Inside Everyone's Favourite Creative Substack, Art Direction with Zoë Yasemin

"If everyone draws from the same pool of images, but they don't know why they're drawing from that, the work becomes the same." - Zoë YaseminWelcome back to Process the Podcast. This week, Arielle sits down with Dutch-based creative director, researcher, and the brilliant mind behind the viral, globally ranked Substack: The Art Direction, Zoë Yasemin. While previous guests have masterfully explored the mechanics of still-life curation and multimedia stop-motion, Zoë’s strength is the depth of her reference pool. In this expansive dialogue, Zoë and Arielle dissect "aesthetic flattening" - the dangerous cultural cycle where creators pull from the exact same surface-level internet algorithms, leading to an inevitable sameness in modern brand output. From bidding on rare, vintage indie magazines on eBay to studying the historical representation of the female form, Zoe shares an elite masterclass on how to bridge the gap between a beautiful mood board and world-class execution.Inside the Episode:00:00 — Intro 05:22 — Decades of Visual History11:43 — What is True "Taste"?17:10 — The 57K Substack Secret Blueprint22:53 — Sourcing References Beyond Pinterest28:22 — The Visual Curriculum Framework33:10 — Finding Unexpected Creative Fuel38:10 — Heritage Brand World-Building43:49 — Inside a 3-Day Editorial Marathon49:04 — Embracing Human Craft Over AIConnect with our Guest:Zoë Yasemin on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3TixD4kThe Art Direction School on Instagram: https://bit.ly/4vgZgrZArt Direction on Substack: https://bit.ly/4gsNWp3Enjoyed this Episode? Join our Community!Your host, Arielle Thomas, on Instagram,⁠@arielle.thomas⁠ (https://bit.ly/4v21hby)Us, on Instagram,⁠@processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/4xJ1EKl)Whatsapp Community @processthepodcast (https://bit.ly/44pdcFf)Follow us to get notified every time a new episode drops every Tuesday. See you at the next one! * This episode includes third-party images and video clips used for educational commentary and visual reference. All rights and ownership belong to their respective copyright holders. This content is utilized under Fair Use principles and does not imply endorsement or affiliation with Process The Podcast. For copyright inquiries, please contact [email protected]