Revision Path

This week's episode is a bit of a walk down memory lane. Back in 2014, London-based designer Brian Hollingsworth was Revision Path's first international interview. Three years later, I'm checking back in on Brian to see what's new over on his side of the pond. We start off with a look at the London design scene for Black designers, then we go into the evolution of his current studio, Hollingsworth& and some of his other projects, including a design blog and being part of an art collective! Later on, we explore creative insecurity, and how that plays into Brian's artistic endeavors and entrepreneurial goals. I hope you enjoy this week's episode! Brian Hollingsworth's 2014 Interview Brian Hollingsworth on Instagram Hollingsworth& The Design Times Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future episodes, and a lot more! Join today! Come join the Revision Path community on Sla

We're wrapping up our two-part series with a conversation with the extremely talented Tré Seals. His specialties lie in branding and illustration, but Tré is also a fantastic typographer. The interview starts off with Tré describing how he got interested in design, and talks about his time at Stevenson University (where he learned from one our former guests, Andrea Pippins). Tré also talks about his company, Vocal Type Co., and we get into a discussion on typography and fonts as he talks about the project he'd most love to do one day. You're definitely going to want to keep an eye out for Tré Seals! Tré Seals' Website Vocal Type Co. Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future episodes, and a lot more! Join today! Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to help support the show! ht

For the next two weeks, I'm looking at two talented young creatives in the DMV area. First up: animator Tynesha Foreman. When she described herself to me as someone "with a proclivity for the grotesque," I knew I had to look into her work and bring on the show! Our conversation began by going into some of her current work at The Atlantic, and she talked about how she approaches new projects and where her love for animation began. Tynesha also spoke a bit about diversity in animation, some of her inspirations and influences, and where she wants to be career-wise in the next few years. Tynesha has such a unique and powerful visual style, so I think we'll definitely see more from her for years to come! (Note: The audio quality is a little crunchy on this episode, but we cleaned it up as much as possible.) Tynesha Foreman's Website Tynesha Foreman on Twitter Tynesha Foreman on Vimeo "O.J.: The Pioneer Before the Prisoner" Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges

If you've ever thought about having your own online course, then you'll definitely want to listen to this week's interview with Janelle Allen! She's a learning designer with a background in education, and her company Zen Courses helps people create online curricula using a process and system that's structured for success. Janelle starts off talking about how she got into learning design, and we take a look at the current environment of online learning and discuss the pros and cons. Janelle also shares where her passion for education comes from, and she goes a little bit into her passion for deejaying! Janelle can teach you the ABCs and then make you dance on the 1s and 2s! Dope! Get into this week's interview! Janelle Allen on Twitter B L A K B R D Zen Courses Zen Courses on Instagram Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future episodes, and a lot more! Join today! Come join the Re

We're closing out March by talking with with London-based product designer and creative technologist Alex Fefegha. As the creative director of his own Alex's work has taken him all over the world, and he's currently creative director of Comuzi, an agency with clients like the BBC, the University of the Arts London and NHS England. Our talk is less of an interview and more of a conversation. We touch on a few entrepreneurial topics like starting a studio and finding clients, the state of diversity in design in London and the United Kingdom, and I ask Alex what he thinks prevents more Black designers from becoming recognized leaders in design. It's a little bit of a departure from the norm, but I'm glad that we were able to candidly discuss these topics. Thanks Alex! Alex Fefegha's Website Alex Fefegha on Twitter Alex Fefegha on Instagram Comuzi Creative Hustle Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only update

I've had my eye on Chikezie Ejiasi and his work since we profiled him for 28 Days of the Web back in 2015. Fast forward to now, and Chikezie is working as a senior interaction designer at Google on their new Daydream VR platform. We had a lot to talk about! He shared information about Daydream and why virtual reality is becoming so popular right now, his "anti-conference" stance, and how not following a traditional design path helped set him up for success today. It's a great conversation that I'm sure you're going to enjoy! (Thanks to one of our patrons, Nate Koechley, for the introduction!) Chikezie Ejiasi on Twitter Chikezie Ejiasi's Website Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future episodes, and a lot more! Join today! Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to hel

It's been a minute since we've had someone at Google on the show, so I was really excited to have the chance to interview Melissa Smith, a user experience researcher at Google working primarily on the YouTube mobile and desktop products. We talked about how user experience research factors into her work, why it's an important part of the design process, and talk about how she shifted from studying engineering towards her current work. There's even a conversation about self-driving cars! It's great knowing women like Melissa are at the forefront of helping make better experiences for all of us online! (Thanks to one of our patrons, Nate Koechley, for the introduction!) Melissa Smith's Website Melissa Smith on Twitter Fly Fleet for iOS Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future episodes, and a lot more! Join today! Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.

