A Star is Born: with Liliana Soorin Kim

We have a legend on the program!! She needs no introduction, but here is one anyways… Natasha Jen is an award-winning designer, educator, and partner at Pentagram. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, she joined Pentagram’s New York office in 2012. A six-time National Design Award nominee, Natasha’s work is recognized for its innovative use of graphic, verbal, digital,  and spatial interventions that challenge conventional notions of media and cultural contexts. Her work is immediately recognizable, encompassing brand identity systems, packaging, exhibition design, digital interfaces, signage and wayfinding systems, print, and architecture.Working at the intersection of technology and culture, Natasha has developed branding for some of the most well-known brands in the consumer and tech spaces. Her clients include a wide range of collaborators—from global technology brands to cultural institutions and start-ups—including Google, Pfizer, Waze, Reddit, Lightmatter, Galaxy Digital, The Asian American Foundation, Harvard Graduate School of Design, the Metropolitan Museum, Fernando Romero Enterprise, Bjarke Ingels Group, and OMA New York.Natasha, unbothered by the outside noise, offers insight into the inner workings of Pentagram. How they decide who gets what project, how they split the profit amongst 24 partners, how they borrow talent from other partners’ teams, what they think about the memes about them... and more! It was a delightful and insightful conversation, and we are happy to share it with you!

Alex Adam (3 first names*) is the Founder & Creative Director at Boredom Kills Creative. The studio (not agency) is based in the UK and operates worldwide with the mission to build community and connection through world-class brand identities and storytelling that get products on shelves and butts in seats. You may have seen their work for brands like Churn, New Brew, or Prince St. Pizza. Or you may have seen him talking to you on Reels or TikTok. This dude is a content king, spreading the good word of branding. You can see him on the feed showcasing candid case studies, providing a monthly update on the studio's happenings, or speaking on any other design-related topic. We had a great conversation with Alex! We discussed his work and career, learning all about his Pop Punk background and more! We are so stoked to share this interview with you!

Everyone wish Alex a Happy Birthday! On this episode of Front and Center, Kevin compiled a 26-page document featuring stories from the world of design, branding, and other cultural touchpoints (things he came across online on Monday). The two fellas spend the time chatting about Lebron’s Decision 2, The Bird of the Year, a little bit of sports, Guy Fieri getting scammed, Gigantic’s rebrand, Starburst’s rebrand, Pizza Hut’s new logo, Taco Bell x Salt & Straw, Arizona Rizzler berry Iced Tear, Chat GPT’s new ads, Claude’s thinking cap, Friend, Toilet surveillance, and more!

Robyn Kanner is a creative director with a passion for telling urgent human stories. She was the creative director for the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign (shout-out to the infamous fly swatter). After the victory, she went on to collaborate with clients such as Spotify, Showtime, Governor Josh Shapiro, the ACLU,  and led the Democratic National Committee’s first major brand refresh. She has also recently redesigned the Pennsylvania license plate. Robyn is incredibly talented, as she reminds us of Sean McVay, the way she tactically approaches design sets people up for success. One of the great minds in the game, she is an educator, a movie buff, a writer, a sports fan, an Ed Sheeran enthusiast, and an athlete. We had a lot of fun chatting with Robyn; enjoy!

Alex and Kevin indulge in a taste test of both the Oreo Reese’s and the Reese’s Oreo! They talk so much about how they’re going to try stuff, and they actually did this time! They also catchup on the latest stories like: Stiller’s Soda, Montauk 7Eleven Merch, Kith Ivy / Erewhon, Limewire acquiring Fyre Fest, Nelly’s Apple Bottom Jeans collaborating with Bubly, and more!

Verònica Fuerte is the Founder and Creative Directress of Hey, the world-renowned studio based in Barcelona. The studio has been at it since 2007, now 18 years, producing some of the most vibrant, lively, and thoughtful work in the entire industry. They specialize in developing creative strategies and visual languages for clients worldwide. Verònica and Hey are doing a lot of cool stuff! They have Hey Studio, Hey Shop (which creates a wide range of products), the Women at Work Podcast, and several collaborations that lean into the product design space. She is on several prestigious boards and participates in numerous speaking engagements around the world. Verònica is impressive! We had a great time talking to her, and we’re excited to share it with you! Enjoy! 

Today, we welcome David Heasty to the show! David is the co-founder of Triboro, which he founded in 2008 alongside his wife, Stefanie Weigler. They create design solutions for clients in publishing, art, fashion, music, lifestyle, and for cultural institutions. They've made excellent work with partners like Nike, MoMA, Paul McCartney, Prince, Marc Jacobs, and Justin Timberlake's William Rast, to name a few. David sits with us and shares some of the ethos he's developed over 17 years of running the studio, along with plenty of stories about the work and the journey along the way. 

Alex and Kevin are here to bring you their bottom-of-the-barrel takes on the hottest design story we’ve seen since Jaguar: Cracker Barrel. In classic form, Alex is pro-rebrand, and Kevin is against the modernization;  the two go back and forth in a spirited debate. They also discuss Caitlyn Clark’s new logo, Notre Dame Football’s new Irishman, America’s first-ever Creative Director, and more!

Alex and Kevin welcome Liliana Soorin Kim from the studio to the podcast! Liliana is currently an intern at CENTER and is in her podcast era! We briefly recap our offsite, talk a little baseball, and discuss Alex's training regimen before diving headfirst into this week's topics (mainly food and beverage related) on empty stomachs (brave). We talk about Man Cereal, Nicotina beverage, Chipotle x Carvel, Oscar Mayer EveryBun Pack, Heinz Ketchup Smoothie, Graza offering glass, IHOP Dubai Chocolate Pancake, the McDonaldland meal, and more! 

Alex and Kevin bring the heat as they run through the most exciting stories happening in the world of design and branding. The two dudes talk about Oreo x Reese’s, High Noon x Celsius, the La-Z-Boy rebrand, Not so great Jeans, a new glass bottle designed for the beach, and more!