Bob Calvano's guest appearances

Bob Calvano

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Jeni Herberger

Todd Henry

Gabby Wallace

Cal Newport

Cathryn Lavery

Laura Roeder

Jim Hopkinson

Eric Kass

Douglas Davis

Betsy Helmuth

Debbie Millman

Steve Dotto

Laura Thomas

Lisa Cummings

John Hargrave

Jonathan Raymond

OwlTail

Bob Calvano (@bobcalvano) runs the digital media &amp; design studio for A+E Networks, and oversees the development of mobile apps, websites, interfaces, and a variety of other design elements for A+E’s brands. This conversation discusses his origins in digital and traditional design work, how he manages a diverse team of designers and programmers, and the challenges of working in the always-changing business of television and entertainment.Show Notes &amp; Links TV is the first screen; computers are the second screen; mobile is the third screen Bob describes himself thoroughly as a husband, father, son, brother, drummer, speaker, friend, designer … at different times “Proudly hyphenated” A+E, Lifetime, History, FYI — television networks under the A+E umbrella Basement storage racks Bob started as a fine artist &amp; illustrator, later worked as an in-house designer for Panasonic An early business found Bob and his partner painting &amp; airbrushing motorcycles, boats, etc. Oxygen Network R/GA, digital agency To move from creative agencies like media to less-creative agencies like pharma, banking, etc. The Narcissism of Minor Differences Bob’s team focuses on “digital execution” of many different projects “mobile-first” mentality for the websites “watch” apps for Android and iOS (for watching, not timepieces) XBOX 360 Roku AppleTV Amazon Fire TV “media agnostic” — problem-solving is more important than a particular execution “integrated branding” or “360 campaigns”, putting all the pieces together Erica Heinz, previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast (episode 10) A+E’s studio is packed with “Product Designers” “It’s a designer-slash-developer world.” ← Click to Tweet Waterfall method, sort of outdated but still in use in many agencies/teams “A show idea could come from anywhere.” ← Click to Tweet Duck Dynasty, not-so-accidental smash hit Netflix Original Programming Amazon Original Programming Vimeo Original Programming A+E Studios, upcoming original content producers Forthcoming Apple Watch Responsive design vs. breakpoints Microsoft changes rendering engine for Outlook Vikings, on The History Channel The History Channel app for iOS No traffic department We did an entire episode about Project Management Application &amp; Collaboration Software Vessel “T-Shaped People“, originally an IDEO termT-Shaped skillset  “The Static Photoshop Comp is slowly becoming extinct.” ← Click to Tweet “Photoshop is a “mullet-shaped” tool; 90% of the users only use 10% of the features.” ← Click to Tweet Vijay Mathews was a previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast (episode 32) Designers should have a background in Calculus (jeez, what a cranky bastard) Google Ventures design sprints  Lifetime app for iOS Oxygen app for iOS A&amp;E app for iOS All the networks have social media followings (too many to list, in fact)Tools Blank paper (for sketching during conversations) “watch” apps History Here app for iOS Jira by Atlassian Freedcamp (a free version of Basecamp) Trello SketchTechniques Use Agile framework for your design+development projects Use Scrum framework to keep teams together Kanban board to manage project stages Mine your own data Set up “teams of three”, where Art Directors work closely with a UX/UI designer and a developer Turn your Project Managers into Scrum Masters on a Product Team (same thing but on a different model) Use an all-digital workflow Hire T-Shaped People and encourage them to grow Present clickable prototypes rather than flat comps — it yields better results, even if it takes slightly longer Use transit time to prepare for, and recover from, the working day. Meditate or at least mentally plan. Habits Sketch during conversations; think out loud Capture and measure all possible statistics; use data &amp; metrics to inform decisions Don’t base everything off data &amp; metrics; trust your gut as designers  Keep your finger on the pulse of design &amp; digital media by going to conferences, taking classes, subscribing to magazines, take field trips Wake up at 5:45 Eliminate Gluten &amp; Dairy Take the stairs! If you’re a commuter, they’re always right there. On weekends, sleep as late as kids &amp; dogs will allowTry Audible.com Free for 30-DaysVisit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Scrum Essentials by Troy Dimes as a free audiobookGet The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 43(MP3, 1:08:05, 32.8 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 43(OGG, 1:08:05, 56.0 MB)   Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes Something to add? Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.

