The Angry Designer Graphic Design, Freelancing, Branding & Creative Business Podcast

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 quality * How to push back, simplify chaos, and reclaim your authority If 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/mr4bb4j3 [https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3] Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner [https://www.youtube.com/theangrydesigner] Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.com [https://TheAngryDesigner.com] Join in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theangrydesignerpodcast/]

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-proofed Whether 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/mr4bb4j3 [https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3] Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner [https://www.youtube.com/theangrydesigner] Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.com [https://TheAngryDesigner.com] Join in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theangrydesignerpodcast/]

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 side If 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/mr4bb4j3 [https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3] Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner [https://www.youtube.com/theangrydesigner] Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.com [https://TheAngryDesigner.com] Join in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theangrydesignerpodcast/]

Too many Graphic Designers forget one brutal truth. Design is NOT for you, your portfolio, or even your client. It’s for their audience. Period. The client pays the bill, sure. But they’re not the one your work is for. And every time you forget that, your design gets weaker. Less effective. Easier to ignore. This week on The Angry Designer podcast, we’re calling out one of the biggest blind spots in design: the end user. We break down why obsessing over client approval is killing your impact, your confidence, and your portfolio! And how to flip that mindset before it wrecks your career. From billion-dollar branding flops to ego-driven design disasters, we expose how even the biggest companies forget who they’re actually designing for and why smart designers never make that mistake twice. In this episode, you’ll learn: - Why pleasing your client doesn’t mean serving their goals - How to shift from design decorator to design translator - The red flags that prove you’re designing for approval, not impact If you’re tired of chasing trends, bending to bad client opinions, or wondering why your work isn’t landing, this is your wake-up call. If you’re designing to impress other designers, or to stay on your client’s good side, this episode is the slap you need. Because at the end of the day, design starts and ends with the end user. Ignore that, and you're just making things pretty. Stay Angry our Friends ––––––––––– Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3 [https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3] Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner [https://www.youtube.com/theangrydesigner] Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.com [https://TheAngryDesigner.com] Join in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theangrydesignerpodcast/]

Most Graphic Design advice is garbage wrapped in a motivational quote. From “charge what you’re worth” to “design is storytelling,” these overused sayings sound deep but do more harm than good. They confuse young designers, create false expectations, and let lazy pros pretend they’re being profound. In this week’s episode of The Angry Designer, we tear apart the most misleading sayings in the graphic design industry, line by line. You’ll discover: • Why “Do what you love and the money will follow” is a trap • How “Good design sells itself” actually screws over talented creatives • Why “The client is always right” might be the worst lie you’ve ever believed This episode isn’t about nitpicking words, it’s about exposing the phrases that shape careers in all the wrong ways. If you’re tired of cliché wisdom, fake gurus, and advice that leads nowhere, this one’s for you. By the end, you’ll know what to ignore, what to challenge, and how to think for yourself in a sea of copy-paste career advice. Stay Angry our Friends ––––––––––– Join Anger Management for Designers Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3 [https://tinyurl.com/mr4bb4j3] Want to see more? See uncut episodes on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/theangrydesigner [https://www.youtube.com/theangrydesigner] Read our blog posts on our website TheAngryDesigner.com [https://TheAngryDesigner.com] Join in the conversation on our Instagram Instagram.com/TheAngryDesignerPodcast [https://www.instagram.com/theangrydesignerpodcast/]