When you think about a designer who has built a body of work, think of Ariem Anthony. As a production design manager for Airbnb, he serves a critical role between the design and engineering departments. More than that, Ariem is a self-taught designer with over 25 years of experience to his name across print, web, multimedia, for companies such as Apple and Netflix. We start off by talking about the importance of production design, discussing Airbnb's open culture, exploring the advantages of being a self-taught designer, and going into what kept him motivated throughout the years as the design industry has grown and changed. Ariem's journey as a designer is proof that doing the work can take you farther than you ever imagined! Ariem Anthony on LinkedIn Ariem Anthony on Twitter Ariem Anthony on Facebook Ariem Anthony's Email Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future episodes, a

It's Revision Path's fourth anniversary! We're celebrating the occasion by taking a look back at some of the memorable guests we've had over the years, including Jacinda Walker, Ced Funches, AIGA Medalist Emory Douglas, and more. Plus, we have a special guest near the end of the episode, so make sure you stick around for that. It has truly been an honor and a blessing to interview all the 200+ Black designers, developers, and creatives that have been on Revision Path. Thanks to all of you who have listened, downloaded, shared, pledged, and spread the word about Revision Path. There's more coming from Revision Path this year, so keep your eyes peeled for updates! (Gee, I wonder what we should do for our fifth anniversary?) Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future episodes, and a lot more! Join today! Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Che

Our spotlight on Philadelphia continues this week with design strategist and hybrid thinker Natalie Nixon. Natalie has an impressive body of work ranging from fashion to anthropology, and her consulting and research lies at the intersection of creativity and strategy. Aside from her work as associate professor and founding director of the Strategic Design MBA program at Philadelphia University, Natalie is also the editor of "Strategic Design Thinking: Innovation in Products, Services, Experiences and Beyond". We touched on a lot of different topics: the importance of strategic design, her experience as a Black woman at the Ph.D. level of design, embracing failure, and much, much more. It's an honor to speak with someone at this caliber of design, and I think you'll learn a lot from her words and from her work. Class is in session! Help support Revision Path by becoming a monthly patron on Patreon! Pledges start at $1 per month, and you’ll receive special patron-only updates, early access to future

Philadelphia's own Ron Tinsley is no stranger to the world of design. As the founder of Prophetik Soul Branding + Design, Ron uses his decades of consulting and design experience for "do-gooders, dreamers and optimists". I think that's something we could all use more of, don't you think? Ron talked about how a twist of fate prompted him to start his design studio, and he walked me through how he tackles projects and his personal design style. We also discussed design organizations, world travel, what he loves about Philly, and whether or not his kids want to follow in his footsteps. Get ready for a really thoughtful and inspiring conversation! Ron Tinsley on Facebook Ron Tinsley on Medium Prophetik Soul Branding + Design Prophetik Soul Branding + Design on Facebook The Future is #CMYK Poster Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to help support the movement! http://revisionpath.com/store F

We're starting off February this year by talking with entrepreneur and visual storyteller Jessica Bellamy. She specializes in creating eye-catching information graphics that are easy to understand and share, which is definitely needed in this current climate of "fake news". Jessica talked about her exhibit titled The Black Woman Project, the progressive design scene in Louisville, Kentucky, and how she started her grassroots design studio GRIDS, which is currently working on a project about bringing awareness to the incarceration system. If you're trying to find someone that cares about her community and helps give back by using design, then look no further! Thank you for all you do Jessica! GRIDS: The Grassroots Information Design Studio GRIDS: The Grassroots Information Design Studio on Facebook Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to help support the movement! Free shipping on orders of $3

We're back in the Caribbean this week and talking with Djuvane Browne, UI designer and owner of One Great Studio in Kingston, Jamaica. If you're a freelancer and looking to level up in 2017, then you will want to hear what Djuvane has to say! Djuvane gives me a quick rundown on an average day at his studio, and shares the one secret that transformed his business to where it is today. We also talk about the design scene in Kingston, the notion of a "Caribbean aesthetic", and what he would be doing if he didn't become a designer. Djuvane says that you'll never know what will work until you try, so hopefully his words will inspire you to do bigger things! One Great Studio Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to help support the movement! Free shipping from January 27 - February 1! Use promo code SHIP17 at checkout! http://revisionpath.com/store February 27 will be our 4th anniversary episode, an

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to speak with Chad Brown. Aside from his own studio, Chado Creative, he also owns the nonprofit organization Soul River Inc. and has his own apparel line! On top of all of this, Chad's an adventurer at heart. We start off talking about how he got started in design, what it means to him to be a designer today, and then Chad shared his backstory of being in the military and how those experiences shaped him and helped him to where he is today. I really want you to listen to what Chad says when he talks about inspiration, because it really gets to the heart of what I think all designers struggle to overcome. Thanks to Chad for opening up and sharing his story, and thanks to Douglas Davis for the introduction! Chad Brown's Website Chad Brown on Facebook Soul River Inc. Soul River Runs Deep Soul River Runs Deep on Facebook Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to help supp