Bob Calvano (<a href="http://www.twitter.com/bobcalvano" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@bobcalvano</a>) runs the digital media &amp; design studio for <a href="http://www.aenetworks.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A+E Networks</a>, and oversees the development of mobile apps, websites, interfaces, and a variety of other design elements for A+E’s brands. This conversation discusses his origins in digital and traditional design work, how he manages a diverse team of designers and programmers, and the challenges of working in the always-changing business of television and entertainment.Show Notes &amp; Links <ul> <li>TV is the first screen; computers are the second screen; mobile is the third screen</li> <li>Bob describes himself thoroughly as a husband, father, son, brother, drummer, speaker, friend, designer … at different times</li> <li>“Proudly hyphenated”</li> <li><a href="http://aetv.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A+E</a>, <a href="http://mylifetime.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lifetime</a>, <a href="http://history.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History</a>, <a href="http://fyi.tv/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FYI</a> — television networks under the A+E umbrella</li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=390957&amp;field-keywords=basement%20storage%20racks&amp;linkCode=ur2&amp;tag=busycreator-20&amp;url=search-alias%3Daps&amp;linkId=B4FU46D36QPRODR3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basement storage racks</a></li> <li>Bob started as a fine artist &amp; illustrator, later worked as an in-house designer for Panasonic</li> <li>An early business found Bob and his partner painting &amp; airbrushing motorcycles, boats, etc.</li> <li><a href="http://oxygen.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oxygen Network</a></li> <li><a href="http://rga.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">R/GA</a>, digital agency</li> <li>To move from creative agencies like media to less-creative agencies like pharma, banking, etc.</li> <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissism_of_small_differences" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Narcissism of Minor Differences</a></li> <li>Bob’s team focuses on “digital execution” of many different projects</li> <li>“mobile-first” mentality for the websites</li> <li>“watch” apps for Android and iOS (for watching, not timepieces)</li> <li><a href="http://xbox.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">XBOX 360</a></li> <li><a href="http://roku.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Roku</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/appletv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">AppleTV</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-TV-streaming-media-player/dp/B00CX5P8FC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Fire TV</a></li> <li>“media agnostic” — problem-solving is more important than a particular execution</li> <li>“integrated branding” or “360 campaigns”, putting all the pieces together</li> <li><a href="http://ericaheinz.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Erica Heinz</a>, previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast (<a href="http://busycreator.com/2014/05/05/the-busy-creator-episode-10-with-web-designer-erica-heinz/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 10</a>)</li> <li>A+E’s studio is packed with “Product Designers”</li> <li>“It’s a designer-slash-developer world.” <a href="http://ctt.ec/9tju1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">← Click to Tweet</a></li> <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_model" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Waterfall</a> method, sort of outdated but still in use in many agencies/teams</li> <li>“A show idea could come from anywhere.” <a href="http://ctt.ec/_OV4a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">← Click to Tweet</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.aetv.com/duck-dynasty" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Duck Dynasty</a>, not-so-accidental smash hit</li> <li><a href="http://thebestofnetflix.com/the-creativity-of-netflix-a-list-of-all-netflix-original-series/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Netflix Original Programming</a></li> <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_original_programs_distributed_by_Amazon" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon Original Programming</a></li> <li><a href="http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/vimeo-invests-in-first-original-series-high-maintenance-1201195622/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vimeo Original Programming</a></li> <li><a href="http://deadline.com/tag/ae-studios/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A+E Studios</a>, upcoming original content producers</li> <li>Forthcoming <a href="https://www.apple.com/watch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Watch</a></li> <li><a href="http://responsivedesign.is/strategy/page-layout/defining-breakpoints" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Responsive design vs. breakpoints</a></li> <li><a href="https://litmus.com/blog/a-guide-to-rendering-differences-in-microsoft-outlook-clients" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Microsoft changes rendering engine for Outlook</a></li> <li>Vikings, on The History Channel</li> <li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/history/id576009463?mt=8&amp;uo=4&amp;at=10ltSM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The History Channel app</a> for iOS</li> <li>No traffic department</li> <li>We did <a href="http://busycreator.com/33" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an entire episode about Project Management Application &amp; Collaboration Software</a></li> <li><a href="http://vessel.