People & Publicity, Insights from the Summer Day of Design | 531 | Brian Pinkett and Erik Perez

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an episode about two sides of this industry that are rarely talked about. Two voices you rarely hear from, except here, of course. These two amazing individuals met me at Design Hardware for our Summer Day of Design event. Something important about the following episode right from the start, and this is not exclusive to the business of design. We’re talking about building teams and promoting your talent. These concepts are universally important and often neglected. But not here, not today.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

I have a tendency to repeat stories on occasion. No really, it’s true. And, if you have been listening to the show for any amount of time, you have probably picked up on this. I lean in on the things that have made an impact on me and how those things have affected my life and work. So, I tell you now, as I have told you before, I am not interested in doing a show about the business of design. Over the past 8 or 9 years, the business of design has gotten far more competitive. Partly due to the influx of new designers that enter the industry after every societal meltdown, be it a financial crisis like 08/09 or COVID. The same thing used to happen in my broadcast days. In that case, so many new people would be hired only to be fired at the end of each year and those people would go off and start their own advertising agency. In the design business, Many designers who don’t really make it as designers have found a niche business consulting designers on how to run their design businesses. I cannot tell you how many emails I receive from design business consultants who want to come on the show and there is a reason you don’t hear them on the show. I think if you want to learn something, it shouldn’t be from someone who couldn’t do it themselves but from someone who has exceeded in that particular area. Before I get angry emails, I’m not suggesting they are all bad or unhelpful, some are, I’m sure. But when I share the stories behind individuals with you, there is a reason for that.  Today, you are going to hear from Brian Pinkett, Principle Architect with Landry Design Group and Erik Perez, Founder and Principle of Hello PR. I have known both of these men for many years and I have seen them in action and for those reasons I am thrilled to share this episode with you. 

This episode was recorded live from Design Hardware in Los Angeles, but you know this because they are also long time sponsor partners of Convo By Design. I host a Day of Design for each season and this was from our July, summer session. These sessions are full days of recordings, panel conversations and product showcases designed specifically for busy designers to elevate their game through exposure, networking and education.

First up, you are going to hear from Brian Pinkett about training, teaching and mentoring talent and how to build a culture. Next, you will hear from Erik Perez about getting the most exposure for the work you do and how to leverage that into new business. And you’ll hear everything, right after this.

Thank you, Brian and Erik, love what you do and I’m thankful for your friendship and collaboration. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware. These partners are amazing companies all who have made a concerted effort to support the design community through education, incentives, events, media and exposure, not to mention a collection of extraordinary products and service to match. Check the show notes for links to each of them so you can see first hand how they can make your design business thrive and your projects exceed expectations. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing and sharing the show with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your emails, show and guest suggestions. Please keep them coming, convobydesign at Outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvoXdesign, with an “x”.  Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -Convo By Design

Brigette Romanek | 520 | Our July 2024 Design Icon Registry Inductee

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is the July 2024 installment of the Convo By Design Icon Registry featuring another absolutely incredible creative who graced the show with her presence. This designer is a multi-faceted creative who seamlessly weaves music, art and drama into and through her work with grace and style. This months inductee is the incomparable, Brigette Romanek.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

I met Brigette in a very special place on a very special day. We met at the Soho Home showroom in West Hollywood the afternoon before the Convo By Design 10th anniversary celebration. I was already super excited, nervous about the event and when I sat with Brigette, all of that went away for an hour. We had this super chill, highly elevated conversation about inspiration, influence and creativity. I imagine that is how her clients feel when they first sit down with her. A tranquil ease and that allowed me to do some really great work. And I am going to play that conversation for you as we celebrate together the induction of Brigette Romanek into the Convo By Design Icon Registry for July, 2024.

