Few designers haven’t tuned-in to Design Matters, Debbie Millman’s podcast that engages the brightest design minds in discussion. She’s a partner at Sterling Brands in New York, and recently released her first book “How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer.” Today Debbie’s on the other side of the table, and it’s my great pleasure to have her here for a brief talk about her work and thoughts on branding.

All of us in design, marketing, and advertising are used to change. It’s simply a matter of fact that the way we communicate evolves. You and I, however, know that we are all in the midst of a change of epic proportions that may in-fact result in the complete re-writing of how companies and customers communicate.

At the last moment, my wife and I decided to drive north and visit with family for the holidays. Flights were sold-out or seemed rather overpriced, and our little Tercel seemed hardly up to the journey, given the potential driving conditions. We ultimately agreed that the time had come to give in to that dreaded suburban icon: the minivan.

For the past months I’ve lived a dual-life, working part-time on a PC, and the remainder on a Mac. While there are things I like about both, (I can feel a flood of protest emails coming as I write this) I’m not convinced that the Mac platform is wholly better than Windows in daily usage.

Almost every morning, I spend $2.17 on a doppio espresso. The Starbucks on Water Street is just a short walk from our office, and as a creature of habit this little excursion has become part of my morning. Recently though, I find myself tiring of the experience and asking if it’s time for a change.

At smashLAB, a large part of our work is brand related. Have you ever seen the identity systems for UPS, IBM, or ABC? Well, we had absolutely nothing to do with their design. Instead, our clients are primarily small companies. These groups need solid identity systems as much as their larger counterparts and it can be interesting to work with them in their formative stages. Additionally, it’s worth noting that designers must tailor their process to meet the needs of small companies. (Incidentally, the aforementioned systems were all beautifully crafted by Paul Rand.)