The Creative Boom Podcast

Deliberately closing down a design studio to go freelance again, with Angela Roche

19 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It's our final guest of season five. Angela Roche is a graphic designer and creative director who runs Manchester studio, Love & Logic. We've be...

Leaving a comfortable job in graphic design to become a freelance illustrator, with Meredith Schomburg

12 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our next guest is Meredith Schomburg, a Brooklyn-based illustrator originally from North Carolina. Today, we'll be hearing about the interesting twis...

Creating a Neighbourhood Skate Club to tackle sexism & women's issues, with Lyndsay McLaren

05 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest is Lyndsay McLaren – account director at All Conditions Media and founder of Neighbourhood Skate Club. Lyndsay has spent the p...

The power of side projects and spreading positivity, with Dyneisha Gross

28 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest on is Dyneisha Gross, an American graphic designer based in Washington DC, currently working at Ogilvy, one of the most respect...

The importance of collaboration and play in creativity, with Michael Freimuth

21 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, our guest is Michael Freimuth – the co-founder and creative director of Franklyn, a respected design studio in New York City. If you fin...

Reflecting on 65 years of running a global design studio, with Tom Geismar

14 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our next guest is Tom Geismar, the acclaimed American graphic designer famous for creating some of the world's most recognisable and enduring brands. ...

Rebelling against conformity in the creative industry, with Rebecca Harrison

07 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our next guest is Rebecca Harrison, a brand designer and creative director at global agency Loveblood Creative. Today, Rebecca is based in The Lakes,...

How to promote yourself when you want to stay private online, with Muiz

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our next guest is Muiz, an art director, artist and designer from Manchester who specialises in Arabic and Latin branding, editorial and type design. ...

Preserving graphic design history for everyone, with Louise Sandhaus

23 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our next guest is the acclaimed American graphic designer, author and scholar Louise Sandhaus. A professor at the California Institute of the Arts, sh...

Building Koto's New York studio in a post-pandemic world, with Arthur Foliard

16 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest on the podcast this week is Arthur Foliard, a creative director originally from Paris who is currently based in New York City. Arthur has t...

The art of rebellion and artistic freedom, with Katie Jones

09 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest is Katie Jones, a graphic designer from Manchester. We met Katie at the Manchester School of Art, where she is currently an associat...

Tackling mental health problems in graphic design, with Graham Jones

02 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We kick off season five of The Creative Boom Podcast with a topic that is, thankfully, getting louder in the creative industries. And that's mental he...

How being an outsider shapes a meaningful path, with Simon Wheatley

10 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What does it feel like to be immersed in a scene documenting the rise of the UK's most important musical genre since punk? Simon Wheatley is an acclai...

Why honesty is better for everyone in the creative industries, with Alison Haigh

03 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We speak to many people about how they got into graphic design. But we never expect anyone to admit that a dislike of their handwriting would set them...

The business of making money as a freelance illustrator, with Aysha Tengiz

26 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

It was the picture books from her childhood that inspired our next guest to become a freelance artist. The illustrated stories sparked a passion for d...

Working with Google to teach others about fonts, with Elliot Jay Stocks

19 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Those of you who remember the glory days of web design, Web 2.0, Flash and ActionScript, when the FWA and Deviant Art were just getting started, and w...

People before profit to build a different kind of design studio, with Max Ottignon

12 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

If you've been running a design studio for quite some time and with some success, does it feel like you've been doing so for many years? Or do you fee...

How to fight for the creative career you want, with Boma Krijgsman

05 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Boma Krijgsman is a cultural champion who is currently part of the team at JDO in London. As a brand ambassador and talent manager, she helps the crea...

Finding a place in Britain to grow an agency from scratch, with Gush Mundae

29 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What was it like to move to the UK from Delhi in the 1970s, aged just five years old? For Gush Mundae, founder of creative agency Bulletproof, he felt...

A closer look at a decade spent at Pentagram, with Marina Willer

22 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest this week is Marina Willer, an award-winning graphic designer and filmmaker and one of Pentagram's many respected partners. Before joining t...

Why you don't need an industry award to be a success, with Mat Voyce

15 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Mat Voyce describes himself as a "non-award-winning" graphic and motion designer based in the UK – not only because he hasn't yet won any awards and...

How creative freelancers can avoid burnout, with Darnell Brown

08 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Darnell Brown is a growth strategist and educator based in North Carolina. Originally a graphic designer, he now helps businesses to harness their su...

Design snobbery and why we're all experts in type, with Sarah Hyndman

01 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

For episode 74, our guest is Sarah Hyndman, a graphic designer and researcher and the person behind Type Tasting – a practice that's on a mission to...

Women in tech and tackling diversity in gaming, with Constance Fleuriot

24 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We're kicking off season four of The Creative Boom Podcast with Constance Fleuriot – a writer, games developer and producer based in Bristol who run...

