Illegal Colors: Confessions of a Brand Designer | UYMI #32 ft. Chris Rumeau

9 months ago

Episode Notes

What happens when branding chaos meets creative grind? In this episode of Until You Make It, Chris and Mike sit down with designer Chris Rumeau to dig into the messy middle of making things—from sketching hundreds of logos on graph paper to rebranding a local coffee shop, chasing clients through Instagram reels, and figuring out how merch design can carry a career. Along the way, The Bitterheat’s debut video gets dissected, flag football strategy gets way too serious, and the crew debates whether “Razor the Mattress Salesman” was actually cool.

From logo dumps and stinger experiments to AI visuals, the crew unpacks how creative work actually happens: late nights, weird tangents, and plenty of trial and error. It’s a mix of design shop talk, production talk, and accidental comedy—all in one episode.

What You’ll Discover: How sketching logos by the hundreds can unlock a brand identity Why merch design is a secret bridge for musicians and artists How Instagram reels can actually land real clients The comedy of signatures, stingers, and failed branding experiments The pros and cons of letting AI “help” with creative work

Whether you’re grinding through freelance projects, chasing music dreams, or just here for the ridiculous side stories, this episode blends practical lessons with plenty of laughs.

00:00 – New Name? The SEO Struggles of Until You Make It 07:00 – The Bitterheat: First Release and Behind-the-Scenes Stories 14:00 – Guest Chris Joins: From Coffee Shops to Graphic Design 20:00 – The Process: Sketchbooks, Logos, and Finding Clients 27:00 – Creative Balance: Music, Merch, and Video Work 35:00 – Signatures, Branding Experiments, and Razor the Mattress Guy 42:00 – Passion vs. Profession: Why We Create (and for Who) 50:00 – Wrapping Up with Lessons Learned and Next Steps

Find out more at https://until-you-make-it.pinecast.co