Better: The Brand Designer Podcast
Better: The Brand Designer Podcast, founded by Giselle Field of Wander Design Co. and Jen Davis, was founded on the belief that designers need community. We find that the branding world often feels secretive, competitive, and sometimes just plain old confusing. When we realized that our honest, soul-chat-level convos could potentially help other designers, we realized a podcast was only natural! Better: The Brand Designer Podcast was officially born.
Giselle passed away during a climbing trip in Peru in summer of 2020. We encourage all listeners of our podcast to listen to our two Celebrating Giselle episodes. Giselle's adventurous, kind, funny, and supportive presence is missed every day—each and every episode that we record is dedicated to her legacy and her vision for this podcast. It is our honor to continue recording episodes in Giselle's memory and we know that she is with us every time we sit down to record.
In winter of 2022, we welcomed Esther Knox-Dekoning from Sereth Design as a new co-host. Esther brought an incredible and fresh perspective to the pod—her transition from agency to design studio as well as her love for web design, sustainability, and world change brought new guests, ideas, and amazing episodes to our listeners. She departed the pod in spring 2023 to dedicate more time to her studio's growth, and will be greatly missed!
Now, Jen runs the podcast solo and is beyond excited to continue interviewing guests, having interesting conversations, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of running her design studio.
Better: The Brand Designer Podcast
S11 E4: Branding Bestie Chit Chat: What’s the Future of the Boutique Brand Design Industry? with Lauren Braier
In the first episode of our new monthly series, Branding Bestie Chit Chat, I sit down with Lauren Braier to explore a question that’s been buzzing around the boutique brand design community: What’s the future of our industry?
From online chatter to shifts in the career paths of high-profile designers, we dive into why it feels like so many business owners are struggling right now. Is it just the nature of social media amplifying the lows, or is something deeper happening in the branding world?
Lauren and I share our predictions for 2025, including a possible decline in courses and education in favor of 1:1 coaching, the lingering effects of an oversaturated market post-COVID, and the continued importance of showing up authentically on social media (because being a faceless brand just doesn’t cut it anymore).
We also reflect on what these changes mean for our own futures as brand designers. Whether you’re navigating similar questions or just curious about what’s ahead, this episode is packed with insights, candid thoughts, and some serious bestie vibes.
Grab your coffee, tune in, and let’s talk shop!
Guest Information:
Guest Name: Lauren Braier
Guest Business Name: Elby Creative
Guest Website: elbycreative.com
Guest Instagram: @elbycreative
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Tags:
designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
