Working File

Matt and Andy are on their own this week having a practical discussion about proposals and how we communicate with potential clients. What is the right amount of information to provide and the best way to provide it? Why do we keep sending 8.5″ by 11″ pdfs when no one is printing them out? Links Motel Friends of The Web Pentagram Adobe Creative Cloud Boilerplate Engagement Letter Google Webmaster Guidelines Responsive Design Minimum Viable Product User Story Git Screen Reader

This episode is all about our relationship with the AIGA and more general feelings about design community and discourse. Annie, Matt, and Andy are joined by new contributor Nicole Killian to discuss our relationship with the AIGA and centralized representation of our industry. Why do so many of us feel distanced from our de facto professional organization? Links AIGA 2016 Design Census The AIGA AIGA Member Benefits MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) Walker Insights Design Lecture Series AIGA Annual Punk Rock SCAD Union (Matt’s Rogue Design Club) Make Trump’s branding great again: in-house experts talk campaign design AIGA Diversity and Inclusion Initiative How do you do, fellow kids? Design Observer Art Director’s Club Type Director’s Club RGD (The Association of Registered Graphic Designers) Justified: AIGA Annual Design Competition AIGA: Unjustified by Paula Scher 50 Books | 50 Covers competition David Rudnick’s Tweet and Explanation Design Thinking Very Busy Andy 4 Corners Project is One Designer’s Solution to Help Syrian Refugees Resist Logo SpaceX makes aerospace history with successful launch and landing of a used rocket

Matt and Andy are joined by Kristy Tillman and new contributor Cap Watkins to discuss design management. We learn about some of the traits of bad managers and discuss how to advocate for design within an organization. Should design work be diversified and spread throughout a company, or is specialization valuabale? Links The Seed of this EpisodeSoceity of GrownupsSkunk WorksManaging Humans by Michael LoppGeorge CostanzaSabrina MajeedIDEO“Stand-Up”Design ThinkingSonic Drive-InHigh-Resolution PodcastThink Wrong“Head Count”“Growth Marketing”Jared Spool’s Tweet about Everyone being DesignersFollow-up Thread to Jared Spool’s TweetBuzzFeed SolidTechnological SingularityLifestyle Business

Kara Haupt and Victoria Rushton join us on the eve of Matt’s wedding and the first day of Kara’s new job for a candid discussion about our confidence and sense of self-worth. As designers, our value is constantly measured against other designers, other industies, and our own unforgiving standards. How do we come to terms with having a creative job in a world that often feels like it’s falling apart around us? How do we know if we are doing enough? Links The New Yorker Impostor Syndrome Victoria Rushton fixes things for fun and no profit (Review of Victoria’s talk at the TDC) “Could Jesus microwave a burrito so hot, he himself could not eat it?” “The Fixer” Existentialism Hillary for America Babe Vibes Pep Talk Generator On the Grid

This marks the beginning of a conversation that we’ll be continuing in the future: the relationship between design and politics. Maurice Cherry and Robyn Kanner join us to talk about whether or not design is inherently political, turning down jobs for ethical reasons, and practical ways we can have a positive impact on the world around us. Links MyTransHealth Consulting Bias Sunk Cost RFP (Request for Proposal) Dear Design Student: How to Fight Fascism Developing Citizen Designers Voter Suppression Law of the Instrument Black Lives Matter Linguistic Relativity Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. "Obamacare") Cold War Propaganda Posters Kony 2012 Milton Glaser's "We are all African" Poster Post-Truth Politics Know Your Enemy

This episode, featuring Linda Eliasen and Jon Gold, addresses the relationship between the design process and production. Does an understanding of the materials and techniques used to manufacture your designs make you a better designer, or hold you back from doing truly innovative work? When should we push limitations of production and when should we just stick with a tried-and-true, established solution? Links Ueno Designer News Stranger Things MailChimp Dropbox Impostor Syndrome Tron The Matrix What Next for Design? with Jonathan Ive Ruby on Rails Objective-C SDK Caylee Betts on Twitter React Frank Gehry Pixar Concept Cars Artificial Intelligence Arup Develops 3D Printing Technique for Structural Steel Reality Distortion Field Everything is a Remix Fractals Samuel Mockbee Rural Studio

