Hi-Res

107 - Kevin Mercer

February 12, 2019 05:00 - 50 minutes - 68.9 MB

…on actively not knowing. Kevin Mercer is an illustrator, designer and educator who creates colorful, tactile, idea driven work for editorial, publishing and advertising clients. He went to school for fine art and cut his teeth on screen printing before becoming a designer, an art director, and finally an illustrator with a rewarding practice, all the while staying curious and pursuing the big ideas. He joins the show for a conversation about working with purpose, how he fell in love with typ...

106 - Soonduk Krebs

January 29, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 97.9 MB

…on adding that little twist. Soonduk Krebs is the owner and founder of SK Designworks. She has made a career of creating dynamic design solutions for multinational corporations to small, local non profits. She brings a unique sense of humor to her work and strives to bring an aha moment to everything she creates. She joins the show for a conversation about Hillbilly Elegy, building a small business and committing to parenthood over her career. Please note: all puns in this episode are intended.

105 - Jessie Jay

January 15, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 123 MB

…on creating something timeless. Jessie Jay is a partner and designer at True Hand Society, creating modern, dynamic branding that harkens back to a more traditional, bespoke style. He joins the show for a conversation about doing work for small businesses, design as a compulsion and how much a fully stacked iPod would be worth in a post-apocalyptic world.

104 - JP Flexner

January 01, 2019 05:00 - 1 hour - 95.8 MB

…on finding rhythm in a life of design. JP Flexner is a designer and illustrator with a gift for bringing packaging to life, whether it’s through his brilliant collection of labels for Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company or his work with Rise Up Coffee. His talent for lettering and typography goes hand-in-hand with his distinct style. He joins the show for a conversation about creating fonts out of your lettering, drawing skulls at the Mutter Museum and air-drumming while running.

103 - Caleb Heisey

December 18, 2018 05:00 - 51 minutes - 70.6 MB

…on getting out into the world. Caleb Heisey is a designer, illustrator and educator who relies on provocative imagery, purposeful design and a strong narrative. He’s the owner and principal designer of Good Bones Studio as well as the creative force behind PA Patch Co., a project he created with the goal of creating embroidered patches commemorating all 121 PA state parks. Caleb joins the show for a conversation about his relationship with design, his internship with Pixar and being honest w...

102 - Hawk Krall

December 04, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 113 MB

…on feeding your passion. Hawk Krall is an illustrator and artist who has been working for various publications and small businesses for over 10 years. Well known for food illustration, he has also done a lot of humorous editorial illustrations as well as bold mural work around the city. Hawk joins the show for a conversation about hot dogs, building a career while cooking 50 hours a week and the lore of the Fish Cake Wrapped Philly Combo.

101 - Lauren Cat West

November 20, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 94.5 MB

…on the adventure of figuring something out. Lauren Cat West is a designer and illustrator with a distinctive style and a mischievous sense of humor that fuels her creative work. She worked in agency settings before striking out on her own as a talented illustrator and muralist. She joins the show for a conversation about making something out of the inordinary, asking the right questions of a client and banana cars that fart.

100 - The 100th Episode

November 06, 2018 05:00 - 2 hours - 168 MB

…on celebrating the process. Since 2015, we've showcased Philadelphia’s creative community through in-depth interviews, exploring how people developed their creativity, their first experiences in a creative field and their most compelling work. Now we're taking a look back at the designers, photographers, illustrators and creative thinkers who got us to 100 episodes. Plus, I share my thoughts on starting the show, how mistakes are part of the process and why you need to get started on your ow...

99 - Grady Hendrix

October 23, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 93.6 MB

…on the twisted history of horror paperbacks. Grady Hendrix is an inventive author responsible for some of the most original horror novels in recent history and he’s chronicled the history of the horror paperback publishing boom of the seventies and eighties, celebrating the authors and artists that brought tales of horny Bigfoots, Nazi Leprechauns and KGB demons to drugstores and supermarket paperback shelves across the country. Grady talks about why writing is the loneliest art form, zombie...

98 - James Heimer

October 09, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB

…on why it’s important to step back. James Heimer is an illustrator, printmaker and educator who loves blotted lines, hardboiled crime and sci-fi paperbacks and the grit and grime of handprinting. His clients include the Boston Globe, The LA Times, Live Nation, the National Constitution Center and The New York Times, just to name a few. He joins the show for a conversation about one of his first memories of Halloween, how screen printing influences his work and why taking walks around his nei...

