Pivoting your Creative Business with Matthew McIver

​​In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang talks with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and Partner at Ammunition. With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio. When asked about the early years of his career, he shared that growing up in a household where both parents were makers inspired him and continues to influence his work. While in university, he initially believed civil engineering was the right path for him. However, after reflecting more deeply on his passion, he realized that industrial design was his true calling. He founded Ammunition two decades ago, and the studio continues to thrive. Ammunition is a multidisciplinary studio that keeps the products they design at the center, making sure they create products that matter. He is also committed to focusing on the economics of product development, particularly when it comes to scaling. He shared the challenges faced in designing Beats by Dre over the past 19 years, as well as in developing Square, which democratized credit card transactions for small business owners. When it comes to generative AI, while he acknowledges its potential to support design automation and development refinement, he believes that the connection design creates with people cannot be outsourced. The advice Robert shared with us and tells his kids as well is that when you see yourself working on a project in the middle of the night and don’t care how late it is, you have found your passion and your purpose that will allow you to grow.

This clip is a preview of our upcoming AIGA Design Podcast with Robert Brunner, Chief Designer at Beats by Dre and Founder and ⁠Partner at Ammunition⁠. With over 40 years of experience, Brunner began his career at Apple when the company did not yet have a design team. He later became a partner at Pentagram before founding his own design studio. The full episode with Robert Brunner, which also happens to be our season finale, comes out on September 17, 2024.

In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang interviews Jenn Stucker, Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University. They discuss the importance of community engagement in design, the expanding definition of design as a profession, the role of design communities like AIGA in career development and standard setting, and more. Key Topics and Themes: Community Engagement in Design: Stucker shares her experiences incorporating community engagement into her design practice, including co-founding the AIGA Toledo chapter and leading community-based projects like “You Are Here” and “Sit & Tell.” Expanding Definition of Design: The conversation explores how design is more than just creating visually appealing products. It’s about improving everyday lives through experiences and behaviors. Design Education: Stucker discusses her approach to teaching design, emphasizing the importance of developing mindful individuals who can engage with the social, cultural, and technological world. Design Leadership: As one of the first designers to complete the AIGA Professional Design Certification Program, Stucker shares insights on design leadership and the value of professional development. The Value of Design Communities: The episode highlights the importance of design communities like AIGA in fostering collaboration, providing resources, and advocating for the value of design. Design and Cultural Change: Stucker emphasizes the role of design in creating cultural shifts and making a positive impact on society, even through incremental changes. Design and Higher Education: The discussion touches on the lack of high-level administrators with design backgrounds in higher education and the potential for designers to contribute to solving challenges in this sector. Ethics in Design: The episode briefly addresses the ethical considerations in design, particularly in the context of emerging technologies like AI. Learning and Growth: Stucker shares her ongoing learning journey through her Ph.D. studies and her participation in the AIGA Professional Design Certification Program. Additional Notes: Reflecting her family's cultural heritage, Stucker named her design practice Sisu Design, a Finnish word meaning “guts,” “tenacity,” or “resilience.” The episode references the “In the Round” speaker series at Bowling Green State University, which focuses on Native American and Indigenous speakers across various creative disciplines. Stucker shares a quote from Gloria Steinem, “Power can be taken but not given. It is the process of taking that’s empowerment in itself.” The episode concludes with Stucker reflecting on her advice to designers: “Start small but think big.”

Full episode coming August 12, 2024 Jenn Stucker, Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at Bowling Green State University: "As a person that chairs my program, I often have to meet with prospective students and their parents. And I talk about those common notions, right? It's like, 'okay, so where did your interest come from?' And I'm sure, and I hear things like 'logos, brochures, t-shirts, you know, that's why I'm interested in this.' And I said, 'you know, those are great.' I said, 'but I want you to know it is much more than that.' And I said, 'at the heart, it's about improving everyday lives.' That is a core tenet of the way we feel about it here, and that we do that through experience and behavior. Start small, but think big. I think we all want to save the world. We all want to do really, really big, impactful things. But things happen through cultural shift and cultural change. And so, Yes, there are big flashbang things that make change happen great, you know, but there's also things that have to happen incrementally, and why not be part of that incremental space change."

