A look at the first four episodes of The Follow-up. (Have you subscribed yet?!)

Episode 001: Popeyes

with
JB Hartford, Creative Director at Jones Knowles Ritchie
and
David Fernandes, Director of Global Brand Marketing at Popeyes/RBI

In this conversation we go deeper into many subjects like Popeyes’ goal of global expansion and how that informed many design decisions including the introduction of a new icon. We also go in detail into the development of a new brand pattern full of texture and character. And we uncover the secret ingredient that made this design work: Joy.

Listen here.

Episode 002: Iron City Beer

with
Aaron Easler, Creative Director and Partner of Top Hat
and
Bobby Baker, designer and brand specialist at Top Hat

In this conversation we go deeper into how Top Hat secured this job with an all-out effort on the initial proposal, the speed at which the project developed, the influence that the city of Pittsburgh had throughout all the touchpoints, and the hard work that went into making so many collaborations with other local brands possible.

Listen here.

Episode 003: UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs

with
Skye Dillon, founder of Skye Design Studios
and
Sue Harriman, Director of Athletics and Recreation at the University of California, Santa Cruz
Clint Angus, Associate Director for Athletics and Recreation at UC Santa Cruz.

In this conversation we go in-depth about the team’s decision to do the design process not just in the open but completely driven by the community’s input and how Skye Design adapted their process to the challenge. We also wax poetic, a lot, about the banana slug itself and how difficult it was to translate its minimal physical traits into a confident, vibrant, and dynamic logo.

Listen here.

Episode 004: Museu Nacional da República

with
Leo Porto and Felipe Rocha, founders and Creative Directors of Porto Rocha
and
Marcos Mendes, Creative Director of Manufatura

In this conversation we talk about the challenges of designing for the cultural sector in Brazil, the relevance of honoring the modernist legacy of not just the museum but the city itself, the beauty of abstraction, and the potential that identity design and branding offers to companies and organizations across Brazil.

Listen here.