Underscore

The Chicago Graphic Design Club

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Underscore is a podcast by the Chicago Graphic Design Club that brings you conversations with Chicago’s creative community. On this podcast, host, Christian Solorzano, explores the craft, theory, and practice of graphic design, plus discusses ideas that cultivate a more inclusive and thoughtful creative community.

6 DGN GELEDEN

099 • ROD HUNTING

Our guest is Rod Hunting, a Chicago-based designer and artist who creates intricate compositions built entirely from floppy discs. In this episode, Rod speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his creative process—the hours spent in Illustrator moving shapes, testing ideas, and exploring what happens when you try different approaches. He shares insights about cultivating deep focus, learning to accept that not every experiment leads somewhere, and the liberation that comes from making work on your own terms. Rod discusses his evolution as an artist, from studying skateboarding tricks as a kid to developing patience through repetitive practice. He talks about the discipline required to sit with a piece of work, step back as both artist and critic, and determine when something is truly finished. The conversation explores the balance between personal creative practice and client work, the role of taste in shaping what we make, and the importance of finding contentment in simple moments. Rod shares his journey through art school for animation, his appreciation for Chicago's creative community where artists support artists, and a moment of overwhelming gratitude that reminded him why he does this work.

1u 1m
19 JAN

098 • HEART & BONE

Our guests are Kelsey McClellan and Andrew McClellan, the husband-and-wife team behind Heart & Bone Signs, a Chicago-based studio specializing in gold leaf and hand-painted signage. In this episode, Kelsey and Andrew speak with host Christian Solorzano about their journey from casting aluminum mushrooms together in an undergraduate sculpture class to becoming two of Chicago's most respected sign painters. They share how discovering gold leaf window signs on Michigan Avenue led them to cold-call the man whose signature they found—Robert Frese, who would become their mentor and closest friend in the city. The conversation explores Chicago's sign painting legacy, from the Beverly Sign Co. and the design innovation known as "The Chicago Look" to the ghost signs that still haunt the city's brick walls. Kelsey and Andrew recount their effort to save two 1920s signs from a Ravenswood building slated for demolition—a project that led to their book The Golden Era of Sign Design, a collaboration with Field Notes, and a permanent installation at the American Sign Museum. They discuss the realities of running a business as a married couple, the discipline of practicing simple brushstrokes, and why they believe the energy poured into handmade work is something viewers can sense—even if they can't explain it. The conversation closes with their advice for aspiring sign painters and a reflection on what Chicago stands to lose if its neon and ghost signs disappear. Music by the band Eighties Slang.

1u 9m
6 JAN

097 • OSCAR SOLIS

Our guest is Oscar Solis, a designer, researcher, and educator who was born and raised in Pilsen and has called Chicago home for most of his life. In this episode, Oscar speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his journey from clinical research science at UChicago to pursuing graduate work in design. He shares how receiving a camera from his mother at eleven sparked his love of visual storytelling, and how co-founding Film Front—a micro-cinema in an old Pilsen barbershop—became his first real design education. Oscar discusses his philosophy of co-design, tracing it back to 1970s Scandinavian political activism and explaining why top-down approaches to community work never sat right with him, even as a kid. He talks about non-hierarchical pedagogy, what it means to create "queer diagrammatic forms," and why he identifies as a capital-D Designer whose Mexican and queer identities inform but don't define his practice. The conversation explores Oscar's current work at Chicago Art Department, his exhibition "Diagrams and Systems," and why Chicago's sense of community keeps him rooted here. Oscar shares his thoughts on fear and passivity among young designers, the importance of being weird, and why joy might be a political act. Music by the band Eighties Slang.

1u 8m
22-12-2025

096 • MARY FOYDER

Our guest is Mary Foyder, a designer working on trauma-responsive and healing-centered projects, including Braver Collective, an online healing community for survivors of sexual trauma. In this episode, Mary speaks with host Christian Solorzano about her journey from Western Michigan University's professional pilot program to discovering graphic design, and how she developed her collaborative, human-centered approach to design. She shares insights about co-designing platforms with the communities they serve—particularly young people navigating sexual health, reproductive justice, and bodily autonomy. Mary discusses her evolution as a designer, from her early curiosity about why design decisions get made to developing trauma-informed practices that center survivor voices. She talks about what it means to design healing-centered platforms, including her five-year collaboration building Braver Collective alongside survivors who co-designed every aspect of the organization. The conversation explores the complexities of doing social impact work in politically volatile times—navigating the financial precarity of values-driven practice and the challenges of running an independent design practice. Mary opens up about projects like Bedsider for Power to Decide and the CHAT Program for the Chicago Department of Public Health, and discusses finding ways to sustain meaningful work while raising a family in Chicago. She shares candid perspectives on co-design as genuine partnership rather than extraction, and why designers working with vulnerable communities must understand how trauma shapes human experience and behavior. Music by the band Eighties Slang.

