As a branding agency, we’ve worked with plenty of aspiring graphic designers over the past decade, and one constant need that young designers have is the need for great advice and mentorship. The problem? There are never enough great design mentors to go around.
That’s where design and branding podcasts, books, and blogs can be extremely helpful. By listening to talented designers and branding minds on your commute, you can cut your learning curve in half. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff without listening to a few episodes. Luckily, we’ve vetted all of these branding podcasts to ensure satisfaction. Here are four branding podcasts that we’d recommend to any designer looking to expand their branding knowledge.
1. Design Matters with Debbie Millman
Design Matters is the original podcast on graphic design and branding, and it’s a must-listen for anyone who aspires to be a great designer. Debbie is a lion in the design community. She has worked with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Pepsi and Campbell’s, and she chairs the “Masters in Branding” program at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.
Her podcast is known for being extremely thought-provoking, which is why her guest-interviews are great as well. If you see her name featured on another show, you know you can expect a great, thoughtful branding podcast.
2. Obsessed With Design with Josh Miles
We may be a little biased, because we produce this podcast ourselves, but this podcast has been an incredible tool for our design team and our clients alike. Josh Miles is a great interviewer who knows how to evoke honest, sometimes visceral, responses from his guests. This allows him to get to the heart of his podcast - finding out what makes designers tick.
Obsessed With Design takes pride in its diversity of guests as well. Josh has interviewed everyone from graphic designers and creative directors to architects and city planners. This allows him to capture a diversity of perspective that is rare among design podcasts. Whether you want to be a great designer someday, or you just want to get inside their heads to learn what makes them tick, this podcast is a great resource.
3. The Deeply Graphic Design-Cast
This podcast is designed with younger designers in mind. Unlike the more theory-based design casts, this podcast is highly-tactical, helping designers navigate their careers. Their episodes cover everything from how to handle pricing and freelance work to how to develop a killer portfolio. Their “Do Yourself a Favor” segment provides great, actionable takeaways for designers of all skill levels.
4. Adventures in Design
This is America’s only daily morning talk show for creatives. They release a new episode every day, Monday through Friday, and the episodes run an hour a piece. Because of the sheer volume of content they produce, they don’t pack as much value into each episode as other casts, but the hosts are fun and it’s nice to listen daily to people who understand your world. This is a great cast to put on in the background while you work out or cook dinner.