Episodes
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Welcome to our sixteenth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Kiya and Rach discuss their working environment and the mammoth to-do lists that they are often faced with ๐ (despite their family members not being convinced that they are very busy ๐). Rach recognises how much is asked of Kiya as a Junior, as she doesnโt have any time to collect her thoughts ๐
Both girls discuss Rachโs unlimited holiday policy. Kiya notes that people are often surprised when she tells them its unlimited ๐. They discuss larger corporations that might find it difficult to manage, but they find it works for them as they work around each others time off.
Both talk about how lucky they are that they feel as though they are on the same wavelength, which makes working together easier for each other. The girls tribute their favourite person P - who is a creative director and a solid port-of-call for overflow and help - they love her lots!! ๐ฅฐ
Kiya chats around her process of overcoming a creative block and how to navigate it, as well as the art of learning from others that are well established in the design industry.
They talk about their triage system and how to prioritise work around deadlines that are often fluffed out by clients. The girls open up the conversation about charging per project vs. per hour - which is your preference?
Learn why Rach strongly stands by working per hour. They recognise value based pricing and where this might be more relevant depending on clients and projects.
If you relate to any of this, or need any advice or support Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can https://www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
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Welcome to our fifteenth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Kiya is back to work after (nearly) a weeks holiday - which Rach is VERY happy about ๐ Rachโ describes how last week was a low point in her design career - which may have been much better had she had an Apple M1 chip in her comp ๐ค can anyone relate to render probs? ๐คฃ
They give an update on the office build (hint: itโs nearly finished, how exciting!) and all the furniture they are due to buy and have bought, ready for the move! Rach did a huge Ikea trip at the weekend and bought the little office kitchen - they discuss how everything is black and beautiful ๐ค
Kiya talks about her fantastic holiday to Amsterdam and the cool hotel she stayed in (hello, new working space!) She visited lots of museums and saw everything from Van Gogh paintings, to Anne Franks house and digital NFTโs ๐คฉ The girls discuss copywriting rules and this impacts the art world and brands in general.
Both reminisce on how much they enjoyed art at school, Kiya talks about her style preference being mixed media and ink whilst Rach was more of a classic oil painter. Rach talks about one of her proudest achievements to date - we feel a new Insta bio coming on ๐
After seeing Anne Frank, the girls discuss how this hits harder with what is currently happening in Ukraine ๐๐ They both discuss the feeling of being helpless and how they can help. Rach talks about a friend of a friend, (Karolina) who is helping refugees cross the border from Ukraine to Poland. Each trip for her costs close to ยฃ68 and currently, through fundraising they have nearly raised ยฃ1000.
If you would like to hear more about Karalinaโs story and updates, follow Rachโs friends instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sineado_yoga/
Her fund-raising link can be found here: paypal.me/sineadoconnoryoga
If you relate to any of this, or need any advice or support Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can https://www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
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Missing episodes?
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Welcome to our fourteenth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Kiya has been busy learning at University this week, she speaks around they sustainability conversations they had around MAC cosmetics and Air BnB. Meanwhile Rach had a crazy day full of calls! The girls agree the workload always seems to mount when one of them is out ๐๐
Rachโs client changed the storyboard project she was working on so itโs going to be a crazy week of getting that over the line for the girls! ๐ตโ๐ซ
Both discuss how working from home impacts day-to-day working life. Rach dreads needing to go into the city a couple of times this week and wonders how she ever did it every.single.day!!! ๐ด ๐
Kiya asks Rach what the future plans are for RN Design ahead of the new office build - exciting times! With new space comes new people and co working opportunities for fellow friends/creatives โจ they discuss the contrast of the new office, compared the current set up they are used to in Rachโs dining room ๐
Stay tuned for new office updates on our Instagram๐ฑ
Kiya discuss how she isn't fond of WFH and enjoys the process of her commute (despite it being short as she lives super close to Rach ๐) They discuss WFH and working from bed becoming a dangerous habit.
Rach speaks about lockdown and the effect she believes it had on her (including her hair washing schedule and her new fave hair dryer - HINT, it's a game changer ๐)
As much as Rach supports WFH, she discusses the ease of learning and working collaboratively when you are in the same room.
