Students of Design

Michael Fugoso – Quantity vs. Quality, Design School, and Pirate Code – Ep15

Episode Summary

Michael (aka Fugstrator) is an "illustrator who illustrates with design principles." He's the "People's Homie"—I made that up—and is a Senior Design Evangelist for Next Gen Creative Pros at Adobe. We all love his work, and I'm jealous of all the "space stuff" he creates. He's worked with aerospace clients like NASA, Blue Origin, Boeing, and other big companies like IBM, Oracle, and Skillshare—AND he's been on some of the biggest stages in the industry, like Adobe MAX. Tune in for a talk about getting expelled from college, living by the Pirate Code, and speaking to a crowd of 10,000 people.

Episode Notes

Michael (aka Fugstrator) is an "illustrator who illustrates with design principles." He's the "People's Homie"—I made that up—and is a Senior Design Evangelist for Next Gen Creative Pros at Adobe. We all love his work, and I'm jealous of all the "space stuff" he creates. He's worked with aerospace clients like NASA, Blue Origin, Boeing, and other big companies like IBM, Oracle, and Skillshare—AND he's been on some of the biggest stages in the industry, like Adobe MAX. Tune in for a talk about getting expelled from college, living by the Pirate Code, and speaking to a crowd of 10,000 people. Look for Fugstrator on Instagram, Dribbble, LinkedIn, and Adobe MAX.

Questions for this interview.

• Do you know where this text is from? "After months of tenacious enemy attack, only one ship has survived..."
• Who's your favorite Street Fighter character?
• Do you have a favorite video game-inspired illustration you've created?
• If you could only choose one, which series would you keep around between Ninja Gaiden and Mega Man?
• Something went wrong during your last year of college. Can you tell us what happened?
• Did that event lead you to design school?
• What did that experience teach you? What lesson did you take away from it?
• What's something important to you that you think everyone should learn in design school?
• Does creating and sharing short-form tutorial videos scratch your educator itch?
• Are the reactions to your Instagram videos what you were hoping or expecting?
• (Listener Question) In an industry that's constantly changing because of technology and trends, how do you keep up and feel like an "advanced designer?"
• You say, "Think Like an Artist; Execute Like a Designer." Can you elaborate on that?
• Do you think someone needs to be good at drawing to be a great illustrator?
• Do you still create all your illustrations with a single light source in the top-left corner?
• You've spoken at Adobe MAX. How would you weigh your level of confidence vs. nervousness when you were on that stage?
• When working with engineers who demand precision, how do you acknowledge their feedback, and how do you typically try to implement it?
• Who do you think will win the F1 Drivers Championship this year? Max Verstappen or Lando Norris?