Shows
Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.2025 Holiday Message from The Team!Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2025-12-2401 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 37: Principal Product Designer Lauren GlazerWelcome to Episode 37: Principal Product Designer, Lauren Glazer! Lauren details her amazing career that started in Cincinnati and has since helped her traverse the country; from National Geographic, Fox, and Disney in DC to Amazon and Walmart in Seattle. She will cover how to she has handled finding new jobs across the country, dealing with company acquisitions, being promoted, and even changing positions within the same company. Lauren gives insight about her time at some of the world’s biggest companies, how to find a manager that you love to work with, and her biggest piece of ad...
2025-11-261h 04Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 36: Graphic Designer at American Structurepoint, Kayla GrayIn this episode we speak with the extraordinarily talented Kayla Gray! Kayla is a Graphic Designer for American Structurepoint and alumna of the Indiana State University Graphic Design program. We discuss Kayla’s job working as a designer alongside engineers, Structurepoint’s fantastic onboarding, the Cracker Barrel logo, Mark finally watches It’s Always Sunny, Dan searches the Internet for Milk Steak, and why Kristen serves separate hams for the adults and children during the holidays. So Okay Team!, sit back, grab a beverage, and let’s get started!Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark Cela
2025-10-151h 04Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 35: Designer Downtime.Welcome to Episode 35: Designer Downtime! In this episode, the Team discusses what young designers can do with their downtime, whether that be from school or in off-work hours. We discuss how to find an internship and also and how to fill the experience holes in your résumé if you haven’t had a summer internship. We’ll go over ideas including mentorship, shadowing, networking, and in-person or digital events, culminating in a list of ideas to help you boost your design skills and experience. Dan impersonates Kristen, we discuss government cheese, and Mark‘s gallery s...
2025-09-2351 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 34: Are We Okay with This?In light of Google’s new video editor the Team tackles the topic of AI again. We talk about the pros and cons that could come from the extreme power of AI tools currently, diving into media production and consumption patterns, safe ways to interact with AI creations, and the over-saturation of the market. Discussions surround why people may shy away from the disingenuous and seek out real connections. Is AI media transitory? Will authenticity win out? Kristen doesn’t answer Mark‘s questions and instead talks about her AI hopes and dreams, Dan has more horror movie recommendations, and Ma...
2025-08-1246 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 33: Project Manager and Designer Alissa Cook.Join us this episode as The Team chats with Project Manager, Designer, Researcher, and World Traveler Alissa Cook. We’ll discuss the benefits of taking a service-driven gap year after design school, using design expertise to understand the user in any situation, and really accepting experiences that open your eyes to all that design can be. Alissa demonstrates how stepping away from a traditional design path and following personal interests really shaped the unique design career she has today. Mark talks about umbrella thieves, we are not up for a Webby Award, also Impact Statements are super helpful!...
2025-07-2145 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 32: Chief Experience Officer at Openfield, Trevor Minton.Welcome back! In this episode, Kristen and Lauren are joined by Trevor Minton, Chief Experience Officer at Openfield in Cincinnati. Join us as we discuss the ways we've seen the design industry narrow and focus on specialities, using design as a mindset and solving problems outside of your job, and the importance of being flexible and accepting new technologies in an ever-evolving landscape of design tools. We cover how to be a problem solver instead of a problem finder and important moments in the growth of a young designer's career. Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaH...
2025-06-241h 01Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 31: Live Q&A with Indiana State University Graphic Design Seniors!In this episode, Mark, Dan, and Kristen field questions from the wonderful Graphic Design students of Indiana State University! The Q&A covers a multitude of subjects from imposter syndrome, the differences between art and creative directors, should you go to graduate school as a visual artist if you never intend to teach, and lots more!Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2025-04-011h 28Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 30: The Lounge Strikes Back!To celebrate the end of Season 3, Mark, Kristen, Dan, and Lauren visit the Okay Team! Lounge, where they have drinks and discuss everything BUT graphic design. Subjects include the upcoming Season 4 of the podcast, some movie reviews, a little bit of reality TV, and gaming. There is a lot of laughter and geeky content with this episode, but they'll back in Season 4 with more design news, guests, and possibly an episode with a class of college graphic design students asking questions on career guidance!So sit back, relax, have a nice drink, and we...
2025-02-241h 03Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 29: VP of Design at Launch Scout, Haley MooreIn this episode, the Team chats with Haley Moore, VP of Design, about her career path from designer to manager and how she came to terms with embracing her natural ability to lead projects and being comfortable managing a team of very skilled designers. She discusses taking leaps in her career in order to not lean away from her natural skillsets, even if they are hard to recognize, and being ok with the concept of not being the best at something. Haley also discusses the traits and qualities she looks for when hiring a new designer, including h...
