Aaron Draplin is a graphic designer, author, and founder of his own design studio, Draplin Design Co. Because of his incredible, inspiring work with some of the world's best brands, you've probably seen him on a million videos and podcasts already. That's why we went out of our way to find some fresh stories and fresh perspectives on his design career.

You can follow his design studio on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The grind of his speaking schedule and book promotion tour
• What he's learned in the last five years of his career
• Why he's chosen to keep his agency small and nimble when he could easily grow

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Victor Yocco is a UX researcher and strategist. His objective is to bring the voice of the user to the table when he makes design and strategy decisions, and he does it quite well. 

In addition to his UX work, Victor is an author and speaker. He is the author of the book Design for the Mind, as well as a featured writer for several publications. He enjoys speaking on a wide range of topics, from the psychology behind great design to reducing the abuse of alcohol in the design and tech industry.

You can follow him on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• UX
• The joys of parenthood
• Alcohol in the workplace
• What it's like writing a book

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Christopher Stuart is an artist and designer based in Carmel, IN.  His personal work explores the area between art and design, challenging the idea of function.  He received his BFA in Furniture Design from Herron School of Art & Design. Chris is also the founder and principal of LUUR, a transdisciplinary design studio and brand, and author of DIY Furniture 1 & DIY Furniture 2, published by Laurence King.

You can follow his studio on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• His origin story as a designer.
• How he defines "transdisciplinary," and why he chose to build a transdisciplinary design studio.
• His newest obsession, furniture design, and why he loves the DIY furniture movement.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Tad Carpenter is a designer, illustrator, and teacher based in Kansas City. Tad was lucky enough to grow up the son of two artists smack dab in the middle of the midwest. His father is an illustrator and has been a creative director for Hallmark Cards for nearly 40 years.

You merely adopted design. Tad was born in it, molded by it.

You can follow him on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• His upbringings in the design world.
• How his father influenced him early on.
• How Hallmark influences the design community in Kansas City.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

"Jolby" isn't a celebrity couple, it's a design studio committed to collaboration and solving complex problems. Josh and Colby are the co-founders of Jolby & Friends.

You can follow them on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How they found their way into the design profession.
• The beginnings of Jolby & Friends, and how they went from a t-shirt company to a full-blown design studio.
• Their creative process and how they build a culture of collaboration for both their team and their clients.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Ben designs weapons. Not guns or knives, but high-performance bicycles.

Zipp Speed Weaponry serves a select group of elite companies and athletes, globally located and committed to bicycle & wheelchair competition. As a design engineer for Zipp, Ben has taken the technology from IndyCar and other high-performance racing and applied it to high-end, carbon bicycle wheels.

You can follow him on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How he got his start in engineering.
• His favorite projects that he's working on at Zipp.
• His best advice for young designers.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

If you've paid attention to the world of design and advertising over the past 20 years, you have certainly seen Michael's work. You have undoubtedly read articles from him. You may have even watched a documentary that he was interviewed on. On this special episode of Obsessed With Design, Josh sits down with Michael to learn more about his life, his career, and his inspiration.

You can follow him on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How he got his start in the world of design.
• The founding of Pentagram, and what the world of Pentagram is like today.
• His favorite projects and stories from the last 30 years.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

As the founder of Vigor Branding and the blog, Grits and Grids, Joseph has found a home in branding for the food and beverage industry. His passion for great design and great food is evident in his blog, as well as our interview. You can follow them on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How his agency found the food industry and turned it into a specialty.
• The importance of finding your niche.
• The creation of his blog, Grits and Grids.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

You may not know Kris, but you definitely know his work. He has been a storyboard artist for animated movies and TV shows for 20 years. Recently, he captured a lot of attention in the animation business as the Head of Story for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and as a story artist for Open Season. Kris sat down with us recently to talk about his obsessions and what makes a great animated film work.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How he got his start in animation and story design.
• The background behind Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, a 5-year project that became a Hollywood blockbuster.
• His current obsessions and dream projects.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Danielle's studio, Marmalade Bleue, is nothing like any design studio you've ever seen. Her design vehicle of choice isn't Illustrator or Photoshop. It's food. As a designer and illustrator, she found her passion for creating typographic art with everything from candy corn to coffee cake. You can follow her on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How she initially found her obsession with typography and illustration.
• Graduating during the great recession and surviving as a starving designer.
• Her thoughts on self-promotion and building your business from the ground up.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Jude writes for Slate, Fast Company, Design Observer, and now she's doing some awesome work with the AIGA. Right now, she's working on a project that covers the best podcasts in the design world. This is a unique cast, because Jude actually interviews Josh! You can follow her on Twitter here.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

This week, we have a very special guest from Bologna, Italy. Gianluca Gimini recently published a project on Behance that took the Internet by storm. It's called Velocipedia and it has been featured on Wired, Fast Company, and even hit the front page of Reddit.

In this episode, we talk about the origin of this project, as well as other cool product and graphic design project Gianluca is working on.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Matt Stevens is a designer, illustrator, speaker, and creative tinkerer from North Carolina. His work has been featured by the biggest names in sports, tech, and even fast food. Matt's biggest goal is always to do thoughtful and unforgettable work for amazing brands and make the whole process a pleasure. You can follow him on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How he got his start in a middle school logo design contest.
• His experience working with big brands, and advice he'd give to young designers starting with big brands.
• The importance of "side gigs" and how they have spurred his professional development.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Mike Stinson is an expert on great design, but it's his obsession with typography that really sets him apart. As a Partner and Creative Director for Ramp Creative, an L.A.-Based agency, he wears many hats, but the one that excites him most is Founder. He founded TypeEd, an educational initiative designed to teach designers around the world the art of great typography. You can follow him on Twitter here and TypeEd here.

