Revision Path
550 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 155 ratingsThis is Revision Path — an award-winning weekly showcase of Black designers, developers, and digital creatives from all over the world. Each week, host Maurice Cherry interviews these creators about their work, their goals, what inspires them, and much more. First podcast in the Smithsonian NMAAHC.
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Episodes
Sean DallasKidd
March 20, 2023 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBIf you have aspirations of being an agency owner one day, then you might get some great insight from this week’s guest, Sean DallasKidd. Sean is the co-founder and chief creative officer of DemonstratexDDW, and he uses his decades of experience to help brands define their story and communicate with their audiences. Sean told me more about his new role, sharing what it looks like to run an agency from the C-suite and help it stand out from the competition. We also delved into Sean’s backgrou...
Justin Shiels
March 13, 2023 12:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MBHow are your plans for this year going? Good? Not so good? Luckily, it’s not too late to reset, break any unhealthy patterns, and get on track so you can live a life in passion and purpose. And guess what? This week’s guest, Justin Shiels, is just the person to help you make that happen. We talked about his theme for this year — intentional growth — and Justin spoke about the big life change that inspired him to not only take a break, but to write a book to help others experience a breakthr...
Matese Fields
March 06, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBWhen did you fall in love with design? While some people have always been able to tap into that creative spark, for others it might take some time trying different things until you find your way into design. Such is the case with this week’s guest, independent brand designer Matese Fields. His explorations have taken him all over the country, and now he’s living and working in the creative hub of Portland, Oregon. Matese told me a bit about some of his latest projects, and then he shared wh...
10 Years of Revision Path
February 27, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBThis is truly a milestone achievement, y’all. We are celebrating our 10th anniversary this year, and we could not have done it without our amazing listeners, guests, fans, and supporters. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to share these interviews and show the world that Black designers, developers, artists, and digital creatives are thriving and creating a better world for us all. So this week, it’s just you and me. I’m pulling back the curtain and telling the story of Revision ...
Alleanna Harris
February 20, 2023 12:36 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBA common sentiment shared by a lot of the guests I’ve had on the podcast is that you can’t be what you don’t see. That starts at a young age, too — think about the book covers and other visuals you saw as a child and how that’s shaped you to where you are now. Luckily, there are dope illustrators like this week’s guest, Alleanna Harris, who are creating images that captivate and inspire kids so they can truly see themselves. Alleanna and I went over some of her recent projects, including a ...
Kendell Burton
February 13, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 64.3 MBIt’s been fun checking up on folks I’ve interviewed on Revision Path before, which brings us to my interview this week with art director Kendell Burton. When we spoke nearly a decade ago, he was just kicking off his career. Now he’s winning awards and staking his claim as one of NYC’s most dynamic creative talents. We started off talking about his current work at international health agency 21GRAMS, and from there Kendell shared his story of growing up in Brooklyn and getting excited about ...
Kirk Visola
February 06, 2023 13:00 - 1 hour - 87.1 MBIf you want to be more authentic in your work and life, then this week’s episode is especially for you. I sat down with Kirk Visola, creative director extraordinaire, and the founder of Mind the Font, a full-service branding and packaging design agency. We dove right in and I learned about how Kirk approaches design projects while balancing the want for innovation with the need to stay true to a brand’s established identity. Kirk also spoke about growing up and getting into design and illus...
Domonique Brown
January 30, 2023 12:41 - 51 minutes - 47.6 MBIf you’ve been at your local Target lately, then there’s a chance you’re familiar with illustrator and entrepreneur Domonique Brown. She’s the founder of DomoInk, a contemporary lifestyle brand including apparel and home décor, all with art by Domonique. Pick up some of her products in Target’s Black History Month collection and bless your space, y’all! Our conversation began with Domonique giving me a behind-the-scenes peek at her business, and she outlined some of the unique challenges sh...