2025-01-2247 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 28: $10,000 Mistakes.In this episode, The Team discuss costly mistakes they've made in their careers, how they addressed them, and how to you should address your own $10K mistakes when you make them (and you will).Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2024-12-0944 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 27: UX Researcher Autumn GilbertIn this episode The Team speaks with Highmark Health UX (User Experience) Researcher Autumn Gilbert!Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2024-10-0443 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 26: Pivoting Your Design Career.Listen in as The Team discusses career pivots and offers insight for each step of the process. We cover advice for researching your intended field, seeking out opportunities to develop new and necessary skills, building up a refreshed portfolio and online presence, and ways to find a new network within the niche of design you hope to enter. Finally, we address many of the biggest concerns of pivoting and solutions for how to handle them as they arise! Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, S...
2024-09-1940 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 25: Photographer Todd KuhnsWe're excited to have professional Photographer Todd Kuhns on this episode, where he talks about the state of photography as an industry, advice for young photographers and designers, and how design could learn from the last 20 years of how photography has evolved. Todd's work may be found at his website and YouTube channel:Studio12online.comTodd Kuhns on YouTubeHost, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2024-08-0941 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 24: Developing Soft SkillsIn this episode, Kristen, Dan, and Lauren discuss the importance and impact of soft skills in your design role and job hunting. The Team covers what soft skills are, how you can talk about them in interviews, and how you build on them throughout your career.Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2024-08-0134 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 23: Storytelling and Your WorkEPISODE 23: Storytelling Your WorkOn this episode, the Team discusses tips and tactics for presenting your creative work and ideas in a storytelling narrative. We present ideas for ways to mesh verbal and visual cues to guide you and the audience through your work and how to present ideas in the most professional and goal-oriented manner. We give ideas for how to streamline your narrative, show off your creative process, set up your website, and, sometimes most difficult of all, how to verbally wrap up the story of each piece. Finally, we talk about how these storytelling skills...
2024-07-1741 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 22: Professional MentorshipsIn this episode, the Team talks about professional mentorship in design. They discuss how mentor/mentee relationships are different from what you may have experienced in school, how those relationships form, and what it means to be a good mentor. Egg-timer news this week covers the team’s favorite features announced at Apple’s WWDC event. Digressions include how to pronounce “biopic,” business card design, and poorly drawn billboards. Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Law...
2024-06-2456 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 21: Working on Group Projects (A Letter to My Pallbearers)On this episode, the Team celebrates the start of season three by welcoming new, full-time host, Lauren DeMarks! Egg Timer News covers the launch and huge take off of artist-friendly social media site, Cara, along with our predictions for its future. We then dive into the dreaded world of group projects, focusing on working with other disciplines and their ways of problem solving, the importance of communication and speaking up, and also time management. We share tips on planning for successful group meetings, tactics for handling how to get started, and tools for project management. Finally, the Team covers how...
2024-06-121h 15Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 20: The Okay Team! Lounge.Welcome to a special edition as we wrap up Season 2; the Ok, Team Lounge! In this episode, your hosts will cover a variety of topics outside the world of design and discuss their passions. Buckle up, as the Team covers Dan’s new podcast, horror movies, video games, tv shows we’re loving, D&D, Nicholas Cage’s acting prowess, and Kristen’s favorite cryptid; Bigfoot. We also have a special announcement; Lauren DeMarks will be joining us next season as a full time host! Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen P...
2024-06-0346 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 19: Artist Nancy Nichols-PethickIndiana State University Professor Nancy Nicols-Pethick joins the team to talk shop and how she uses her unique experiences to push students to find passion in their work, learn how to address failures, and recognize how to aim for higher personal standards rather than settling for their current skill level. We cover mastering creative foundations, work/life balance, and, of course, her thoughts on AI. Join us and our wonderful guest as we discuss art, passion, and finding creativity in the seemingly mundane. Nancy's WebsiteThrough the Eyes of an Artist - Nancy Nichols-Pethick...
2024-05-171h 06Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 18: Accessibility and DesignIn this episode, the Team talks about accessibility and design. Guest host Lauren DeMarks talks about user experience (UX) design and the spectrum of use cases for ensuring equitable experiences regardless of temporary or long-term physical disabilities. Show Notes:Overall, what does it mean to have accessible design? Lauren, would you like to give us a definition or overview? OVERVIEW Accessibility is the practice of making sure a product, environment or service can be used by everyone—however they encounter it.Including those with blindness/low vision, speech impairments, hearing impairments, cognitive & learning disabilities, motor...