Victoria Rushton and Annie Yiling-Wang join us to discuss criticism in a professional context. For many of us, what was once formal critiques with peers during our education has been replaced by a confusing array of criticism from a variety of people. How does feedback differ when it comes from our clients, our peers, or our superiors? Links Orange is the New Black Font Bureau IDEO Telephone (aka “Chinese Whispers”) User Research Rule of Thumb Clients from Hell Fan Fiction

Andy and Matt are joined by Kristy Tillman and Lola Landekic for a conversation about side projects and the culture that surrounds them. We talk about the virtues and pitfalls of pursuing a self-initiated projects and whether we should hold people accountable for the things that they make. What role should side projects play in your portfolio, and how should we regard them when we’re hiring a designer? Links Art of the Title Model View Culture Side Project Culture: Opportunities and Obstacles for Marginalized People in Tech Tomorrow Looks Bright Detroit Water Project (now The Human Utility) State Mottos Project “Going on dates with eachother and documenting it.” Redesigned Beer Cans On the Grid Elaine Bass on Wikipedia (Thank you, Lola!) Gender Bias on Wikipedia MICA A Painting with Ampersands Douy Swofford General Assembly Matt’s Fake Alternate NFL Logos “Really Depressing Article, Do Not Read” Gaslighting

On this episode of Working File, which is actually the first one we ever recorded, we’re joined by Satchell Drakes and Jen Mussari to discuss being a designer in the public eye. How is being a famous designer different than being a famous dentist? Is one particular personality type or kind of design work rewarded by social media? What are we saying when we only show our polished, perfect selves online? Links Satchell’s Video on That Dragon, Cancer Charity Water Small City — Jen's Studio in Brooklyn “Being a famous designer is like being a famous dentist.” — Noreen Morioka Neil deGrasse Tyson The Kanye West Wiz Khalifa Twitter Beef of 2016 What it Looks Like on Reply All Jamie Keiles on Instagram Depressiongrams 24 Creative Pros Get Real About Their 2016 Goals on HOW (see: Dylan Lathrop’s response) Creativity and Depression Clients from Hell Bruno Munari’s Children’s Books CSS for Babies James Victore — The Dinner Series Design Matters with Debbie Millman Bioshock Infinite Developing Taste Jen’s Instagram Account The Gap by Ira Glass Grace Bonney interview with The Great Discontent

This episode is all about the distinction between working individually and working collaboratively. Gitamba Saila-Ngita and Meg Lewis join us for a discussion where we talk about our preferred work environments, the difference between design education and practicing design professionally, and conflict resolution amongst coworkers and clients. When should we compromise and when should we stand up for our ourselves? Links Ghostly Ferns Sagmeister & Walsh Louise Fili Experimental Jetset Steve Jobs Ringo Starr MailChimp Etsy Cards Against Humanity Nike Pentagram Malcolm Gladwell Redscout

Our inaugural show is all about the state of the design community, design journalism, and what Working File should be. Chappell Ellison and Maurice Cherry join us for a conversation about the difference between design discourse in public and private spaces. We find out that Andy has high expectations for designers and discuss the nature of criticism across different creative industries. Is there a distinction between criticsm for consumers and criticism for creators? Is the internet even an appropriate medium for critical discourse? Links Fast Company A New Look for Instagram New Logo and Identity for Uber Designer News Dribbble Smashing Magazine AIGA The Great Discontent Revision Path Design Matters with Debbie Millman Flat Design Open (NYC Based Design Studio) Design for People University of California Rebrand Ralph Caplan Revision Path 107: Dori Tunstall Google Reader Design Observer Where are the Black Designers?