If you've hung out in our Slack community for any amount of time, chances are you've encountered Paul Anthony Webb. (You might have also seen him rocking some of our merch too!) Paul's curiosity for tech and design, along with his extensive project work, definitely grabbed my attention. Having him come on the show was a no-brainer! We started off our conversation talking about how Paul first got into design, and from there we talked about his process for coming up with new ideas and creating new projects. And if you're up for a little 80's nostalgia, we go there as well. Paul feels like anything is possible on the web, so I hope this interview inspires you to feel the same way! Paul Anthony Webb's Website Paul Anthony Webb on Twitter Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to help support the movement! We're on iTunes and Stitcher as well! Visit http://revisionpath.com/iTunes or http://revisionpath.com/s

Get ready for a great conversation this week as I talk to Anne H. Berry, assistant professor of graphic design at Cleveland State University. I've been familiar with Anne's work for years; her writing at Goshen Commons about diversity and design gave me a lot to think about in the early days of Revision Path. And when she reached out to me to talk about what I was doing, I knew I had to have her on the show! We start off by talking about her current work teaching at CSU (including a concentration on typography), and from there we discuss the proliferation of Black caricatures throughout the ages and how those inform our current day perceptions and stereotypes. Anne also shares her thoughts on the role that designers should play now, and gives some of her hopes for 2017. I think you're going to get a lot out of this week's episode! Anne H. Berry's Website Anne H. Berry at Cleveland State University Anne H. Berry on LinkedIn LightBox LightBox on Facebook "Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus: Blacks

Happy New Year! 2017 is here, and we're back with a new roster of great interviews for January. First up: Boston-based architect and designer Aisha Densmore-Bey. Architecture is sometimes left out of conversations about design, so Aisha and I spend some time unpacking that notion. She also shared what she'd like to see more of from the design community, gave her thoughts on the controversial #NotMyAIA campaign, and spoke about the work she does with getting kids interested in design careers through her seminar program Future Prep 101. Aisha doesn't limit herself, and I hope you get inspired by what she's doing so you can let go of limits in 2017! Aisha Densmore-Bey's Website Aisha Densmore-Bey on Twitter Aisha Densmore-Bey on Instagram Aisha Densmore-Bey on Facebook Aisha Densmore-Bey's Line of T-shirts Future Prep 101 Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack Check out the Revision Path store and buy a t-shirt or hoodie to help support the movement! Get 17% off J

This week's episode picks up a few weeks after Qa'id Jacobs and I first talked. (If you missed Part 1 of this interview, listen to it here.) The presidential election just ended here in the U.S., and I wanted to get Qa'id's feedback on how he was feeling. What follows is pretty surprising! I ask Qa'id if he and his family are still planning to move back to the United States, and he shares his thoughts on how and what these turbulent times mean for designers and for Black Americans. It's a bit of a departure from the normal Revision Path interview, but I thought it was a fitting way to close out the year. There won't be a new episode next week, but we will be back in the saddle with new episodes beginning on January 2. See you in 2017! Qa'id Jacobs' Website Qa'id Jacobs on Instagram Qa'id Jacobs on Twitter Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack We're on iTunes and Stitcher as well! Visit http://revisionpath.com/iTunes or http://revisionpath.com/stitcher, subscribe,

I don't remember exactly how I first found out about Qa'id Jacobs, but based on our conversation, he's someone that I will never forget. Our conversation was so deep, in fact, that I wanted to make this our first two-part episode! In part one of our talk, I got to learn more about Qa'id, including what he does as a product and systems designer, how his background in music and business led him to tech and design, the myth of Black creatives fleeing to Europe for greater civility, and what eventually prompted his move overseas to The Netherlands. Stay tuned as our conversation continues next week! Qa'id Jacobs' Website Qa'id Jacobs on Instagram Qa'id Jacobs on Twitter Check out the Revision Path Store, and buy specially branded t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and tote bags to help support the show! http://revisionpath.com/store Come join the Revision Path community on Slack! http://revisionpath.com/slack We're on iTunes and Stitcher as well! Visit http://revisionpath.com/iTunes or http://revisionpath.com/stitch

We're headed back to the Caribbean this week and talking with designer and creative director Tanya Marie. Tanya is the creator of Designer Island, an online publication that curates the modern Caribbean aesthetic. We talked about why Tanya started Designer Island, and from there explored a bit about the Caribbean design aesthetic and what it means. She also shared how she first got into design, the new journey of entrepreneurship, and gave some context on what designers should know about about the Caribbean design community. Tanya's mission is about changing the way people view "made in the Caribbean", and I think you'll come away from this interview with a new and fresh perspective. Thanks Tanya! Tanya Marie's Website Designer Island Check out the Revision Path Store, and buy specially branded t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and tote bags to help support the show! http://revisionpath.com/store Get 10% off everything in our store using offer code CHRISTMAS16. Sale ends on December 5! Come join the Re