The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast
A Graphic Design Podcast that cuts through the industry bull to help frustrated Designers charge what they're worth and build rewarding creative careers
Lettering Artist Dan Lee on Why Graphic Designers Must Chase Obsession, Not Trends
Lettering Artist Dan Lee proves that graphic design careers aren’t built on safe degrees or raw talent...they’re built on obsession and the courage to ditch the rules.This week on a special episode of The Angry Designer Podcast LIVE at Crop Con, we sit down with Lettering Artist Dan Lee, who walked away from chemical engineering to chase design, and built a thriving career without a design degree. His story destroys the starving artist myth and shows why obsession beats talent every time.In this episode, you’ll discover:- Why playing it safe can kill your creative potential- How personal projects can launch a real design career- Why obsession, not talent, is the secret to surviving trends and AIIf you’re ready to stop following rules and start building a career on your terms, this one’s for you.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
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Why Niching is Failing Graphic Designers and What to Do Instead
Every designer has heard it: “Pick a niche. Specialize. Focus.” Even on THIS podcast! But here’s the uncomfortable truth... niching alone is a trap. The wrong kind of niche doesn’t just slow your career, it cages you, makes you replaceable, and puts your future in the hands of clients, tech, or the economy.This should sting: most of you are doing it wrong. You’re either chaining yourself to one fragile industry or boxing yourself into a single craft that AI and Fiverr can wipe out overnight. That’s why so many designers feel stuck — hustling project to project, disposable the moment the job is delivered. Few will admit it, but most are already losing the niche game.But here’s the shift: there’s a better way. This week on The Angry Designer Podcast, we’re blowing up the myth of niching and showing you how traditional niching is failing, and how stacking your skills makes you harder to replace, stickier with clients, and impossible to ignore.In this episode you'll learn:How industry niches can collapse and what to build insteadWhy craft niches can turn designers into one-trick poniesThe skill stacking method that creates a design ecosystem clients can’t walk away fromThis isn’t just about niches. It’s about whether you’re going to stay trapped in an outdated model or step into the future of design. The choice is simple: keep doing what every other designer does, or stack your skills and become the one they can’t let go of.Subscribe to The Angry Designer Podcast for no-BS design truths, controversial takes, and the lessons that help you charge what you’re worth and build a future-proof creative career.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
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Is Originality in Graphic Design Real or is Everything Just Stolen?
Every designer chases originality like it’s the holy grail. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: originality doesn’t exist. Nothing you’ve designed is original, and believing otherwise is killing creativity faster than bad clients ever could.Graphic designers hate to hear this, but most of you are guilty. You worship originality, terrified that influence makes your work invalid. The few designers who thrive know the opposite is true: influence fuels design, while chasing “original” ideas traps you in imposter syndrome and mediocrity.This week on The Angry Designer Podcast, we tear apart the myth of originality in graphic design, exposing why it’s nothing more than ego disguised as creativity and how this mindset is holding you back.In this episode, you'll learn:Why chasing originality is a design trap that kills your careerHow influence and remixing create better graphic design than “original ideas” ever willThe truth about imposter syndrome and why fearing influence makes you a weaker designerThis isn’t just about originality. It’s about your career. Because if you keep clinging to the myth of originality, you’ll burn out, stay stuck, and watch other designers pass you by with work that’s influenced, effective, and unmistakably theirs.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
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Scott Fuller on Why Substance Beats Style in Graphic Design
Graphic Design isn’t about chasing trends or giving your work away for “exposure.” Scott Fuller, founder of Studio Temporary reveals the lessons he learned the hard way from turning down unpaid internships to creating logos that stand the test of time.Scott’s story is as raw as it gets. From graduating as a valedictorian with an engineering scholarship, to walking away from stability for a future in graphic design, to nearly losing everything, eviction notices, dead-end jobs, rejection, his path to building The Studio Temporary and the time ESPN tried to take his work without credit...spoiler, he stood his ground, and that decision led him to designing for the Atlanta Hawks. Scotts story is a masterclass in resilience. In this episode of The Angry Designer Podcast, we get real about what it takes to survive and thrive as a designer in a chaotic industry.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why style without substance kills your work (and your career)The truth about unpaid internships and “exposure” gigsHow to build logos and brands that actually lastWhether you’re a freelance designer, agency owner, or in-house creative, this conversation will make you rethink how you approach your work and why designers must demand more respect for their craft.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
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Cracker Barrel’s $700M Rebrand: Logo Design Fail or Brand Fail?
Cracker Barrel spent $700 million on a rebrand… and within a week, they had to run back to their old logo. Designers, this isn’t just a logo fail, it’s a brand disaster! It proves how dangerous it is when companies confuse modernization with progress.Here’s the part that should sting: most graphic designers would have made the exact same mistake. Why? Because too many of us still think rebrands are about logos, not the bigger story brands are built on.In this episode of The Angry Designer Podcast, we break down exactly what went wrong with Cracker Barrel’s rebrand and the lessons every designer needs to hear.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why Cracker Barrel’s rebrand backlash proves logos aren’t the problem — branding isThe 10 WORST times to update an old logo (and how to avoid the same mistake)How to tell if your rebrand should be an evolution… not a full-blown identity crisisThis isn’t about Cracker Barrel, it’s about you. Because if you think “design” alone is enough, you’re already on the wrong side of branding.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
About The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast
The Angry Designer is an entertaining No-Bull unapologetic design podcast for Graphic Designers, Freelancers, and In-house Creative Pros ready to take their careers to the next level. Hosted by a Creative Director who built and sold a 7-figure Creative agency, this design podcast breaks down the business of design, branding, freelancing, logos, UX, strategy, AI, and more—without the industry fluff and pointless jargon. The Angry Designer tackles the topics other Graphic Design podcasts avoid: burnout, ageism, toxic clients, pricing, imposter syndrome, with an unapologetic take on what it really takes to build a creative career that lasts.Whether you’ve been a Graphic Designer for decades or just starting out, get ready to feel vindicated because this podcast will challenge how you think, push you to grow, and give you the tools to design a life on your terms.
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