97 - Jay Roeder

September 25, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 88.3 MB

…on embracing imperfection. Jay Roeder is a freelance illustrator and designer with a focus on hand lettering. His work has been featured by Nike, TV Land, Gap and Monster.com, as well as various magazines, newspapers and books, including his own: “100 Days of Hand Lettering, A Complete Creative Lettering Course.” Jay joins the show for a conversation about how he promoted his work before Instagram, where he gets his inspiration for the phrases he hand-letters and being a Minnesota fan at the...

96 - Margo Hurst

September 11, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 97.9 MB

…on reflecting your life through your work. Illustrator and designer Margo Hurst describes her hours as “9 to 5 and 6 to 10,” working in-house at Design Science by day and creating posters and art by night. Her work is a visual diary, reflecting her life with an honest, distinctive style. She joins the podcast for a conversation about letting go of perfection, the challenge of drawing hands and finding the pinkest pink.

95 - Emily Cohen

August 28, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 91.6 MB

…on being brutally honest about your design business. As a business consultant to many leading creative teams, Emily Cohen has developed, tested, and curated key business insights and strategies that have helped creative firms become more effective, profitable, and fun to work at. She now shares her expertise through her new book, “Brutally Honest: No-Bullshit Business Strategies to Evolve Your Creative Business. Emily and Ryan talk about growing up in a book store, why it’s important to be a...

94 - Sean Martorana

August 14, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 89.1 MB

...on the pursuit of the next challenge. Sean Martorana is a passionate artist whose work reveals the energy that lies beneath the surface of his subjects and shows how it connects to all things and beings. He joins the show for a conversation about creating experiences people can connect to, the rules for collaboration (spoiler: there are none) and why it’s important to pay artists what they’re worth.

93 - Mikey Ilagan

July 31, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 121 MB

…on shifting the perspective of how things work. Mikey Ilagan is an Accessibility Specialist at Think Company, working full-time as part of the Comcast Accessibility Team. He's spent the past decade building digital experiences using a lifetime of passion for technology. Today, he uses a diverse background to work with product teams to ensure Xfinity's offerings are usable and well-designed for customers using assistive technology. He joins Ryan in the Indy Hall Studios for a conversation abo...

92 - André W.Y.Z.E. Davis

July 17, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 87.8 MB

…on the importance of being humble. André W.Y.Z.E. Davis is the mind behind Humble Genius, helping people with “save the world” mentalities broadcast their message and build a community around it. He joins the show for a chat about becoming a published poet at the age of 12, his love for translating people’s passion into their brand and a fateful trip to California.

91 - Christine Sheller

July 03, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 133 MB

…on finding inner peace. Christine Sheller is the Vice President of Design at FS Investments, as well as the president of AIGA Philadelphia. She has over 20 years of experience managing in-house brands and brings her unique perspective to today’s episode for a conversation about the misconceptions of in-house departments, how we can give back through design and the importance of yoga in her life.

90 - Dustin Kemper

June 19, 2018 04:00 - 58 minutes - 79.7 MB

…on the ingredients for a life in design. Dustin Kemper is a product designer whose recent work has been focused on user experience, empathy, product strategy and information architecture. He joins the show for a conversation on his days working in the restaurant industry in Philly, how cooking parallels design and horror movies.

89 - Martha Rich

June 05, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 83.1 MB

...On the art in conversations on buses. Martha Rich is both a commercial and fine artist, drawing, painting and using words while being absurd and funny at the same time. Her commercial work has been used in music videos, advertising, magazines, book covers and more and her paintings are in galleries across the country as well as internationally. Martha joins the show for a chat about the trajectory of her career, how art classes kept her sane and the importance of getting involved.

88 - Courtney Abud

May 22, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 109 MB

…on uncovering the past. Courtney Abud is a passionate copywriter with a love of the dramatic as well as a hunger to pursue the truth. Her new podcast, Here’s What I’ve Heard, chronicles her research and discovery into the tragic accident that claimed the lives of her grandparents and infant aunt as well as orphaning her young father and uncle. She joins the show to talk about broaching the subject with her father on the record, improvising during an interview and serial killers.

