CADC Student Podcast Connects Listeners with Graphic Design Experts

“Type Speaks” was started by Graphic Design (GDES) student Rae Nawrocki, who joined Auburn University’s radio station WEGL 91.1 FM during their first year at Auburn and now serves as the station manager, and GDES alumna Emiko Benton ’25.

Available on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts, the podcast has eleven episodes where the hosts interview designers about their passions. The guests range from GDES faculty—including Robert Finkel, Devon Ward and Mario Bocanegra —to industry leaders including art director Morgan Searcy and Aaron Gresham, a Birmingham-based creative director who has worked with clients such as Apple and Vampire Weekend.

While Nawrocki and Benton originally formulated the idea for the podcast, the plans fell into place after they met typographer Tré Seals, the founder of Vocal Type, at an exhibition in Atlanta. Seals encouraged them to launch the podcast and appeared as a guest speaker on Episode 6 to share his process designing typefaces.

“Originally when I was workshopping the idea of a design podcast, I thought we’d talk about upcoming design trends, but Emiko and I realized that we’re very into research, history and what informs design decisions,” Nawrocki said.

Translating visual design into an auditory platform came naturally for Nawrocki and Benton, relying on the training of articulating ideas they received in the GDES program.

“Communication is at the root of both mediums,” Nawrocki said. “Design is representing things visually to an audience, and podcasting is communicating verbally.”

Benton mentioned the accessibility of an audio platform and its ability to bring creatives together, likening podcasting to the digital access of The People’s Graphic Design Archive, an online platform cofounded by Portland State University professor Briar Levit, who appeared on Episode 7.

During the episodes, the hosts discuss the guests’ careers and inspirations and pose questions about a wide variety of design avenues.

“We’re interested in creative processes,” Benton said, explaining that the interviews started with Auburn professors and expanded out to local and regional designers speaking about their methods and advice for upcoming designers. “It was really awesome to see the network that creative people have together and how they build each other up.”

While Benton has moved on into her career with an internship in North Carolina, Nawrocki has continued “Type Speaks” the second season, which premiered in early September with guest speaker Jarrett Fuller.