Anna Charity on Headspace, sex, death and character design
Release Date: 12/07/2022
Indy Johar on Dark Matter Labs and reimagining our society.
On Design with Justyna Green
Indy Johar is the Executive Director of Dark Matter Labs, an organization dedicated to exploring the complexities of living systems and pioneering new frameworks for societal organization. Indy shares his insights into reimagining society and reshaping the rules and structures we live by, inviting us to consider alternative pathways that prioritize equity, resilience, and environmental harmony. Throughout our conversation, Indy challenges conventional approaches, examining how we might collectively design a future that moves beyond outdated paradigms and short-term thinking. This...
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Sebastian Curi on effort, learning from others and always evolving.
On Design with Justyna Green
Sebastian Curi is an illustrator, graphic designer, painter, and animator. But don’t let that overwhelm you—he’s a wonderful, down-to-earth person. In our conversation, he openly shares his career path, what he’s learned along the way, and the role of learning itself, a major theme in our discussion. Sebastian highlights not only the importance of continuous learning but also the joy it brings. He reminds us that hitting 30 or approaching 40 doesn’t mean you’re stuck or a “finished” creative who will never evolve. It's a motivating listen to keep going and keep honing our...
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Jess Gilliam on Giphy, craft, play and coming back home to yourself.
On Design with Justyna Green
Listen now on and Jess Gilliam is the Brand Creative Director at Giphy. She’s also an artist and maker, whose creative output is full of joy and play. In our conversation, Jess offers her thoughts on being an artist in the modern world, with the constant push and pull of having a 'grown-up' job versus making art that’s linked to your sense of being a playful child. We also discuss the pressures of being an adult and having a so-called proper job. Jess also shares her journey of coming back to herself and unlocking her creativity, mirrored by her move from New York back home to...
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Tim Soar on Soar Running, failure and navigating your creative path.
On Design with Justyna Green
Tim Soar is the founder of Soar Running. His diverse professional journey spans collaboration with renowned designer Neville Brody, establishing his own fashion label, and over a decade in the music industry as a DJ. His discovery of running marked a pivotal shift in his life, particularly as he navigated the profound grief of losing a family member. It also led to the founding of Soar Running, a technical running apparel brand that has quickly become the go-to for runners who value both high-performance gear and a modern, clean aesthetic. Tim’s narrative is one of resilience, curiosity, and...
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Sachini Imbuldeniya on House of Oddities, advertising and celebrating the rebels.
On Design with Justyna Green
Sachini Imbuldeniya is the co-founder of the creative agency House of Oddities. Sachini’s career has spanned multiple creative fields, from her editorial work at News UK to helping launch their illustration agency, Studio Pi. Our conversation delves into the challenges faced by those who break the mold in the advertising world and the pivotal role that rebels and disruptors play in reimagining the future. It’s a thought-provoking dialogue, full of insights about storytelling, creativity, and challenging the status quo. -- Discover Shillington is an online graphic design school I...
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Jonny Tansley on Durex, innovation and responsible design
On Design with Justyna Green
Jonny Tansley is the Global Design Lead at Durex. In our conversation Jonny opens up about how strategic design choices can significantly influence consumer behavior, sharing compelling examples like addressing the challenge of "shelf shame"—the hesitation consumers feel when purchasing personal products. We also explore the balance between maintaining a strong global brand identity and adapting to local cultural nuances and we discuss the contrasting realms of working in-house versus freelancing. Jonny provides valuable insights into how these different professional environments impact...
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Charlene Prempeh on A Vibe Called Tech, authentic storytelling and non-linear careers.
On Design with Justyna Green
Charlene Prempeh is the founder of A Vibe Called Tech, a creative agency that approaches creativity through an intersectional lens. She’s also a writer - her first book Now You See Me: An Introduction to 100 Years of Black Design was published last year and she’s also a contributing editor at the Financial Times. In our conversation, we discuss Charlene's career path, the non linear careers and lives, and how they’re completely valid and often extremely rich and varied. We discuss the importance of storytelling and doing it authentically, and how brands can show up for creatives of all...
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Amy Houston on The Drum, advertising, humour and ethics.
On Design with Justyna Green
Amy Houston is a senior reporter at The Drum - a leading online platform covering marketing, advertising, and creativity. Amy is well known in the industry for her insightful analysis and reporting that understands the complex dynamics between consumer demands and brand innovation. In our conversation, Amy shares her insights into the advertising industry, and observations on how the shifting consumer behavior is reshaping the marketplace. We also discuss the role of innovation in advertising, and the importance of humor as a tool for connection - brands that leverage wit and creativity often...
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Hiroki Asai on Airbnb, optimism and bringing people together.
On Design with Justyna Green
Hiroki Asai is the head of creative and marketing at Airbnb, where he leads the company’s creative vision and brand strategy. In our conversation, we dive into his early career at Apple and explore the significance of in-house creative teams and their influence on maintaining brand integrity in fast-paced industries. Our conversation moves into the challenges Airbnb faced during the global pandemic and Hiroki also shares insights into Airbnb’s recent launch of ICONS, a curated collection of extraordinary stays—from the whimsical house from Pixar’s Up to The X-Mansion. Beyond...
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Wilfrid Wood on portraiture, sculpture, and being an artist
On Design with Justyna Green
Wilfrid Wood is a London-based artist specializing in portraiture, most known for his drawings as well as clay and plasticine sculptures. He trained in graphics at Central Saint Martins and got into sculpture after building later heads for the satirical TV show Spitting Image. In our conversation we discuss Wilfrid’s influences, learn out about his relationship – both artistic and romantic – with Theo, and explore the essence of being an artist. We discuss Wilfrid’s approach to capturing his portrait subjects’ essence and Wilfrid also reflects on the multi-medium aspect of his...
info_outlineAnna Charity is a freelance creative director. She was also the first head of design at Headspace, who established the headspace brand we know and love, and for the past three years, she’s been heading up design at Kama - a sexual wellness business that sees pleasure as an important part of our health.
In our conversation, we talk about branding and design for things that are invisible - like meditation and also for topics that are sensitive - like sex. We discuss how to create brands that are inclusive and diverse and how to talk about matters linked to our well-being in an empathetic and sensitive way.
In the second half of the podcast, we further explore the theme of creating visual stories for matters that many people experience, but are rarely talked about - Anna opens up about her miscarriages and also shares her story of reconnecting with her father after 30 years. It’s an honest conversation infused with a lot of optimism and hope.
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Anna’s website: annacharity.com
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This season of the On Design podcast is brought to you by The Conran Shop. Visit conranshop.com today to immerse yourself in the world of design.
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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield
Production: Green Podcast Productions