Thank you, Brigette for making this world a more beautiful and dramatic place than you found it. Congratulations on your addition to the Convo By Design Icon Registry. Thank you for listening and subscribing to the show. Thank you to my partner sponsors Design Hardware, ThermaSol, TimberTech and Pacific Sales. these are amazing partners all, they support the trade and I love sharing these amazing resources with you. Thanks again for listening, until next week, be well and take today first. – CXD

Restrained Drama and Unchained Talent , An Instant Classic | 519 | Adam Hunter

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with an episode featuring a spectacular creative, Adam Hunter and I am going to call the following episode an instant classic. I don’t do that often, and you are going to hear why.

Adam and I first met years ago at an industry function in LA. I have followed his career and it really is incredible to see what he has done with his firm. He has built an amazing firm upon spectacular design and an affinity for drama going back to his previous career in theater. We talk about this and a number of other things that correspond to the work he has done which, per usual for the show, we explore and evaluate online and if you wish to follow along as we do, which I highly encourage because it is both fun and fascinating to see the work as we describes. It’s an insiders look at design. www.adamhunter.com 

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

When evaluating the work of a creative like Adam Hunter, it’s enlightening to understand that Adam built a successful career in theater prior to coming into design. That experience can be seen in the narrative that the design tells. It’s a form of storytelling. Both from an understanding of whom he is designing the space and the lives those who inhabit the space wish to live. I have had a number of wonderful conversations over the years with professional set decorators and its truly amazing to hear how they process a written script and then dress a set to provide details of the character that neither the actors nor the script itself cold explain. It provides nuance and context. A performer like Adam both understands this and has been trained to both ideate and execute on the concept which, when done right, tells the story of the characters and defines who the are by how they live.

Thank you, Adam. I loved our conversation and I am so appreciative to you for taking the time to share. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware. These partners are amazing companies all who have made a concerted effort to support the design community through education, incentives, events, media and exposure, not to mention a collection of extraordinary products and service to match. Check the show notes for links to each of them so you can see first hand how they can make your design business thrive and your projects exceed expectations. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing and sharing the show with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your emails, show and guest suggestions. Please keep them coming, convobydesign at Outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvoXdesign, with an “x”.  Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -CXD

Rise of the Machines, Design Practices & Artificial Intelligence | 518 | Rachel Joy Victor & Joshua A Dawson

I’m Josh Cooperman and this is Convo By Design with a follow up conversation. Last November, I sat with Joshua Dawson, film director,  and Rachel Joy Victor, designer, strategist and world-builder. This is a followup to a detailed conversation about artificial intelligence and the rapidly developing uses. And it’s not that scary.

Designer Resources

Pacific Sales Kitchen and Home. Where excellence meets expertise.

Monogram – It’s the details that define Monogram

ThermaSol – Redefining the modern shower experience. Without steam, it’s just a bathroom.

Design Hardware – A stunning and vast collection of jewelry for the home!

 – Where service meets excellence

TimberTech – Real wood beauty without the upkeep

Scary is relative right? Some might be afraid of the machines taking over the world while other might fear a deep fake of themselves more. Regardless, fear isn’t going to slow this tidal wave of machine learning. What can affect it is education, standards and practical application of this new technology to accomplish much needing attention with a pulled focus on the design industry. Issues like; data management, human adaptation to new tech, credit and attribution issues in media, protection of intellectual property, workforce, economy, business growth an activism. This is a complex topic and complex issues require complex solutions. That is why we are continuing to have these conversations. like this one, recorded in April 2024.

Thank you Joshua and Rachel. This was our second conversation and each time we talk, these issues seem a bit more manageable. Funny how that works. Thank you to my partner sponsors, ThermaSol, Pacific Sales, TimberTech, Monogram and Design Hardware. These partners are amazing companies all who have made a concerted effort to support the design community through education, incentives, events, media and exposure, not to mention a collection of extraordinary products and service to match. Check the show notes for links to each of them so you can see first hand how they can make your design business thrive and your projects exceed expectations. Thank you for listening, downloading, subscribing and sharing the show with your friends and colleagues. Thank you for your emails, show and guest suggestions. Please keep them coming, convobydesign at Outlook dot com and on Instagram @ConvXdesign, with an “x”. Until the next episode, be well and take today first. -CXD