The Studeo Podcast – Creative Thinking & Strategic Design (Ilya Lobanov)

Join Gianluca Cinquepalmi @glc.live and me, as we discuss creativity for designers as well as the mindset shift required to be a successful creative in the 21st century and beyond. 

A Banker turned Brand Designer, Fabian Zöller and I discussed changing careers, working as an in-house designer, and the differences between agency and in-house work, and so much more. ⠀⠀⠀

Thierry Brunfaut @thierrybrunfaut is the Founding Partner and Creative Director of Base Design – an international network of studios based in Brussels, New York, Geneva, and Melbourne. Thierry shared his view on the skillset designers should have to be successful, along with many other golden nuggets he's learned in the 30 years of Base Design.

The Studeo Podcast is a show for ambitious creatives who want to learn more about creative thinking and strategic design.

A series of live conversations I host on a weekly basis on my Instagram account, @wearestudeo, where I invite a range of creative leaders and other interesting speakers to talk about topics such as creativity, mindset, and leadership skills. So if you’d like to catch the next conversation live, be sure to follow me on Instagram.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Melinda Livsey is on a mission to help graphic designers get paid to think. You might know her from her Brand Strategy Bootcamp or from being a co-host of @thefuturishere with @thechrisdo. I'm really excited to have had the chance to talk with her! Join Melinda @melindalivsey and me as we discuss presenting client work, thinking strategically, and other questions we took on the live call.

Join me for this conversation with Kwan Harsono @brandingconsultant.

Kwan has been in the branding/marketing industry for over 23 years. He is the founder of consulting and branding agency @BedrockAsia in Indonesia, a Transformation Speaker & Coach, 6x Founder & Serial Entrepreneur, and has designed for and worked with such brands as Hawaiian Air, Domino Pizza and Jiffy Lube brand in USA.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Have your voice heard on the podcast.

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else.
https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

Alex Antolino has had a really varied experience in the creative industry. From film making and music to now being a Creative Director at @typeform. And I was super interested in his journey, filled with Curiosity for life and the openness to dive into each craft, despite uncertainties. We discussed the power of Curiosity for Designers, and how it can help you become a more confident creative, and a lot of other mindset driven tools to help designers with self-confidence.

I don't need to give much introduction to James Martin, aka @made.by.james aka Baby Giant!  He is a prolific logo designer and somewhat of a cult figure amongst logo designers.  I've wanted to pick James' brain about his process for quite some time now. And while I have seen plenty of videos about his logo process, I want to know even more about the mindset that it takes to have such consistency of creating great logos. AND what it takes to generate robust and novel ideas for his clients, on the regular.

Jeremy Mura @thejeremymura is a Brand Designer who is well known within the Instagram design community. Not least for his prolific content and course creation schedule. If you've been thinking about creating your own course, you won't want to miss this one!

The Studeo Podcast is a show for ambitious creatives who want to learn more about creative thinking and strategic design.

A series of live conversations I host on a weekly basis on my Instagram account, @wearestudeo, where I invite a range of creative leaders and other interesting speakers to talk about topics such as creativity, mindset, and leadership skills. So if you’d like to catch the next conversation live, be sure to follow me on Instagram.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Have your voice heard on the podcast.

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else.
https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

What is the difference between a brand, branding, and brand strategy?

Unless you work in the industry, I think it would be safe to say that you probably use those terms interchangeably. More alarming than that though, even some industry experts confuse or Frankenstein those terms together.

This was partially why both myself, Stef Hamerlinck, Rob Meyerson and Reagan McKrill have formed the Big Brand Debate. So that we can discuss topics such as these live on air, with other people able to contribute their voices.

In this episode of The Studeo Podcast, I summarise and break down the key concepts we'd discussed as well as the main takeaways.

The Studeo Podcast is a show for ambitious creatives who want to learn more about creative thinking and strategic design.