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vessel</a></li> <li>“<a href="http://wordspy.com/index.php?word=t-shaped" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">T-Shaped People</a>“, originally an <a href="http://ideo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IDEO</a> term T-Shaped skillset </li> <li>“The Static Photoshop Comp is slowly becoming extinct.” <a href="http://ctt.ec/EhGdS" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">← Click to Tweet</a></li> <li>“Photoshop is a “mullet-shaped” tool; 90% of the users only use 10% of the features.” <a href="http://ctt.ec/PC8xb" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">← Click to Tweet</a></li> <li>Vijay Mathews was a previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast (<a href="http://busycreator.com/32" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 32</a>)</li> <li><a href="http://www.davidairey.com/graphic-design-schools/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Designers should have a background in Calculus</a> (jeez, what a cranky bastard)</li> <li><a href="http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/23/inside-a-google-ventures-design-sprint/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Ventures design sprints</a> </li> <li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/lifetime/id579966222?mt=8&amp;uo=4&amp;at=10ltSM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lifetime app</a> for iOS</li> <li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/oxygen-now/id700797306?mt=8&amp;uo=4&amp;at=10ltSM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oxygen app</a> for iOS</li> <li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/a-e/id571711580?mt=8&amp;uo=4&amp;at=10ltSM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A&amp;E app</a> for iOS</li> <li>All the networks have social media followings (too many to list, in fact)</li></ul>Tools <ul> <li>Blank paper (for sketching during conversations)</li> <li>“watch” apps</li> <li><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/history-here/id463240522?mt=8&amp;uo=4&amp;at=10ltSM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History Here</a> app for iOS</li> <li><a href="https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jira</a> by <a href="http://atlassian.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Atlassian</a></li> <li><a href="http://freedcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Freedcamp</a> (a free version of <a href="http://basecamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Basecamp</a>)</li> <li><a href="http://trello.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trello</a></li> <li><a href="http://bohemiancoding.com/sketch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sketch</a></li></ul>Techniques <ul> <li>Use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agile_software_development" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Agile framework</a> for your design+development projects</li> <li>Use <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scrum_(software_development)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scrum framework</a> to keep teams together</li> <li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanban_board" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kanban board</a> to manage project stages</li> <li>Mine your own data</li> <li>Set up “teams of three”, where Art Directors work closely with a UX/UI designer and a developer</li> <li>Turn your Project Managers into Scrum Masters on a Product Team (same thing but on a different model)</li> <li>Use an all-digital workflow</li> <li>Hire T-Shaped People and encourage them to grow</li> <li>Present clickable prototypes rather than flat comps — it yields better results, even if it takes slightly longer</li> <li>Use transit time to prepare for, and recover from, the working day. Meditate or at least mentally plan. </li></ul>Habits <ul> <li>Sketch during conversations; think out loud</li> <li>Capture and measure all possible statistics; use data &amp; metrics to inform decisions</li> <li>Don’t base everything off data &amp; metrics; trust your gut as designers </li> <li>Keep your finger on the pulse of design &amp; digital media by going to conferences, taking classes, subscribing to magazines, take field trips</li> <li>Wake up at 5:45</li> <li>Eliminate Gluten &amp; Dairy</li> <li>Take the stairs! If you’re a commuter, they’re always right there.</li> <li>On weekends, sleep as late as kids &amp; dogs will allow</li></ul>Try <a href="http://Audible.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Audible.com</a> Free for 30-Days Visit <a href="http://busycreatorbook.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BusyCreatorBook.com</a> for your free trial<a href="http://busycreatorbook.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> Get Scrum Essentials by Troy Dimes as a free audiobook<a href="http://www.busycreatorbook.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a>Get The Episode <ul> <li><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/busycreator/TheBusyCreator_43_BobCalvano.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 43</a>(MP3, 1:08:05, 32.8 MB)</li> <li><a href="http://busycreator.com/podcast-eps/TheBusyCreator_43_BobCalvano.ogg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 43</a>(OGG, 1:08:05, 56.0 MB)</li> </ul> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-busy-creator-podcast/id816956921?mt=2&amp;uo=4&amp;at=10ltSM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://busycreator.com/itunes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes</a> Something to add? Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.

The Busy Creator 43 w/guest Bob Calvano

Talk Story with Jeni is a series of bi-weekly conversations with old friends and new. It’s a chance to share the backstory of people who inspire us because they took life to the next level. My guest is Bob Calvano, Director of Global Creative Studios at Merck- Join us and let's talk story!

'Talk Story with Jeni' and Bob Calvano