If you relate to any of this, or need any advice or support Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can https://www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
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โจ BONUS episode alert โจ
Today the girls discuss their opinion of the Matt Hancock and Steven Bartlett interview (link to podcast below ๐๐ฝ). They talk around Matt describing the testing times of Covid/Lockdown in the UK, as well as his widely publicised affair and consequent divorce โน๏ธ
They also discuss the time Matt broke down on national TV and how crying and emotion needs to be normalised in the political sphere.
Have you listened to the interview? Kiya & Rach are keen to hear your thoughts and opinions! ๐ญ๐ค
Please also consider that everyone has a right to their own political opinion and everyones could vary! Letโs remember to #bekind all round ๐
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Let's discuss - Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can https://www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
Matt Hancock & Steven Bartlett podcast this episode refers to can be found on this link here ๐๐ฝ https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-diary-of-a-ceo-with-steven-bartlett/id1291423644?i=1000552410577
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Welcome to our thirteenth (our - well Rachโs - lucky number) podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
The girls open with Kiya talking about her initial fear to start a Podcast ๐ณ Rach is surprised as Kiya generally loves to talk ๐ they both discuss the idea of mental blocks and how this can impact your confidence around certain things ๐ ๐ฝโโ๏ธ
Kiya and Rach appreciate the listeners we have had so far and how much it means to them - they hope they are helping make a difference in your life some way ๐ (let us know!). Both discuss the personable element to Podcasts and how this relates a little to Reality TV.
Rach confesses her love and adoration for the Kardashians ๐ they discuss the relationship between money and being passionate about what you do. They both commend Kimโs level of influence and how this extends to even the president of the United States, as well as having a say on how their show is edited to the public and fundamentally how their image is presented ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ.
How well thought out are the Kardashianโs business moves? Rach highlights how well they spin a bad PR moment into something great. Both speak about their work ethic and how this mentality filters through to where they are today. They briefly touch on how well she did being married to Kanye West #nothanks โ๏ธ
The girls discuss how confidence and how Rach would also never see herself doing a Podcast - sheโs not a big talker ๐ (thankfully Kiya gets a reply from Rach now ๐). Rach speaks to her hyper-focus and how they both establish a โzoneโ when they are enjoying their work.
Kiya and Rach talk about handling brain fog first thing in the morning and how certain industries need to navigate through this (in the medical industry specifically!) They reminisce about the recent deadline that a client landed on them (a 60 min print-ready job!! ๐ฐ) Rach publicly announces how well Kiya handled herself in this stressful situation, whilst Kiya appreciates how far she has come as a junior ๐ค.
They compare the difference between humble confidence and arrogance and how there is nothing wrong with knowing you are really really great at your job! โจ
If you relate to any of this, or need any advice or support Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can https://www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
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โจ BONUS episode alert โจ
Today Kiya & Rach discuss last nights episode of The Apprentice on BBC. On the show, the teams were tasked with branding and selling Driverless pods to predominately corporate clients. The girls found the branding particularly offensive ๐ and brainstormed how they would have done the task differently with their design background. Kiya and Rach discuss who they believe to be the strongest candidates left, who do you think is going to win? ๐
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Welcome to our twelfth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Today was the day Scotland experienced storm Dudley ๐ช the girls discuss this as a name and normal sounding pet names - do you have a dog named Derek? ๐คฃ ๐ถ
They were fresh from an early morning CrossFit session - Kiyaโs new love โค๏ธ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ (sheโs officially part of the cult). Learn why Rach isnโt a fan of Yoga and how bad she is at running ๐ The girls discuss the importance of community and how this environment is conducive to bettering yourself ๐ช๐ป
This week Kiya completed her first ever Infographic ๐๐ป Rach commends Kiya on how she established a great journey and flow to her design. Kiya discusses her process of where she started (hint, we Lโค๏ธVE Pinterest/Moodboards).
They talk about the beauty of simplicity and how sometimes the most simple things can be the more challenging ones. An analogy is drawn between CrossFit and Design in respect to assuming some things look much easier than they end up being ๐คญ. The girls discuss the mindset of pushing yourself everyday and being the best version of yourself.
Kiya and Rach discuss the podcast they listened to with Steven Bartlett and Ben Francis (CEO and Founder of Gymshark). They talk around Benโs self reflection and his ability to look inward and improve as a person. Both talk around Ben stepping down as a CEO and how his process of continuous development and what Gymshark as a company are REALLY good at (amongst most things as they are very successful haha ๐)
The girls were astonished at Ben still working in Pizza Hut whilst he was running Gymshark in the early days and earning 100โs of thousands ๐ณ what would you do? Both discuss the roles of leadership and how this impacts a business and how they run their company.