As a listener of Obsessed With Design, you get an EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT on your first course from TypeEd. To claim this discount, go to http://type-ed.com/obsessed/

In this episode, we discuss:

• How he went from being an aerospace engineer to a graphic designer.
• How he started TypeEd, an online learning platform designed to bridge the widening gap between college programs and the creative industry.
• His biggest obsession... The finer details of typography.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Mikey Burton is a part time designer and a part time illustrator—which adds up to a full time Designy Illustrator. He’s been working professionally for over 12 years now, but claims to be ‘still figuring it out.’ He’s done a lot of work in that time for clients such as Converse, ESPN, Target, The New York Times, Time Magazine, and Esquire, among others.

He has won awards from organizations such as the Art Directors Club, Communication Arts and Print Magazine to name a few, and enjoys bragging about it in the third person. He spent his formative years and earned a masters degree from the great Kent State University in Ohio. Burton now works and lives in Brooklyn, NY where he pays way too much for coffee. You can follow him on Twitter here.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How he got started as a designer.
• Why he is obsessed with food.
• All the benefits of living in New York City when you want to visit someone.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Today, Samuel E Vázquez wears many hats. He is an artist, a designer, and an educator, to name a few. In the early days, however, he was known by a different name - "Brame," his graffiti tag. Today, his art has evolved past the street and into some of the most recognizable spots in the Midwest. His work has lived in the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Bankers Life Fieldhouse, and the NCAA Hall of Champions.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Samuel's path from Puerto Rico to New York City and, eventually, to Indianapolis.
• His view on "street art," and why he rebels against the word "graffiti."
• How a week-long suspension in high school set him on the path to becoming a widely-respected artist.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Stacey Dyer is currently the Creative Strategist for iZotope, where audio software products are developed to enable and inspire creativity. While managing a new brand landscape, Stacey pushes the team to go beyond their usual boundaries through lean practices, as well as process discovery and customer validation. In this episode, we discuss:

• Her journey to publishing her first book, AstroWed.
• Her favorite parts working for Loctite.
• Her brief stint owning a cake bake shop.

 Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Lars Lawson is the owner of Timber Design Company, an Indianapolis-based design studio. They specialize in print, brand identity, advertising, video animation and retail packaging.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How Lars got started working for the print shop across the street from his University.
• His work, ranging from Coca-Cola to breweries.
• An email he once received from a famous hip-hop artist.

Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Ken's journey has been as interesting as it is eclectic. His career started in a restaurant, but soon ventured into design. Today, he runs Little Jacket, a brand consultancy that focuses on helping high-growth startups leverage great design to take their business to the next level.

In this episode, we talk about:

• How he got started as a snowboarding, screen printing designer.
• Taking a business from printing band posters to doing more profitable design work.
• Pivoting to a world of working with high-profile startups and high-growth companies.

You can follow him on Twitter here. Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

As a co-founder of Modern Dog Design Co, Robynne Raye has a lot of familiarity designing for big brands. Modern Dog is an internationally acclaimed design studio that creates imaginative, bold and playful design in interactive and print medias. Current and past clients include the Seattle Aquarium, Swatch, Coca-Cola, K2 Snowboards, HarperCollins, and Nordstrom. In this episode, we talk about:

• How Robynne got started in design (and starting her own company).
• How Robynne and her partner landed K2 as one of their first clients.
• Her career teaching design.

You can follow them on Twitter here. Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Armin Vit has become an icon in the design community through his critiques on his blog, but he is also an incredible graphic designer in his own right. In this episode, Armin and I discuss:

• How Illustrator 88 led him to a career in design.
• How he and his wife run their blogs and international design conferences.
• How he manages to STILL do client work.

You can follow him on Twitter here. Show notes are available at ObsessedShow.com.

Justine is one of the world's brightest minds on email marketing. As the VP of marketing at Litmus, she has advanced the entire industry with an eye on design. In this episode, we discussed:

• How she became the face of email marketing.
• How she got her start as a designer.
• What she's most excited about tackling next.

You can find show notes on our website at ObsessedShow.com.

In this episode, I sat down with Paula Scher. Paula has worn many hats throughout her career. Today, she's working on some incredibly cool projects. Get a sneak peek in this interview! We discussed:

• How she got started
• Her thoughts on design criticism
• An exclusive sneak peek at new projects she's working on

You can find show notes on our website at ObsessedShow.com.

In this episode, I sat down with Eric Kass, a self-proclaimed "Fine Commercial Artisan."   You can follow him on Twitter here. We discussed:

• His career path and how he discovered his passion for branding.
• Why he calls his business a "practice" instead of an agency or firm.
• How he finds, collects, and catalogs ephemera to spur his creativity.

You can find show notes on our website at ObsessedShow.com.

In this episode, I talk to Prescott Perez-Fox. Prescott is well-known for his creative work, especially in the realm of package design. You can follow him on Twitter here and subscribe to his podcast here. We talked about:

• Growing up as an artistic kid and a science nerd.
• The challenges associated with freelancing.
• How to integrate great brand design within a holistic identity system.

You can find show notes on our website at ObsessedShow.com.