Art School Graduate Podcast

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🎙️ What happens when storytelling meets systems thinking, and design is centered around participation, not just aesthetics? In this episode, we sit down with Lee-Sean Huang and David Colby Reed, co-founders of the strategy and design consultancy Foossa, to unpack how design can truly shape communities, spark dialogue, and drive social change.
We explore their creative origin story, their guiding philosophy of “Design for Participation,” and how they use narrative strategy, co-design, and service design to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. From working with foundations and governments to building equity-centered workshops, Foossa’s approach is both visionary and grounded in the everyday power of collaboration.
💡 Whether you’re a designer, strategist, educator, or just a curious creative trying to figure out how to make a meaningful impact, this conversation will leave you inspired, empowered, and thinking bigger about your own practice.

🎯 This episode is for you if:
You’re curious about using design for civic good, not just commercial gain

You want to blend storytelling with systems thinking

You’re navigating how to co-create with communities

You care about equity, facilitation, and creative empowerment

You’re tired of the “networking” game and want to build your own scene

🎁 Plus:
A quickfire round with fun questions on playlists, design tools, and underrated thinkers

Their biggest advice for emerging creatives

The one project they’d co-design with no limits

—
🌐 Connect with Foossa:
Website: https://foossa.com
Instagram: @foossa
🎨 More Episodes + Resources:
https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast
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#Foossa #DesignForParticipation #LeeSeanHuang #DavidColbyReed #StorytellingInDesign #SocialImpactDesign #SystemsThinking #NarrativeStrategy #EquityByDesign #CreativeLeadership #ArtSchoolGradPodcast

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Xavier Ruffin is a Milwaukee, raised creative powerhouse—filmmaker, designer, and co-founder of Cynosure Creative Agency. From experiencing homelessness in his youth to building a bold, culture-forward agency working with brands like Netflix and Amazon Prime, Xavier’s story is one of resilience, vision, and voice.

In this raw and insightful conversation, Xavier opens up about:
Discovering creativity as survival and identity

Gaining early access to art school at 13

Balancing corporate design work at Kohl’s with passion projects

Creating Mad Black Men as a response to erasure in design history

Co-founding Cynosure CA and working with Spike Lee’s She’s Gotta Have It

Building authentic visual storytelling for global brands

Navigating client feedback, protecting creative integrity, and leading with empathy

Whether you’re a young creative trying to find your lane, a designer wanting to make a cultural impact, or a founder seeking to tell more meaningful stories—this episode will fire you up.
🎯 This episode is for you if:
You want to build a creative career with intention and integrity

You’re navigating representation and identity in the design world

You’ve ever been told “you don’t belong” and need a reminder that you do

You’re curious about transitioning from freelance to full agency ownership

You want to know how to keep your art authentic in commercial work

📌 Resources Mentioned
– Cynosure Creative Agency: https://cynosureca.com
– Mad Black Men web series
– Clio Awards
– MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design)
– Amazon Prime’s THEM
– Adobe Creative Suite, Blender

🎧 More Podcast Episodes
https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast

📲 Connect with Xavier Ruffin
Instagram: @xavierruffin
Website: https://cynosureca.com

🎨 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications:
👉 /@artschoolgraduate_podcast

DeAndra Hodge is an illustrator, graphic designer, educator, and soon-to-be author based in Washington, D.C., best known for her vibrant children’s book illustrations, cultural storytelling, and joyful, people-centered art. She’s illustrated over ten books, including the acclaimed Beyond the Game series and Yvonne Clark and Her Engineering Spark, with clients ranging from Nickelodeon and Café Bustelo to Puzzles of Color.

In this inspiring and heartwarming episode, DeAndra shares her journey from studying fine art to becoming a published illustrator, why Procreate is her creative soulmate, and how she blends design thinking into her illustration process. We also talk about drawing influence from West African and Greco-Roman art, using Tumblr-era fandoms for inspiration, and why knowing who you are makes all the difference in the publishing world.

Whether you’re a student, a creative entrepreneur, or a fellow children’s book illustrator, this episode will fill you with creative fuel and a deeper appreciation for the intersection of art, culture, and joy.