George McCalman
January 23, 2023 12:35 - 1 hour - 62.7 MBY’all are in for a real treat this week, because I got the chance to catch up with the extremely talented and accomplished George McCalman. He is well known for his work a studio owner and creative director, and he recently published his first book, Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen. George shared how the idea for the book came about, and he spoke about some of the surprising and interesting things that came up during his research on who to include. He also talke...
Chris Charles
January 16, 2023 12:14 - 1 hour - 56.3 MBHow will you pursue your passions in 2023? If you’re anything like this week’s guest, Chris Charles, then you’ve probably already got some great plans in motion. Chris is a true multihyphenate — a creative director, a film maker, a visual artist, a photographer, and more — and he’s blazing his own trail while staying 100% authentic to himself. We caught up recently and talked about some of his plans for this year with his studio, and he shared his process for approaching new projects while ...
Gus Granger
January 09, 2023 12:35 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBGus Granger has been a staple in the Dallas design community for over 20 years. Not only that, his design work has reached international acclaim, earning honors from Adobe, AIGA, Communication Arts, and many other groups. But perhaps Gus’s biggest honor is his tireless advocacy work helping eliminate barriers for Black designers and empowering them for success in the world. We caught up and talked about his recent career shift back to entrepreneurship, and he shared what he’s learned throug...
Sharon Burton
January 02, 2023 12:41 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBAll it takes is a spark to set off a blaze of creativity, and no one knows that better than our first guest of the year, visual artist Sharon Burton. As a creative coach, her specialty lies in helping people reclaim their creative lives, which I think is a fantastic way to start off 2023. Sharon talked about her coaching practice Spark Your Creative, described the different courses and services she offers, and spoke on how using joy as resilience is a key part of her work. Sharon also talke...
Shakeil Greeley
December 26, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 57.4 MBWe’re wrapping up 2022 by sitting down with the immensely talented Shakeil Greeley. I love that his portfolio consists of all kinds of creative projects, including fine art and writing. Who says design has to be all about visuals? Shakeil and I started off talking about his work as an art director at Splice, as well as his new role at Spring Health. He also talked about growing up between Portland and Philly, studying at the University of Pennsylvania’s Visual Studies program, and then land...
Lauren Brown
December 19, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 69.1 MBIf you saw the Google Doodle earlier this month of gaming trailblazer Gerald “Jerry” Lawson, then you’ve gotten a sample of the amazing work of this week’s guest — art director and illustrator Lauren Brown. Lauren talked to me about the ins and outs of her current role at Wizards of the Coast, which includes doing art direction for the popular Magic the Gathering game series. She also spoke about growing up in New Jersey and attending undergrad there, getting her MFA at Savannah College of ...
Lawrence Humphrey
December 12, 2022 08:12 - 59 minutes - 54.9 MBDecember is a good time to take stock and think about how to approach the new year ahead. And for this week’s guest, Lawrence Humphrey, this year was about striking out on his own and starting Pearl, a peer-based leadership consulting platform where he serves as CEO. We began by talking about the origin story of Pearl, and Lawrence walked me through the platform and spoke on how collaboration is a big part of how he makes everything work. He also shared how he started out as an engineer, ta...
Andrew Bass Jr. (Part 2 of 2)
December 05, 2022 09:17 - 1 hour - 73.3 MBBy now, you’ve gotten acquainted with design educator and design strategist Andrew Bass Jr. In the second part of our interview, we explore Andrew’s calling as a design mentor, as well as his early advocacy work for diversity in the design industry. We start off talking about Black design leadership back in the day, and Andrew tells the story of how he learned about the Organization of Black Designers and how that led to his work leading AIGA’s first Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. From...
Andrew Bass Jr. (Part 1 of 2)
November 28, 2022 08:00 - 1 hour - 74.6 MBWe’re ending off the month talking to one of the unsung trailblazers for diversity in the design community — Andrew Bass Jr. Longtime fans of Revision Path will recognize Andrew as one of our early profiles back in 2013, and it was great to finally have him on the podcast to talk about his story and his work. In the first part of this two-part interview, Andrew talks about his design consultancy Straight Design, and shared his story of growing up in Brooklyn and falling in love with graphic...
