Our guest is Derek Desormeaux, president of AIGA Chicago, who moved to Chicago from a small town in Northern Michigan after studying graphic design at Kendall College of Art and Design.

In this episode, Derek speaks with host Christian Solorzano about his path into design — from wanting to be a concept artist and comic book artist to discovering graphic design through a typography class. He shares how he started volunteering at AIGA Chicago events almost as soon as he arrived in the city, eventually launching Coffee and Crits, a free monthly group critique event he's now run for three years.

Derek discusses the moment the previous president offered him the role, his first instinct to turn it down, and the reasoning that led him to say yes anyway. He opens up about what leadership looks like in practice — checking tickets and bringing in food at events run by his board members — and his belief that one person can't meet everybody's needs in a community.

The conversation explores Derek's conviction that design deserves the same respect as any other form of labor, his thoughts on what keeps him up at night about the sustainability of a creative career, and what gives him hope in a moment that feels uncertain. He also talks about the AIGA Chicago Paper Show, his love of print and his nearly 500-book collection, and why he stopped posting his illustration work on Instagram.

Music by the band Eighties Slang.