Alex Center meets up with The Reflex Blue Show while at the 2024 HOW Design Live conference in Denver, Colorado (I should mention that his company Center did the branding for this year’s event as well). We talk about his decade of doing design for Coca-Cola, starting his design career as an intern for The New York Knicks, and even getting to meet 5…

Send us a text Wanna plaaaaaaay..........our latest episode? Will you be our podcast friend till the end? C'mon, these hints are gold. Plus, we give you the name of the episode at the top, so you kind of go into this with an advantage. The Split Happens sisters can't think of anything that gets you more in the mood for spooktober than an adorable, …

Send us a text A movie about furry little creatures from outer space causing a ruckus? Have the Split Happens got the repeater going on? Heck no, it isn't Christmas, it's spoooooooky season! That means they are covering the movie about the OTHER movie about furry little creatures from outer space that cause a ruckus. Specifically, ruckus creatures …

Aaron Draplin stops by, I mean, more like I crashed his merch booth in the lobby to talk to him about closing down the 2024 HOW Design Live in Denver. And wow, that merch table has grown over the years to truly be a sight to behold. After that, I speak with Stephen Gates about his talk, which was followed by an immediate, and basically unplanned, o…

Amy Conover, HOW Design’s Brand and Content Director; show attendees, and fellow Omaha area designers Anne Hughes and Erin Pille; HOW Ambassadors Keith Smith and Darcy Hinrichs; and Jason Wedekind of Genghis Kern discuss the first two days of another incredible conference. Big thanks to the Letterpress Depot for letting me record from their booth i…

Debbie Millman joined me backstage just as the 2024 HOW Design Live was starting up. We talk about The Shop at Matter, her upcoming book, “Love Letter to a Garden“, breaking the elevator at the San Francisco Sterling Brands office within minutes of when we first met, podcasting for almost 20 years, and more. Recorded on September 23, 2024 in the El…

Send us a text We are kicking off our month of spoooooky episodes with a suspenseful, supernatural, spirit filled gem. This movie has everything: An 80's soap opera star; enough Aqua Net to destroy the ozone layer; gum; a Ouija board; a possessed spirit who may or not be a pissed off 10yo.........everything!!!!! Enjoy 1986's Witchboard! KATRINA IS …

Send us a textDi Anna Serene Katrina Porter

Send us a text Is that a dragon in your pocket or..........hey, knock it off! This is a podcast that is only MARGINALLY inappropriate when covering children's movies, and boy do we have a doozy for you! Do you like dragons, and songs, and orphans, but not overly fond of dragons from outer space, or just don't trust Sheb Wooley in general? Same! Loo…

Liz Hunt, CEO of DayCloud Studios, sits down with me in the DayCloud penthouse suite located in The Blackstone District of Omaha, Nebraska to talk about the advice she gives to those starting up their own creative business. We also talk about how to lead a client through the creative process, how to get that first big client, and the importance of …

Send us a text Hey!! Who wants to be able to perform complex facial reconstruction surgeries without going to medical school??!! To quote the hot European lady from Super Troopers, "I do, I do!!!". Better yet, what if we said we have an episode about a movie that is so cuckoo bananas it needed not ONE, but TWO action stars? Enter dancing queen hims…

Tessa Porter, a candy scientist and founder of Sprinkk, was the closing keynote speaker at the 2024 OnBrand Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Recorded from the event on July 25, we spoke just before her closing the event and handing out treats from the Norma’s line of handcrafted fruity snacks. We speak about how candy brings joy, why I buy the donuts…

Send us a text If something is happy the first time, isn't it happier the 2nd time? Us twice married people think so (Katrina, that is), so we thought, "Hey us, why don't we try re-recording an episode that people seem to love, and put that theory to the test?"! Except this time Katrina is the pro, and Anna is the con! Genius! Get ready for the swa…

Send us a text Anna and Katrina decided that there are just not enough podcasts about a benevolent animated fox and the grown human women (woman) who have developed feelings for said fox, and these women (Anna) need their (hers) voices heard! Please join us as we take a not creepy at all trip down memory lane as we discuss 1973's Disney classic, Ro…

Kathleen Riessen, the business manager at Applied Art & Technology in Des Moines, was the opening keynote speaker at the 2024 OnBrand Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Recorded from the event on July 25, we spoke just after her opening the event with her talk – “Grow Your Creativity: It’s Not Just for Designers.” We also speak about her afternoon brea…

Todd Coats & Elliot Strunk, the hosts of Two Designers Walk Into a Bar (a podcast about iconic design and popular culture), well, walk into The Reflex Blue Show. We talk about their influences in the design field, pop culture, listening to vinyl, and more. It’s funny, I started podcasting back in 2005 because Nate, Tom and I would end up hanging ou…

Katrina Torrijos, an Adobe Express Evangelist, was in Omaha a couple of weeks ago for Adobe Create Now. We recorded this episode in a green room / nuclear bunker / hidden lounge below The Durham Museum just hours before Katrina took the stage to show off the capabilities of Adobe Express and how Adobe Firefly (Adobe’s generative AI tool) incorporat…