Chris Rudd
November 21, 2022 08:02 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBWe’re wrapping up our interviews in The Windy City this month with Chris Rudd, founder of social and civic impact design firm ChiByDesign. Chris’ work is grounded in anti-racism, and that’s reflected not just in the clients ChiByDesign serves, but also by him building a collaborative and dynamic space for designers of color to thrive and do work that improves communities. Chris and I talked shop for a while about entrepreneurship, and then he told me the story of how he started his firm in ...
Bonus Episode: The Design of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
November 18, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 104 MBBlack Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and that’s not just because it’s a sequel to one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. After the tragic and sudden passing of megastar Chadwick Boseman, Ryan Coogler and the cast and crew of this film came together and put it all on the line to deliver a cinematic tribute truly fit for a king. In this bonus episode of Revision Path, I sit down again with Reginé Gilbert, Jordan Green, and Paul Webb to div...
Tiffany Stewart
November 14, 2022 12:21 - 55 minutes - 51 MBWhile the World Wide Web has evolved tremendously over the past couple of decades, it can still feel like we are fighting an uphill battle when it comes to accessibility, even though this push for accessibility has existed since the first set of guidelines created by the W3C in 1999. Making the Web more accessible is a benefit to everyone, and Tiffany Stewart is working hard to make sure that happens. Our conversation began with a discussion on her work at Thomson Reuters, and she shared ho...
TTK
November 07, 2022 13:00 - 1 hour - 73.3 MBWe all know there are several ways to achieve success as a creative, but sometimes it takes inspiration from others to set you on the right path. That’s definitely the case with the multitalented TTK. His work as an art director, painter, designer and illustrator have taken him far, and now he can add another title to his roster — filmmaker! Our conversation began with a quick year-end check-in, and then TTK talked about “Just Like Me”, a short documentary he created with Havas to educate a...
Nakita M. Pope
October 31, 2022 12:00 - 56 minutes - 52 MBWe have all had to change things up in one way or other over the past few years. But if you’re like this week’s return guest, Nakita M. Pope, there’s power in pivoting! (You might remember her from my recent talk with Jordan Taylor, or from our 2016 interview.) Our conversation started with catching up on what’s happened over the past few years, and Nakita spoke about some of her recent projects, including launching a business course and a subscription box turned online community — Bella Bo...
Dr. Jacinda Walker
October 24, 2022 12:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBThis week’s interview is truly special, because I got the chance to sit down with the one and only Dr. Jacinda Walker. I have been privileged to watch Jacinda’s glow up over the years, and now she’s reaping the benefits of her hard work, perseverance, and dedication to making the design community better for the next generation. I got to speak with her fresh off her receiving an honorary doctorate from Ringling College of Art, and she talked with me about the experience. She also shared news...
Shawn Alexander Allen
October 17, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBGames are an integral part of our society, and not I’m not just talking about Nintendo, Xbox, or PlayStation. Games are culture, and this week’s guest — Shawn Alexander Allen — has dedicated himself to getting people to think about games as more than just a leisure activity. Shawn and his family recently moved to Atlanta, so he spoke about getting adjusted to the new location and getting into a groove with work through his studio, NuChallenger. We also talked about his critically acclaimed ...
Reggie Tidwell
October 10, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBIt takes a lot of drive and determination to chart your own course, and no one embodies those qualities better than this week’s guest. As the creative director (and founder) of Curve Theory, Reggie Tidwell has provided beautiful and effective design, branding, photography, and videography work to clients for over 20 years. We talked about the secret to Reggie’s longevity as a creative entrepreneur, and he shared his story about growing up in St. Louis, studying graphic design, and his early...