1u 9m
08-12-2025

095 • 2025 WRAPPED

Today, we share a conversation between Christian Solorzano and Cheryl Bever as they celebrate five years of the Chicago Graphic Design Club and reflect on 2025. In this year-end episode, Christian and Cheryl discuss personal milestones, the club's growth, and what success really means—the friendships formed and genuine connections made within Chicago's design community. They reflect on their partnership and share their vision for 2026: expanding the team, hosting more studio tours, and continuing to highlight voices across the city. Enjoy the conversation, and if you enjoy this show, please rate it, share it with your friends, and subscribe to it wherever you listen. Learn more at: www.chicagograhicdesign.club

34 min
24-11-2025

094 • PEDRO NEVES

Our guest is ⁠Pedro Neves⁠, a designer, educator, and researcher at the University of Illinois Chicago whose work explores the intersection of modular systems, typography, and emerging technologies. In this episode, Pedro speaks with host ⁠Christian Solorzano⁠ about his ambitious research project "A to Z: Learning Through Lego and Letter Forms"—a collaborative endeavor with 36 international designers that investigates modular letter form design through accessible systems. He shares the journey that began as a classroom assignment and culminated in an unexpected visit to Lego's headquarters in Denmark, where the project now resides in their permanent archives. Pedro discusses his path from Portugal to Basel's prestigious design programs, where he spent nearly two years working on the Wolfgang Weingart design archive. He reflects on the mythology of Swiss design, the warmth and human-centered approach he experienced in Basel that contrasts with rigid perceptions of Swiss methodology, and how those formative experiences shape his teaching philosophy at UIC. The conversation explores what "experimental design" truly means—whether it's an aesthetic, attitude, or process—and why Pedro believes experimentation requires intention and structure rather than random exploration. He opens up about his evolution as a designer who once hated drawing classes but found his calling in design's blend of scientific methods and creative problem-solving. Pedro shares insights about teaching typography through constraints, his philosophy on learning to code as another form of craft, and why Chicago's vibrant printmaking community at venues like Public Works, Sputnik, and through organizations like the Chicago Printers Guild has become central to his creative practice. Throughout the episode, Pedro offers candid perspectives on navigating the challenges of balancing teaching, research, and personal work, finding community in a city he's called home since 2019, and building meaningful creative projects in academia. The exhibition "A to Z: Learning Through Lego and Letter Forms" is on display at the Design Museum of Chicago through January 11th. More information Pedro's Website Pedro's Instagram Learn about the Chicago Graphic Design Club

1u 15m
10-11-2025

093 • JJ SALGADO

Our guest is JJ Salgado, a recent Columbia College Chicago graduate, designer, and the newest member of the Chicago Graphic Design Club team. In this episode, JJ speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his journey through design education and into Chicago's creative community. JJ discusses the pivotal role mentorship has played in his development, particularly his relationships with designers like Robert Robbins, Amira Hegazy, Dave Pabellon, and Guy Villa, and how attending community events—from the Chicago Design Archive talks to CGDC gatherings—opened doors and shaped his understanding of what it means to be part of a creative ecosystem. The conversation explores JJ's love of cohesive brand systems, his philosophy of "witnessing"—slowing down to pay attention to details and people around him—and the importance of being physically and mentally present, including his practice of walking Chicago's neighborhoods without headphones. JJ shares his vision for documenting Chicago's creative community through social media, his commitment to making design spaces more welcoming for the next generation, and his excitement about deepening his roots in the city. Relevant links: https://salgadostudio.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jjsalgadoiii/ https://chicagographicdesign.club/

1u 11m
27-10-2025

092 • BLAZE SMITH

Our guest is Blaze Smith, a web designer and content creator who has built an audience of 80,000 followers by making web design education accessible through short-form video content. In this episode, Blaze speaks with host Christian Solorzano about going from a small town to becoming a recognizable voice in web design education on social media. He shares insights about his creative process—how he scripts his videos and manages perfectionism. Blaze discusses his evolution as a designer, from discovering design through skateboard graphics and video game interfaces to landing a UX internship and eventually launching Shovel Studio. He talks about the importance of taking action over overthinking, offering candid perspectives on building in public and interacting with audiences. The conversation explores Blaze's approach to branding—why his Bruce Lee profile picture isn't going anywhere, how he builds associations between his work and cultural icons, and his philosophy that "branding is putting something cool next to your brand until people think your brand is cool." Relevant Links: www.shovel.studio www.chicagographicdesign.club

1u 11m

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Underscore is a podcast by the Chicago Graphic Design Club that brings you conversations with Chicago’s creative community. On this podcast, host, Christian Solorzano, explores the craft, theory, and practice of graphic design, plus discusses ideas that cultivate a more inclusive and thoughtful creative community.

Maker

The Chicago Graphic Design Club
Jaren actief

2022 - 2026
Afleveringen

99
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Veilig
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© The Chicago Graphic Design Club
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Underscore