87 - Design From Memory

May 08, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 147 MB

…on an amazing night supporting art for kids. Recorded live on location at the Design from Memory art show opening night at Masthead Print Studio on Saturday, April 21st, Ryan chats with the artists and guests that made the show an overwhelming success, making over $750 for the Nebinger Art Program. Catch up with past and future guests of the show and find out how you can still get a chance to see the show at the closing reception on May 18th!

86 - Nate Harris

April 24, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 109 MB

...on seeing out the idea. Nate Harris is a graphic artist with a focus on bold, colorful & often character driven work, dividing his time between woodworking, printmaking, and illustration. He approaches each project with a unique combination of disciplines. He joins the show for a chat about creating challenges that need to be solved, getting off the computer and doing a deep dive on Schwarzenegger movies.

85 - Shawn Hileman and Sam Heimer

April 17, 2018 04:00 - 52 minutes - 72.2 MB

...on collaboration between art and design (and a six pack). Shawn Hileman and Sam Heimer have both made names for themselves as designers, illustrators and gallery owners. Now they are collaborating as Masthead Phantom Hand, and they join the show to talk about why it's strategically important to hate your day job, putting together a show about exes and their favorite toys.

84 - Melissa Morris Ivone

April 10, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 102 MB

...on turning ideas into reality. Melissa Morris Ivone is the Director of Marketing at Curalate as well as a inspiring designer with experience across multiple disciplines. She joins the show for a conversation about how an introvert becomes a public speaker, the biggest risks she’s taken in her career, the women who are her biggest inspirations and doing an embroidered self-portrait. Plus, Melissa and Ryan recount some tales that aren’t for emetophobes.

83 - Steve Belkowitz

March 27, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 145 MB

...on being a collaborator behind the lens. For almost thirty years Steve Belkowitz has photographed subjects from professional athletes to senior citizens with a touching honesty, winning awards from One Show, New York Art Directors’ Club, and the Addys and being featured in Communication Arts and How Magazine. Steve joins the show for a chat about being persistent in your career, Man Ray and making snow in Colorado.

82 - Corey Danks

March 13, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 106 MB

...on illustration, design and disembodied butts. Corey is a graphic designer and illustrator specializing in branding, logo design and illustration. Corey and Ryan sit down for a conversation about early lessons on hustling right out of school, being part of an online community and the moment he finally started to feel like an illustrator. Plus, an exciting announcement about Hi-Res Design from Memory, the new gallery show in partnership with Masthead Studio in support of the Nebinger Art P...

81 - Ali Doucette

February 27, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 121 MB

...on having all the pieces to the puzzle. Ali Doucette is a talented designer and photographer. The winner of the 2017 AIGA Philadelphia Fresh Award, Ali sits down for a conversation about what mentorship means to her, getting your fingers dirty and why she’ll never give up on print.

80 - Philly Row

February 13, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 107 MB

...on the buildings that define our city. Abby Guido, Bryan Satalino and Clifton Fordham started Philly Row as both a love letter to and an exploration of the row houses that have helped shape Philadelphia. They stop by the studio to discuss the poster series as well as their ideas for the future of the project and why teamwork makes it possible.

79 - Mikey Burton

January 30, 2018 04:00 - 1 hour - 104 MB

...on being a designy illustrator. Mikey Burton is a part time designer and a part time illustrator doing work for clients including Converse, ESPN, Target The New York Times and Last Week Tonight. Yet Mikey still claims to be ‘still figuring it out,’ and on this week’s episode Mikey and Ryan talk about having a personal style, the pace of design in social media and using drawing to inspire weight loss.

78 - Chris Cashdollar

January 16, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 109 MB

…on where you are supposed to be. Chris Cashdollar is an award-winning multidisciplinary-trained graphic designer, creating beautiful, user-centric digital experiences. Chris joins the show to discuss being prepared to go freelance, creating a dialogue between branding and digital, keeping your design skills sharp and “Voltroning” projects.

