being a woman in design and why it's so important to support the next generation of creatives.
50:2505/04/2020
13. How a quiet childhood in China inspired a dazzling career, with Zipeng Zhu
Zipeng Zhu is a designer, illustrator and animator living in Brooklyn. Chinese-born, he's been in the States since moving to New York in 2009 to study at the School of Visual Arts. After graduation, he worked at Pentagram and Sagmeister & Walsh before starting his own studio, Dazzle. We talk about his career so far, and why a quiet childhood in China inspired him to "dazzle". And if you can hear anyone in the background, that's his boyfriend, Angel Crawford.
55:1330/03/2020
12. How to keep a calm head in illustration, with Abbey Lossing
Illustrator and animator Abbey Lossing is known for her delightful portraits of people, working for clients such as Google, Facebook, and The Washington Post. In this episode we chat about life as a freelancer in New York, her love of rock climbing, and why she's trying to be more mindful in her work.
51:4023/03/2020
11. Surviving as a funny introvert in New York City, with Jon Burgerman
New York-based British artist Jon Burgerman reveals his love of googly eyes and his sense of humour, plus we hear tips on making it as an independent artist today. We also chat about being a creative introvert in the Big Apple and why he prefers his own company, unlike his stuffed friend 'Burgsy' who always seems to steal the show.
01:01:5816/03/2020
10. Overcoming loss and why family comes first, with Liam Hopkins & Claire McDivitt
British artist and designer Liam Hopkins is the man behind Lazerian, a creative studio in Manchester with clients including Bloomberg, Virgin and Habitat. Claire McDivitt runs Lost Heritage, one of the North West of England's leading printing firms. Partners in both business and life, they've had a challenging couple of years lately. We sat down to chat about doing what you love, overcoming loss, and why family always comes first. Some laughs as well as tears here.
57:0509/03/2020
9. Warp, Wipeout and thirty years of The Designers Republic, with Ian Anderson
Ian Anderson is one of the co-founders of The Designers Republic, the iconic studio known for its electronic music logos, album artwork and "anti-establishment aesthetics". In 2019, Ian published the A to Z of The Designers Republic, a book that explores TDR's output and its influence on a whole generation of graphic designers. Here, we unveil some of the fascinating (and often funny) stories behind Warp, Wipeout and thirty years of The Designers Republic.
01:10:2702/03/2020
8. Starting a global eco movement through illustration, with Emma Reynolds
Emma Reynolds is a freelance children's book illustrator and author based in Manchester. She's also behind the global #KidLit4Climate campaign which brings together thousands of children's illustrators and authors from over 50 countries to stand in solidarity with the youth climate strikes. In this episode, we chat about freelancing, mental health, and climate change. And we touch on the joys of city living when you've grown up in a quiet village.
51:0424/02/2020
7. Big regrets, being different and discovering life begins at 50, with Rankin
Rankin is the British photographer, publisher and film director renowned for his portraits of Bowie and Bjork, and for being co-founder of Dazed & Confused. We chatted to the fearless man behind the lens about his fascinating career and were surprised to hear him open up about his childhood, his father, his regrets and mistakes. This is an honest delve into the heart and mind of one of the biggest names in photography.
58:1317/02/2020
6. Entering the creative industry after graduation, Jaheed Hussain & Yasmin Banks
Jaheed Hussain and Yasmin Banks are Salford University graduates in graphic design and have recently entered the working world as freelancers. On the side, Jay also runs the Fuse Directory, a non-profit platform celebrating ethnic minority creatives in the city. Curious to hear more about their journey so far, we talk about being a creative 20-something today, overcoming modern challenges, being aware of mental health, and why they feel positive about their future.
45:3610/02/2020
5. Being a woman in design and driving positive change, with Jane Bowyer
Jane Bowyer is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Manchester, and the person behind Women in Print, a side project that opened many doors for Jane and encouraged her to go freelance. In our conversation, we talk about her experience of running a business, share tips on freelancing in general, and chat about favourite biscuits, circus tricks, and her "Jack Nicholson eyebrows".
01:10:3010/02/2020
4. Friendship, big breaks, and taming the ego, with Barney Ibbotson & Stanley Chow
British illustrators Barney Ibbotson and Stanley Chow both grew up in Manchester, and went to the same school where they became life-long friends. They’ve followed similar paths, both pursuing a career in art and design. In this episode, we chat about how they've become successful artists and share laughs on university days before the Internet, Drum n' Bass mixtapes, and keeping egos in check.
01:03:1210/02/2020
3. How to maintain creative integrity as an illustrator, with Lisa Maltby
Sheffield-based freelance designer, illustrator and lettering artist Lisa Maltby is a force for good in supporting the creative community. In 2019, she created a pricing survey for illustrators and shared the helpful results online. If you're struggling to set your day rate, decide how you charge, or have any questions about freelancing, then this episode is essential listening.
55:2210/02/2020
2. Why you have to be careful with words in graphic design, with Anthony Burrill
Graphic artist, print-maker and design Anthony Burrill is probably best known for his typographic prints and posters, including the now-famous 'Work Hard and Be Nice to People' – something that has become a mantra for the design community. Here, we chat about where his positive attitude comes from, his love of acid house, and why he still suffers from imposter syndrome.
44:2310/02/2020
1. Album covers, painted jeans and a love of Manchester, with Malcolm Garrett
British designer Malcolm Garrett talks about designing album covers for bands like Buzzcocks, Duran Duran, and Peter Gabriel in the 1980s. He also shares his thoughts on technology and why his agency was the first to embrace digital in 1990. There's even some insight into what it was like to be an art student in the 1970s – we'll give you a clue, it involves a tin of black paint and jeans!
01:02:5210/02/2020