Create great. – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, I got to talk to James Kape founder and co-creative director at https://www.omse.co – A creative studio combining strategy and design to craft simple, striking brands.

We spoke about his design journey the different decisions made along with the ups and downs of owning and running a studio.

I'd like to thank James for his honest and open conversation, so great insights and stories were shared.

This edition of Create Great features the wonderful Mike Abbink, In August 2020, Mike joined IBM Software as Executive Creative Director and focused on the ⁠Carbon Design System⁠ which we talked about and also looked back at his design journey and the studios he's worked in and helped set up a truly inspirational conversation.

I had a great time talking to Mike and I hope you enjoy the conversation and insights.

My guest joining me today is Michael C Place, founder and Creative Director of Studio Build. 

Studio Build is an award-winning creative agency with an international reputation for creating strong visual narratives. 

Michael has worked with Nike, Made, The Stow Brothers and Generation Press, amongst others. 

I first met Micheal at an ‘twitter meet up’ in Shoreditch London probably back in 2015? It was the first time we had met, and found out that we both really like Duval, which is probably one of the best beers and beer logos out there. 

He’s worked with many talented clients such as Gary Hustwit who directed such great creative films from Objectified, Urbanized and Helvetica to name a few. 

My guest this week is Joy Nazzari, founder of the creative brand and design consultancy dn&co. dn&co are a dedicated team of experts, specialising in culture and place who work closely with corporate clients, museums and neighbourhoods.

Joy not only runs dn&co, but also has a tech startup called Showhere and a publishing imprint called Place Press She is also a fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and a trustee at Design South East.

Together we talk about how she got into placemaking, her many achievements and how she set a 100% employee owned consultancy.

My first guest is somebody I’ve got to know recently, Paul Blackburn. Paul is the founder of Studio Blackburn, an international brand strategy and design studio. They inspire desire for brands and businesses that improve peoples' lives.

Recently Studio Blackburn rebranded SO Energy and their great print and digital campaign called ‘We mean Green’ which ran for eight weeks used to promote the environmental benefits of rail travel during COP26… which when posted on Instagram few ‘creatives’ reacted to.

Together we talk about his journey into design, the ups and downs of running a successful studio and share advice for all of us creatives. 

I caught up with Andrew Vucko founder and CD of motion studio VUCKO, a global studio that builds transformative motion identities, systems, and applications for leading brands. We spoke about his design journey and some of the recent brand-led motion projects and processes.

I'd like to thank Andrew for the great conversation – really enjoyed this one.

So it's been a while since my last podcast, but time flies when you're having fun. This podcast was on the cards for a while but I was so pleased to be able to head to North to record the conversation in person.

A massive thank you to Sean, Stephen & Jeremy for this episode, we cover the start of North some projects that I still hold up as a massive influence on me, (RAC Identity Programme) and talked about the last project I featured here Factory International a collaboration between North and Peter Saville

Today’s podcast guests are the creative duo of Simon Dixon & Aprova Baxi and otherwise known as DixonBaxi.

A global brand agency, the team at DixonBaxi use creativity to design a better future for brands that seek to challenge convention. This includes the likes of Hulu, AT&T, ViacomCBS, British Land, V&A, IMAX, Channel 4, Netflix and AC Milan.

DixonBaxi believe In a world that’s moving faster than ever before, the stakes for brands have never been higher. 

Today’s podcast guest is Giles Duley – CEO of the Legacy of War Foundation and an activist for the rights of those living with disability.

Giles is a portrait and documentary photographer, writer, and presenter. Duley also cooks, and writes about food and food politics, under the name The One Armed Chef.

The first time I got to know Giles, was when he kindly came into the studio to talk about his humanitarian work. It was a very powerful and challenging experience that will stay with me forever.

Storytelling and compassion is key to his work, and it’s reflected in everything he creates.

Welcome to the first episode of 2023! Today’s podcast guest is Thomas Kurppa, Chief Creative Officer & Co-founder of the superb Kurppa Hosk.Kurppa Hosk is a brand agency with 80+ employees and offices in Stockholm and New York. We solve complex business problems by combining the sharpest strategic minds with the best designers in the industry. They collaborate with brave organisations – from early stage startups, to some of the world's most admired companies.The first time I got to know Kurppa Hosk was probably 10 years ago, I remember even to this day how great the work was. Whether it's branding work or typography there’s always the perfect balance between serious and fun.