64 episodes

“Did I Do That?” is a podcast about graphic designers—the ups and down they face in creative practice, because making design means making lots (and lots) mistakes. Every other Thursday, host Sean Schumacher (Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Portland State University) is joined by a guest from the world of design with a special story about their own mistakes starting out and how they ended up where they did. It’s very weird, pretty silly, and definitely not serious—but neither are designers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did I Do That?: Making Graphic Design & Mistakes Sean Schumacher

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 20 Ratings

“Did I Do That?” is a podcast about graphic designers—the ups and down they face in creative practice, because making design means making lots (and lots) mistakes. Every other Thursday, host Sean Schumacher (Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Portland State University) is joined by a guest from the world of design with a special story about their own mistakes starting out and how they ended up where they did. It’s very weird, pretty silly, and definitely not serious—but neither are designers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Pay Me to Get Weird (with Calvin Ross Carl)

    Pay Me to Get Weird (with Calvin Ross Carl)

    We do it for the love! Calvin Ross Carl (Creative Director at Parliament) joins Sean to talk about Allen Ludden’s followers, watching the old ways of web design disappear, and drinking hot dog water—finally a platform we can get behind!
    You can find Calvin’s work all over the ‘net—despite his strong luddite leanings! You can see work from the full spectrum of his career on his website (calvinrosscarl.com), and you can give him a follow on Instagram (@calvinrosscarl) to see what he’s been working on lately.
    This episode was recorded on Sunday, April 7, 2024 in the Rat’s Nest. This episode was edited for the first time not by me, but instead by the great Orion Cortez! Thanks, Orion!

    One more important thing (or two)!
    Are you an academic in art, design, or a closely related field? Do you currently hold a tenured rank (associate or full professor?) at a four year university? I NEED YOU! I am beginning the process of applying for tenure this month, which requires me to form a committee of outside evaluators of my materials and offer recommendations to the university about my promotion and tenure. If you already know about this show and understand my work, you’d likely be a good candidate! Please reach out before April 30 and we can talk: sean.schumacher@pdx.edu.If you’re a listener to this show and aren’t in the above boat, you can still help! I’d love to have quotes, letters, and more for my packet describing the impact this and my other research or teaching work has had on you. Those can be collected throughout the summer, but sooner would be better! Reach out if you want to help—I’d really appreciate it! sean.schumacher@pdx.edu

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 1 hr 10 min
    That Ain’t It, Folks (with Rachel Frankel)

    That Ain’t It, Folks (with Rachel Frankel)

    Throw away your phones and pick up your oil paints! Rachel Frankel (Senior Brand Designer at Zendesk) joins Sean to talk portfolio lust, Apple allergies, and the weirdest social network’s weirdest pivot yet (and it’s only partially to video).
    You can find Rachel’s work all over the ‘net (and IRL):
    You can find Rachel’s portfolio, and more of her work, on her website: rachelevefrankel.com!Transmute and all of Phosphene’s other albums—as well as Rachel’s awesome album design for them—are available to enjoy at their Bandcamp page, phosphenepdx.bandcamp.com. Buying albums there gives the band way more money than streaming fees, but you can also find Phosphene on Spotify, Apple Music, and the like as well.You can find Rachel’s book, She Can Really Lay It Down: 50 Rebels, Rockers, and Music Revolutionaries (Who Happen To Be Women) (published by Chronicle Books in 2019) on Indiebound/Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, or wherever else you should happen to shop for books.This episode was recorded Sunday, March 31, 2024 in the Rat’s Nest.

