Hand-Drawn Is Back: The Anti-AI Aesthetic with Chris Grau

How Design and Ethics Are Shaping AI's Future

Summary Join us as we explore the latest in AI, responsible tech, and innovative storytelling with industry expert Julie Crabill. Discover how design, ethics, and human-centric approaches are shaping the future of technology and media. Keywords AI, responsible AI, storytelling, design, Coinbase ad, AI ethics, innovation, tech industry, responsible tech, future of AI Key topics AI and human-centric design Responsible AI and ethics Innovative storytelling in tech Design's role in AI development Impact of AI on society and future Guest name Julie Crabill Titles The Future of AI: Human-Centric Design and Responsible Innovation How Design and Ethics Are Shaping AI's Future Sound bites "Uncanny valley of graphics is very weird" "Crypto is about decentralization and freedom" "Design influences how AI impacts society" Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Technical Difficulties 00:22 The Coinbase Oscars Ad: A Deep Dive 07:27 Rethinking Closed Captioning: A Design Revolution 11:33 Introducing Julie Crabill: A Journey into AI and Storytelling 12:47 Rapid Fire Questions with Julie Crabill 13:47 The Responsibility of Tech in Communities 14:17 AI Hype and Reality 15:44 The Evolution of Home Robotics 16:13 Generational Perspectives on AI 17:31 Moments of AI Breakthroughs 19:26 The Future of AI Ventures 20:10 The Challenge of Storytelling in Tech 22:13 Successful AI Narratives 23:50 The Role of AI in Society 28:11 Building Responsible AI 30:55 AI's Impact on Everyday Life 34:25 Designing for Accessibility and Humanity 37:56 Navigating Parenting Challenges with AI 42:33 The Importance of Diversity in Tech 42:58 Generational Anxiety and the Job Market 45:47 Embracing AI as a Tool for Creativity 50:39 The Future of Human Creativity in an AI World 57:56 AI's Impact on Vulnerable Populations Resources Inner Circle Labs - https://innercirclelabs.com/ Fathom.org - https://fathom.org/ Descartes Labs - https://descarteslabs.com/ Anthropic - https://www.anthropic.com/ OpenAI - https://openai.com/ Caption with Intention - https://captionwithintention.org/ Guest links LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/juliecrabill Twitter - https://twitter.com/juliecrabill

AI Tools, Hot Takes & The Great Rebrand Ranking

Rocky and Clark are flying solo this week — and they are not holding back. In this episode they dig into the AI tools reshaping their actual creative workflows, debate which creative jobs AI will kill first, and play a live rebrand ranking game that gets surprisingly heated. In this episode: * Adobe Photoshop's new AI rotate feature (and what it means for 3D in everyday design work) * How Rocky used AI to batch-process eight executive headshots in under three minutes * Why Adobe is quietly opening its walls to third-party AI tools — and what that signals for the industry * Apple's TikTok pivot: Gen Z marketing, UGC aesthetics, and what designers can learn from it * The IRL marketing comeback — how brands are using FIFA, the Olympics, and live events to create authentic social moments * Hot takes: spec work, which creative job AI kills first, and the brands they secretly love to hate (Liquid Death and LaCroix both take a hit) * The skill atrophy debate: are AI tools making designers lazy, or just more powerful? * Clark vibe-coded a live rebrand ranking game — and they rank Reddit, Airbnb, Kia, Burberry, Pepsi, Twitter/X, and more on air Links mentioned in this episode: * Clark's Rebrand Ranking Game [https://tscs-rebrandgame.lovable.app/] * Anthropic Economic Impact Report [https://www.anthropic.com/research/labor-market-impacts] * Meshy [https://www.meshy.ai/] (AI 3D modeling tool) * Apple TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@apple] * AirBnB Logo from 1975 [https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/roadwarriorvoices/2015/09/09/redditor-spots-airbnbs-exact-logo-in-1988-trademarked-symbols-book/83307822/]