Kevin Hawkins
October 03, 2022 12:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBThe good thing about design is that if you have access to the right opportunities, your talent can really take you places. Take this week’s guest, Kevin Hawkins, for example. While he cut his teeth in the Washington DC design scene, for the past few years he’s been working in Europe, including his current role as global UX director for Glovo in Barcelona, Spain. Our conversation started off with learning more about Glovo, and Kevin shared some of the rewarding bits and some of the challenge...
Whitney Robinson
September 26, 2022 12:00 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBMaternal healthcare has always been in a precarious place here in the United States, but thanks to this week’s guest, Whitney Robinson, we just might be on our way to solving it in our lifetime. She brings her skills as a product designer and builder of things — as well as a mom — to help transform maternal health for Black women. Our conversation began with a look at her current project, The Renée, and we talked about how work and life have changed for her over the past couple of years. Sh...
Jordan Taylor
September 19, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 58.2 MBIf I had to give an award for “Most Chill Revision Path Guest”, Jordan Taylor would win the prize with no competition. But don’t let the relaxed vibes fool you, because his skills as a designer and creator are anything but laid-back. And even better, he has roots here in Atlanta. Keep listening to learn more about this hometown hero! We started off talking about his recent move to NYC, and he gave a peek behind the curtain of being a designer at the world-famous design firm Pentagram. From ...
Keith Henry Brown
September 12, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 63.8 MBI really enjoyed my conversation with this week’s guest — the one and only Keith Henry Brown. This prolific artist has a catalog that few can touch, with work appearing in The New York Times, Carnegie Hall, Blue Note Records, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, just to name a few. But Keith is so much more than just an artist, as you’ll come to find out! We started off talking about his current and upcoming book projects, and he shared how he balances his day job with his other career passio...
Barney Abramson
September 05, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 63.5 MBIt’s been amazing to see so many Black design communities pop up since I started Revision Path, which is how I found out about this week’s guest — Barney Abramson! Not only does he have years of experience leading design teams, but he’s also paying it forward by helping out the next generation of designers through mentorship and consulting. We talked about how he’s adjusted to working through the pandemic, and spoke a little bit about his day job as the lead designer for an energy company. ...
Kamar Thomas
August 29, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 60.1 MBEvery designer or artist wants to be able to make a living from their work, and this week’s guest embodies that desire. Generally, Kamar Thomas splits his time between being a design educator at two institutions — Centennial College and VCAD — but outside the classroom, he’s a prolific artist who specializes in vibrant oil paintings filled with deep meaning. He also just finished his first book, The Artist’s Creative Vision, which publishes this winter. Very nice! Kamar started off talking ...
Jeff Jean-Baptiste
August 22, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 55.9 MBI became familiar with Gusto several months ago through my last gig, and I was so pleased with the user experience that I had to find out who some of the folks were behind it. And wouldn’t you know it — one of them happens to be a former 28 Days of the Web honoree. Meet Jeff Jean-Baptiste! After a quick check-in to see how things are going, Jeff talked about his role as a product designer and gave some info on his behind-the-scenes design work at the company. From there, Jeff shared his ori...
Corey Jones
August 15, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 55.3 MBI love when interviews sometimes bring out unexpected connections. Take this week’s guest, Corey Jones. As creative director at Forum One, Corey specializes in branding, animation, and interactive design. But as you’ll find out from our conversation, he got his start from a Black design studio we featured back in 2016! It’s a small world! Corey and I talked at length about his work at Forum One, and he shared his story of growing up outside of Pittsburgh and studying design in college. We a...
Dr. Perry Sweeper
August 08, 2022 11:48 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBAvid listeners of the podcast know that whenever I have a Black design educator on the show, eventually I’m going to bring up my alma mater, Morehouse College. And while I’ve had a few Morehouse alums on the show in the past, I’m really excited to have an actual Morehouse faculty member — Dr. Perry Sweeper — as a guest this week. Has Morehouse leveled up since I was a student there *cough cough* years ago? After a quick summer check-in, we talked about Morehouse’s software engineering major...