2024-05-0938 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 17: Leveling Up as a Graphic DesignerIn this episode guest host Lauren DeMarks joins the Team as talks about ways to level up as a graphic designer. Show Notes:What does it mean to “level up?”More than just software skills, aesthetic, or even becoming more efficientHigher level of performance, thinking, innovating, systems thinking, etc…Tangible markers of successful leveling up:PromotionTitle changeRaiseResponsibilities change/increaseOn reflection, softer markers like just feeling more confident in doing something you weren’t doing a year agoAnecdotes & Story Time! Lauren’s experience Lauren’s classmate’s experience: Basically everyone left and she just...
2024-04-2951 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 16: Contracts are Important, with Photographer/Designer Crystal Black.In this episode, guest Crystal Black talks about issues related to doing design work for friends and the pitfalls of not using a contract. Egg Timer News: Canva buys Affinity!Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2024-04-0248 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 15: Life-Work Balance.In this episode, The Team attempts to stay on task and talk about work-life balance for Graphic Designers. Show Notes:General OverviewWhat is work/life balance? Specific SituationsSchool vs. “Real World”Extra cirriculars, friends, social life, after-work events, side gig (??), hobbiesKristen’s advice: don’t take on too much directly out of school!!Traditional Agency (9-5) JobOccasional out of hours work requirements Additional learning/professional developmentTeaching in Higher EducationFreelance DesignerLifestyle choices that affect your productivity Caffeine and sugar crashes, Physical Fitness, Diet, Sleep, Drink WaterH...
2024-03-2543 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 14: The Wide World of Software Options.In this episode, The Team explore different software used in professional graphic design. Show Notes:Today we’re going to address a question we get all the time:“There are SO many programs, what do I really need to learn?!”School won’t teach you everything, but it will teach you how to learn, where to find tutorials, what questions to ask, etc. You’ll also learn on the job! Some is experience-basedIn tech, based on security approvalLet’s cover some of the big ones:Canvas vs. Illustrator vs. Corel, Canva, A...
2024-03-1455 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 13: Tough Questions During the Interview Process.In this episode, The Team explores the graphic design interviewing process and the tough questions and situations that may arise during the process. Show notes:Interview Questions, Answers, and Etiquette.Not every question ever, just some of the hard ones! Tell us about yourself!What’s the weakest piece in your portfolio? Answering questions about team projectsWhy isn’t work from (X seen on your resume) in your portfolio? How to handle showing “real world” workIf you could choose one project to represent you, which would it be and why?Being asked a question a...
2024-03-071h 00Okay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 12: UX Designer Lauren DeMarks.In this episode The Team Interviews UX Designer Lauren DeMarks! Lauren talks about her time as a design student, intern, and Senior UX Designer.Show Notes:Working as a designer in a very specific niche and how I adjusted out of schoolapprehensive about diving right into edtech right out of college because it sounded kind of limiting on its face, but really it’s been a lot of funalso probably more common for designers to see than they thinkIt’s also just the reality for...
2024-02-2935 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Special Announcement: Sick Day.Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2024-02-2200 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 11: AI and Real Human DesignersIn this episode, The Team chats about the positive and negative influences of Artificial Intelligence on Graphic Design and Design Education. Show Notes:Where do we see AI right now in our industry?Photoshop, Midjourney, ChatGPT, Adobe Premiere… any others?Is Adobe getting too powerful? Will it kill the industry professional? Who owns the rights to AI generated work? Can I use AI generated art in my work in school? Can I use purchased graphics/Adobe library free images in my school work or professional?With all the new technology, HOW do I...
2024-02-1549 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 10: Answering Listener Questions.In this episode, The Team answers listener questions, discusses ImagineFX Magazine, and finally answers the question, "Does Kristen own a tiara?"Time stamp information:(07:41) How do you overcome imposter syndrome when starting your job?(08:24) I'm going to be a new designer going into the field after getting married, my partners job often has us relocate to different states semi- often. How do I search for jobs and communicate my situation without making myself seem like a weakness/ liability?(10:56) What is the best way to deal with not being graded for the f...
2024-02-0156 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 9: Salary Negotiating and Knowing Your Worth.In this episode, The Team covers salary negotiating techniques, cost of living considerations, and how to calculate how much you should ask for when negotiating your salary for a graphic design job!Show Notes:Negotiate a SalaryKnow your worthTrack all your expenses for a month:Needs: Rent, gas, insurance, bills, etc. Wants: Dinner, dates, going out, Netflix subscription, clothes, etc. Saving: Are you saving? - now multiply each of those by 12 and add up = yearly expenses. - If everything you do is $1,800 a month, you can live as a cheap college student in Oxfo...