Discovering your superpower as an artist, with Venessa Scott

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Venessa Scott is a Manchester-based prolific artist and a specialist in creative education whose reputation and artistic practice have grown signific...

Surveillance capitalism, privacy and finding balance online, with Dave Smyth

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dave Smyth is a designer and developer based in the UK. Over the last few years, Dave has become increasingly interested in privacy and surveillance ...

Being a chronic illness activist and freelance illustrator, with Ananya Rao-Middleton

06 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ananya Rao-Middleton is a London-based freelance illustrator and chronic illness activist who uses her work to express herself post-brain injury and a...

The life of a self-taught creative who wants to live forever, with Tim Easley

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Tim Easley is an award-winning illustrator, designer and photographer from London who's probably best known for his bright palette and bold lines, as ...

How to make a difference as an illustrator, with Anoosha Syed

22 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Anoosha Syed is an illustrator and character designer for animation whose clients include Google, Netflix, and Warner Brothers. Born in Pakistan, Ano...

The power of perseverance as a creative freelancer, with Ben Tallon

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ben Tallon is an illustrator who has two decades of experience in the field with a hand-drawn style that's lively, loud and expressive. One that has ...

Building a global brand from doodling, with Amanda Rach Lee

08 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Amanda Rach Lee is an artist and digital content creator based in Toronto, Canada, who has built a successful career out of social media. It all bega...

The importance of speaking up, with Timothy Goodman

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Timothy Goodman is an award-winning designer, illustrator, muralist and author based in New York City who also teaches at the School of Visual Arts. H...

How to carve a successful career in fashion illustration, with Niki Groom

24 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Our next guest is Niki Groom, also known as Miss Magpie Spy, an award-winning fashion, beauty and lifestyle illustrator from the UK. Creating work tha...

Drawing creepy monsters to become Instagram famous, with Alex Gamsu Jenkins

24 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Alex Gamsu Jenkins is an illustrator and cartoonist from south London who graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2015 having studied Illustrat...

Lessons from the pandemic on slow living, with Gail Anderson

24 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Gail Anderson is an American graphic designer, writer and educator based in New York. Famous for her typographic works, hand-lettering and poster desi...

How to go freelance during a pandemic, with Kieron Lewis

24 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Kicking off our third season with Kieron Lewis, a south London-born freelance graphic designer, public speaker and Adobe Live Host, with a degree in G...

The joy of play and humour in graphic design, with George Simkin

11 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Graphic designer and illustrator George Simkin creates work that is bold, playful and loads of fun – pretty much a reflection of his lively persona...

Balancing motherhood with freelance illustration, with Adriana Bellet

04 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Adriana Bellet is the Stockholm-based illustrator, otherwise known as Jeez Vanilla with clients including NBC News and The Guardian. Originally from S...

How creativity and kindness can change people's lives, with Nicky Goulder

27 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nicky Goulder is the founding chief executive of Create, the UK's leading charity empowering lives through the creative arts. It all began at Nicky's ...

Representation, ditching labels and how we can spark change, with Trent Payne

20 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Trent Payne is a London-born award-winning creative who is currently the creative lead at TouchNote. During his varied career, he has run a thriving ...

The joy of community as a creative professional, with Katie Chappell

13 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Katie Chappell is a freelance illustrator specialising in 'live event' illustration for brands such as Google, Facebook and Apple. She's also one of t...

Life after freelancing and growing an agency, with William Seabrook

06 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Brand consultant William Seabrook began his career in 2002 when he graduated with a degree in Visual Communication from Birmingham City University. He...

How to be a happy creative, with Greg McIndoe

30 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Glasgow-based illustrator and design writer, Greg McIndoe, otherwise known as Headless Greg, graduated in 2020, during the height of the global pande...

Finding unexpected opportunities through connections, with Monique Henry-Hudson

23 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Filmmaker, blogger and podcaster, Monique Henry-Hudson, is currently working at Netflix Animation, runs her own podcast, and is behind Diverse Toons,...

Diversity and the creative industries, with Harkiran Kalsi

16 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

London-based graphic designer and illustrator, Harkiran Kalsi has worked for the likes of Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need. She also creates go...

How to run your own design conference, with Luke Tonge

09 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Luke Tonge is a freelance graphic designer and art director based in Birmingham and also one of the co-founders of Birmingham Design Festival. Here, w...

Making higher education accessible for everyone, with Stacie Woolsey

02 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Anthropological Future Designer Stacie Woolsey is the founder of Make Your Own Masters – an alternative post-graduate learning experiment that she...

Sparking a more diverse creative industry, with Shanti Sparrow

25 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning graphic designer and illustrator Shanti Sparrow is also Global Head of Teaching at Shillington, which teaches the next generation of g...

