#MemberSpotlight on Deep co-owner Charlie Eiles

How did you get into the industry?

Having studied at Bournemouth I always enjoyed being surrounded by creative talent. I never wanted to be a designer but was fascinated by the way people used things, and what made them choose one brand over another.

I had a commercial eye and could look at things objectively; this sat well between client and designer to interpret and steer briefs to provide a solution that was right for the user.

I initially started at Deep as a studio manager, but soon saw an opportunity to grow and develop the existing client-base. I was working with such a talented bunch of people (just 5 at the time!) and my role morphed into account management.

Over time I felt limited in what I could do due to the small size of Deep, and was offered a job at a larger agency, working with various global consumer brands and it was at this job I really fast-tracked my learning and progressed my career.

I stayed in contact with Deep, as I was always keen to come back and make what I had learnt from my experience work for them, so I did just that. It was the best decision I could have made. Deep is a strong, passionate and brilliant agency full of very talented, yet humble, people.

As well as managing the business, my role focusses on user-centric strategy for clients, helping guide them to the right decisions in both brand and digital.  

Where are you based now and who do you work for?

I’m proud to be a co-owner at Deep. Although technically I work for myself, I think the real answer is I work for my team, encouraging them to get the best out of their roles and be proud of their work. 

Currently, we live at at The Metal Box Factory in SE1, just behind the Tate Modern. It’s a lovely office space, it’s lively, bright and airy and really encourages us to be collaborative.

If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?

I think I would be working or consulting with a sustainable start-up. I really champion truly eco-aware brands, brands that create a product with sustainability at their very inception. I’d like to think that I could add value with how to reach key audiences.

Can you explain your creative process? What makes it unique?

The agency has creative processes in place for different deliverables and with all of them it’s about making sure we bring an emotional layer into everything we do which makes it more personalised for the audience.

Creating brands that have a connection, a story and something you can care about. Many of the brands we work with are best in class and so their audience wants to buy into the brand, know where its from, who owns it and that is interesting.

And, like anything that is worth it, all of our processes take time. We need to really understand the audience and the brand we work with to deliver strong creative. Anyone who rushes their process is not valuing what they do.

How would you describe your style?

Be confident but lose the ego! I don’t want to be a person that puts ego before anything and I do not want my team to either. Ego’s destroy the process for the team, and cloud judgement. There are too many egos in the creative industry for sure.

Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?

I love working with clients that make bold decisions, based on real knowledge, for the people they work for. Well-placed confidence in what you do, and what you know is truly inspiring.

We’ve worked with passionate CEOs who want to create social change and with marketing managers who have transformed businesses by tackling issues head-on.   

What tips would you give to aspiring creatives looking for work?

Find a way to connect with agencies. Don’t just blindly email them with your CV and do not be deterred if you haven’t got a degree.   

We will meet people based on desire and skill, not a piece of paper. We run an internship called “In at the Deep end” for just this reason, to give people real experience.

What tips would you give to other professionals to get more clients?

Be a decent human being. So many clients come to us and they haven’t been treated well – they’ve been overpromised work, missed deadlines, poor creative, never seen the same person on their account twice.

It’s important to be seen and to act as a creative partner with clients. Word of mouth is the best way to gain new clients.

What kind of tools/kit/software could you not do without?

Figma. It is brilliant. We use it for collaborations, wireframing and presentations and its well-priced! Creative Cloud is obviously a no-brainer but I do get frustrated by the expense of that for agencies!

What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?

Finding time to research and read what is going on around you (easier said than done!), listening to your team and bring them into discussions. You cannot do things alone and you must surround yourself with people who work well together.

What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?

We recently launched a website for Thomas Lyte. It had a really complex UX and there were a lot of user journeys, but the strategy ended up strictly followed and you can see this throughout the end result. The client was engaging across the project. 

The final website is visually stunning and is really working for them as a good investment. A great example of a good, interesting website that is doing its job as a lead generation tool.

What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?

Just one?? There are so many but if I had to pick one then it has to be …Free pitching. There is still an expectation for agencies to pitch against each other for clients dangling carrots. If you can demonstrate experience, and strong ROI for other businesses there is no need for this.

(Free) pitching can end up being a beauty parade where lots of ideas, based on very little strategy are just picked.  The right agency should be picked based on their experience, their references, and strong relationships with their clients. You HAVE to know and understand who and what you are designing for otherwise it’s empty!

Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?

There are a few books I have read and absorbed from over the years:

Richard Shotton’s The Choice Factory  - this is a great one about behavioural science. Don Norman’s The Design of Every Day Things is a good shout for anyone opening their eyes to bad design. Wally Olins Brand New is a great read and Jeff Gothelf’s Lean UX is quite technical but has some good tactics.

There are loads of ted talks about good UX and behaviour, Renny Gleeson and Tony Fadell are a good place to start.