Agyei Archer
August 01, 2022 11:27 - 1 hour - 61.1 MBWhen I tell you I have wanted to have this week’s guest on the show for years? LISTEN. I’m so glad to bring you this conversation with the one and only Agyei Archer — typographer, design director, and all-around creative powerhouse. We touched on a number of different topics, including his brilliant type design work, and how he built two businesses during the pandemic. He also shared how his motivation to succeed comes from his connection to the Caribbean, and talked about how he balances d...
Traci L. Turner
July 25, 2022 11:39 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBI don’t know about you, but that whole “they sleep we grind” mentality of working is not the move. There can be a lot of external pressure to constantly push yourself to the limit with your work, but there’s also payoffs from doing work at a pace that makes sense to you. That’s what drew me to talk with this week’s guest, Traci L. Turner. We started our conversation on building creative momentum after big life changes, and she talked about her new focus on portraiture as well as her current...
Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel
July 18, 2022 11:42 - 1 hour - 57.8 MBOur paths have crossed several times over the past couple of years, but I finally managed to sit down and chat with the one and only Dr. Lesley-Ann Noel. Along with being an author, design educator, and community builder, she is one of the editors behind The Black Experience in Design: Identity, Expression & Reflection, a compilation of essays from over 70 Black designers, artists, curators, educators, students, and researchers. Our conversation began with some good news about a recent gran...
Yao Adantor
July 11, 2022 11:22 - 1 hour - 62.2 MBThe thing I love most about doing Revision Path is that I’m able to talk with people doing truly amazing work, and I get to share that conversation with the world. Such is the case with this week’s guest, Yao Adantor. Along with being an avid product researcher, he’s the founder of two companies: a technology service firm called Analog Teams, and Research Bookmark, which has been dubbed “the Google for UX researchers.” And that’s not all! We talked about how 2022 has unfolded for him so far...
Treavor Wagoner
July 04, 2022 07:00 - 59 minutes - 54.8 MBSummer is here, and with the start of a new month, I’m bringing you my conversation with Treavor Wagoner, senior product designer, author, and quite the avid traveler! We spoke just as Treavor wrapped up his latest trip and right before the launch of the ebook version of his latest book, “So Much Trouble”. Treavor talked about what drew him to working at Redfin, and from there he spoke about life growing up in a small Texas town. Treavor also went into his college days at University of Nort...
Rebecca Brooker (Part 2 of 2)
June 27, 2022 12:00 - 49 minutes - 45.5 MBWe’re closing out Pride Month with the second part of my conversation with Rebecca Brooker! (If you missed the first part, check it out here.) We talked about Rebecca’s relocation to Argentina (after a stint back in Trinidad), and how she’s adjusted and found community in Buenos Aires. Rebecca also went in depth about Queer Design Club, the Queer Design Count, and the upcoming Queer Design Summit taking place on July 7. Rebecca is proof that building community and staying true to yourself ...
Rebecca Brooker (Part 1 of 2)
June 20, 2022 11:13 - 58 minutes - 53.6 MBSometimes, the conversation is so good and so wide-ranging that I can't contain it in just one episode. For the first time in over five years, we have a two-part episode on Revision Path, and it's with the one and only Rebecca Brooker. She is perhaps most well known as the co-founder of Queer Design Club, but Rebecca is also an art director at Ghost Note Agency and founder of her own freelance practice Planthouse Studio. In the first part of this interview, Rebecca talked about her "year of...
André Elijah
June 13, 2022 11:14 - 1 hour - 56.1 MBVirtual reality used to be a science fiction trope in the 90s, but now, virtual reality is actual reality! Take it from this week’s guest: the one and only André Elijah. His work building games and doing marketing projects as an immersive director is sought after by brands and celebrities worldwide, including Google, Meta, Snap, Drake, and Beyoncé. And that’s not all! Our conversation began with a slight nerd-out moment about VR Troopers — shout-out to Michael Hollander! — and then André ga...