✨ This episode is for you if:🔗 Connect with DeAndra Hodge:🛠️ Tools & Topics Mentioned:
You want to break into children’s illustration or graphic novels

You’re navigating the freelance world with creativity and purpose

You’re curious about blending design and illustration in your workflow

You want to use storytelling to make your art more impactful

You’re inspired by joyful, culturally rooted visuals

🌐 Website: https://www.deandrahodge.com
📸 Instagram: @deandrahodge_

🎧 More Podcast Episodes:
https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast
Procreate vs. Adobe Fresco

Cultural and historical influences (West African, Art Deco, Bauhaus)

Working with art directors and optimizing for print

Building confidence through personal storytelling

Transitioning from design student to professional illustrator

#DeAndraHodge #ChildrenBookIllustrator #ProcreateArtist #DesignThinking #BlackIllustrators #CreativeJourney #WomenInPublishing #FreelanceLife #IllustrationPodcast #ArtSchoolGradPodcast

🔥 New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications:
👉 / @artschoolgraduate_podcast

🎨 Stephanie Brown is an interdisciplinary artist and host of IN BTWN ARTIST, a podcast about sustainable creative careers. Rooted in her Jamaican and Black American heritage, Stephanie’s work spans photography, installation, and writing, interrogating identity, colorism, and the global impacts of systemic racism. With degrees from SCAD and the University of Michigan, she creates powerful work that educates, sparks empathy, and challenges us to think critically about who we are and who we choose to become.
💼 In this episode, Stephanie shares how her time on a cruise ship opened her eyes to global colorism, why she pursued an MFA, and how she built a career that bridges art, education, and entrepreneurship. We delve into what it means to be creative.
Whether you’re exploring your identity, building a freelance career, or simply searching for belonging in your creative work, this conversation will move you.

🔗 Connect with Stephanie Brown:
Website: https://www.stephaniebphotos.com/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@stephaniesquared/videos
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stephaniesquared_/

🎧 More Podcast Episodes:
https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast

📚 Resources Mentioned:
– IN BTWN ARTIST Podcast
– Museum Studies + MFA experience
– Interdisciplinary Art practices
– Creative sustainability + financial stability
– Tools: Photography, installation, creative writing

📌 This episode is for you if:
You’re exploring identity as a Black or Brown creative

You want to understand what “interdisciplinary artist” truly means

You’re curious about sustainable creative careers

You’ve faced colorism or systemic barriers in your journey

You’re ready to build agency and critical thinking through your art

#StephanieBrown #InBtwnArtist #BlackCreatives #CreativeEntrepreneur #ArtWithPurpose #InterdisciplinaryArtist #Colorism #ArtAsActivism #DesignPodcast #CreativeProcess #ArtSchoolGradPodcast #IdentityAndArt #BlackArtistsMatter

🎙️ New to the channel? Subscribe and turn on notifications:
/ @artschoolgraduate_podcast

Bria Alexander is a powerhouse creative leader at Adobe serving as a Design Program Manager, inclusive design advocate, AI strategist, and public speaker. In this dynamic conversation, Bria takes us through her inspiring journey from sales enablement to the heart of design operations, proving that where you start isn’t where you’ll end up.
We unpack how Bria navigates complex design systems, embraces inclusive language, leads with empathy, and uses AI tools like ChatGPT and Firefly to supercharge her work and personal life. We also dive into how she sets boundaries, builds community, and why she believes in opening doors for the next generation of creatives.
Whether you're in tech, creative leadership, or transitioning into a new role, this episode is full of gems you don’t want to miss.

🎯 This episode is for you if...
✔️ You’re pivoting into tech or design from a non-traditional background
✔️ You want to use AI tools responsibly and creatively
✔️ You care about inclusive design and community building
✔️ You’re navigating burnout, boundaries, or balance
✔️ You lead or work on a multidisciplinary creative team

🔗 Connect with Bria Alexander
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/briaalexander
Instagram: https://instagram.com/briaismyname
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@briaismyname
Wine + Spirits Business: https://instagram.com/somali.aid
Office Hours: Book via her LinkedIn!

🎧 More Podcast Episodes:
https://bio.site/ArtSchoolGraduatePodcast

📚 Resources Mentioned:
– Rosenfeld Design Ops Summit
– Book: Digital Feudalism
– CAA Internship
– The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
– ChatGPT, Aura Ring, Apple Watch, and health tracking tools

#BriaAlexander #DesignOps #InclusiveDesign #WomenInTech #CreativeLeadership #AdobeFirefly #BlackInTech #AIandDesign #CommunityOverCompetition #ArtSchoolGradPodcast #HowardUniversityAlumni #DesignProgramManager #CreativeCareerPath #LifeWillLifeYou