EP12 — Mike Abbink

In this, the 14th episode of Create Great, I catch up with Mark Bloom, founder of CoType Foundry and Mash Creative. We talk about his journey into design, setting up CoType Foundry as well as his prized 1971 Mini, rave flyers and more.

In this episode, I got to talk to James Kape founder and co-creative director at https://www.omse.co – A creative studio combining strategy and design to craft simple, striking brands. We spoke about his design journey the different decisions made along with the ups and downs of owning and running a studio. I'd like to thank James for his honest and open conversation, so great insights and stories were shared.

This edition of Create Great features the wonderful Mike Abbink, In August 2020, Mike joined IBM Software as Executive Creative Director and focused on the ⁠Carbon Design System⁠ which we talked about and also looked back at his design journey and the studios he's worked in and helped set up a truly inspirational conversation. I had a great time talking to Mike and I hope you enjoy the conversation and insights.

I caught up with Andrew Vucko founder and CD of motion studio VUCKO, a global studio that builds transformative motion identities, systems, and applications for leading brands. We spoke about his design journey and some of the recent brand-led motion projects and processes. I'd like to thank Andrew for the great conversation – really enjoyed this one.

So it's been a while since my last podcast, but time flies when you're having fun. This podcast was on the cards for a while but I was so pleased to be able to head to North to record the conversation in person. A massive thank you to Sean, Stephen & Jeremy for this episode, we cover the start of North some projects that I still hold up as a massive influence on me, (RAC Identity Programme) and talked about the last project I featured here Factory International a collaboration between North and Peter Saville

Today’s podcast guests are the creative duo of Simon Dixon & Aprova Baxi and otherwise known as DixonBaxi. A global brand agency, the team at DixonBaxi use creativity to design a better future for brands that seek to challenge convention. This includes the likes of Hulu, AT&T, ViacomCBS, British Land, V&A, IMAX, Channel 4, Netflix and AC Milan. DixonBaxi believe In a world that’s moving faster than ever before, the stakes for brands have never been higher. 

Today’s podcast guest is Giles Duley – CEO of the Legacy of War Foundation and an activist for the rights of those living with disability. Giles is a portrait and documentary photographer, writer, and presenter. Duley also cooks, and writes about food and food politics, under the name The One Armed Chef. The first time I got to know Giles, was when he kindly came into the studio to talk about his humanitarian work. It was a very powerful and challenging experience that will stay with me forever. Storytelling and compassion is key to his work, and it’s reflected in everything he creates.

Welcome to the first episode of 2023! Today’s podcast guest is Thomas Kurppa, Chief Creative Officer & Co-founder of the superb Kurppa Hosk. Kurppa Hosk is a brand agency with 80+ employees and offices in Stockholm and New York. We solve complex business problems by combining the sharpest strategic minds with the best designers in the industry. They collaborate with brave organisations – from early stage startups, to some of the world's most admired companies. The first time I got to know Kurppa Hosk was probably 10 years ago, I remember even to this day how great the work was. Whether it's branding work or typography there’s always the perfect balance between serious and fun.

Today’s podcast guest is Rejane Dal Bello, an amazing designer with over 20 years of experience in graphic design and branding, including stints at renowned agencies such as Wolff Olins (UK) and one of my favourites Studio Dumbar (NL), and recently she wrote the ‘Citizen First, Designer Second‘ book published by Counter-print. The first time we met was at a typo circle talk – and what I loved about her work was how playful it was. Rejane is founder of Studio Rejane Dal Bello (SRDB), a design studio, creating work that is meaningful, engaging and lasting to address society’s diverse needs and the possibilities of design as a visual language, ‘to make something visible, worthy of time, attention and engagement’.

My guest joining me today on the 5th episode of create great is graphic artist - Anthony combines a knack for simplicity that packs a punch with analogue craft skills and powerful, positive messages. Burrill frequently collaborates with other forward-thinking creatives across disciplines spanning music, architecture, curation, education and more; pushing his traditional discipline of choice, letterpress printing, into bold new territories. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York, and has been exhibited in museums around the world, including the Barbican Art Gallery, the Walker Art Center and the Design Museum, London.