The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast
A Graphic Design Podcast that cuts through the industry bull to help frustrated Designers charge what they're worth and build rewarding creative careers
Forget AI. The Real Danger to YOUR Graphic Design Future Is Already Here
Graphic designers have been fighting the wrong battle.While the design world panics about AI taking jobs, a more dangerous threat has already arrived — Graphic Designers who know how to use AI better than you. They’re faster, sharper, and landing the work while you’re still debating whether it’s “ethical” to use the tools.This isn’t a future problem. It’s happening right now.This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we rip the mask off the real competition, and no, it’s not a robot. It’s the designer sitting across from you who embraced AI while you were still stuck in the past.We’re not here to coddle. We’re here to wake you the hell up.In this episode, you’ll discover:• Why AI isn’t the enemy but other designers are• How to spot the new wave of competition before it blindsides you• What skills, strategies, and mindset shifts will keep you from getting replacedIf you’re serious about protecting your design future, it’s time to stop fearing the wrong threat and start levelling the hell up.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
--------
49:05
--------
49:05
Designers Who Ignore Brand Strategy Are Getting Replaced with Dan Janssen
Designers are freaking out about AI, and for good reason. Clients are skipping strategy, bringing AI-generated logos to the table, and treating designers like disposable decorators.But while most designers are still obsessing over execution, the smart ones are building brands, owning strategy, evolving and becoming irreplaceable.This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we sit down with our friend Dan Janssen of Lincoln Design Co. to unpack the real shift happening in the creative world and why most Graphic Designers are totally unprepared for it.Recorded live at CropCon 2025 in Austin Texas, Dan lays downWhy ignoring brand strategy is the fastest way to get replacedHow to build a personal brand that clients actually valueWhat clients really think when they hand you AI-generated workBy the end of this episode, you’ll know why brand strategy is your new superpower in this AI powered world, and how to use it to stay relevant, respected, and paid.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
--------
40:00
--------
40:00
AI Isn’t Replacing Graphic Designers. Your Client Is
Graphic Designers aren’t being replaced by AI.They’re being replaced by their own clients using AI.The real threat to a Graphic Designer isn’t AI. It’s lazy marketers, overconfident interns, and clueless execs showing up with AI-generated briefs, Frankensteined logos, and bloated brand docs pulled straight from a bot. And they expect you to clean it all up like a design janitor.This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we expose the uncomfortable truth about the actual enemy designers are facing, and it’s not the tech. It’s the people using it wrong.In this episode, we break down:Why Grpahic Designers are being reduced to decorators (and how to stop it)The rise of “confident garbage” and the illusion of qualityHow to push back, simplify chaos, and reclaim your authorityIf you’ve ever been handed a “professional” AI brief that made zero sense… or had your strategy questioned because “AI said so”, this one’s going to hit hard.This isn’t just a rant. It’s a damn wake-up call.Because AI won’t replace you.But your client, who THINKS they know how to use AI absolutely will.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
--------
12:04
--------
12:04
This Mindset Is Limiting Your Graphic Design Career
Many graphic designers are stuck and they don’t even know it.They price based on feelings, take feedback like a punch to the gut, and chase originality over clarity…all because they’re thinking like artists, not designers.This mindset starts early with crayons, sketchbooks, praise for creativity and it feels right. But in the real world? That same mindset is quietly sabotaging your career.In this episode of The Angry Designer podcast, we’re exposing the artist mentality that’s quietly sabotaging graphic designers keeping them broke, burned out, and overlooked. You’ll learn how to spot the subtle red flags, shift your mindset, and start thinking like a designer – strategic, purposeful, and unshakeably valuable.By the end, you’ll know:- The real difference between artists and designers- How the artist mindset is ruining your reputation and pricing- What to do instead—so you get paid, respected, and future-proofedWhether it’s pricing your work, dealing with client feedback, or trying to stay relevant in the age of AI, this episode delivers the straight-up truth that most design schools never teach. Let go of the starving artist myth. Start thinking like a designer. Your career depends on it.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
--------
35:24
--------
35:24
Why Good Design is Losing to Fast Design and How Graphic Designers Can Change Their Fate
Good design is losing.Not by better design — but by faster, cheaper, half-assed garbage.And the worst part? Clients are eating it up.Welcome to the new reality where timelines matter more than talent, and “good enough” is winning over great. Designers are watching their best work get ignored while AI bots, Canva templates, and $5 Fiverr hacks get the green light.And yeah, we might have been the ones to let this happen.This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we rip into the real reason good design is losing to fast design and what graphic designers need to do to stay relevant in a world that values speed over skill.In this episode we discuss:- Why clients think fast = progress (and how to flip that on them)- How designers became their own worst enemy- A better way to deliver work without compromising quality- The process tweak that keeps clients off Canva and on your sideIf you're sick of watching garbage design win just because it's quick, this episode gives you the tools to fight back and win the long game.Stay Angry our Friends –––––––––––Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.comJoin in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast
About The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast
The Angry Designer is an entertaining No-Bull unapologetic design podcast for Graphic Designers, Freelancers, and In-house Creative Pros ready to take their careers to the next level. Hosted by a Creative Director who built and sold a 7-figure Creative agency, this design podcast breaks down the business of design, branding, freelancing, logos, UX, strategy, AI, and more—without the industry fluff and pointless jargon. The Angry Designer tackles the topics other Graphic Design podcasts avoid: burnout, ageism, toxic clients, pricing, imposter syndrome, with an unapologetic take on what it really takes to build a creative career that lasts.Whether you’ve been a Graphic Designer for decades or just starting out, get ready to feel vindicated because this podcast will challenge how you think, push you to grow, and give you the tools to design a life on your terms.
Listen to The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast, The New Yorker: The Writer's Voice - New Fiction from The New Yorker and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
South Africa