If you relate to any of this, or need any advice or support Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
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Welcome to our eleventh podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Graphic Designer and Rach is a Senior Graphic Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Today the girls discuss finding balance as a Creative... Do you find your busy days overwhelming? Are you wondering how to balance your work and have a life outside of design ๐ฐ
The struggle is real, right? ๐
They chat about their process of booking work in and how to break this down to feel more digestable, protecting your time. Both share techniques to help manage clients and terms on which you work for them, i.e. project by project basis vs. retainer ๐ค. Rach talks around her opinion on retainer work and why she isn't a fan ๐ฌ
The girls reminisce about getting the train to London and how this led to time to wind-down that we otherwise miss out on now we all WFH. ๐
Rach gives an idea for how to incorporate this into a mid/post Covid landscape...๐ถ๐พโโ๏ธ
Kiya & Rach talk about their therapy Cat and how Millie helps them get through busy days ๐ฑ #milliefanclub
If you relate to any of this, or need any advice or support Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can https://www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
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Welcome to our tenth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Do you consistently daydream about going freelance? Are you feeling frustrated in your current full-time role as a designer or creative? The girls hear you! Kiya is picking Rach's brains about her journey into this new world ๐
Rach talks about her last full-time role and what led her to taking the leap into the world of freelance (hint, it might not be what you expect!) ๐ฉโ๐๐ฅRach digs deep about her mental state in her last role and how this led to her nearly quitting design ๐ฎShe discusses her tips and advice about how to approach going freelance and where to start.
If you relate to any of this, or need any advice or support Rach and Kiya are very open to chatting! Drop us a note in the DM's and they would love to help you were they can https://www.instagram.com/designerduo.studio/ ๐ฑโจ
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Welcome to our ninth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Today Kiya & Rach discuss the advantages to embracing Canva as designers. As a tool that is often used as a gauge of a designerโs professionalism and credibility, they discuss how they have used it for clients and the time time saving techniques Canva offers as opposed to professional software such as Adobe!
๐ Rach has written an article about this on Medium which you can read here.
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Welcome to our eighth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
Today (at the time of recording - 13th January) is Kiyaโs first day at her University Degree Apprenticeship ๐ In this episode you'll hear Kiya explain why she chose a Marketing Degree over Design ๐ค and some insight into the process of enrolment for both the Apprentice and the hiring company. The girls touch on funding on the opportunities the UK government provide for both parties (hint, itโs pretty mind-blowing! ๐คฏ) and discuss the lack of awareness around this in schools and for business owners in general. They weigh up University from a traditional route, discussing the process most people would follow after sixth form (A-Levels). Kiya describes the pressure she felt to know what she wanted to do at an early age and her thought process of not committing anything until she was ready.
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โจ BONUS episode alert โจ
Today Kiya & Rach discuss last nights episode of The Apprentice on BBC. On the show, the teams were tasked with a brief to create a childrenโs electric toothbrush and accompanying app that encouraged 6-8 year olds to brush their teeth. The girls discuss the design decisions made and how they could have been improved from a branding perspective ๐ตโ๐ซ they dig deeper into each of the concepts and pinpoint what they felt was missing. They discuss each teams dynamic, how well they worked together and their thoughts of how they presented themselves with Lord Sugar in the board room.
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Welcome to our sixth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business. In this episode you'll hear their take on the interview with Molly-Mae Hague and Steven Bartlett, on his podcast 'Diary of a CEO'.
They discuss how the media has blown her comments out of proportion and her comments were not intended to be harmful to anyone else. Kiya & Rach discuss her age and how easy it is to make an off-hand comment that could be perceived wrongly. They weigh up privilege, diversity issues, successful women & other Love Island celebs.
The girls talk about her collaboration with Pretty Little Thing and her new role as a Creative Director, as well as the role money and wealth plays, how to determine success and monetising the assets and skills you have.
Rach outlines how uncomfortable she is with brands terming celebrities as 'Creative Directors' when they are often so young, with little creative experience. They discuss messaging and how you present yourself to the media whilst being empathetic to people in different situations.
They talk around the subject of how much is enough and finding joy in the process of what you do, and how this relates back to your values.
Kiya and Rach commend Steven Barlett's guests on his podcast.
