Working File

This is our last episode of Working File, at least for a little while. Linda and Maurice join Matt and Andy to go down the list of possible topics for shows that we never got to make. It's a Working File lightning round! Thanks to all of our contributors over the past year who helped make the show a reality. Links Discussed Wrist Robot Machine Learning Material Design Bootstrap Wordpress Abstract Git Frank Chimero Frank's Rowhome Illustration Official Objectified Poster Andy's...

This episode features Matt and Andy having a one-on-one conversation about the future of Working File and the difference between expressive and functional design projects. Links Discussed On the GridNumerologyThe Beginning of InfinityDavid ColeWaterfall Model

Matt is back for a lively discussion with Victoria and new contributor Daisy Sun about self-esteem and how to get a job when the world tells you that you're underqualified. Should you apply for a job if you don't meet the posted requirements? How do you break into an industry that feels elite and inaccessible to you? Is getting fired from Ben & Jerry's for being too short to scoop the ice cream technically discrimitation? Links Discussed Lord of the Rings...

Matt and Andy take an episode off and Maurice wrangles three new contributors from all over the country to discuss how geography influences design community. Richard Wade Morgan, Kim Green, and Jamal Collins call in from Atlanta, Boseman, and Clevenland, respectively, and compare their experiences as a designer in different locales. Links Discussed Studio WadeSarah LawrenceWeapons of Mass CreationAdventures in Design PodcastMontana State UniversityBora ShehuUniversity of GeorgiaLiving Walls...

Long time contributor Maurice Cherry organized this episode where Andy, Matt, and new contributor Jon Lewis discuss what it's like starting your own business as a designer. What are the reasons to start something new instead of getting a normal, stable job? What are the most difficult parts that no one ever tells you about? Links Discussed Lunch MetaLab Bakken & Bæck Million Dollar Matchmaker Elevate App Mike Monteiro

We take a break from our normal topical panel shows this week for something different. Prompted by an interview with Simon Sinek, Andy and Linda have a one-on-one discussion about our generation's attitudes towards work and social media. How does our approach to our careers differ from our parents'? Are connections made through social media less meaningful, or at least different, than those made in real life? Links Discussed Simon Sinek on Millennials in the Workplace Maslow's Hierarchy...

This episode is all about education. Andy, Matt, Meg, and Maurice share their origin stories as we discuss the differences between being self-taught and learning about design through a formal, paid program. How do you find your voice when you begin your career working for others? How do you learn humility after you've spent four years and tens of thousands of dollars becoming an expert in something? Links Discussed Working File Episode 2 — The Artist and the Problem Solver Morehouse...

Annie and Jon join us for a speculative discussion about the future of design. Will artificial intelligence and machine learning replace us in the future? How will we develop taste in automated systems? What will become of our industry when capitalism finally implodes? Links Discussed “Merlin Manndroid” AirBNB Design Artificial Intelligence Assembly Line Twitterbot Algorithm Pun Machine Learning Word Embedding Pupper2Vec: Analyzing Internet Dog Slang with Machine Learning Anthony...

On this episode, Matt, Andy, and Kristy are joined by new contributor Sabrina Majeed to discuss what it means to be senior in any field. Find out what potential employers think of your years of experience and what it means to be a mature designer. Links Discussed On Being a Senior Engineer Buzzfeed Slack Bill O'Reilly Kate Arnonwitz Hire Sabrina

This episode reunites Matt and Andy with Dan Auer, cohost of On the Grid, the podcast that eventually led to the creation of Working File. We get caught up on developments in Dan's life and discuss how we've grown and changed in the five years since we recorded the first episode of On the Grid. Links Discussed On the Grid My Brother, My Brother, and Me Andy's Garden on Instagram Cyberbullying Dreamcast Pentagram Hedonic Treadmill Burning Man Sagmeister & Walsh

Robyn and Chappell join us for an episode all about the presence or absence of “weird” sensibility in graphic design. We start off talking about the new art direction of Bloomberg Businessweek but end up discussing capitalism, Snapchat, and the SR-71 Blackbird. Links Discussed Bloomberg Businessweek Adobe Acrobat Vectors Conference Laverne and Shirley Intro Etsy PageRank Bloomberg Businessweek Tim Cook Cover Comparison️ Time Magazine Newsweek Richard Turley Snapchat Allison...

