Cey Adams is a soft-spoken legend. A New York City native, he emerged from the downtown graffiti scene before becoming the creative director of Def Jam Recordings, where he designed for Run DMC, The Beastie Boys, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., and Jay-Z, among others. In this episode of First Things First, we talk about the relationship between art, music, and design, what makes a good client, and the importance of passion. First Things First is produced as part of Frontier Media. Learn...

Jeremy Leslie loves magazines. He leads magCulture: a design studio, online resource, magazine shop, and events producer. He divides his time between designing, writing, and curating. His book The Modern Magazine was published in 2013 and the online magCulture Journal is a key source of editorial-design opinion and news. In this episode, we talk about magazines as recording devices and the evolution of ideas in the space where print and digital meet. First Things First is produced as part of...

Graphic designer and filmmaker Marina Willer is a partner at global design firm Pentagram. Before joining Pentagram, she was head creative director at Wolff Olins in London, where she lead iconic work like the visual identity of Tate Modern. In this episode, we talk about her film, Red Trees, which tells the story of today’s refugee crisis through the lens of her own family. And we talk about the role of the designer in a world that is overrun by consumption. This interview was recorded in...

Tina Roth Eisenberg has many preoccupations and passions, she started a Temporary Tattoo company called Tattly, a Global community meet up group called Creative Mornings, and a Digital task organizer called Teux Deux. After studying design in Switzerland and Germany, she moved to Brooklyn in 1999 and worked as a designer eventually starting the design blog swiss miss that became one of the world’s most visited design websites.  In this episode of First Things First, we talk about magic and...

Named one of Fast Company’s ‘Most Creative People in Business’, Robert Brunner is the designer of such iconic products as the Apple PowerBook and Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. Former Director of Industrial Design for Apple, he laid the foundations for moving computers from the utilitarian to the desirable and helped define Apple as the most powerful brand and technology company in the world. In 2007, Robert founded San Francisco-based design studio Ammunition to communicate ideas through...

Paul Lavoie founded Taxi in Montreal in 1992 with his partner Jane Hope.  The ad agency became widely known for its innovative work and soon grew an international reach working with a wide range of global brands. Lavoie left Taxi to devote his time to Beau Lake, a luxury paddleboard and lifestyle brand he co-owns that’s a modern interpretation and tribute to vintage wood power boats They have recently released an electric runabout boat that promises to revolutionize cottage life to be more...

Pia Betton links design thinking to business. Originally from Denmark, Pia’s 20 year career spans brand development, corporate design, design research, innovation and communication. Her international client portfolio covers private companies from many different industries like Lego, Bosch, Bang & Olufsen, and Carlsberg. In this episode of First Things First, we talk about the challenge of growth, the challenge of change, and the challenge of Design Thinking. First Things First is...

Jessica Bellamy is an information designer. She tells visual stories using data and personal narratives. She started her design career working with nonprofits and community groups to create visuals that break down complex service and policy information. In 2015, she created a small design agency called GRIDS: The Grassroots Information Design Studio. She creates infographics for social change. In this episode, we talk about how design can be used as a tool to help fight for social justice and...

This episode of First Things First was recorded as part of our Live Magazine project at DesignThinkers, in Toronto. The interview is with Sid Lee creative director, Laura Stein and was done by Frontier Senior Designer, Tristan Marantos. To learn more about Live Magazine, visit frontier.is and look for Live Magazine in our media section. First Things First is produced as part of Frontier Media. Learn more at www.frontier.is Host: Paddy Harrington Producer and Editor: Max Cotter This...