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S07.EP17 - 10 Design Industry Beliefs That Might Be Complete Bullshit with Massimo Zefferino (The Angry Designer) artwork
JUST Branding

S07.EP17 - 10 Design Industry Beliefs That Might Be Complete Bullshit with Massimo Zefferino (The Angry Designer)

  • S7E17
  • 1:18:20
  • October 26th 2026

What if some of the most common advice in the design industry is complete bullshit?

"Good design speaks for itself."

"More concepts mean more value."

"Every designer needs to become a strategist."

"AI will replace graphic designers."

We've all heard these claims. But how many actually hold up in the real world?

In this episode of JUST Branding, Jacob Cass & Matt Davies are joined by Massimo Zefferino from The Angry Designer, the outspoken podcast host known for challenging industry norms and calling out the nonsense holding creatives back.

Drawing on Massimo's 25+ years of experience building a seven-figure design agency, and insights from the Brand Builders Summit, we put 10 popular design industry beliefs on trial.

Together, we challenge the assumptions shaping how designers think, work, charge, present, position themselves and build their careers.

We explore:

  • Why good design doesn't always speak for itself
  • Whether designers are paid for deliverables or decisions
  • Why fitting into your category might make your brand invisible
  • Whether presenting more design concepts actually delivers more value
  • Why brand building doesn't end when the files are delivered
  • The problem with telling every designer to become a strategist
  • Whether followers, visibility and personal branding are necessary for business success
  • Why collecting knowledge and frameworks isn't the same as developing expertise
  • What AI is really changing about the value of graphic design
  • Why having a strong point of view might be your greatest competitive advantage

For each belief, Massimo must decide whether it's true, whether it depends, or whether it's complete bullshit.

Expect strong opinions, practical lessons, uncomfortable questions and a few sacred cows getting slaughtered.

Whether you're a designer, brand strategist or creative business owner, this conversation will challenge what you've been taught and help you rethink where your real value lies.

Listen now and decide for yourself: Which design industry belief is the biggest load of bullshit?

JUST Branding

The JUST Branding Podcast, hosted by Jacob Cass & Matt Davies, is the only podcast dedicated to helping designers & entrepreneurs grow brands.

Each episode goes deep into the details of the brand building process, with professional insights, actionable tips and resources to help you build better brands.

The focus is on helping designers & entrepreneurs bridge the gap between strategy and design. Branding professionals from around the world join Jacob & Matt in discussing the benefits of brand strategy, top tools, how to sell strategy, brand purpose, brand positioning, neuroscience, brand personality, messaging, storytelling, brand naming, tag lines, logo design, brand identity design and brand experience.

ABOUT JACOB CASS

Jacob Cass is a Sydney-based designer & strategist who runs JUST Creative, an award-winning branding & design firm that doubles as an industry leading blog. Jacob helps brands grow & get results by crafting distinctive logos & brand identities that are backed by a solid brand strategy.

He recently rebranded San Francisco and Puerto Rico, and also branded New York's Digital District. Other clients have included the likes of Disney, Nintendo and Jerry Seinfeld. Jacob has spoken at TEDx, been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur and has been awarded LinkedIn’s “Best of” for branding.

For him, design is a lifelong journey of continuously honing his craft, as well as educating other fellow designers & business owners to build on theirs, which has allowed him to build a large and loyal following, including his website which has been been viewed over 50 million times. Jacob is an avid traveler and has traveled to 87 countries.

ABOUT MATT DAVIES

Matt is a brand strategy specialist working with leaders to align around their brand and get it ready to connect deeply with those inside and outside of their organisations. His work enables you to grow your business faster and easier. Matt solves a variety of brand challenges, from strategy and positioning to naming and identity right through to company culture and product innovation.