Designing Joy: Don Clark of Invisible Creature on Creativity, Collectibles & Culture

In this episode of Podcast Awesome, Matt hangs out with legendary designer Don Clark of Invisible Creature to dive into the analog soul of digital design. From their punk rock roots and Grammy-nominated album covers to art directing for Seattle’s swankiest restaurant, Don and his brother Ryan have created work you’ve seen —whether you know it or not.

They discuss growing up with a NASA illustrator grandpa, how nostalgia fuels creativity, the value of physical objects in a swipe-and-scroll world, and how a sibling-run design studio rides the waves of industry change. It’s a masterclass in storytelling, aesthetics, and sneaky inspiration.

Plus, Don once designed a 7-story mural for Newark Airport that one construction worker told him no one would ever notice. Art, meet irony.

✨ What We Cover in This Episode

• 🚀 Grandpa drew spaceships for NASA — no big deal
• 🎸 From hardcore zines to Grammy-nominated album art
• 🧸 Why physical objects still matter (even in a scroll-y, swipey world)
• 😊 Nostalgia, and the purposeful creation of joy
• 🏠 Turning a love of toys and typography into brand work for Target, Canlis, and more
• 🏄🏻‍♂️ Creating a career by riding the wave (not controlling it)
• 👾 How Invisible Creature got its name — and why most people don’t realize they’ve seen their work
• 🍽️ Art direction in fine dining, and designing for iconic spaces

⏱️ Timestamps

[00:01:00] – Don’s creative upbringing & grandpa's NASA work
[00:04:00] – From punk flyers to full-time design
[00:08:00] – Physical design in a digital world
[00:12:00] – Object design, collectibles, and vintage influence
[00:16:00] – Tapping nostalgia the right way
[00:20:00] – Album covers, influence, and desktop publishing
[00:24:00] – The decline of CDs & the rise of gig posters
[00:28:00] – The challenges (and joys) of working with family
[00:32:00] – Canlis restaurant and entering the fine dining space
[00:36:00] – Creating inspiring physical spaces
[00:38:00] – Why “Invisible Creature” is the perfect name
[00:42:00] – Good design as invisible, objective experience
[00:44:00] – Designing stamps, murals, and children’s Bibles
[00:46:00] – Streamlining creativity after 25 years in the biz
[00:48:00] – Wrapping up and why riding the wave matters

🔗 Links & Resources

• Invisible Creature
• Mind Reader Music – Album packaging by Ryan Clark & Kevin Moore
• Canlis – Seattle fine dining where Don is art director
• Art of the Incredibles Book – Don’s favorite Pixar art book
• Podcast Awesome on YouTube – Full uncut convo with extra music nerdiness
• The Font Awesome Theme Song – Composed by Ronnie Martin
• Music Interstitials by Zach Malm
• Audio mastering by Chris Enns at Lemon Productions
• Produced and edited by Matt Johnson

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