Along the way, they touch on working across disciplines, graphic design and architecture finding unexpected common ground . the surprising analog method behind a heavily cross-referenced book, and why the most important thing they want readers to walk away with is simple:: start. You won't learn your process by studying it,you will learn it by beginning.

Video available on Youtube.

Links // rae's instragram https://www.instagram.com/raenyday.psd/
type speaks https://www.instagram.com/typespeakspod/
wegl https://www.weglfm.com/

Video available on Youtube.

Links // rae's instragram https://www.instagram.com/raenyday.psd/ 
type speaks https://www.instagram.com/typespeakspod/ 
wegl https://www.weglfm.com/

From emotion-first design philosophies and the careful use of randomness to the tension-building power of physical mechanics like birthday candles and tumbling block towers, James and Dillin unpack how rules shape feeling at the table. They compare sprawling lore-heavy systems to tightly focused narrative games to examining how different systems either support or burden the players who engage with them.

The conversation also turns practical, offering advice for aspiring designers: start small, join a game jam, finish what you begin, and treat design as an act of intentional communication. Whether you’re a seasoned dungeon master or simply curious about how mechanics create emotion, this episode is a compelling look at how tabletop games are designed bring people together through structure and shared storytelling.

Video available on Youtube. 

Diane Gibbs is a designer, illustrator, and professor at the University of South Alabama, where she has taught for over twenty years. She is the founder of Creatives Ignite (formerly Design Recharge), a long-running interview series for creative professionals, and operates her own design studio specializing in branding, web design, and illustration. Her work spans client collaborations, surface pattern design, coaching, and community-building within the creative industry.

Meguey shares how tabletop RPGs evolved from notebook worlds to online play, how mechanics carry meaning, and why accessible, DIY design matters. Rae and Meg also unpack invisible design in everyday life, color psychology, trend forecasting, and how the internet reshapes who gets to create.

Featuring the co-creator of Apocalypse World and the Powered by the Apocalypse system, this episode is perfect for anyone interested in design, storytelling, or making things that help people connect.

Listen to Type Speaks anywhere you get your podcasts.

Quintin “Quinns” Smith is a journalist, critic, and creator whose work has helped shape modern games media. After co-founding Shut Up & Sit Down, one of the most influential board game platforms of the past decade, he launched Quinn’s Quest, an independent project exploring role-playing games, media history, and the aesthetics of play through research-driven storytelling and sharp cultural critique.

Meguey “Mother of the Apocalypse” Baker is a tabletop role-playing game designer, independent publisher, and quilt historian whose work has significantly shaped modern narrative game design. Along with her partner Vincent Baker, she co-created Apocalypse World, the groundbreaking game that launched the now-widespread Powered by the Apocalypse system. 

Will Dove is a designer based in New York City whose independent studio practice centers typography, identity systems, and image-making across art, film, and music. A graduate of Auburn University’s graphic design program, his creative direction and design have supported clients including PepsiCo, the Golden State Warriors, and The Washington Post. Rooted in craft and driven by relationships, his work merges precision with instinct, proving that independence isn’t the absence of structure, but the freedom to build your own.

Mitch Goldstein is a designer, artist, and educator whose work bridges graphic design, photography, sculpture, and furniture design. A professor in the School of Design at Rochester Institute of Technology and author of How To Be A Design Student (And How To Teach Them), he brings over two decades of teaching experience at institutions including RISD, VCUarts, and MICA. His practice and writing explore the messy, human side of creative process, encouraging designers to embrace experimentation and the complexities of making.

Nolen Strals is a designer, writer, and educator whose practice spans branding, lettering, and cultural design. A co-author of Lettering & Type and former partner in the Baltimore-based studio Post Typography, his work combines research, strategy, and visual craft for clients ranging from local breweries to national political movements. His essays on design have appeared in The Washington Post and beyond, and his teaching and mentorship continue to inspire designers to start on paper, trust their instincts, and stay connected to the communities that shape their work.

Zach Hobbs is a designer, artist, and Communication Design Director at IDEO, where he has spent over a decade leading transformative projects across branding, culture, and innovation. His work ranges from rebranding humanitarian organizations to creating fan experiences for sports teams, while his personal practice includes exhibiting in the U.S. and Europe and designing posters and album art for punk and experimental bands. A dedicated mentor and speaker, Zach champions creativity as both craft and play, encouraging designers to embrace experimentation, imperfection, and the freedom to make work that feels alive.