In this episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, host Lee-Sean Huang explores the process of aviation branding with guest Edmond Huot. Their conversation also focuses on how to build and maintain relationships with various client and community stakeholders, including local and Indigenous peoples served by airlines and airports. Edmond Huot is the Chief Creative Officer of Forward Studio, where he leads the New York City-based firm’s global branding practice, which focuses primarily on the airline, aerospace, and transportation sectors. A true AvGeek at heart and originally from small-town Canada, Huot started his career in the early 1990s. He has turned his childhood fascination with aviation into his career. Edmond has worked on a wide range of airlines around the world, from Hawaii to Alaska to sunny California, focusing on their brand concepts, passenger experience, and liveries. The core of Edmond’s design philosophy centers around a deep respect for how airlines are cultural icons for their communities, nations, and the traveling public. He is committed to creating brand experiences that are authentic and resonate deeply with people. Storytelling is central to his design approach, using elements to convey an airline’s identity and values effectively.

In this special episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, Lee-Sean Huang, Senior Director of Learning & Programs, takes listeners behind the scenes of the planning process for the 2024 Design Conference (Online, October 10-12). How do we select speakers for the conference? Why are we doing an online conference this year, and what are the challenges and opportunities around that? And how is AIGA responding to the broader context of what is going on with design associations, conferences, and the industry at large? Listen all the way through this special episode to get a coupon code for $50 off tickets for the 2024 AIGA Design Conference. AIGA Design Educators Community Call for Proposals: This call for proposals seeks submissions from educators, graduate students, and industry professionals that address ideas and topics connected to the theme Margins as it applies to design education and research. Proposals of 500 words or less are due by Friday, July 26, 2024. No extensions will be offered. Does your company want to sponsor a session at the AIGA Design Conference? Or do you have questions or ideas for the conference or the podcast? Send us a message or a voicemail at [email protected]. P.S. The 2025 AIGA Design Conference will be back in person: October 9-11 at the Westin Bonaventure in Downtown Los Angeles.

Full episode coming July 15, 2024 Edmond Huot: "What's the dream? what are people aspiring to? As a creative and someone whose job it is to provide that path for our clients to understand and celebrate what that means to be human when you travel, whether it's this perception of glamour, whether it's an appreciation of traveling great distances to see people we care about to never lose sight of that part of the equation and to figure out ways to weave it into product innovation and efficiencies of the business, that's I think an important part, that's the part that I get the most enjoyment out of...figuring out how to build stories around things that we take for granted." Edmond Huot is the Chief Creative Officer of Forward Studio, where he leads the New York City-based firm’s global branding practice, which focuses primarily on the airline, aerospace, and transportation sectors. A true AvGeek at heart and originally from small-town Canada, Huot started his career in the early 1990s. He has turned his childhood fascination with aviation into his career. Edmond has worked on a wide range of airlines around the world, from Hawaii to Alaska to sunny California, focusing on their brand concepts, passenger experience, and liveries. The core of Edmond’s design philosophy centers around a deep respect for how airlines are cultural icons for their communities, nations, and the traveling public. He is committed to creating brand experiences that are authentic and resonate deeply with people. Storytelling is central to his design approach, using elements to convey an airline’s identity and values effectively.

This episode features John Glasgow and Jonathan Kenyon, co-founders of Vault49, which has partnered with the best of the best, from the most recognizable global brands to celebrities and start-ups. Named Global Design Agency of Record for two of Diageo’s biggest brands, Baileys and Guinness, Vault49 also counts Netflix, Gatorade, and Doritos as current clients.  Cannes Lions, Clio, D&AD, DBA Design Effectiveness, Pentawards, Design Week, and Dieline have all honored Vault49 with the highest awards. With an ongoing commitment to racial justice in and beyond the creative industry, Vault49 is also a proud founding partner of THE SWAP. This unique creative and cultural exchange program inspires and empowers young people from underrepresented communities. https://vault49.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/vault49/ https://www.instagram.com/vault49/ https://twitter.com/Vault49

What does an evolving design studio look like and how do you make money while maintaining your passion? In this episode, AIGA Member Matthew McIver, a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, unravel the intricacies of pivoting business models and pricing strategies. Join us as we we explore Matthew's entrepreneurial journey over the past 15 years, uncovering valuable lessons learned and the evolution of Commence Studio's approach to business and client relationships. Topics include: 1️⃣ Entrepreneurial journey: Explore the lessons learned and key milestones that shaped Commence Studio's evolution. 2️⃣ Navigating margins and profitability: Dive into the strategies for managing both creative and financial margins to foster maximum creativity and business success. 3️⃣ Business model pivots: Learn how Commence Studio adapted its pricing strategies to meet the changing demands of the market. 💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard. 🎧 Learn more about Matthew's agency journey here. 📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.

In this preview clip, Matthew McIver and Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA's senior director of learning and programs, discuss the important role of financial margins and padding in business. The AIGA Design Podcast will be going on a brief mid-season spring hiatus and return with our full episode with Matthew on May 20, 2024. 💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard. 📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.