Andy and Matt are joined by Lola and Kara to answer listener questions about design managers, creative staffing agencies, how user choice affects modern product design, and of course, whether or not design can change the world. Links On a team, what do you look for in a leader/design director? How is design changing as consumers of creative content are more empowered than ever before? Skipping titles/filtering content/blocking ads Netflix is testing a button for skipping the opening...

Andy and Matt are joined by Cap and Maurice to talk about our relationship with conferences and other design events. Even though all four of us have spoken at events before, why is it that we almost never attend them ourselves? What responsibility do conference organizers and speakers have to the greater community? Links Unconference Design Thinkers (Event) Background on Maurice’s Speaking South by Southwest Psychogenic Amnesia XOXO Blacklisting Thought...

On this episode we’re tackling a potentially sensitive subject: money. Linda and Annie join Matt and Andy for a candid discussion about their past jobs and how much money they made doing them. When is it appropriate to negotiate for a higher salary, and how do you do it? Is there a difference between how much we deserve to be paid and what we’re actually paid? Links Emily Post AIGA Design Census Working File Episode 10 New York City Passes Law Banning Prior Salary Questions in Hiring...

Chappell and Robyn join us for a lively episode wherein we discuss the language we use to describe ourselves and our work. With her recent transition to the private sector, Chappell gives us her take on agency life and the vernacular associated with it. Find out why the words we use matter, even just internally. Links Sidecar Communication Studies Product Requirements Document (PRD) Huge Business Requirements Linguistic Relativity Telephone Line World of Warcraft Chicken or the...

Matt and Andy are on their own this week having a practical discussion about proposals and how we communicate with potential clients. What is the right amount of information to provide and the best way to provide it? Why do we keep sending 8.5″ by 11″ pdfs when no one is printing them out? Links Motel Friends of The Web Pentagram Adobe Creative Cloud Boilerplate Engagement Letter Google Webmaster Guidelines Responsive Design Minimum Viable Product User Story Git Screen Reader

This episode is all about our relationship with the AIGA and more general feelings about design community and discourse. Annie, Matt, and Andy are joined by new contributor Nicole Killian to discuss our relationship with the AIGA and centralized representation of our industry. Why do so many of us feel distanced from our de facto professional organization? Links AIGA 2016 Design Census The AIGA AIGA Member Benefits MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design) Walker Insights Design...

Matt and Andy are joined by Kristy Tillman and new contributor Cap Watkins to discuss design management. We learn about some of the traits of bad managers and discuss how to advocate for design within an organization. Should design work be diversified and spread throughout a company, or is specialization valuabale? Links The Seed of this Episode Soceity of Grownups Skunk Works Managing Humans by Michael Lopp George Costanza Sabrina Majeed IDEO “Stand-Up” Design Thinking Sonic...

Kara Haupt and Victoria Rushton join us on the eve of Matt’s wedding and the first day of Kara’s new job for a candid discussion about our confidence and sense of self-worth. As designers, our value is constantly measured against other designers, other industies, and our own unforgiving standards. How do we come to terms with having a creative job in a world that often feels like it’s falling apart around us? How do we know if we are doing enough? Links The New Yorker Impostor...

This marks the beginning of a conversation that we’ll be continuing in the future: the relationship between design and politics. Maurice Cherry and Robyn Kanner join us to talk about whether or not design is inherently political, turning down jobs for ethical reasons, and practical ways we can have a positive impact on the world around us. Links MyTransHealth Consulting Bias Sunk Cost RFP (Request for Proposal) Dear Design Student: How to Fight Fascism Developing Citizen...