Send us a text Have you wondered what a movie that has the hijinks of Home Alone but with fashion would like? Have you gone to the doctor and thought "Gee, this office is great, but I wonder what it would look like if the nurses had really impractical bright neon clothes!"? Wonder no longer, because this week the Split Happens sisters are bringing …

I met up with Tad Carpenter in the green room at The Funny Bone Omaha of all places. That’s right, AAF Nebraska’s annual Meet the Pros upped their game on the location and went full-on comedy club! Tad was just hours away from being the main keynote speaker at the area’s best design / advertising / marketing student event, and we crammed into the c…

Send us a text The Hills are alive! With a new episode!!! We're baaaaaaaaaaaaack, and boy do we have a delightfully bananas movie we are covering! We've got animation, music, animated music, The Beatles (kind of), and flying fingers. The makers of this film didn't do every consumable drug known to man kind for you to miss this one, so buckle up and…

Kit Hinrichs! Any time I see design I consider good, and then see Kit’s work…well he’s just at a different level than everyone else. And in case you think he’s not, check out his new book, NARRATIVE DESIGN: A Fifty Year Perspective, showcasing some of the things he’s designed over the past 50 years. On this episode, we welcome back Kit Hinrichs to …

Clement Mok, who was just awarded a Cooper Hewitt 2023 National Design Award for Digital Design, stops by The Reflex Blue Show to talk about his path into the design field, and finding his way to Apple to work on the original Macintosh team. We also talk about his restaurants, including sugarFISH, and what’s next in technology. Enjoy. The post Clem…

Send us a textDi Anna Serene Katrina Porter

Send us a text I, I, I, I, I, I, I, want the episode! Pleaaaaaaaase! This week the Split Happens sisters flew all the way to Tibet to bring you an episode brimming with facts, a small child with mad magic skills, a dagger that turns out was not named after the singer Ashanti (missed opportunity, Paramount), and of course, Eddie Murphy. Raise your g…

Mike Schnaidt stops by The Reflex Blue Show to talk about his new book – Creative Endurance: 56 Rules for Overcoming Obstacles and Achieving Your Goals. A practical sort of self-help guide for graphic designers. We also talk about his role in being the Creative Director of the Fast Company empire, and working in the magazine world for over two deca…

Send us a text You ready to get down with a little "murder, death, kill" Snipes style? If you know how to take care of your daily business while using 3 seashells then you are prepared for this weeks episode from the Split Happens sisters. Enhance your calm and get ready for the 1993 action packed crime caper Demolition Man! KATRINA-is the pro this…

Send us a text Ruff, ruff, ruff. Bark. Bark, bark, bark. Grrrrrrrrr. Awwwwwwww. If you understand this, then you are one of many who love the canine classic, 2000's Best in Show! ANNA-is the pro this week, and she is positively BEGGING to catch Katrina say something positive about this perfect film, and is ready to put any negative takes in the dog…

Send us a text You're the audience, we are the tequila saturated chuckleheads. Don't be thrown off by the matchstick in the mouth instead of the hat turned backwards. Sly is all business, and business is gooooood. This week the Split Happens sisters bring you the classic, YES CLASSIC, action flick, 1986's Cobra. KATRINA-is the pro, and she is pract…

Send us a text Mon dieu! If gnomes, ghost rides, and well meaning meddlers are included on your list of things you love, we have the episode for you! This week the Split Happens sisters bring the joyous French film, Amelie!!!!! ANNA-is the pro this week, and she is happier than a little girl who's imaginary friends support her non-conformist spirit…

Send us a text We hope you love nuts as much as we do, because this week the Split Happens sister bring you a holiday film so full of charming nuggets it will make a pack of squirrels say "screech screech screech screech screech screech!!!!!!" (they don't talk, silly). And if you are a person who loves to read reviews before you watch a new movie, …

Send us a text 🎶🎶Have you..been dreaming..of an episode..with two movies in it?🎶🎶 Well do we have the episode for you! When two tequila tipsy sisters can't decide between two beloved animated Christmas classics what else can they do but do neither of them?! That can't be right. Damn tequila. They do both, that's it! And there's a twist! This week w…

Send us a text 🎶🎶🎶"Tis the season to be jolly and joyous.....fa la la! 🎶🎶🎶 If you heard those lyrics in the dulcet voice of Kermit the Frog, AKA Bob Cratchit, then you don't need 3 whack ass spirits to tell you that this week the Split Happens sisters kick off December with 1992's The Muppet Christmas Carol!!! ANNA-is the pro this week, and she may…

Send us a text Are you dancing in heaven and never thought your feet would get you this far? Do you hear the words "Orbital be-bop" and have absolutely no confusion as to what that means? Well then you have definitely seen and love the movie the Split Happens sisters are singing out of tune to this week! The year is 1985, the clothes are amazing, t…

Send us a text Say it once, say it loud, it's Anna's birthday episode week!! We couldn't celebrate Anna's birthday and not do her favorite movie, so prepare yourself for a movie that is sometimes funny, sometimes sad, but alwaystime (TM) full of amazing music. This week we bring you 1991's The Commitments ANNA-is obviously the pro this week, and sh…

