In the Making

In the Making kicks off season two with Teresa Au interviewing Vanessa Rivera  of The Life of AIVAX about her whimsical Photoshop art and how she balances a time-consuming creative career with a family as a working mom. Vanessa talks about creative tools that save her time in her work, how she and her family left their home to travel in Europe for an extended period, how to set limits on her work life, and how to find joy and conne...

Season 2 is almost here! In the Making explores the challenges and rewards of working in the creator economy. Subscribe now to join host Teresa Au as she talks to creatives, soloprenuers, and experts to find out how they thrive at work–and how you can, too!

Teresa Au (@tautastic) is an executive for community engagement at Adobe, where she focuses on empowering creatives and students via workshops, panels, and podcasts. On creating ...

Teresa Au chats with Emmy-winning design superstar Chris Do about his pivot from design to teaching, his education platform The Futur, and all the things he didn’t learn in design school. You’ll hear all about how Chris’ 2M+ social followers inspire his content, and Chris answers questions from design students. Plus, Chris opens up about why now is the time for him to share his personal story as a refugee, what really fuels his wor...

Inspiration is on tap as Teresa Au speaks to graphic designer, entrepreneur, and author Aaron Draplin. Known as much for his warm and direct personality as for his signature thick lines design style and ample use of Pantone Orange 21, Aaron is beloved by designers everywhere. Aaron shares lessons gleaned from his midwestern upbringing, nearly 20 years in business on his own, and creating his Field Notes and DDC branded merchandise.

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What’s it like to pay off $50,000 in debt, ditch your 9-to-5, travel the world, create educational content, and build community in the process? Teresa Au speaks to Financial Hype Woman and content creator Berna Anat about how she did all that and how she’s planning for tomorrow. Berna also shares how our emotional relationship with money impacts our decisions, her strategies for budgeting, saving and retirement, and what to do when...

Whether it’s leaving the comfort of a steady paycheck to pursue photography, or checking out the possibilities of AI, sometimes the greatest rewards lie on the other side of fear. Teresa Au speaks to photographer Tobi Shinobi about his first career in law, making a name on Instagram, and why drone photography is so peaceful. Tobi also shares his perspectives as a brand strategist, advising the same types of corporate clients who hi...

When is it better to keep your side hustle on the side, and stay with your day job? Teresa Au speaks to UX designer-by-day, illustrator-by-night Miranda Wong about the pros and cons of working a second shift in a creative field. Miranda shares her strategies for time management, why her illustration business makes her better at her day job, and the hidden rewards of meeting customers and vendors in real life. 

What you’ll hear on th...

For small business owners and creators, building your brand is the way to show the world what makes you great and why they should care. Teresa Au speaks to personal branding expert and content creator Phil Pallen about developing an authentic and consistent brand that will help you reach your goals. Phil explains why branding isn’t just about looking pretty on the internet, how your brand can help you stand out in a crowded marketp...

When a new creative venture is percolating in your mind, it might make sense to move to a more affordable or more nurturing area. Teresa Au speaks to Shannon Maldonado, who quit fashion design and New York to head home to Philadelphia and start her business YOWIE–it began as an online shop, and is now a design studio, store, and hotel. Shannon shares her strategies for finding and fostering community while you grow your creative bu...

Whether you want to score brand influencer deals or promote a small business, a successful social media strategy needs to reach your audience in their favorite places. Teresa Au speaks to marketing expert and creator Jon Youshaei for tips on making social media content creation pay off for you. Jon shares insights from his years working for YouTube and Instagram and now running his own new media studio. Hear what Jon says is most i...

As a creator, sometimes you can be your own worst enemy! Perfectionism, negative self-talk, and fear block the creative process and keep you from doing your best work. Teresa Au speaks to writer and illustrator Misha Blaise, author of the books This Phenomenal Life and Breathe Deep, for guidance on how to keep perfectionism at bay. Misha shares how an unexpected crash course in the fundamentals of breathing helped her learn to cont...

When it’s time to make a change in your creative career, how do you figure out what you want to do next? Can you start your own business? What are your deal breakers and dealmakers? Use the principles of design to create a career you love. Teresa Au speaks to Puno, a web designer, content creator, and the founder of online education platform ilovecreatives, for guidance. Puno shares her journey from working on the Call of Duty vide...

Khoi Vinh, host of Wireframe, hands over the Adobe podcast feed to Teresa Au, host of the new podcast In the Making. Khoi and Teresa talk about finding great stories in design, the rise of the creator economy, and what even is a slashie?

Learn more about this podcast, and find transcripts and links, at adobe.ly/inthemaking. In the Making is brought you by Adobe Express and Adobe Creative Cloud. 

Past episodes of Wireframe can still b...

Mickaela Allison-Aliifua has big plans to grow her brand beyond just pet collars. Check out her work on Facebook and Instagram, and watch how she evolves her design and product line from “Avie Daisy Designs” to “Keiki’s Collection”.

We pair Mickaela with Deja Foxx, a fierce and inspiring online activist, strategist and influencer. Deja talks about her own rebranding efforts for GenZ Girl Gang, an online community of young women. Dej...

Natalie Ma and Melody Jung are roommates-turned-business partners who founded Hangover Coffee. Find the brand on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

They’re big fans of Philip Wang, so we bring him in to offer advice. He’s the co-founder of Wong Fu Productions and owner of Bopomofo, a bubble tea cafe in San Gabriel, California. They talk about the benefits of bringing the co-founders’ personality into their brand content, and about how ...

This episode profiles Jon Perdomo, co-founder of Plant Man P, as he tries to marry his two seemingly disparate passions and audiences: street wear and houseplants. You can find Jon on Instagram and YouTube. 

Jon is paired with his hero in the plant styling space: Hilton Carter. Hilton talks about his own journey of starting out, and how he navigates the challenge of engaging two distinct audiences: those interested in interior decor...

Adriana Alejandre is a therapist working to break the stigma of mental health in the Latinx community by making mental health services more accessible. Find her on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok or listen to her podcast. 

We pair Adriana with Ellen Marie Bennett of Hedley & Bennett, an apron & cookware company known for their iconic ampersand logo. Ellen shares the story behind how she chose to represent her own heritage throu...

For some content design tips, we pair Juliana with Chris Do. He’s a podcaster, and the founder of The Futur Academy—an online education platform with the mission of ‘teaching 1 billion people how to make a living doing what they love.’ Watch his videos on YouTube, and find him on Instagram and Twitter. 

Elaine Lopez brings pro designer knowledge to the episode too. She’s a designer, researcher and educator in the faculty of Communic...

This episode pairs Will with Courtney Quinn - a prolific online content producer you might know as Color Me Courtney. Find her on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Courtney used her own website as inspiration to help Will think through color theory, and how different tones and shades could prompt consumer behavior on the merch page.

For a professional designer’s perspective on web design, we connect with Brandon Groce. He’s a designer,...