How did you get into the industry?
I guess all the early signs were pointing towards a career in design, but in hindsight it’s quite shocking just how little thought went into pursuing this path. Art and design were my favourite subjects, and I spent a lot of time creating my own comic books and doodling logos at school when I really should have been concentrating on other things.
This led to studying Graphic Design at university and ultimately into early agency jobs. Luckily, I had the sense to lean into what I enjoyed doing rather than pursue something more ‘academic’, so it all worked out OK in the end.
Where are you based now and who do you work for?
I’m currently based in London, leading the in-house Design & Digital team at AlphaSights, the global leader in knowledge on-demand.
If you weren’t in your current industry, what would you be doing?
Probably writing. I’m a voracious reader, love the discipline of writing, and at the risk of being quoted Peter Cook jokes, have been working on a novel I’d love to finish someday. I’d also like to think I could have made a pretty good rock star, but if you ever heard me playing guitar or singing, you’d understand why that never worked out.
Can you explain your creative process? What makes it unique?
We’re a small, nimble team, but it’s a very meritocratic environment. My mantra is that whoever has the best idea leads the project through to completion, even if it’s the Junior fresh out of university.
We like to push the creative boundaries where we can, but also need to be conscious of what will scare our stakeholders, which as you can imagine, often requires a lot of strategic planning.
How would you describe your style?
I don’t really have a ‘style’ per se, but over time have come to realise simple concepts tend to be most effective and have the longest shelf life. To quote Antoine de Saint-Exupery; a designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.
Which individuals do you gain inspiration from? Do you have any heroes in the industry?
I love the wit of Michael Johnson’s work and the incredible scope of projects from Someone and DixonBaxi. Their work always gives me serious design-envy and they’ve definitely influenced my creative thinking more than anyone else over the last few years.
Beyond design, I also love listening to podcasts with great sporting leaders like Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Clive Woodward, and more recently, Eddie Howe. If I’m ever feeling weighed down by all the non-design related admin that comes with being a team leader, listening to them discuss work ethic and their dedication to craft always helps reinvigorate me.
What tips would you give to aspiring creatives looking for work?
I’ve been interviewing a lot of people recently for a couple of roles on our team and the biggest surprise is how little consideration some give to the presentation of their CVs and portfolios. I’ve lost count of how many I’ve instantly rejected because their CVs were hastily thrown-together, four-page Word documents.
When you have hundreds of candidates applying for a job, first impressions are so important. A simple, well-designed PDF will give you an immediate advantage over 90% of the competition. Portfolios should also showcase your best work, not everything you’ve ever created, so learn how to curate them to the job you’re applying for.
What tips would you give to other professionals to get more clients?
We’re an in-house studio, so the work comes to us (and believe me when I say there’s never a shortage of work). The challenge for us is figuring out what needs prioritising, rather than finding new projects to work on.
What kind of tools/kit/software could you not do without?
My Macbook Pro, iPhone, some pens, and access to lots of paper. Managing a larger team has also required me to become more adapt with spreadsheets, which to my surprise, I quite enjoy using. It’s amazing how creative you can be in Google Sheets or Excel once you know a few basic formulas.
What’s your secret to staying inspired and motivated?
The toughest challenge working in-house is finding the time to be creative, especially when deadlines are so tight. A lot of the heavy lifting is therefore done in between projects by keeping abreast of what other great work is being done – not just in our industry, but across the board.
The most important thing is to keep the creative engine fuelled and stay ‘match-fit’ for when new briefs land on your desk and you need to quickly come up with something great.
What’s the work achievement you’re most proud of?
The AlphaSights rebrand. It was my primary remit when I joined and was a huge task to undertake, with plenty of learning curves along the way. Luckily, I inherited a small, but brilliant team, who helped ensure the outcome was a resounding success. We even won a couple of awards this year, which was hugely gratifying and a fitting testament to all their hard work.
What is the one thing that you would change about the industry?
The general perception that design is just about making things “look nice”. There’s a clear correlation between good design and how successful something is and it’s a constant source of frustration that so many people still deem the creative sectors as “nice to haves” rather than essential components of industry.
The recent 50% cut in university funding for arts, music and literature courses is endemic to the mentality of short-sighted politicians who, let’s be frank, couldn’t tell you the difference between David Carson and David Beckham. Anyway, rant over.
Any websites, books or resources you would recommend?
Abstract: The Art of Design is a fantastic Netflix series I always recommend. It manages to perfectly tread the line between being informative, while also be entertaining and inspiring.
It’s Nice That and Brand New are great resources to keep abreast of what’s going on in the world. I’m also a bit obsessed with the latter’s First Round series at the moment, which offers a unique, insight into other designer’s first drafts and pitches for some spectacular projects. Worth checking out if you haven’t already done so.