A series of live conversations I host on a weekly basis on my Instagram account, @wearestudeo, where I invite a range of creative leaders and other interesting speakers to talk about topics such as creativity, mindset, and leadership skills. So if you’d like to catch the next conversation live, be sure to follow me on Instagram.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Have your voice heard on the podcast.

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else.
https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

In this last episode of Season 3, I wanted to thank you all for tuning in and to do a 'Best of' episode. For those who might be new to the podcast, this would be a good way to introduce you to some of the earlier guests you might have missed.

Following this episode, there will be a break, during which I will be reviewing the ongoing strategic direction for it. I'd love for you to help me decide the format for the podcast going forward. 

Should I carry on with the 1hr guest episodes? 

Should I do shorter episodes with more specific and actionable tips and tricks? 

A Q&A format answering your questions? 

All of the above? Something else?

To participate in the conversation and help shape the future of the Studeo Podcast, become a Studeo Insider at go.studeo.com.au/join or send through a voice note with your feedback at https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

Lisa Jacobs @lisajacobsdesign is a Freelance Brand Designer & Illustrator based in the Netherlands whom I’ve been following for a while on Instagram. Her work is clean, considered, and thoughtful. I’ve also always enjoyed listening to her thoughts whenever she jumps on Instagram Live or a podcast.

We chat about her journey and what she has found to be useful for her growth as a designer and a creative. Including investing in coaching and investing in yourself in general.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

More value for Studeo Insiders, join at go.studeo.com.au/join

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else. https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

I was really excited to chat with Rob Meyerson from @howbrandsarebuilt because he's had an impressive career working for some of the largest global brand agencies like Siegel+Gale, FutureBrand, and Interbrand, just to name a few. In this all-encompassing chat, we've talked about naming brands, brand strategy, and the relationship between strategy and design.

I've known James Eccleston @bridgestudiobranding for a while (in internet terms). We've met each other as we both have online courses and both have background and passion for both Branding and UX! And this was a super insightful and fun conversation indeed! Learn more about topics such as Discovery, Research, Brand Personality, and more.

Join Fabrice Pöhlmann @fabrice_poehlmann and me as we discuss his journey from Graphic Design to founding his UX agency, and what he’d learnt along the way, tips for designers who want to transition to UX/UI, and more.

Join me and Reagan (Frank) Mackrill @gdayfrank as we discuss the future of personal branding, what it might mean for the branding industry as a whole, and covering some live questions as well.

Bill Kenney is the co-founder of @focuslabllc, a Brand Agency that I have been following keenly for years – so I was thrilled when Bill reached out to me to have a discussion. Join Bill and me as we discuss probably the most common and talked about topic for freelancers – finding clients.

The Big Brand Debate: Episode 3 - Brand Personalities

Rob Meyerson @howbrandsarebuilt , Stef Hamerlinck @letstalkbranding and a Ilya Lobanov @wearestudeo discuss Brand Personality frameworks and their possible benefits and disadvantages for us as Brand Builders. Do consumers care about them?

In this episode of The Studeo Podcast, I summarise and break down the key concepts we'd discussed, key takeaways, and some additional thoughts.

The Studeo Podcast is a show for ambitious creatives who want to learn more about creative thinking and strategic design.

A series of live conversations I host on a weekly basis on my Instagram account, @wearestudeo, where I invite a range of creative leaders and other interesting speakers to talk about topics such as creativity, mindset, and leadership skills. So if you’d like to catch the next conversation live, be sure to follow me on Instagram.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Have your voice heard on the podcast.

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else. https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

Branding and re-branding is what many of us do as designers, but for larger organisations, rebranding can actually be a huge risk. We need to be aware of the cost and brand implications when many assets need to be considered. Join Stef Hamerlinck and I for this episode, where we're tackling the topic of Rebranding and more!

Armin Vit @arminvit is the co-founder of UnderConsideration @ucllc, a graphic design firm. He's also an editor and writer for Brand New, where he reviews corporate and brand identity design work. If you are a brand designer, you likely visit this resource religiously, equally for the design inspiration and for Armin's top-notch break-downs of each brand identity design.