2024-01-2546 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 8: Cataloging Your Successes.In this episode The Team explores how and why designers should catalog their successes in order to become more confident and well-rounded in their careers. Show notes:Purpose:Promotes Professional ConfidencePractice self-promotionBrag!Demonstrate breadth of experienceKeep public-facing spaces currentIdentify holes in skill or experienceDiff success hold diff value to every company, team, clientPrepare for hard interview questionsTypes of Success:Professional Formal:Jobs, Internships, Co-opsProBono, VolunteerFreelance Experiential: MentorshipsProfessional WorkshopsTeam-based WorkRelated CourseworkOther design experiences PersonalProject, process, personal breakthroughsGrowth ExperiencesLeadership Exp. Out of the box OR Out of your comfort zonePlaces to Brag...
2024-01-1844 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 7: Getting Out of a Creative Rut.In this episode The Team talks about what they do to overcome creative ruts, advice on coming up with unique ideas, and how the struggle to be original is actually positive for you. Show Notes:Let’s talk about something that I’m sure is on everyone’s mind, especially as we are getting closer and closer to the holidays: Getting in and out of a creative rut. Or even, just avoiding burnout. Creative rut/burnout and how most people find themselves in it. Generally, a rut can be just a complete...
2023-12-2156 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 6: The Freelance EpisodeIn this episode, The Team discusses what it's like to be a freelance Graphic Designer with cohost Dan Lawson.Show Notes:High Level OverviewHow you got started freelancingWhat your typical day or week looks likeDesign time vs business development Prospecting/getting new clientsmeeting/communicating with clientsDive deeper into the nitty gritty/less-glamorous sideTracking your timeInvoicesfinancials/taxes/getting paidMost Common Questions from Students:How much do I charge?Do I need a contract? How to invoice? How to find clients?Can I use this in my portfolio?...Sho...
2023-12-1446 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 5: Education and Career Paths for Designers - Part 3In this episode, The Team examines the career path to becoming a college-level educator in Graphic Design. We talk about degree requirements, expectations on the job, and just how easy/difficult it is to land one of these positions at various institutional levels!Show Notes:Deep Dive Educator Levels:Job Titles (Adjunct, Visiting Professor, Instructor, Tenure/Tenure Track)Level of Schooling Needed/Requirements to ApplyJob Description/ResponsibilitiesApplication: Differences in CV vs. ResumeInterview Process (What to expect)Differences in processPortfolioPresentationIn-class teachingMeetings & ToursWhat they hopefully...
2023-12-0750 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 4: Education and Career Paths for Designers - Part 2In this episode the Team continues the discussion about career paths in Graphic Design, what makes each career path unique, and provides advice that may help you decide if a specific discipline is right for you!Buckets of Design Jobs: There are ways to drill down even further, but this is a high-level view of the different directions you can take your career!Branding/IdentityMore than just logo design. Create a system, entire look, feel, and tone of a brand. Can include developing color palettes, typography choices, image direction, tone of voice in written elements, etc...
2023-11-1756 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 3: Education and Career Paths for Designers - Part 1In this episode Mark Cela, Kristen Pericleous, and Dan Lawson begin a two-part discussion about education and career paths for graphic designers. The conversation covers the positives and negatives of higher education, and what types of degrees designers may consider for different career paths.Show notes:Is design education necessary?What it did/didn’t do for usDiscussion of different paths and how it’s up to each person to take initiative, dive deep, take the extra effort, tailor their education to reach your goals. Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Write...
2023-11-1540 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 2: That Moment You Knew.In this episode, the team discusses the moment each of them knew Graphic Design was the correct career path for them.Show Notes:I saw something in the "real world" that made me realize "Ooooh, someone had to have designed that!"What was the moment you KNEW choosing art would work out for you? Advice for young artist, either just getting into their education or into the field. How to balance fine art with production art:Dan: until Procreate/Siege I said for decades that Graphic Design killed the Artist in meKristen: Show it in your wo...
2023-11-1343 minOkay, Team! A Young Designer's Guide.Episode 1: Introducing the Team.On our first episode, Graphic Designers Mark Cela, Kristen Pericleous, and Dan Lawson discuss what inspired them to pursue art and design as a career.Host, Producer, & Editor - Mark CelaHost, Director, & Script Writer - Kristen PericleousHost, Social Media Manager, Social Media Content Creator, & Editor - Dan Lawson
2023-11-0250 min