The life of an in-house graphic designer over 25 years, with Damian Graham

18 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Graphic designer Damian Graham has spent the last 25 years becoming a specialist in his field, creating entire collections for names such as Speedo, ...

Reflecting on a year of change and embracing a slower pace, with Oliver Jeffers

11 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Visual artist and author, Oliver Jeffers chats about how the events of last year affected him, putting a family round-the-world trip on hold. We also...

Why confidence only comes from embracing the real you, with Dani Molyneux

04 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dani Molyneux is a typographic artist and designer based in Manchester. She's also the founder of design studio, Dotto, which turns four this year. H...

The adventure of moving a design studio to Lisbon, with Cat How

28 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Cat How is a creative director and co-founder of How&How, a creative agency based in Lisbon and London. Here, we talk about Cat's adventurous spi...

How to stay grounded as a creative, with Abiola Ogunbiyi

22 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Abiola Ogunbiyi is an actress, musician, writer and filmmaker based in London who also works as a career strategy and creative practice coach for prof...

A love of teaching and home garage exhibitions, with Erik Brandt

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Erik Brandt is an acclaimed graphic designer and educator who's been active since the mid-90s. He began his career as a cartoonist in Japan where he d...

Why your health depends on following your dreams, with Murugiah

08 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week's guest is Murugiah, the award-winning artist and designer who creates surreal and colourful artworks for Apple, Disney and Marvel. Born an...

What it’s really like to direct your own films, with Izzy Burton

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Izzy Burton is an award-winning director, illustrator, author and lead artist at Netflix Animation. Based in Brighton, she directs short films, draws...

The magic of discovering your 'why’, with Ashwin Chacko

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Ashwin Chacko is an illustrator, designer and hand-letterer based in Dublin who loves to bring the world together through his positive art. Born in In...

Finding joy in belonging and embracing the ‘now’, with Morag Myerscough

15 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning designer and artist Morag Myerscough's work is instantly recognisable, positive and colourful – rooted in the idea of joy and belongi...

What it takes to become a successful artist, with Amrit Singh

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Amrit Singh, aka Mr A Singh, is an award-winning artist based in Birmingham and the creative director and founder of creative agency, Rebel Creative...

The magic of designing film props for Wes Anderson, with Annie Atkins

01 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Annie Atkins is the much-loved graphic props designer who has the dream job we all want and is most famous for her work on Wes Anderson's The Grand Bu...

Why designers must not stay silent, with Harrison Wheeler

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Harrison Wheeler is a UX Design Manager at LinkedIn in Silicon Valley. For the last 15 years, his diverse career has taken him from freelancing and l...

How to find your creative superpower, with Meg Lewis

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On a mission to make the world a happier place, Meg Lewis is a designer, comedian, performer and educator who will put a smile on your face. With clie...

Why courage, not confidence, is the key to success, with Debbie Millman

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One of today's most influential designers, Debbie Millman is also the host of Design Matters with previous guests including Milton Glaser and Barbara ...

Twenty years of DixonBaxi and all its lessons, with Simon Dixon

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Simon Dixon is the co-founder of DixonBaxi, one of the world's most respected brand and design consultancies, boasting clients as big as Netflix, AC M...

Diversity in publishing and turning Disney down twice, with Dapo Adeola

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Dapo Adeola is an award-winning designer and illustrator who creates fun and upbeat characters and images that challenge expectations around gender an...

Pivoting work to focus on graphic art, with Sarah Boris

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Sarah Boris is an award-winning graphic designer, creative director and artist based in London who's worked with some of the world's leading publishin...

Graduating as a creative during a global pandemic, with Kofi Nelson

26 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Manchester-based multidisciplinary artist Kofi Nelson has just graduated in graphic design from the University of Salford and is also a music produce...

Aardman, creative passions, and taking time to learn, with Gavin Strange

19 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

By day, Gavin Strange is a director and designer for Aardman Animations in Bristol, the people behind Wallace and Grommit, and Shaun the Sheep. By ni...

Finding a love of design through data at ustwo, with Neef Rehman

12 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Neef Rehman is a web developer and designer, working at ustwo in London, the digital agency famous for its award-winning Monument Valley game. He's ...

Discovering your creative calling, with Danielle Rhoda

05 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Describing herself as a "maker of things", Danielle Rhoda is a freelance illustrator and animator based in Manchester, UK. Originally from Poland and ...

How to survive your first year of freelancing, with Robert Lomas

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Known for producing bold and colourful work full of optimism, Robert Lomas is an independent designer working across animation, illustration and bra...

Switching to motion design and doing what you love, with Dan Silverstone

21 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dan Silverstone started out as a graphic designer at a "safe" council job before he found the courage to leave and join GRIN, a creative studio in Bir...

Redefining success and building your own table, with Sophie Amono

14 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sophie Amono is a qualified journalist, marketing specialist, and founder of social media agency, Stuffs. Originally from London, she began her career...