77 - Johnny Bilotta

January 09, 2018 03:23 - 23 minutes - 32.6 MB

...on the artistry in motorsports. Johnny Bilotta returns to the show for a bonus episode this week to talk about his motorsport-inspired poster series as well as his passion for racing, how the series has evolved from his initial concept and keeping his design skills fresh. #branding #logodesign #lettering #handlettering #copywriting #graphicdesign #design #illustration #photography #Philadelphia #PHLDesign #HiRes #HighRes #artdirection #creativedirection #agencylife #freelance #typography #...

76 - Rodney Ibarra

January 02, 2018 05:00 - 1 hour - 111 MB

...on designing out of necessity. Rodney Ibarra is an Associate Art Director with One Trick Pony as well as a talented calligraphic artist and the frontman for the band Surefire Broadcast, an indie rock trio from South Jersey. After Ryan geeks out on Rodney, he sticks around to talk about his origins in graffiti art, the importance of knowing letterforms and what inspires him to experiment. Plus, check out our Patreon page at patreon.com/hirespod for bonus content with Rodney!

75 - Alina Wheeler

December 19, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 109 MB

...on having trust in the process. Alina Wheeler is a branding consultant and author. Her business is managing perception, her service is strategic imagination and her passion is branding. On the final episode of 2017, Alina sits down with Ryan to talk about the fifth edition of her book Designing Brand Identity as well as her fascination about how people express who they are, what the spoken word means for branding in the near future and color coding your soul. Plus, Dan Gneiding stops by th...

74 - Scotty Reifsnyder

December 05, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 97.2 MB

...on the mysteries of design and illustration. Scotty Reifsnyder is an illustrator and designer who has created work for Disney, GQ, Time Magazine, The New York Times and more. He talks about his passion project Hotel Detective, as well as the ethics of of doing freelance while employed, '80's movies and why his students get him excited about his own work.

73 - Monica O

November 21, 2017 02:55 - 57 minutes - 78.6 MB

…on being able to design from anywhere. Monica O is an art director and illustrator who's embraced freelance and makes it work with her traveler's spirit. Along with her freelance work, she’s a gifted artist with a talent for pyrography. Monica joins the show for a chat about the importance of not burning bridges, growing up with your fellow designers and doing your own tattoos.

72 - Jillian Adel

November 20, 2017 02:08 - 1 hour - 89.1 MB

...on story, typography and bad ideas. Los Angeles-based designer, illustrator and sex positivity advocate Jillian Adel joins the show for a chat on the eve of her talk at H$TL House on Tuesday, November 21: “The Good Rule: An Evening of Story, Typography and Bad Ideas.” Jillian talks about her early days exploring design in Philadelphia, sharing the unglamorous side of freelance life and the importance of self discovery.

71 - Gibbs Connors

November 07, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 131 MB

...on defining the American landscape. Gibbs Connors is a traditional sign painter whose work you've undoubtedly seen around town. He specializes in hand-lettering, carving, surface gilding, glass gilding, fabrication and screen-printing on site for businesses, museums, restaurants and more. He sits down with Ryan for a chat about blue collar graphic design, passing style down through generations and “flicking out of the book.”

70 - Joe Scorsone and Alice Drueding

October 24, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 103 MB

...on the fundamentals of a good idea. Any story about graphic design in Philadelphia would be incomplete without talking about Joe Scorscone and Alice Drueding. They have been designing award-winning posters since 1986 and — as professors at Tyler School of Art — have influenced a generation of designers. They join the show for a chat about looking at issues from a different way, being challenged artistically by something new and how they encourage one another creatively.

69 - LIVE at Design Philadelphia

October 10, 2017 04:00 - 50 minutes - 69.1 MB

...on the art of the hustle. Recorded live at AIA Philadelphia for Design Philadelphia 2017, Ryan is joined on stage by Erin Waxman and Megan Brewster of the Art Star Craft Bazzar, and they talk with local vendors of the bazaar including Casey Lynch, Ian Stafford and Katey Mangels and Cisco Griffin.

68 - Danni Sinisi

September 26, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 103 MB

...on giving yourself the time to do something you enjoy. Danni Sinisi is an art director at Brownstein Group with a passion for working design and an entrepreneurial spirit, taking her passion for making ice cream and branding and combining the two into Lil’ Mario’s, her own line of ice cream named after her cat. Danni joins the show to chat about branding, working with nonprofits and coming up with new flavors. And Danni and Ryan want your help coming up with a signature Hi-Res flavor! Twee...

