On this episode of Underscore, we celebrate four years of the Chicago Graphic Design Club. Host ⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠ reflects on the impact of CGDC alongside team members Alexis Gonzalez, Carson Koppin, Cheryl Bever, Jeffrey Hitchens, and Hamid Alavi. We discuss what community means to us and how the Chicago Graphic Design Club has shaped our relationship to design. We share memories and our vision for the future. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guests are Rotimi and Candace Solola of the Chicago-based multidisciplinary design studio, SO Dsgn. In this episode, they speak with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about how they bring a unique approach to brand and industrial design. Together, we dive deep into their collaborative process and approach, the origins of their studio, and much more. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is ⁠Vida Sačić Chicago-based, artist, typographer, and design educator.  In this episode, Vida speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about using letterpress materials to explore language, process, and meaning-making. Vida shares her perspective on teaching and the importance of being passionate about the work you teach. Together, they also discuss hope and optimism and their roles within creativity and much more. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties...

Our guest is Chuck Anderson of ⁠⁠Chicago-based creative practice No Pattern Studio In this episode, Chuck speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and co-host Carson Koppin about his introduction to the internet and creative cultures beyond the Midwest, the importance of routine, physical health, social media, and the influential early internet culture blog The Brilliance. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties Slang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Our guest is Christian Solorzano, Underscore host, designer, and founder of the Chicago Graphic Design Club. In this episode, Solorzano speaks with guest-host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Carlos Segura about his upbringing, background, motivation behind founding the Chicago Graphic Design Club, and the inspiration that drives much of his community-centered work. Solorzano shares his vision for Chicago's design community and the reasons why he believes craft and passion are at the core of the city, and so much...

Our guest is Alyssa Low, Chicago-based designer and muralist. In this episode, Low speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about designing and painting murals and the meditative approach to working with your hands. Low also shares her perspective and principles on determining what creative projects are worth focusing on, and we also learn about how her dedication to soccer fosters a collaborative spirit across the work she engages in. It's an insightful conversation in which...

Our guests are James Langford and Larry Tchogninou of ⁠⁠the Chicago-based studio ⁠Points of Sail. In this episode, James and Larry speak with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and this episode's co-host Carson Koppin about designing everything from concrete boats to storefronts, Dafont, Larry's 3 Practices theory, graphic design not having to obey the laws of gravity, play as a means of creative inspiration, and much more. Music by the band ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Eighties...

Our guest is Rick Valicenti, founder of Thirst (1988–2019). In this episode, Valicenti speaks with host ⁠Christian Solorzano⁠ and reflects on the journey and highlights of his career, which has spanned decades. Valicenti shares insights from his collaborations, friendships, and encounters with designers such as Paul Rand, Art Paul, Saul Bass, and Tibor Kalman. Valicenti walks us through his creative process and the methods through which he stays inspired to continue to create and use...

Our guest is Chicago-based designer and Object Company founder, Benjamin Edgar. In this episode, Benjamin speaks with host Christian Solorzano and co-host Carson Koppin about industrial design, his creative process, Jeff Koons, solving emotional problems, Powell Peralta's "The Ripper," and much more. Benjamin talks through the lifecycle of a product and how, through purposeful collaboration and particular attention to the mundane, he can take an idea from the notes app to a prototype in a...

Our guest is ⁠⁠Chicago-based designer and innovation executive at Salesforce, Sharlene King — she is skillful, wise, and unapologetic. In this episode, Sharlene speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about the art of listening, education, art/design school, generosity, taxidermy, her love for her 1989 Honda Civic, and much more. She walks us through her introduction to design by way of working security at a museum and the path toward her career as a designer championing...

Today's episode reflects the Chicago Graphic Design Club's 2023 and looks into the new year and some of the programming we have planned. Host Christian Christian is joined by CGDC team member Cheryl Bever, and they discuss some of this year's highlights plus share community comments. Thank you for supporting our program and listening in 2023. We look forward to connecting with you in the coming year. Stay safe and happy new year. Music by the band ⁠Eighties Slang⁠.

Our guest is ⁠⁠Chicago-based community organizer, educator, and designer ⁠Amira Hegazy. In this episode, Amira speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about “love and care” as guiding principles that shape and drive the design process and work we do as designers. She walks us through her research about Chicago neighborhoods and the typography that represents their identities. She shares the importance of listening and understanding as crucial methods of honoring and respecting...

