The Deeply Graphic Designcast - DGDC

Ever wonder why some creatives always seem to be in the right place at the right time? In this episode, Nick explores how to get luckier by increasing your surface area for opportunity, putting yourself in the room, saying yes before you feel ready, creating your own opportunities, and giving those lucky breaks more places to land.

At some point in your creative career, getting better at design stops being the whole answer. In this episode, Nick explores how to uncover your X-Factor, the skills, experience, personality, and strengths beyond design that make you uniquely valuable, memorable, and harder to overlook. If you’re a mid-career designer wondering what it takes to get unstuck and reach that next level, this one’s for you.

Jacob Paris has been a sewer, a screen printer, a graphic designer, a streamer, and now an Adobe contractor. Somehow the biggest turning point in his career wasn't a job, a client, or a big break. It was a DM.In this episode, Jacob traces his creative path from teaching himself to sew on TikTok during the 2020 lockdown, to tie-dyeing a viral Travis Scott shirt that hit nearly a million views, to running a screen-print shop in Philadelphia that printed for acts like 100 gecs, Online Ceramics, and Nine Inch Nails. He opens up about the boss who told him, on his way out the door, that "not everyone's cut out for the art world," and how that one sentence lit a fire that pushed him to freelance full-time and land clients like Microsoft, Adobe, and JBL.Then the story takes a turn nobody sees coming: a nurse named Joanna slides into his DMs, they bond over Magic: The Gathering, and nine months later Jacob is on a 13-hour flight to meet her for the first time. What started as an internet friendship turned into a relationship, a marriage, and a full relocation from Philadelphia to Calgary, Alberta, a move Jacob describes as "exclusively beneficial," despite starting completely from scratch in a new country with zero followers or credibility.We dig into what Jacob calls the "medium fish in a smaller, less crowded pond" effect: how leaving an oversaturated market like Philly for a tighter-knit, less gatekept creative scene actually accelerated his growth. And we get into the mindset that's carried him through all of it: comparison as the thief of joy, doing things first instead of best, and the belief that the fear of failure is scarier than failure itself.This one's a masterclass in staying durable, not by having it all figured out, but by staying curious, staying humble, and saying yes to the DM.Guest LinksWebsite: https://www.byjacobparis.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-paris-798547306/🚀 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dgdcpod/🚀 Explore more at: linktr.ee/dgdcpod🚀Our Shop: deeplygraphicgoods.printful.me#GraphicDesign #DesignPodcast #CreativeBusiness

Get over it.
If you're still arguing about AI-generated "slop," you're missing the point. The smartest designers have moved on – they're too busy using AI to amplify their creativity, effectiveness, and competitive advantage.
In this no-nonsense episode, Nick Longo and Brady Patterson break down the 5 game-changing ways designers are harnessing the power of AI – not to replace their skills, but to enhance them. Discover how to use AI for research, art direction, mockups, client presentations, and more.
Nick and Brady just wrapped up two Adobe events where they saw firsthand how designers are winning with these strategies. The ones who aren't? They're being left behind.
This isn't about churning out generic logos. It's about working smarter, faster, and more persuasively. It's about using every tool at your disposal to stay ahead of the curve.
So if you're ready to stop debating and start dominating, this episode is your wake-up call. Tune in and learn how to make AI your secret weapon. Your competitors already have.
Buckle up for some real talk. It's time to adapt, or get left behind.

Stop Following Trends — Bill Gardner on How to Read the Industry, Future-Proof Your Work, and Design What's Next
Bill Gardner is back, and this time he's bringing receipts.
The founder of LogoLounge and author of the brand new LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding joins us for one of the most important conversations we've had on this show. After reviewing more than 30,000 logos and identity systems from around the world, Bill has a clear-eyed view of where this industry is headed and an honest assessment of who's going to thrive and who's going to get left behind.
This isn't a trend walkthrough. This is a deeper conversation about what the 2026 Logo Trend Report is really telling us about the state of our profession, the divide opening up between designers who are leaning forward and those still in follow-on mode, and what it actually takes to build a body of work and a career that lasts.
We get into the hard stuff too. AI, pricing, the commoditization of execution, the shrinking middle market, and the fundamental shift happening in what a designer's role actually is. If you've been feeling the ground move under your feet, this episode will help you understand why and what to do about it.
Whether you're just starting out, mid-career, or a veteran trying to stay sharp and relevant, this one is for you.
In this episode we cover:
The divide Bill sees in the profession right now and which side you need to be on

Why identity is no longer a static artifact and what that means for your practice

How the designer's role is shifting from author to architect and why that changes everything

The honest conversation around AI, value, and how to price your work in a world where clients have more tools than ever

What 20+ years of trend data actually teaches you about what makes a brand iconic

How to stop reading trends and start casting them, the core idea behind the new book

Practical advice for putting all of this into practice starting Monday morning

Resources mentioned in this episode:
2026 LogoLounge Trend Report. Read it here: https://www.logolounge.com/trend/2026-logo-trend-report
The LogoLounge Guide to Iconic Branding by Bill Gardner. Get the book here: https://a.co/d/03ydRTRV