67 - Josh Carter

September 12, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 130 MB

...on being a jack of all trades, master of fun. Josh Carter is a designer with an entrepreneurial spirit who infuses his work with his unique sense of humor. He joins Ryan for a chat about comedy, creating on-demand illustrations and why it pays to watch the credits of your favorite T.V. shows.

66 - Jude Buffum

August 29, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 106 MB

...on tapping into nostalgia to create modern art. Jude Buffum is an amazing artist and illustrator with roots firmly in graphic design and a breadth of work that is awe-inspiring. Jude recounts his journey to becoming an illustrator, cultivating different illustration styles and the worst critique he ever had.

65 - Greg Christman

August 15, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 110 MB

...on design, illustration and why Robocop is the greatest. movie. ever. Greg Christman is a prolific designer and illustrator. He recently returned to Philadelphia and joins the show for a chat about the importance of interacting with fellow designers, his disdain for hustle culture and rereading Harry Potter with his kids. Plus, Greg and Ryan dig in deep on their memories of watching Robocop for the first time.

64 - Hi-Res LIVE at Philly Podfest

August 01, 2017 04:00 - 44 minutes - 61.3 MB

Recorded live at Kitchen Table Gallery, Steve DeCusatis and Kathy Mueller join Ryan at the 2017 Philadelphia Podcast Festival to chat with up-and-coming designers Jenna Granville, Brianna Jarzyna and Robin Goffman about why they got into design, their first work experiences and more. Plus, Ryan puts the guests through their paces with some design games.

63 - Matt Goold

July 18, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 142 MB

...on the power of music and design. Matt is the design lead at ’Punk Ave and he’s just as passionate about music as he is about design. Matt joins the show for a discussion on designing with kindness, finding your people and cultivating your kids’ musical tastes. Plus, Matt and Ryan collaborate on a Spotify playlist for your summer listening.

62 - Phil Buckley

July 03, 2017 21:43 - 55 minutes - 76.6 MB

...on a type of giving back. Phil Buckley is a UX designer at Comcast and an active member of the PHLDesign community. Sparked by a Billy Penn article and a search for a way to give back to the community, he founded PHLOpenType, a growing collective of Philadelphia based designers seizing an opportunity to design for good while showing their love for the city they live in. Designers from all over the city have started developing fonts based on the neighborhoods around the city, and on July 7t...

61 - Natalie Nixon

June 20, 2017 01:56 - 1 hour - 115 MB

...on why the future of design thinking looks like jazz. Natalie Nixon is a design strategist and a hybrid thinker. She has an eclectic background in service design, anthropology and fashion that informs her strategies for accelerating innovation and developing meaningful strategy through design thinking and ethnographic research. Natalie joins the show for a talk about being comfortable making mistakes, creative abrasion and the second golden age of television.

60 - Conrad Benner

June 13, 2017 01:42 - 1 hour - 99.6 MB

...on the spirit of revolution. Conrad Benner is a photographer and champion of street artists with his blog, Streets Dept., where he documents the ephemeral street art around Philadelphia and celebrates the artists behind these compelling pieces. Conrad talks about the early days of Streets Dept. as well as to discuss Revolutionary: A Pop-Up Street Art Exhibition; a six-week exhibition of 13 contemporary Philly based artists installed at 13 locations across Philadelphia’s Historic District.

59 - Rashid Zakat

June 06, 2017 04:00 - 2 hours - 187 MB

...on finding the authenticity of an experience. Rashid Zakat is a visual storyteller interested in music, motion and design. He creates short documentaries for the big screen and web, designs websites and photographs people for shows and his social media project “Negroes of New York.” Rashid joins the show for an expansive conversation about new outlets for creativity and content, the awkwardness of meeting people through social media, being a “preditor” and just about everything else, (Moon...

58 - Nicola Black

May 23, 2017 01:30 - 1 hour - 94.1 MB

...on advocating for freelance designers. Nicola Black is a graphic designer and community leader. As the principal of Nicola Black Design she specializes in branding for large and small businesses alike. She’s also the founder of South Jersey Creative and heads up Spark, the Philadelphia/South Jersey chapter of the Freelancers’ Union. Nicola sits down for a chat about caricatures, the biggest challenges freelance designers face, contest culture and wayward baked goods.

Episodes