A Podcast for Us Rookies

Adam Hay crafts a podcast series specifically for the rookie

As a designer in the opening stages of my own career, I can speak from experience; even though one has the edcuation and the credential, you’re still hungry for advice: where to go next? What to do? Advice from professionals is invaluable but we sometimes don’t know who (or if we do know who we don’t know how) to ask.

Don’t worry, rookie. Adam Hay is here for you.

Adam Hay is a San Diego designer, princpal in Titan Strides Creative, and in the tradition of the truly passionate offers what he knows and discusses issues to the beginning pro and semi-pro in a uniquely-targeted podcast: Rookie Designer: Discussion and Tips for the Not-so-accomplished Designer.

Each podcast, ten-to-twenty minutes in length, poses questions and provides answers and advice in a variety of topics that are extremely germane to the budding pro, such as continuing training and staying current; preparing and maintaining your portfolio and preparing for that job interview; team effort and whether or not you ought to be a team of one; and taking care of yourself and your connections.

There are ten episodes in the series now, each one made in a friendly, listenable tone. Hay is just starting out on ‘casting and it’s obvious sometimes. Letting the early warts show works in the show’s favor, though, since it makes the work, as a whole, more approachable and friendly. The production improves its polish with each edition though, and the metaphor is that of baseball and its team aspect, with all the connotations of connections and community; we indeed are a tribe. Regular listeners get a taste of regular segments; “The Bullpen” is a link-of-the-week showcase, and “Rookie Mistake” showcases the obvious but easily forgettable things that pros take for granted but beginners can typically forget.

Rookie Designer is a friendly voice in a sometimes bewildering world, and while some of it is good advice overall, the rookies who are the program’s focus may well find it just the thing they are looking for.