Raven L. Veal, PhD
June 06, 2022 11:41 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBHow do you define yourself? It's a question a lot of us will wrestle with at some point in life, and according to Raven L. Veal, PhD, understanding the answer to this is a critical part of design. She speaks from experience, too -- as both a design lecturer and a strategic design lead, she definitely did not get to this level of success without understanding her truth at a deep level. We started off with a brief introduction about her work at Citi Ventures, and then explored her lecture wor...
Chip Gross
May 30, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 63.3 MBAtlanta is a city known for many things: the food, the music, the culture. The traffic! But I don't know if Atlanta's really ever been seen as a design city like one would see New York or Chicago. That reputation is rapidly changing though, and that's thanks to Chip Gross. Chip is the managing director for Work & Co's newest office in Atlanta, and with over 20 years of experience under his belt, he's helping the city be recognized as a destination for design talent. We started off talking ...
Alexandria Batchelor
May 23, 2022 11:14 - 1 hour - 60.6 MBThe thrilling part about entrepreneurship is following your dreams while pursuing your passions. That's definitely the case for illustrator and creative director Alexandria Batchelor. As the head of her own company, Foxee Design, Alexandria uses her skills in graphic design, branding and illustration to not only provide killer work for her clients, but to also redefine standards in the industry within art and design that represents minorities (primarily Black women). Now that's change worth ...
Dr. Kenya Oduor
May 16, 2022 11:21 - 49 minutes - 45.3 MBI was introduced last year to Dr. Kenya Oduor through a Tech Circus panel we both participated in, and I’m really glad to have her on the show now so she can share her brilliance with you all! She is a human-centered designer, researcher, and strategist, and also runs her own consulting and staffing firm Lean Geeks. Very impressive! We dove right in and talked about her increased focus at this stage of her career, and from there we discussed how Lean Geeks works and what she want to accompl...
Anthony D. Mays
May 09, 2022 11:38 - 1 hour - 70.5 MBIt’s no secret that the tech industry has weathered the last few years better than a lot of others, and many people are trying to ditch their current jobs and start their careers in tech for big opportunities (and even bigger salaries). But working for companies like Google and Microsoft take more than just talent — it takes the helpful hands and heart of this week’s guest, Anthony D. Mays. As the founder of tech career coaching firm Morgan Latimer Consulting, Anthony uses his 20 years of ex...
Ayrïd Chandler
May 02, 2022 12:00 - 1 hour - 71.2 MBWe're off to the Caribbean this week to talk with the incredibly talented Ayrïd Chandler. Ayrïd is the head of her own studio, Ayrïd by Design, where she offers graphic design services with a focus on brand and identity design. She also teaches at the University of the West Indies in St. Augustine, where she's helping to educate and inspire Trinidad and Tobago's next generation of designers. Ayrïd starts off talking about her goals for the year, and from there we get into the differences be...
Monique Jenkins
April 25, 2022 11:38 - 53 minutes - 48.8 MBIt takes a lot of hard work and determination to be a successful entrepreneur, and sometimes, you can lose yourself in your path to success. But not Monique Jenkins! As the CEO of J.kins Creative, Monique bolsters the successes of Black and brown entrepreneurs by creating holistic brand identities with thought leaders who deserve to leave their mark upon the world. And she does it be being the best person for the job -- herself! Monique talked to me about what she started her own company, a...
Liz Montague
April 18, 2022 11:40 - 57 minutes - 52.6 MBIf you've been a regular reader of The New Yorker magazine, then you may already be familiar with this week's guest, Liz Montague. (But if you're not, then this conversation is a perfect introduction!) Liz is the first Black woman to have a cartoon featured in The New Yorker, and now she's an author with her first book set to hit bookstores everywhere in the Fall. Everything's coming up Liz! Our conversation begin with a quick life update, and from there Liz talked about starting her comic ...