Identity Design + People vs. Process + Intersectional Design Leadership with John B. Johnson — DT101 E70

John B. Johnson is an identity architect and principal of A Small Studio. He works with corporations and scaling startups, using A Small Studio’s identity design framework. John and his team also work with creatives to bring peace to people's lives. Today, John and I talk about corporate and individual identity design, why people are more important than process, and intersectional design leadership.

Listen to learn about:

>> Defining identity
>> Identity design
>> The intersection of brand/identity and authentic design

Our Guest

John B. Johnson is a brother, a son, a husband, a friend, and the founder, principal, and Identity Architect of a small studio. a small studio is a collective of creatives who use their design gifts to improve lives through branding and product design. They believe every design project starts with Identity. In less than 3 years, his team has built over 40 brands worldwide. John leverages his Master’s Degrees in Architecture and Business Administration to help people, start-ups, and enterprises benefit from infusing their identity into the work they do and what they offer the people they serve.

Show Highlights 

[01:20] John talks about his path into the work he’s doing today in identity design.
[01:39] Design thinking is a core principle of architecture.
[03:06] John’s fascination with the people in the built environment and designing buildings with an eye towards the human interactions occurring there, and how that led him away from architecture.
[03:34] Leaving architecture behind to focus more on community and the human equation.
[04:45] Lessons learned during John’s first startup business.
[05:25] John discovers his passion for branding.
[06:10] John’s co-founding of a small studio, and a move to Seattle.
[07:43] Authentic design and how it feeds into brand and identity design.
[08:39] John defines identity.
[08:49] What happens during the branding process.
[10:39] The importance of frameworks and processes for John’s work.
[12:28] John uses deeply personal stories and moments to help build powerful visual identities for clients.
[12:59] a small studio’s Identity Architecture workshop — for individuals, teams, and corporations.
[15:25] Moving fully into remote work during the pandemic.
[17:24] The challenges of building a business.
[18:46] Time is a key factor when it comes to going virtual.
[19:55] The benefits that have come from folks needing to work remotely.
[21:35] Remote work has sparked creativity and innovation in ways we’ve never experienced before.
[22:36] Working remotely has led to more acceptance of the humanity of one another.
[26:00] John talks about his life and experiences being a Black man and a Black designer.
[28:27] His experiences being the only Black person in his education and work spaces and the unique way of seeing the world that came because of it.
[29:47] How his life has motivated him to be a connector and a bridge between people and communities.
[31:51] Intersectionality is the ethos of design and design thinking.
[33:55] Dawan and John talk about bringing what is unique to us as individuals more deeply into our professional and personal lives, especially as a designer.
[36:11] Bringing your full, whole self to every situation.
[39:10] “Constant becoming,” and intentionally designing a good life.
[41:47] Where to find out more about John and his work.
[42:45] Books and resources John recommends.

Links

John on LinkedIn
John on Twitter
John on Medium
John on Instagram
John’s personal website
A Small Studio
Everything Starts Small podcast
Design Thinking Isn’t Just for the Privileged
Brighton Jones Talent for Good Interview Series: John B. Johnson

Book Recommendations

Community: The Structure of Belonging, by Peter Block
The Artist’s Way, by Julia Cameron
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose, by Eckhart Tolle

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