Send us a text Are you tired of a world where there is just water, fire, earth, and air, and dream of a place where there is something, or maybe, someone more? And that someone more wears Jean Paul Gaultier and speaks in a made up language and makes out with Bruce Willis? We have so much in common. This week we make your dreams come true and bring …

Send us a text Have you crossed oceans of time to find Keanu Reeves doing an authentic British accent? Ut oh. How about longing for someone to take you away from all this death.....ly weirdness emanating from Sir Anthony Hopkins? Shit. Wait, are you the monster that breathing men would kill to see Gary Oldman in butt hair? Yes! We have the movie fo…

Send us a text Have you ever wished for a movie starring a professional wrestler fighting aliens, housing insecurity, his secret love for Ray Bans (TM), and mass commercialism, all whilst wearing dad jeans and playing a harmonica? Could a movie this incredible actually exist? You bet your booty that is probably covered in overpriced underwear marke…

Send us a text We see dead people. Not those dead people, other dead people. Dead people are dead people, sure, but these are dead people you can only see if you have gone through a terrible trauma. Or a mild trauma if you also have beautiful hair and a flawless complexion. Lookin at you, Trini Alvarado. This week we are obviously talking about Pet…

Katie Risch McAdams, the Chief Marketing Officer at Basis Technologies, was the lunchtime keynote speaker at this year’s OnBrand Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Recorded from the event on July 13, just after the taco bar had been put away and all of the churros had been consumed. Her talk, ‘Advertising Through Uncertainty’, is one that is especially…

Send us a text If you have ever been curious about what a werewolf threesome is like, do we ever have the movie for you. We also have Werewolves wearing sunglasses, original song on repeat, denim, silver bullets, Transylvania......this movies keeps on giving until you are literally begging for it to end. This week we bring you Howling II: Your Sist…

Ross Asdourian was the closing keynote speaker at this year’s OnBrand Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Recorded from the event on July 13, right next to where the taco bar was now being taken down, Ross and I discuss the importance of craft services, and what amazing churros they had at the event. We talk a bit about his Udemy courses, figuring out w…

Send us a text This movie is a love story about a man and his dog. And a group of murdering morons who kill the man's dog, thus setting off a revenge-a-rama where no mercy shall be granted. This can only mean we are ending our month of Keanu movies with the classic love story, John Wick. KATRINA-is the pro, and she is ready to take on anyone who da…

Whitney Warne was the opening keynote of this year’s OnBrand Conference in Omaha, Nebraska. Recorded from the event on July 13, right next to where the taco bar was being set-up, Whitney and I discuss her coaching and consulting business, Evoke EQ, and the nine enneagram types. What is an enneagram? I was also curious as well, and Whitney gives an …

Send us a text Whoa, totally righteous! This week the sisters keep the ride going of Keanu-tober and hit the surf and hope to pound some sweet waves as they dissect the 1991 action film: Point Break! Those surf terms are correct, right? A movie that brought together Keanu Reeves, Patrick Swayze, Lori Petty, and the dynamic and unpredictable Gary Bu…

Send us a text Anyone ready to get medicated?! Anna and Katrina chose the red pill so they could bring you the cyberpunk science fiction classic 1999's The Matrix! Get ready to have reality blown out your bum bum. KATRINA-is the pro this week, and she mostly ignores any technical trivia to reduce the chances of sounding like an idiot, as well as to…

Justin Dauer, who is no stranger to The Reflex Blue Show, and author of Cultivating a Creative Culture and it’s second edition, Creative Culture: Human-Centered Interaction, Design, & Inspiration, joins me to discuss his new book, in fulfillment:the designer’s journey. We talk about what it means to be fulfilled at work, and what you can do to reac…

Send us a text Are you ready to start Keanu-tember?! Well, the sisters certainly are, and they're starting their Keanu Reeves-themed month with the 1994 action-filled thriller: Speed! Directed by Jan De Bont and starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Dennis Hopper, and Jeff Daniels. KATRINA-is the PRO and she's raring to go! She's got an arsenal of…

Send us a text Are you someone who hears the amount $2.00 and are instantly taken back to a time in the 80's where an obsessed teen bordering on being a stalker, mixed with a foreign exchange student and a gaggle of psychotic paperboys equals instant hilarity? We have so much in common. Grab your Frawnch Fries, Frawnch Dressing, Frawnch Bread, and …

As the last of this year’s HOW Design Live podcast interviews, Jada Britto joins me to discuss her talk on, ‘Reigniting Hope: Breaking Out of the Checkbox Mentality.’ I had met Jada the day before at the conference, and immediately knew I would love to have a longer chat, and thankfully, we found a time to record the next day with just hours of the…

Send us a text Have you been waiting for a podcast with an episode about a movie telling a story about the mysterious Dark Crystal? Have you often wondered how it was damaged by one of the Urskeks, thus setting off an age of chaos? And did you then want to know how it lead to an evil race of grotesque birdlike lizards, the Skeksis, ruling their fan…