In this episode, I sit down with Steve Cousins, a self-taught graphic designer, art director, and creative director with an impressive career spanning West Beach, Lululemon, and top design studios in Portland.

Steve shares his journey from small-town British Columbia to working with global brands, the impact of skate culture on him, and the lessons he’s learned from both wins and failures. Plus, we talk about the balance between hands-on design work and creative direction, and Steve drops some wisdom for young designers navigating their careers.

Episode Highlights:

From Small-Town Skater to Design Pro: How Steve’s childhood in Pitt Meadows and passion for skate culture led him into graphic design.

The Art of Culture-Driven Design: Why Steve believes culture is at the heart of great design and how brands should lean into their communities.

The Pepsi Pitch Gone Wrong: That time he flew to Pepsi HQ on a private jet, only to find out the team had prepared the wrong type of campaign.

Learning the Hard Way in Print: A hilarious but painful lesson on Photoshop’s Magic Wand tool and sending posters to print—missing half of the athletes' legs.

Navigating the Designer-to-Creative Director Transition: Why the move to creative direction isn’t for everyone and why great designers shouldn’t feel pressured to take that path.

Finding Fresh Passion in Photography: Steve’s latest creative pursuit and why learning something new keeps things exciting.

Designing Experiences That Matter: How working on Lululemon’s SeaWheeze Half Marathon branding gave Steve a whole new perspective on experiential design.

Resources & Mentions:

ReallyBigCool on Instagram: @reallybigcoolio
Steve Cousins' Website: LINK HERE

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Episode 290 - Steve Cousins - Creative Director + Designer

The Quickie - Conversations with Designers