The Typecast

Welcome to The Typecast, a podcast hosted by Katie Johnson and Ilana Griffo of Goodtype. Listen as we geek out over anchor points, our favorite typefaces, and how to grow an art business. For more of this duo, follow us on Instagram @goodtype.

SAYING WORDS ABOUT DRAWING WORDS

We’re two self-employed lettering artists who met by sliding into each other’s DM’s.

Now…we’re sliding into your headphones.

About


Dear hand letterers, designers, and artists of all sorts—despite what your grandma thinks, we know there’s a whole lot more to what you do than just “drawing pretty pictures.” This podcast, hosted by Katie Johnson and Ilana Griffo of Goodtype, is about what it *really* means to be a working creative. From finding clients to pricing your work and nerding the heck out about kerning, we’re covering everything that goes into building a successful and sustainable business around your passion.


And we’re not just doing it alone! We’ll be tapping some of your current (and soon-to-be) favorite artists for inspiration, insight, and laughs. We’re big on giving takeaways that you can actually put into action, and we’re even bigger on having a good time while we do it. Tune into the Typecast twice a month for a tittle-ating time (yep, we’re gonna type-pun your face off), and don’t forget to subscribe and leave a review so we can show our moms how famous we are!

Want to be on an episode of The Typecast?

We’re always looking for guests who want to help our audience of artists grow their creative careers (while sharing a few laughs, of course). Submit yourself, a friend, or a topic you want us to cover on an upcoming episode!

Want to get your brand in front of our listeners?

We’re focused on creating long-term partnerships that go beyond a quick feature during an ad break. We’re looking for brands that will stick with us, form deep relationships with our community, and help our artists take real, actionable steps towards their goals.

Because our partnership philosophy is different, our sponsor opportunities look different as well, including touch-points across all of Goodtype’s content. Interested in talking about what a partnership with us could look like? We’d love to chat.

Guest User Guest User

7 Time-Saving Hacks for Designers and Artists: Work Smarter, Not Harder | The Typecast Episode 7

In this episode, Katie and Ilana talk about the hacks that they use as graphic designers and artists to help them work smarter and save time. Listen to this episode as we spill the beans on how you can save time without compromising your unique creative process.

In this episode, Katie and Ilana talk about the hacks that they use as graphic designers and artists to help them work smarter and save time. These simple tools and mindset shifts allow their businesses to function smoothly and help them be more productive as entrepreneurs, all while maintaining work-life balance and avoiding burnout. 

So to all letterers, type lovers and art enthusiasts - get ready to dive into the wonderful world of repurposing art and content. Listen to this episode as we spill the beans on how you can save time without compromising your unique creative process.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

  • Hack #1 - Double dipping: Repurposing work for multiple income streams  

  • Hack #2 - Optimizing your workflow: Mastering key commands and shortcuts for Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign

  • Hack #3 - Boosting efficiency: Creating actions and batch processing in Photoshop

  • Hack #4 - Leveraging mockups: showcasing creative projects in multiple ways

  • Hack #5 - Pinning your images: utilizing Pinterest and SEO to boost visibility and attract clients

  • Hack #6 - Avoid starting from scratch: Delegating and utilizing templates from resources like Creative Market

  • Hack #7 - Time Management: Pomodoro technique, habit stacking, A, B, C list system, the 12 Week Year - use the hack that works best for you

We’re hosting a free training with Creative Market on August 9th to showcase 5 lean design hacks to accelerate your workflow.

Sign up here: https://goodtype.us/leandesignhacks

Mentioned in the episode:

Creative Market
Become a Creative Market member to get up to 20% off the entire catalog and free asset Drops worth up to $1k. Plans start at $19.95/mo.Sign up here: https://creativemarket.com/membership?utm_medium=creator&utm_source=goodtype

Free Assets of the Week from Creative Market here

Nolan Pelletier

Atomic Habits 

The 12 Week Year

Logo Package Extension for Illustrator use code “goodtype20” for $20 off

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets!

Grab your tea, coffee, or drink of choice, kick back, and let's get down to business!

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Team Dklutr Team Dklutr

Defining Success As a Creative with Michu Benaim Steiner | The Typecast Episode 6

Listen to this episode as we chat about the importance of educating clients on the value of design work, the idea of "designer solidarity," and educating clients who underpay on fair industry pricing.

