IDSA IDC SPECIAL: We had the pleasure of sitting down with Norio Fujikawa, the Executive Creative Director at Astro Studios in San Francisco, CA for a rapid fire chat about his upbringing in Chicago, his studies at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), and how he made his way to the Bay Area. He interned and worked in the midwest, specifically in Ohio and Minnesota, before he found his way to San Francisco. We also talk about all of the amazing people that have graced the halls of Astro Studios, alumni such as Spencer Nugent, John Muhlenkamp, Hoang and Anh Nguyen, Jordan Nollman, David Whetstone, and Grace Lee, have all been part of this amazing establishment. We also discuss how Astro Studios started in gaming, and have since designed other products for brands such as Shinola, Sol Republic, Nike, HP, and Western Digital. Norio breaks down the skill and mind set that is needed to work in such a competitive design city, so please listen up if you’re thinking of making the move to the Bay Area. Thank you @noriofujikawa for being amazing and inspiring so many! Thanks for tuning in--be on the lookout for our next podcast! Send us a DM or email at hello@advdes.org to provide us with your thoughts and comments on our dialogue with designers!