What happens when you graduate from design school and realise you’ve technically already been working as a designer for a few years?

This week I’m chatting with graphic designer Morgan Hastie, aka The Logo Lassie, who had graduated just two weeks before we recorded this episode. But while she might be a brand new graduate on paper, Morgan has already been freelancing since 2023 and has worked with brands including Adobe, Uniqlo, Aardman Animations, GF Smith and First Bus.

And, naturally, we somehow end up deep in a conversation about print, packaging, dielines, CMYK and why sending a printer a file they can actually use is quite important. Who knew.

Connect with Morgan
https://www.thelogolassie.com
IG: https://www.instagram.com/thelogolassie/

I’d love to hear what you think of this episode. If you’ve listened and any part of Nikki’s story resonated with you, send me a message on Instagram at @‌designerinyourpocket_juls or @‌thehonestdesignerdiaries.

I really hope you enjoy the chat.

Juls

It would really help if you could follow, subscribe or leave a 5* rating and review wherever you’re listening. If you’re watching on YouTube, liking the video and leaving a comment helps more designers find these conversations too.

And if you know another designer, creative pal, student, graduate or freelancer who might enjoy this chat, please send it their way.

And if you’re looking for somewhere to ask the questions that are harder to post publicly, get support with a difficult client or talk things through with other creatives who understand the day-to-day of working in this industry, come and join us inside The Creative Room.

In this bonus episode, I’m sharing the story of the Saturday Night SOS client, who also happened to be a friend, which made saying no even harder. What was meant to be a quick emergency job turned into hours of designs, feedback and changes.

This episode follows on from my conversation with Bhavini in Episode 5, Bad clients and blurry boundaries, where we had plenty to say about red flag clients, people-pleasing and the situations designers somehow find themselves agreeing to.

Have you ever had your own Saturday Night SOS client? Come and tell me on Instagram, where I’m @thehonestdesignerdiaries

Subscribe to The Honest Designer Diaries for more conversations and bonus episodes about what working in design is really like. If you’ve been enjoying the podcast, I’d also really appreciate a five-star rating and review, as it helps more designers find the show.

Chat soon

Juls

This week I’m joined by brand designer, speaker and Building Your Brand podcast host Liz Mosley for a chat about sexism in the graphic design industry, and why women are still having to work harder to be trusted, heard and taken seriously.

We talk about toxic agency culture, unconscious bias and the lack of women in senior creative roles. We also get into ageism, motherhood, caring responsibilities, the pressure to sacrifice everything for your work and why seeing women at different ages and stages of their careers matters.

06:25 Experiences of sexism in the design industry
09:03 The gender disparity in design leadership
11:47 Navigating career challenges as women
17:06 Social media and gender dynamics
20:11 Feedback and perceptions in professional settings
30:39 Navigating personal and professional feedback
33:02 Toxic work environments in design
35:45 The importance of supportive allies
37:35 Representation and diversity in design
39:01 Challenges of work-life balance for women
42:13 The cost of passion in creative industries
44:45 Visibility and mentorship in design

Find Liz
Website: www.lizmosley.net

Instagram: instagram.com/lizmosley

Podcast: www.buildingyourbrand.net

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so come and have a wee chat with me over on Instagram @thehonestdesignerdiaries.

And if you enjoyed listening, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave the podcast a 5*r rating and a wee review, as it helps more people find the show.