The Crit #29: Charlene Prempeh
As the holiday season hits its stride, The Crit is here with our festive special!
For those new to the show, each fortnight Disegno’s editor-in-chief Oli Stratford invites a leading designer to Kef Music Gallery to review their own work. Our guest reveals what worked best; what failed; what pushed their career to new heights; what feedback most shaped their practice; and what they feel needs to be redesigned.
At the end of each episode, to complete their crit, they’ll be asked to give themselves a grade for their career to date: fail, pass, commendation or distinction.
It’s a design-school crit, delivered every fortnight! Subscribe to the show here, or sign up wherever you get your podcasts from.
Our twenty-eight guest on The Crit is Charlene Prempeh, accompanied by show host Oli Stratford.
Episode #29: Charlene Prempeh
Charlene Prempeh is a design and culture writer, and the founder of A Vibe Called Tech, a creative studio and consultancy that works widely across art and design.
Having studied at Oxford University and worked at media outlets including the BBC, The Guardian, and Frieze, Prempeh launched A Vibe Called Tech in 2018 as an agency that would offer an intersectional lens across creative projects and consultancy. In the following seven years, the company has delivered work for institutions such as Tate, the V&A and the Barbican, as well as brands including Gucci, Adidas and Nike. In 2022, the agency launched Turned A, a merchandising project exploring themes of Black narratives and inclusivity that run through much of A Vibe Called Tech’s work, while Prempeh is also the author of Now You See Me: 100 Years of Black Design, a 2023 book published by Prestel.
During her crit, Prempeh examined the pleasures and importance of “good enough” work; the porous barrier between commercial and artistic work; the complexities of client relationships; and also answered a series of additional festive questions about redesigning the holidays!
Show Notes: Charlene Prempeh
Best design: Now You See Me: 100 Years of Black Design
Worst design: A project with a beauty brand during Black History Month
(Best holiday gift: An advent calendar)
Most successful design: We Are All They
(Best holiday decoration: A wooden star, made by her son)
Most impactful feedback: Non-existent feedback, teaching her to listen to her instincts when something feels wrong
Dream design: The Golden Stool
(Dream design change for the holidays: Food design)
This episode of The Crit was recorded at KEF Music Gallery London.
The Crit’s graphics were created by Leonhard Rothmoser.
The Crit’s music was created by Yuri Suzuki and Team Suzuki.