This week Michelle wants to know when (if ever) it is okay to just say no when asked to design something, firing clients, and how Brandi is really the “Simon” of design critique.

1:20 Thanks Matt Kearney for listening!! <3

2:11 Michelle got to go a concert! Train, O.A.R., & Natasha Bedingfield. Sooooo cool.

3:14 Netflix announced a new 8 episode series of The Dark Crystal. *heart eyes*

4:25 Have you seen the Elmo documentary, Being Elmo?

5:00 Michelle’s song for the week: You’re Gonna Live Forever In Me, by John Mayer

9:36 Brandi is the education director for AIGA, and a few weeks ago she helped but on the Behance Portfolio Review, which a time when students pay to bring their portfolios to professionals to review.

11:36 Brandi teaches once a year at Southwest University Visual Arts (design concepts… surprise.), and got to do that this past week. (basically, she just had a really draining week.)

*Also* The guy that does 99u and Behance is named Scott Belsky, and he’s amazing

13:00 If you ever need an eye (or two) to go over your work, hit up Brandi! brandi@brandisea.com

13:53 Brandi attended a luncheon where the speaker talked about “branded memories.” She said “people make their decisions now and for their future based off of their past experiences.”

15:43 Brandi’s song for the week: Carolina, by Harry Styles

17:30 ^^^^^^^^THIS ENTIRE ALBUM, YOU GUYS!!^^^^^^^

20:00 Question of the week: Sometimes we get asked to do weird/crazy/random things in our work (at least creatives do.) Is it ever ok to flat tell someone no if they are asking something crazy?

20:45 If you’re going to say no, you need to have a reason for why you’re saying no.

22:00 If the creative/graphic designer is doing his/her job right, then they are going to be presenting and giving the client the absolute best product for their business/event/whatever they need.

22:26 It’s a graphic designers job to find the best solution for you.

26:35 What about if people work in-house?

27:00 This all really depends on your work position. (We talk about book cover design here.)

28:57 You can talk them down and have a conversation, but ultimately if you’re not an art director, it’s harder to say no.

29:34 There are obviously exceptions. Plagiarism? Just say no.

31:00 If you’re in an agency it’s also a but more difficult to say no (especially as an intern), but once again, it’s all about the conversation. If you get an uneasy feeling, have a conversation.

34:42 At around this time we talk about the awkward concept of firing patients. >.<

37:05 Michelle educated someone on plagiarizing and mind mapping and going through a process!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 (Michelle saved the day that day.)

Find us on all forms of social media via @BrandiSea!: Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and you can email us any questions you want Brandi to cover at brandi@brandisea.com. Thanks to Vesperteen for letting us use his genius (“Shatter in The Night”) in every episode of Design Speaks!