We strongly discourage any online trolling. Whilst we might all have a particular opinion on a situation, please remember to #bekind ๐
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Welcome to our sixth podcast episode! Happy new year lovely listeners!! โจ ๐
We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
In this episode you'll hear us catching up on the end of 2021 where Kiya went on holiday and Rach found work got incredibly busy ๐ต The gals outline their goals, both business and personal, for the upcoming year. Can you guess what developments are on the horizon?
We're very excited, to say the least ๐คฉ
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Welcome to our fifth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business. In this episode you'll hear when the girls experience mental blocks and how this differs with different types of projects. They breakdown how to recognise blocks as opposed to being overwhelmed. Rach discusses how she would approach an intense deck project and Kiya talks on tight deadlines and how they motivate them to make informed decisions, whilst being accountable to client promises. They discuss how distraction can creep in with multiple apps and platforms being available on your computer, how to manage big projects and the output of these visually when presenting back to a client. Rach highlights the importance of research and discovery, and the pair discuss what concepts are. They reflect on a past moodboard project and discuss how they would encourage a client to say they HATED something ๐คท๐ฝ Kiya questions a branding process and what it involves, including the difference between a brand vs. a logo and copywriting vs. tone of voice. Rach touches on a brand that that has developed what she regards as a 'movement' (future episode to come where they discuss this in wayyyy more detail).
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Welcome to our fourth podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business. In this episode you'll hear Kiya asking Rach what she would have changed when she was a Junior Designer ๐ค.
They discuss the feelings of design not landing with a client and how to navigate less positive feedback. They talk about the evolution of design and trends, the importance of a good brief and how to interrogate a brief to yours and the clients advantage! We hear about their impeccable filing system (it really is, very good!) ๐ and how they credit organisation to promote a healthy workflow. They talk through their process of a shared to-do list, as well as Rach giving some advice on building your confidence and speaking up, as a creative. They discuss the pressure of meetings and how to manage the overwhelming feeling of needing to say something, especially as an introvert. Kiya talks about the daily habits she notices' and picks up on, and how to navigate your to-do list and time as a Junior Designer.
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Welcome to our third podcast episode! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business. In this episode you'll hear us celebrating Kiya's 20th birthday the weekend before ๐ฅณ whilst Rach had a busy weekend working before she turns 30 (ahhh!) ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ The pair discuss the learnings Kiya has picked up in her first few months as a Junior Designer and how she juggles multiple aspects of her role, including, client and project management, designing and admin ๐คฏ whilst still learning design best practices (busy bee!) Both discuss how important these elements are when running a design business and how we perceive client requests.
They reflect on Kiya's first day and how she was introduced (and grew to love) Adobe Illustrator. In contrast, they discuss designing decks/PowerPoints and vital they are to the business financially, and how in-demand they are for clients. Rach describes her theory on finding the best creative solution for every project. Kiya outlines her process of overcoming procrastination, Rach gives some insight into the creative process and what it takes to get into a flow and how this impacts people differently.
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Welcome to our second ever podcast! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business.
In this episode you'll hear what Kiya does day-to-day as a Junior Designer, as well as her journey from school and A-levels, to creating her own artwork in lockdown. She talks about her Foundation course in art and how she navigated this at home during the pandemic. We'll learn how this led her to her seeking an Apprenticeship and her discovering what she wanted to pursue as a career. We gain insight into the intensive job interviews she attended and her views on a marketing role. She reveals how she ended up working with Rach and they discuss the disconnect between educational advice and the benefits of the creative industry. We hear about the learnings she has gained so far with Rach, as well as courses she has attended in her first three months.
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Welcome to our first ever podcast! We're so happy you're here โจThis is a podcast from the perspective of two designers, Kiya and Rach ๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป๐ฉ๐ปโ๐ป Kiya is a Junior Designer and Rach is a Senior Designer/Art Director running her own business. In this episode you'll hear questions directly from Rach on her journey to becoming a business owner, why she didn't rate Uni, what working in an agency in Essex was like compared to a London PR agency, where clients included the likes of PlayStationยฎ, Sky, EE and more ๐น๐ฑ Rach outlines how her role changed, what her promotion looked like and her understanding of the ranks of design. She gives insight into how she transitioned into freelance design, and the comparison of agency vs. in-house life. She talks about her client relationships and how these have built over time, what her development from freelancer to business owner looked like, and how she got to the position where she was lucky enough to find Kiya.