Hand-Drawn Is Back: The Anti-AI Aesthetic with Chris Grau

Season 2 is here — and we're opening with a question worth arguing about. As AI-generated content floods every corner of the internet, something unexpected is happening: designers are picking up pencils again. Hand-drawn typography, film grain, analog textures — imperfection is becoming a hallmark of quality, not a flaw to fix. We dig into why the "human touch" is emerging as a genuine competitive advantage in 2026. Then we're joined by web developer Chris Grau — a guy who somehow went from a biochemistry degree to personal training to 20+ years building on Webflow and WordPress. We cover the Webflow vs. WordPress debate (settle it once and for all), how AI code generators are actually playing out in real development work, and whether no-code tools will eventually make traditional developers obsolete. Spoiler: he has opinions. 🎧 Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and everywhere else you get your pods.

Creative Careers: If We Had to Start Over Today

In this episode, Rocky Tilney and Clark Miller discuss the challenges and opportunities facing new designers in 2025. They explore the declining job market, the impact of AI on creative careers, and the importance of building skills and personal brands. The conversation emphasizes the need for adaptability, continuous learning, and networking in a rapidly changing industry. They also share advice for aspiring creatives, including the value of showcasing one's process and the importance of specialization. TakeawaysEntry-level design jobs have significantly decreased.AI is changing the landscape of creative work.Building a portfolio is essential for new designers.Networking is crucial for career advancement.Creatives should embrace building in public.The skills gap is a major concern in the job market.Creative thinking will remain a valuable skill.Learning from experience is key to growth.Specialization can lead to more opportunities.Curiosity and continuous learning are vital for success. Chapters00:00 Navigating the Creative Landscape in 202502:43 The Brutal Truth: Job Market Statistics05:42 Building Skills in a Changing Environment08:25 The Gig Economy and Freelancing Opportunities11:27 Creating in Public: The New Norm14:13 The Skills Gap: Demand vs. Supply16:58 The Importance of Creative Direction and Strategy21:59 The Depth of Creative Strategy25:57 The Role of Curiosity in Creativity28:08 AI's Impact on Design Skills31:25 The Shift from Technical to Creative Skills37:20 The Importance of Hybrid Skills40:17 Finding Your Niche in Creativity43:56 Recap and Future Advice45:12 Embracing AI as a Creative Partner45:41 Advice to Younger Self: Overcoming Insecurities47:18 Building a Portfolio and Learning Skills49:05 The Importance of Networking and Informational Interviews52:01 Valuing Your Time and Expertise54:42 The Future of Design Careers01:01:36 The Value of Human Creativity in an AI World creative careers, design jobs, AI in design, job market trends, building skills, gig economy, personal branding, networking, creative thinking, skills gap

The Creative Tools Revolution (and Revolt)

In this episode, Clark Miller and Rocky Tilney explore the evolving landscape of creative tools, discussing subscription fatigue, tool fatigue, and the impact of AI on design. They delve into new tools like Gamma and Flora, the balance between speed and craftsmanship, and the challenges of collaboration in creative teams. The conversation also touches on the future of user interfaces in AI tools and the implications of subscription models in the creative industry. Insights from marketing leader Lisa Flosznik provide a deeper understanding of these trends and their effects on creativity and design education. In this conversation, Lisa, Clark, and Rocky delve into the evolving landscape of marketing and creativity, particularly focusing on the role of AI tools in enhancing or hindering creative processes. They discuss the limitations of AI in generating unique ideas, the integration of AI in marketing stacks, and the importance of measuring success in marketing efforts. The conversation also touches on the competitive dynamics between creative platforms like Canva and Adobe, the balance between branding and authenticity in social media, and the challenges of content creation in a fast-paced digital environment. Lisa shares insights from her experience as a fractional CMO and the impact of AI on her work, while also highlighting the importance of testing and measuring marketing strategies. Tools we discussed during the show: * Canva [www.canva.com] * Flora AI [www.florafauna.ai] * Adobe Express [https://www.adobe.com/express/] * Gamma [https://gamma.app/] * Figma [figma.com] * Google AI Studio [aistudio.google.com] Lisa's Podcast: It's Mostly Marketing [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMP-bwj-ZUnEF65B_TkNU4w] (Youtube)