    One more important thing (or two)!
    Are you an academic in art, design, or a closely related field? Do you currently hold a tenured rank (associate or full professor?) at a four year university? I NEED YOU! I am beginning the process of applying for tenure this month, which requires me to form a committee of outside evaluators of my materials and offer recommendations to the university about my promotion and tenure. If you already know about this show and understand my work, you’d likely be a good candidate! Please reach out before April 30 and we can talk: sean.schumacher@pdx.edu.If you’re a listener to this show and aren’t in the above boat, you can still help! I’d love to have quotes, letters, and more for my packet describing the impact this and my other research or teaching work has had on you. Those can be collected throughout the summer, but sooner would be better! Reach out if you want to help—I’d really appreciate it! sean.schumacher@pdx.edu
    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 1 hr 12 min
    All Angles (with Kim Sutherland)

    All Angles (with Kim Sutherland)

    OMFGCO Creative Director and author/designer of Rural Kimberly Sutherland joins Sean to talk the horrifying truth about figs, the top ten signs you’re in romcom, and the crowning of Portland’s #1 (vegan) ice cream boi. Why not grab a Gatorade and join the fuuuuuuuuuuuuun!
    You can find Kimberly’s work all over the ‘net (and IRL):
    You can find more of Kim’s work—both design and art related—on her website, kimberly-sutherland.com!The OMFGCO Journal, which Kim co-writes with Fritz Mesenbrink, is the best place to go to learn the latest from the studio, and is where you can go first to hear about when the And Then What?! podcast drops. Along with their Journal articles, you can also find audio versions which might be considered soft pilots for the show all on their own! Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for it and their upcoming merch!If you’re planning on attending Creative Works West 2024 in Seattle at the end of April, Kim will be hosting a workshop on Brand Concepts & Frameworks alongside OMFGCO’s Fritz on Saturday, April 27 at 9am! If you’re interested, hop on over to the Creative Works site to learn more or their Eventbrite to register! As of this writing, tickets are still available!Addendum: Since I’ve come to record this episode, I’ve learned that there are in fact some varieties of figs that do not require wasps to pollinate them. Still, the truth that most figs pretty much consume wasps in order to become figs is undeniably A PROBLEM that we must reckon with as a species if we are going to continue to live on this planet.
    This episode was recorded Friday, March 15, 2023 in the Rat’s Nest.

    One more important thing (or two)!
    Are you an academic in art, design, or a closely related field? Do you currently hold a tenured rank (associate or full professor?) at a four year university? I NEED YOU! I am beginning the process of applying for tenure this month, which requires me to form a committee of outside evaluators of my materials and offer recommendations to the university about my promotion and tenure. If you already know about this show and understand my work, you’d likely be a good candidate! Please reach out before April 30 and we can talk: sean.schumacher@pdx.edu.If you’re a listener to this show and aren’t in the above boat, you can still help! I’d love to have quotes, letters, and more for my packet describing the impact this and my other research or teaching work has had on you. Those can be collected throughout the summer, but sooner would be better! Reach out if you want to help—I’d really appreciate it! sean.schumacher@pdx.edu

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 1 hr 10 min
    Hot Dogs and PB&J (with Matt Graff)

    Hot Dogs and PB&J (with Matt Graff)

    Get those offer codes ready! Creative Director Matt Graff joins Sean to talk Pee-Chee folder portfolios, unusual interview questions, and the six quadrants of action sports marketing.
    You can find Matt’s work on his website, mattgraff.com. He’s currently looking for his next Creative Direction role, so if your studio is looking for someone, reach out! Matt can also be found on LinkedIn at inkedin.com/in/mattgraff.
    This episode was recorded Saturday, March 2, 2024 in the Rat’s Nest.

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 1 hr 19 min
    Now You See Me Too As Well (”Fontroversy” Crossover with Lena Hall)

    Now You See Me Too As Well (”Fontroversy” Crossover with Lena Hall)

    Lena Hall of Fontroversy is on Did I Do That?! Or Sean Schumacher is on Fontroversy!? We’re all mixed up because it’s a Did I Do That?-Fontroversy acoustic universe crossover spectacular to kick off one of those shows’ fourth season!
    The two hosts sit down to talk about the process behind getting Fontroversy off the ground, as well as Lena’s Fallout Boy audition outfit, the meltiest car, and the Wizarding World of Woody Harrelson.
    You can find more about Lena ’s work on their Instagram, @ps.its.lena. They are indeed graduating soon and you should absolutely hire them! You can view Lena's font horoscopes for the both of us here!
    This episode was recorded Saturday, February 3, 2024 in the Rat’s Nest.
    Special thanks to the entire team that made Fontroversy possible: Lea Thompson, Lena Hall, Malia Masterson, Whitney McPhie, Ashley Heeke, Sophia Stoker, Anna Stanton, Hannah Joseph, Sophia Mick, Mette Voldengen, Milos Dugas, Freya Kargard, Robert Ditty, Izzy Gavaza, Dana Ives, Kaitlyn Casey, Aline Chercover, and Orion Cortez.
    Closing Music/The Fontroversy Theme: “How Can Things Be” by Holizna


