Revision Path

I've known Nicole Norwood online for a while now, so when I had the idea to do an HBCU month, she was first on my list. Nicole is one half of the brother/sister duo known as Infinite Ink, a design and print shop in Jackson, MS, and she's also a popular event photographer. (Chances are you've seen her work from the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival!) On top of that, Nicole is a podcaster as well! I don't know how she finds the time to do it all. Learn more about Nicole and her latest project in this week's interview!

I had such a great time talking with Jole Simmons, a killer presentation designer who has done work for Facebook, Duarte Designs, The Creative Group, the National Association of Black Journalists, and Microsoft. And wouldn't you know it -- Jole and I had this conversation while he was on vacation! Talk about dedication! Jole talked about his unconventional journey from a Hampton University grad working in advertising to a mid-career change that where he's now best known as the "presentation guy". We also talked about inspiration, mentoring, and the importance of racial diversity in the design field. Also, don't forget to enter to win one of two free tickets to Generate NYC! We're announcing the winners on June 13!

It's HBCU Month, and we're kicking things off with a great interview with USA Today's visual design manager Tory Hargro. Tory and I talked about user experience and the importance of design in modern news and storytelling. According to Tory, "it's easier for me to teach a coder how to be a journalist than teach a journalist how to be a coder." So if you have some design or coding knowledge, then you might look at working with the news in a different way! Also, learn how the simple turn of a key convinced Tory to attend Alcorn State University. Overall, it was a great interview!

Akilah Thompkins-Robinson is a web designer and e-commerce coach, and is the owner of AKZMe Designs and Online Boutique Source. Akilah shared why she loves working on e-commerce websites, how Pat Flynn helped her think about niche marketing, which platform crafters should use for online sales, and how her sorority helped her get an eye for design (and for business)!

This week, I had the pleasure of interviewing Siedah Mitchum, a WordPress web designer, entrepreneur, and the creator of Inspiring Black Designers. We chatted about some of her mentors, talked about what inspires her work, how Marie Forleo's B-School helped transform her business, and a whole lot more. Her mission to inspire other designers to have a bigger voice is something we both share, and Siedah makes a big announcement, so you'll definitely have to listen and find out what it is!

Lebogang Ditshwene is the owner of Lephutshe Designs, a graphic design studio in Johannesburg, South Africa. We talked about the realities of running a design studio in South Africa, her work with the Young Entrepreneurs Programme, and what she's learned doing design and entrepreneurship work here in the United States and in the Netherlands. Lebogang also gives some great advice for up and coming designers and talks about how the business community in Johannesburg helps her grow her business!

This week's interview is with David Yarde, a web designer and developer, and co-founder of the creative strategy and branding firm Sevenality. We talked a little bit about branding, discussed which brands are getting it right (and which aren't!) and talked about how to succeed being an introverted person of color, and how that can be misconstrued. David is a prime example of someone who has used design to change his life, and I think you'll really be inspired by his story and his advice for young designers.

Kevin Karanja has an unbridled passion and enthusiasm for design that is infectious! We first heard about Kevin last year on eNCA when they did a profile about his font Charvet. Since then Kevin, hasn't rested on his laurels. The young self-taught motion graphics designer's work has even made the front page of Behance. I really think you'll be inspired by Kevin's work and his unique approach to his work.

You may remember Chris Barker from last week's interview with Brandy Spain. Chris' design work has graced the cover of magazines -- literally! We talked about how he came into design through print work, his plans for creating a platform for Black gay men (print and online) and the importance of representation in the design industry.

Creative professional Brandy Spain came to us at the referral of next week's interview subject, Chris Barker. Brandy's crisp and clean design style, along with her strong work ethic, even helped pave the way for a new entrepreneurial venture -- presentation design! We even geek out a bit talking about music. Learn more about Brandy in this week's interview!

Adekunle Oduye is a young designer in New York City. As the youngest of seven kids, Adekunle wanted to become a painter, and he talks about how he came into design and development, his time studying in Rome, and projects he's created though hackathons. He even gives nods to some of the big names in the industry, and I share a little advice about giving design and tech talks. I hope you'll enjoy this interview!

When it comes to design, Jacques Dupoux is big on communicating without pretense. It was really great to talk with him and get his honest, unvarnished take on how he got started in this industry and where he plans to go. We also talked about diversity in the design field and on what it means to have the space to fail.

This week's interview is with Michele Washington, a creative director, brand strategist, educator, connector...the adjectives go on and on. Three of the people we've interviewed before (Andrew Bass, Maurice Woods, Steve Jones) have mentioned her and I was so glad to get a chance to talk about her work and decades of experience in the design industry.

Catt Small is her name and there's no shame in her game. I talked with the Bronx-born UX designer/developer about how she got started, the need for greater representation in the tech field, her work with Brooklyn Gamery and The Code Liberation Foundation, and even geeked out over gaming for a bit and talked about fighters and racial and gender representation in gaming.

Who wants to be the next Mark Zuckerberg when you could be the next Alaxic Smith? This 18-year-old wunderkind started coding at the age of 12 and has already founded two social networks and is busy building his third -- Communly -- where he's working with some of the biggest names in music. Alaxic is a rising star that you'll definitely want to watch for in the future. Learn more about his tireless drive and work ethic (as well as some of my tips for SXSW!) in this week's interview.