Our guest is ⁠⁠Chicago-based graphic designer Sean Fermoyle⁠⁠. In this episode, Sean speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about logo redesigns, ways for designers to share their expertise with clients and stakeholders to get buy-in, how to manage ideas and find balance across professional and personal projects, and much more. Sean also shares the story of discovering graphic design in high school and how teachers helped him connect the dots between his interests and the...

Our guest is ⁠Rich Alapack⁠, entrepreneur, artist, designer, public speaker, creative consultant, and the founder of we all live here. In this episode, Rich speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about creativity and design being catalysts that spark inspiration and positive community impact. He shares stories of working with community leaders, libraries, schools, and businesses and takes us behind the scenes of teaching children curiosity, creativity, and confidence. Additionally,...

Our guest is Brian Shutters, Director of Shuttershot Productions. In this episode, Shutters speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠ about his insight into the power of being a generalist. He shares how this approach not only leads him to what he refers to as 'side quests' but also enables him to experiment and create across diverse mediums and industries. Brian takes us behind the scenes of some of his projects, explaining to us how he combines narrative with craft and sheds light on...

Our guest is Bud Rodecker, Design Director and Partner at the Chicago-based studio Span. In this episode, Bud shares with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ his approach to finding inspiration in unexpected places and dives deep into his approach to the creative process and the importance that he places on research through the method of keeping ongoing archives of experiments and references. He also tells us the story of how a pirated copy of Photoshop given to him by his brother was the...

Our guest is Tyler English⁠ , a letterpress designer and founder of Ulterior Press. In this digital age of screens, software, user experiences, and obsessions with pixel perfection — it is inspiring to hear from Tyler about his letterpress practices and the ways in which he meticulously works with typography, ink, and paper to create work that is rooted in the ways in which graphic design was once done. In this episode, Tyler speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ about the...

Our guest is educator and graphic designer Sajad Amini. In this episode, Amini speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠ about ethics, the role and responsibility of the graphic designer, and the variety of ways in which language and semiotics come together to create realities that, more often than not, are unexpected. Amini shares examples that showcase graphic design as both being complicit in problem-solving and problem-making and the importance of making decisions that are...

Our guest is Will Miller, Senior Director of Design at the Chicago-based creative studio, Firebelly. In this episode, Miller speaks with host ⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠ about his design process, the importance of drawing inspiration from personal interests, ways to build trust with clients and stakeholders, craft, typography, designing in Chicago for over two decades, and so much more. We also hear about the lessons he learns in empathy and compassion from dogs and pets and the ways in...

Sundays with Corita is a mini-series that is part of our podcast Underscore. On this podcast, hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Hatherly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ will examine American artist, educator, and Catholic nun Corita Kent’s (1918–1986) legendary 10 Rules, also known as the “⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.” The rules are designed to evoke inspiration and guidance throughout the creative process. In this episode, we discuss rule...

Our guest is designer and business owner Cheryl Bever. In this episode, Cheryl speaks with host ⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠ about her transition from fashion design to graphic design, her thoughts on the pressures of social media, confidence, running a business, working independently, and much more. She shares with us the importance and value that she places on community and belonging, and as a collaborator of the Chicago Graphic Design Club, she dives deep into her approach to our...

Sundays with Corita is a mini-series that is part of our podcast Underscore. On this podcast, hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Hatherly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ will examine American artist, educator, and Catholic nun Corita Kent’s (1918–1986) legendary 10 Rules, also known as the “⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.” The rules are designed to evoke inspiration and guidance throughout the creative process. In this episode, we discuss rule...

Our guest is designer and partner at the Chicago-based studio Span John Pobojewski. In this episode, John speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his background and education in music and the ways it influences his approach to his graphic design practice.  From 2003–2019 John was a designer and later partner at Thirst alongside Rick Valicenti — and he shares with us his experiences and lessons learned from that time. He dives deep into his belief that design is one of the many ways to...

Sundays with Corita is a mini-series that is part of our podcast Underscore. On this podcast, hosts ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠John Hatherly⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Christian Solorzano⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ will examine American artist, educator, and Catholic nun Corita Kent’s (1918–1986) legendary 10 Rules, also known as the “⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.” The rules are designed to evoke inspiration and guidance throughout the creative process. In this episode, we discuss rule number...