We chat about the journey of launching UnderConsideration as a 'side brand' and how 15 years later it serves as his main source of income. What are some technical aspects of building something new? What can Armin share about building a brand?

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

More value for Studeo Insiders, join at go.studeo.com.au/join

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else. https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

Brittni Bowering @brittnibowering knows a thing about running workshops. Whether that's in person or remotely. And as we are finding ourselves in a situation where remote presentations and online workshops are becoming the norm, I got excited to talk to Brittni about running Workshops online and making sure that everyone gets a ton of value from it!

Mark Pollard @markpollard is a Brand Strategist with big ideas – having tuned into several chats where he spoke on Clubhouse I really resonated with his thoughts around generating ideas and working strategically.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Have your voice heard on the podcast.

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else.
https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

Michael Janda doesn’t need any special introductions. He's an established author and leader for creatives worldwide. In this latest episode of The Studeo Podcast, you will learn about the sales process and workflow for Freelancers and Creative Entrepreneurs. We've also discussed plenty of other hot topics, including presenting prices, price bracketing, proposals, and other tips and tricks for ambitious creatives.

Gabriel Aguero from @dropmusicbranding connected with me a while back – and I loved his energy and approach right away. I quickly recognised, he's got a superpower of networking. When we were discussing Gab appearing on the show, I almost instantly knew that this would be a great topic to discuss with him!

We can all become a little bit better at networking, in order to attract new prospects, new clients, but also new opportunities. Sometimes even some unexpected life-changing events.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Have your voice heard on the podcast.

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else.
https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message

Join me and Ismail El Azizi @ismail_elazizi as we discuss his journey of self-education and learning from his design mistakes and challenges, as well as the merit of design education as a whole.

Ironically, we as creatives and brand specialists often find it the most difficult to position and 'brand' ourselves. Of course, we know the tools, but sometimes it can be difficult to 'read the label when you're inside the bottle'. Claudia Mayer and I tackled the topic of figuring out your interests and passions, key values, your ambition, and connecting those to a key target group (niche) with your value proposition.

A few months ago I jokingly suggested to Stef Hamerlinck that we should stage a live discussion on the branding topics we often debated on. Fast forward to today, and we made it happen – huge thanks to Stef for setting up all the technical aspects, artwork and organising us all to actually make this a reality! In this episode, I summarise and break down the key concepts we'd discussed as well as the main takeaways and book suggestions!

Join Hadeel Sayed Ahmad @hadeelsahmad and me as we discuss all things logo design and branding, as well as the strategic decisions behind design, brand discovery, brand identity process, and a lot more.

Join Matt Davies @mrmattdavies and me for another episode of The Studeo Podcast. I've originally come across Matt's work through his podcast 'Just Branding', which he runs with another prominent design leader – Jacob Cass. And I've found Matt to be straight to the point, no-nonsense kind of guy when it comes to sharing his opinion on all topics brand related. I immediately thought that he would be a great guest, and together we do a deep dive on gaining client's trust, as well as standing your ground and handling client push back or resistance. 

Live conversation with Joel Pilger @joelpilger.

In a former life Joel helmed the miracle-making studio Impossible Pictures where he and his team won numerous Emmy, Addy, and Promax awards… and had a blast. Today, Joel helps emerging creative studios become industry leaders. We will be discussing whatever we manage to cover around positioning. Positioning is a vital component for success, and it's a huge topic for creatives.

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please leave a review, as it would mean the world to me to hear your feedback, and it would also help tremendously to get the podcast heard by more ambitious creatives like yourself.

Remember, the world needs your creativity, and you have the power to ignite it.

Have your voice heard on the podcast.

For a chance to have your voice heard, send through a voice note with your feedback about the podcast, a tip, a question, or something else. https://anchor.fm/thestudeopodcast/message