Welcome to the 2024 Season of AIGA Design Podcast: MARGINS

Pivoting your Creative Business with Matthew McIver

What does an evolving design studio look like and how do you make money while maintaining your passion?

In this episode, AIGA Member Matthew McIver, a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, unravel the intricacies of pivoting business models and pricing strategies. Join us as we we explore Matthew's entrepreneurial journey over the past 15 years, uncovering valuable lessons learned and the evolution of Commence Studio's approach to business and client relationships.

Topics include:

1️⃣ Entrepreneurial journey: Explore the lessons learned and key milestones that shaped Commence Studio's evolution.

2️⃣ Navigating margins and profitability: Dive into the strategies for managing both creative and financial margins to foster maximum creativity and business success.

3️⃣ Business model pivots: Learn how Commence Studio adapted its pricing strategies to meet the changing demands of the market.

💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard.

🎧 Learn more about Matthew's agency journey here.

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Clip: Margins and Padding of Running a Studio with Matt McIver

In this preview clip, Matthew McIver and Lee-Sean Huang, AIGA's senior director of learning and programs, discuss the important role of financial margins and padding in business. The AIGA Design Podcast will be going on a brief mid-season spring hiatus and return with our full episode with Matthew on May 20, 2024.

💼 Matthew McIver is a creative entrepreneur and owner of Commence Studio based in Reno, Nevada. Commence Studio is a B2B Brand and E-commerce Agency that helps purpose-driven companies be seen & heard.

📫 Subscribe to AIGA newsletters for the latest podcast and content news.

Crafting a Career Roadmap with Sarah Doody

How do you package your unique career journey?

In this episode, Sarah Doody, founder of Career Strategy Lab™, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA, delve into the intricacies of crafting a career roadmap to navigate your professional journey. Join us as we explore the importance of setting short and long-term goals, building your compass statement, and leveraging unique strategies to stand out in the design industry.

Topics include:

1️⃣ Crafting a career roadmap: Discover the value of setting short and long-term goals to guide your professional journey.

2️⃣ Building your compass statement: Learn how to articulate your vision and filter opportunities that align with your career aspirations.

3️⃣ The power of anti-networking: Explore strategies for building meaningful relationships and standing out in a crowded job market.

🤝 Sarah Doody is the founder of Career Strategy Lab™, a program that helps UX and product professionals at all career stages navigate their job search and articulate their skills and experience through individualized and group coaching. She is also the host of the Career Strategy Lab podcast.

Since 2021, professionals who have worked with Sarah have increased their salaries by 40% on average and have been hired at prestigious brands such as Microsoft, Amazon, Salesforce, Nordstrom, Spotify, Blue Origin on average in 3.5 months. The program has been so successful since it’s launch that the combined salary of program graduates hired topped nearly $6 million.

Sarah has been named a Future of Work expert by Forbes and is a regular Forbes.com contributor. She has also been featured in Fast Company, Insider, Fox Business, and more. Sarah is also to author her first book, The Product of You: How to Design, Market, and Sell Yourself in Your Career, forthcoming in 2024.

✨ Connect with Sarah on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Twitter.

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Clip: Designing Your Career with Sarah Doody

On the next episode of the AIGA Design Podcast, guest Sarah Doody discusses applying product design principles to your career, crafting a career roadmap, and more. Full episode release: March 18, 2024.

🤝 Sarah Doody is the founder of Career Strategy Lab, a program that helps UX and product professionals at all career stages navigate their job search and articulate their skills and experience through individualized and group coaching. She is also the host of the Career Strategy Lab podcast.

Topics include:

1️⃣ Crafting a career roadmap: Discover the value of setting short and long-term goals to guide your professional journey.

2️⃣ Building your compass statement: Learn how to articulate your vision and filter opportunities that align with your career aspirations.

3️⃣ The power of anti-networking: Explore strategies for building meaningful relationships and standing out in a crowded job market.

Why design research is stuck with Danny Spitzberg and Humphrey Obuobi

Has design research hit a plateau?

In this episode, Danny Spitzberg and Humphrey Obuobi, two design researchers in the San Francisco Bay Area, and Lee-Sean Huang, senior director of learning and programs at AIGA delve into the challenges and explore the gap between personal and professional learning in design research.

Topics include:

1. the value of co-design catchphrases and why they keep resurfacing

2. the challenges and rewards of collaborating with marginalized communities on designing solutions that address their needs

3. how design and policy can intersect more effectively to address social challenges and promote equity

🔍 Danny Spitzberg, a user research expert in the cooperative economy, co-founded the Workers’ Algorithm Observatory. He sheds light on auditing algorithms for workers and allies, advocating for concrete improvements in digital technology standards.

🔍 Humphrey Obuobi, founder of LETS Studio, focuses on building infrastructure for a healthier democracy. A student-researcher with UC Berkeley’s Possibility Lab, Humphrey is dedicated to local, community-powered social innovation.

📖 Read Danny and Humphrey's Q&A article published on AIGA.org

🙋 LETS Studio, Humphrey's professional practice, invites collaborations and volunteers at letsstudio.org.

🔬 The Workers’ Algorithm Observatory advocates for algorithmic accountability; explore their studies at wao.cs.princeton.edu.

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