In this episode of The Art School Graduate Podcast, I sit down with Kaleena Sales, designer, educator, and author of Centered: People and Ideas Diversifying Design, to talk about how culture, identity, and lived experience shape the way we design.

Kaleena is the chair of the Department of Art and Design at Tennessee State University, where she teaches the next generation of designers at an HBCU. In this conversation, we explore how traditional design education has centered Eurocentric standards, and what it means to expand the canon to include Black culture, urban aesthetics, and underrepresented voices.

We also dive into:

* How the environment shapes visual taste and design choices

* The “mere exposure effect” and why we like what we see

* Teaching design at an HBCU vs traditional institutions

* The gap between design school and the real world

* Why “good design” is often based on biased standards

* Helping students embrace their identity in their work

If you are a designer, student, or creative trying to find your voice, this conversation will challenge how you think about design and push you to see your perspective as an advantage, not a limitation.

⸻🔑 Key Takeaway

Design is not neutral. Your culture, your environment, and your lived experience all shape the work you create, and that voice belongs in the conversation.

⸻📌 About the Podcast

The Art School Graduate Podcast explores the real journeys of creatives, from students to industry professionals, uncovering the truth behind building a creative career.