In this episode, Katie and Ilana interview Michu Benaim Steiner, Head of In-House International, a studio/agency that works with clients to develop brand identities, strategies, and creative expression to ensure their voice is understood.

Michu talks about how she defines success based on building trust with clients and helping them achieve their goals. She also shares the value of running a lean business with a small team and low overhead costs, which gives her the flexibility to say no to projects that don't fit. 

Listen to this episode as we chat about the importance of educating clients on the value of design work, the idea of "designer solidarity," and educating clients who underpay on fair industry pricing. 

As a creative business owner, you have the freedom to define what success means on your own terms.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

  • Why it’s important to define success on your own terms

  • Having clear communication and setting expectations with clients from the beginning (including being direct when work is not aligned with goals)

  • The value of running a lean business with a small team and low overhead costs — allows them flexibility and the ability to say no to projects that don't fit

  • Educating clients on the value and strategy behind design work to set fair pricing

  • Cultivating trust with clients throughout the process and retaining that trust, and maintaining control of the vision and process

  • Managing projects internally to stay on top of timelines and catch issues early

  • How to provide honest feedback to clients (even when it's not what they want to hear)

  • Practicing "designer solidarity" by educating clients who underpay on fair pricing for the industry

  • Focusing on serving the client's goals and audience needs above all else

Connect with Katie & Ilana from Goodtype

Connect with our guest: 

Instagram: @weareinhouse

Mentioned in this episode: 

In-House International

Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets!

Grab your tea, coffee, or drink of choice, kick back, and let's get down to business!

Read More
Guest User Guest User

5 Tools to Level Up Your Digital Lettering | The Typecast Episode 5

In this episode, Katie and Ilana talk about the tools of the trade that can help level up your digital lettering. They also talk about why they don’t believe you need a formal education to create a successful career in the arts.

In this episode, Katie and Ilana talk about the tools of the trade that can help level up your digital lettering. They also talk about why they don’t believe you need a formal education to create a successful career in the arts.

Join them as they look back on their journey as lettering artists - from design school, to licensing their first works, to taking the reins at Goodtype. They’ll talk about their transition from pen & paper to digital lettering, and what resources helped them elevate their lettering.

Here's what you'll discover in this episode:

  • Katie & llana’s first brush (pun intended) with design back in high school were for covers of a music album

  • Katie schooling listeners on the common mistake between typography and topography - which is a brewing podcast episode you never knew you needed!

  • Ilana’s take on how design school can be a humbling experience and why you don’t need a degree to build an art career 

  • Tool #1 - The advent of iPad-fueled creativity for artists

  • Tool #2 - Paperlike, the screen protector as the ultimate game changer that makes your iPad feel like paper

  • Tool #3 - Digital courses, Skillshare, YouTube and Instagram reels to continuously enrich yourself and refresh your design perspective

  • Tool #4 - Brushes that allow you to experiment with new techniques and ways of creating

  • Tool #5 - The Grid Builder that simplify the process of figuring out your layouts

At the end of it all, we need to remind ourselves that these are - in fact - just tools. But what matters most is having that mindset of embracing imperfections and the joy of hand-lettering and not shying away from digital lettering and other computer-generated designs. 

Mentioned in this episode: 

Paperlike

Tip Top Type course

Folio case from Paperlike

Chris Lyons

Emily Brooks

Skillshare

Domestika

RetroSupply

Procreate

Ian Barnard

Steven Katz

Grid builder - use code “GOODTYPE” for 20% off

Visit our website for even more art biz resources & courses:

https://goodtype.us

Join our community and educational program, The Good Guild: https://goodtype.us/the-good-guild

Get in touch:

Instagram: http://instagram.com/goodtype

E-mail: hello@goodtype.us

Love The Typecast and free stuff? Leave a review, and send a screenshot of it to us on Slack. Each month we pick a random reviewer to win a Goodtype Goodie! Goodies include merch, courses and Kernference tickets!

About Goodtype: 

Welcome to our channel! We're Katie & Ilana, two self-employed artists who find joy in sharing what we've learned about running our businesses with you! In our videos, you'll find all sorts of tips and tricks to help you turn your artistic passion into a real, sustainable biz.

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