Overcoming burnout and moving north for a better life, with Michael C Place

07 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Michael C Place is a Yorkshire-born graphic designer, creative director and founder of the successful design studio, Build. Prior to setting up his ow...

Tackling a lack of diversity in design, with Eve Warren & Anna Wanczyk

31 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Graphic designers and friends Eve Warren and Anna Wanczyk have recently joined forces to launch the first chapter in Yorkshire of Kerning the Gap, a ...

How to market yourself as a designer, with Craig Black

24 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Known for his bold and innovative typographic artworks, Craig Black is a Scottish-born designer, lettering artist and typographer whose worked tirele...

The highs and lows of freelance illustration, with Ana Jaks

17 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Illustrator Ana Jaks creates work that is full of shape, colour, pattern and inclusivity. Originally from the Isle of Man, she went to Falmouth Univer...

Why graphic designers should break the mould, with Craig Oldham

10 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Award-winning British designer Craig Oldham is behind Office of Craig, the creative studio based in Manchester. He's also written a few books, notably...

How to find your creative voice, with Lisa Congdon

03 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Lisa Congdon is an artist of many talents. Based in Portland, Oregon, she does everything from fine art to illustration, but is best known for her col...

How to run a lean design studio and stay deliberately small, with Loz Ives

26 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Loz Ives is a Manchester-based graphic designer, typographer and illustrator, and one of the co-founders of Fieldwork – a digital and branding agenc...

The wild story behind Shangri-La at Glastonbury, with Kaye Dunnings

19 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Kaye Dunnings is the creative director of Shangri-La at Glastonbury Festival, which was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary this June until it was p...

Opening up as a male designer to tackle mental health, with Jordan Yates

12 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jordan Yates is a Manchester-based designer, illustrator and animator who's recently gone freelance. As well as navigating the world of self-employmen...

Moving to Australia for a new role at Design Studio, with Katie Cadwell

05 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Katie Cadwell is a Welsh-born, Falmouth-raised designer, who worked for Supple Studio in Bath until recently. She's just left the UK to join Design St...

How a quiet childhood in China inspired a dazzling career, with Zipeng Zhu

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Zipeng Zhu is a designer, illustrator and animator living in Brooklyn. Chinese-born, he's been in the States since moving to New York in 2009 to study...

How to keep a calm head in illustration, with Abbey Lossing

23 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Illustrator and animator Abbey Lossing is known for her delightful portraits of people, working for clients such as Google, Facebook, and The Washingt...

Surviving as a funny introvert in New York City, with Jon Burgerman

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

New York-based British artist Jon Burgerman reveals his love of googly eyes and his sense of humour, plus we hear tips on making it as an independent ...

Overcoming loss and why family comes first, with Liam Hopkins & Claire McDivitt

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

British artist and designer Liam Hopkins is the man behind Lazerian, a creative studio in Manchester with clients including Bloomberg, Virgin and Habi...

Warp, Wipeout and thirty years of The Designers Republic, with Ian Anderson

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Ian Anderson is one of the co-founders of The Designers Republic, the iconic studio known for its electronic music logos, album artwork and "anti-esta...

Starting a global eco movement through illustration, with Emma Reynolds

24 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Emma Reynolds is a freelance children's book illustrator and author based in Manchester. She's also behind the global #KidLit4Climate campaign which ...

Big regrets, being different and discovering life begins at 50, with Rankin

17 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Rankin is the British photographer, publisher and film director renowned for his portraits of Bowie and Bjork, and for being co-founder of Dazed &...

Entering the creative industry after graduation, Jaheed Hussain & Yasmin Banks

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jaheed Hussain and Yasmin Banks are Salford University graduates in graphic design and have recently entered the working world as freelancers. On the ...

Being a woman in design and driving positive change, with Jane Bowyer

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jane Bowyer is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Manchester, and the person behind Women in Print, a side project that opened many doors for...

Friendship, big breaks, and taming the ego, with Barney Ibbotson & Stanley Chow

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

British illustrators Barney Ibbotson and Stanley Chow both grew up in Manchester, and went to the same school where they became life-long friends. The...

How to maintain creative integrity as an illustrator, with Lisa Maltby

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Sheffield-based freelance designer, illustrator and lettering artist Lisa Maltby is a force for good in supporting the creative community. In 2019, sh...

Why you have to be careful with words in graphic design, with Anthony Burrill

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Graphic artist, print-maker and design Anthony Burrill is probably best known for his typographic prints and posters, including the now-famous 'Work H...

Album covers, painted jeans and a love of Manchester, with Malcolm Garrett

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

British designer Malcolm Garrett talks about designing album covers for bands like Buzzcocks, Duran Duran, and Peter Gabriel in the 1980s. He also sh...