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 1 hr 27 min
    Feed Drop: Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

    Feed Drop: Two Designers Walk Into a Bar

    To close out our season break, I wanted to share one last feed drop! The creators of Two Designers Walk Into A Bar reached out a few weeks back to connect as fellow creators of media about design that doesn't take design too seriously. They make a really fun show, and this episode comes from the end of their third season covering a subject my students have heard me talk about many times: one of the most financially catastrophic packaging redesigns in history. It's a really wonderful show—give it a listen and then give them a follow! You can find them on whatever podcasting platform you like, as well as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X, and LinkedIn!
    Two Designers Walk Into a Bar, Episode 50: The Pepsi (Logo) ChallengePepsi announced it’s moving forward by moving backwards (sort of), returning to more of a traditional look for their logo and cans. (Think black. It's a slimming color.) But as they kick their last logo to the curb, we go back in time to discuss how they became saddled with this burdensome brand look in the first place. We talk ovals, smiles, globes, magnetic fields and cosmic forces of the universe in this special breathtaking and scientifically-tangential episode.
    Images, articles and links mentioned in this episode can be found on their episode page: https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com/episodes/episode-50-pepsi-logo-story
    This episode was originally published June 7, 2023.
    General Podcast Info:Two Designers Walk Into a Bar is a podcast about iconic design and popular culture.
    Hosted by graphic designers and collectors Todd Coats and Elliot Strunk, the podcast is constantly looking at pop culture and thinking about how it influences us and what we do for a living. Starting with a theme, we choose iconic work that we find meaningful and use humor and insight to break it down, turn it inside out and try to understand why it has stood the test of time.
    Two Designers Walk Into a Bar encourages listeners to dive into their libraries, mini storage units or memories with us.
    Discover more at their website: https://www.twodesignerswalkintoabar.com

    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    • 29 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
20 Ratings

20 Ratings

kristinb ,

Sean is the Cat’s Meow!

I had Sean for a teacher at PSU, and in this podcast his amazing personality, sense of humor, and design insights shine! I just found the podcast…ugh I’m a bit late! Hahaha. How did I miss this for so long?!? The first episode I listened to was the one with Jason Sturgill. OMG, I can just imagine the scene out in podunk Pullman in the snow, and wow! I had forgotten all about those flying toasters! Good times. Heh. I look forward to listening to more. 10 million stars!

Dreamonaut ,

Fun times, great vibes

Yes, there a many design podcasts but this one stands out. You can hear that his guests enjoy the conversation with Sean. His humour is captivating. Awesome to listen to!

piper_007 ,

Listening feels like hanging out with friends

This podcast may be about graphic design and the mistakes you make along the way to becoming a graphic designer, but the topics covered in those hilarious tangents make me laugh (and smile) so hard. Listening feels like hanging out with friends, and makes me want to go through my portfolios of the past. Hearing the guests is like meeting new friends and their stories and work make me want to dive into new projects. Solid podcast, casual listen.

Top Podcasts In Arts

Fresh Air
NPR
The Moth
The Moth
99% Invisible
Roman Mars
Fashion People
Audacy | Puck
Snap Judgment Presents: Spooked
Snap Judgment
Fantasy Fangirls
Fantasy Fangirls

You Might Also Like

99% Invisible
Roman Mars
The Quickie - Interviews for Graphic Designers
Print Design Academy
Creative Pep Talk
Andy J. Pizza
Ologies with Alie Ward
Alie Ward
Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
Team Coco & Earwolf
Fly on the Wall with Dana Carvey and David Spade
Audacy