Josh Carnley is Partner and Creative Director of Matey, a nationally recognized creative studio specializing in branding systems and campaigns that are rooted in strategy and impossible to ignore. Featured on delish.com, thedieline.com, Communication Arts, and Wildsam, Matey’s work spans from comprehensive hospitality and resort experiences to branding the next great “third place.” With a focus on immersive design that transports audiences to unique states of mind, Matey creates glimmers of escapism that challenge the mundane and bring joy and freshness to everyday life.

Jarrett Fuller is an assistant professor of graphic design at North Carolina State University, director of the design and editorial studio twenty-six, and host of the podcast Scratching the Surface. He has co-edited four books, with writing featured in Fast Company, Eye Magazine, Design Observer, Design & Culture, and more. His design work has received recognition from Communication Arts and The Type Directors Club. Previously, he worked as an editor at Eye on Design and as a designer at Facebook, Warby Parker, and The Whitney Museum of American Art.

Briar Levit is a Professor of Graphic Design at Portland State University. Levit’s feature-length documentary, Graphic Means: A History of Graphic Design Production, which follows design production from manual to digital methods, established an obsession with design history—particularly aspects not in the canon. She currently collaborates with Louise Sandhaus, Brockett Horne, and Morgan Searcy on The People’s Graphic Design Archive. She recently edited a book of essays for Princeton Architectural Press called Baseline Shift: Untold Stories of Women in Graphic Design History.

Tré Seals is a designer, typographer, and founder of Vocal Type, a type foundry dedicated to increasing diversity in design through culturally and historically inspired typefaces. Rooted in storytelling, his work explores the intersection of typography, activism, and identity—creating type systems that preserve history while shaping the future. Beyond Vocal Type, his projects span brand identity, editorial design, and cultural research, with collaborations ranging from global brands to independent artists. Whether designing for political campaigns, museum exhibitions, or major publications, his work challenges convention, making space for underrepresented narratives in the visual landscape.

Morgan Searcy is an art director and creative lead with a background in graphic design, advertising, and progressive politics. Her creative practice focuses on finding sustainable and practical solutions that center design. She has recently led creatives with Instrument and collaborated with Wieden+Kennedy. She is a Co-Director of The People's Graphic Design Archive, where she collaborates to promote equitable collection of histories. Morgan has also supported creative strategy and direction with NY State Democrats and political campaigns Warren for President and Jon Ossoff for Senate, and has served as Brand and Creative Director at Rock the Vote. In 2023, she launched The Politics Project, an initiative supporting research that uplifts Gen Z and bipoc voices in progressive politics.

Aaron Gresham is a creative director, designer, and mentor with over 20 years of experience in branding, marketing, and design. He has worked with global brands such as Apple and Google, as well as local institutions in Alabama. His work in music design has led to collaborations with artists like Lady Gaga, Eric Clapton, and Saint Paul & The Broken Bones. With a passion for storytelling through design, Aaron continues to push creative boundaries while mentoring the next generation of designers.

Mario Bocanegra is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Auburn University, where he teaches courses in interactive media, imagemaking, photo communications, and typography. He earned both his B.F.A. and M.F.A. in Graphic Design from Oklahoma State University. Mario works with intuitive processes—experimental imagemaking, assemblage video, typography, and motion design—to create poetic visual outcomes. 

Devon Ward is a designer, artist, and educator who works across multiple creative disciplines including print design, interactive media, biodesign, and experimental art. He is an Assistant Professor of Graphic Design at Auburn University where he teaches introduction to graphic design, advanced interactive media and biodesign. His research focuses on design as an expanding field that blends new materials, technologies, and theories to adapt to changing environments.

Robert Finkel is a designer and educator at Auburn University. As an Associate Professor of Graphic Design he teaches courses in Typography, Graphic Design History, and Visual Identity. He is the co-author of the book The IBM Poster Program: Visual Memoranda published by Lund Humphries.

Rae is a junior in the Graphic Design program at Auburn University, where they’re excited to dive into new design styles and explore emerging subgenres. As the station manager for WEGL 91.1 FM, Auburn’s student-run radio station, they merge their passion for design with a fascination for how ideas are shared, and how stories are told. Over the summer, they also work as a teaching assistant, helping nourish a growing creativity in young artists. With a keen interest in both visual and auditory storytelling, Rae embraces the ways design can shape perceptions and ignite conversations. 

Emiko is a senior majoring in Graphic Design at Auburn University in Auburn, AL. She enjoys representing her major as a College of Architecture Design and Construction Ambassador and as Lead Student Graphic Designer for Auburn Student Involvement. Outside of design she is part of many extracurriculars including the club For the Bees, and being captain of an Intramural Co-Rec Flag football team. She enjoys using creative processes and working with people in many different curriculums and fields and seeing design from outside perspectives.