My Life In Design Podcast: Recent Episodes
Claire Blyth
How did some of the some of the world’s best designers, strategists, and agency leads, get into design? How did they know it was even a thing they could form a career around? I’m Claire Blyth, one of the founders of the Design Community Hub, and also design focussed PR agency Red Setter. I’ll be speaking to some of my favourite people in design to talk about how they got where they are today.
In this bonus episode, recorded live at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, Claire met up with Roger Sho Gehrmann, the VP of Partnerships at MassiveMusic. One of the pioneers of audio branding, MassiveMusic shapes brands through music, sound, and voice, including names like TikTok, L’Oreal, Colgate and Philips. Roger has become known as 'the sonic branding guy’ and here he shares his trailblazing audio brand journey.
Roger shares his career from a ‘jingle’ obsessed childhood in Australia, to art school and to forging his own creative path with skate videos leading to his first major career opportunity.
He discusses the concept of sonic branding and the importance of sound in communicating brand values and emotions
He also shares his advice to young creatives entering the design and branding industry
In a bonus episode, recorded live at the Northern Design Festival, Claire met up with Emma Barratt, global ECD at Wolff Olins. One of the industry’s most trusted leaders in branding, she speaks regularly on global stages and heads up juries at places like D&AD, The One Show and the LIA Awards. She leads large-scale brand transformations for some of the world’s most influential companies, including Uber, Decathlon, Hyundai, Google and Blank Street.
In this episode, Emma shares her journey into design and talks about being a proud Northerner and proud dyslexic - and her interest in the evolution of branding. She shares her experiences of working for global brands and studios, and the transformational impact of design on business. She also provides insights into the culture at Wolff Olins, and perspectives on the current state of the industry
With thanks to the Northern Design Festival for hosting this episode.
LINKS:
Red Setter
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Wolff Olins
In the last episode of series 9, Claire met up with Laurence Bendjenad, Creative Director of the brand design agency Lonsdale in Paris.
Laurence talks through her journey from dropping out of her law degree to finding her passion in design. She talks about working for some of the best CPG brand agencies and the opportunities to travel and live in San Francisco and NYC.
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Red Setter
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Lonsdale
This week Claire meets up with legendary designer Michael Johnson, founder of brand design consultancy Johnson Banks. He’s known for defining and designing brands that make a difference, such as UCL, Shelter, Jodrell Bank, University of Cambridge, RIBA and the UN Climate Change Conference - COP26. Michael speaks design conferences around the world, teaches at leading institutions including Ravensbourne, Kingston University, Glasgow School of Art, ArtCenter Pasadena, NYC’s School of Visual Arts, and the University of Cambridge. He is an award-winning author of multiple books including the ground-breaking Branding: In Five and a Half Steps. He has dozens of designs within the V&A’s permanent collection, he’s been the recipient of D&AD’s President’s Award and the winner of seven yellows and a black pencil.
In this episode, recorded live at Johnson Banks studio, Michael shares his career journey, complete with early challenges and rejections, to writing to Wally Olins (co-founder of Wolf Ollins) and a new door opening…
He talks about the evolution of his studio with it’s focus on working with brands that make a difference and the importance of aligning client work with personal and company values.
He also discusses the current focus on trends over longevity in brand design and how young designers need to focus on ideas.
LINKS:
Red Setter
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Johnson Banks
This week on the podcast, Claire sits down with Jessie McGuire — Managing Partner of the independent design & creative studio Thought Matter. This year’s winner of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Communication Design.
With a career spanning some of the most respected studios in the industry, Jessie has built a reputation for shaping work that is not only beautifully crafted, but effective — helping brands connect more meaningfully with their audiences.
In this episode, Jessie shares her journey into design and how her career has evolved over time, reflecting on the realities of building a creative career that doesn’t always follow a straight path.
She also talks about the tension between creativity and commerciality — why great design can’t just look good, it has to work — and what success really means for studios today.
Along the way, we explore leadership in creative environments, the importance of knowing when to push and when to listen, and why the value of design is often only recognised in hindsight.
LINKS:
Red Setter
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Thought Matter
Cooper Hewitt National Design Awards
This week Claire met up with Sarah Williams - President of AIGA NY, where she champions the future of design for all, and co-CEO of branding agency Beardwood&Co. An award-winning creative leader, she has been recognised by the DBA Effectiveness Awards, The Clio Awards, and PAC Global, and has worked with brands including Hyatt Hotels, Yankee Candle, Pottery Barn, Corona, and Bath & Body Works, as well as speaking at conferences such as How Design Live.
In this episode, Sarah shares her journey into design - from growing up in a small town and discovering a love of music and album art and her move to New York.
She shares her early steps into design, her first job at Landor and her 20 year experience growing Beardwood&Co. alongside Julia Beardwood and Ryan Lynch.
She also discusses her role as president of AIGA NY and its role in fostering community and mentorship in the design industry.
LINKS:
Red Setter
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AIGA NY
BEARDWOOD&CO
This week on the podcast Claire, sits down with Kiser Barnes, chief creative officer and partner at Red Antler. The episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Red Antler’s new Manhattan studio.
From startups to Fortune 100 brands, Kiser has helped shape some of the world’s most recognisable companies, including Google, LVMH, Crocs, Delta Airlines, Calvin Klein and McKinsey. A Cannes Lions Grand Prix winner and Ad Age Innovator 50 (2025), he’s also spoken globally and serves on the board of AIGA.
In this episode, Kiser shares his journey into design - from photography to the creative influence of New York.
He shares his take on AI’s impact (and opportunity) in the creative world, with the hire of Red Antler’s new AI creative lead
He also discusses the role of mentorship and why creative experimentation matters more than ever.
Links:
Red Antler
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On the podcast this week Claire met up with Mitch Monson, executive director of creative and partnerships at Sibling Rivalry. An award-winning creative leader, his work has been recognised by organisations including the Clio Awards, Art Directors Club and the Broadcast Design Association, and he has received three Emmy Awards.
Mitch has led brand and broadcast campaigns for global clients including Marvel Studios, NBC Sports and NBC Olympics, Netflix, HBO, Amazon Studios, Warner Brothers, BBC and The Walt Disney Company. He is also a regular speaker and juror for leading industry organisations such as AIGA and The One Club for Creativity, and earlier in his career designed the iconic Love Symbol for Prince.
Mitch reflects on his journey from aspiring to join the military to forging a creative career in design and production, and co-founding his own production company.
He talks about his collaboration with the musician Prince, including the design of the Love Symbol, and his work for the Marvel Universe.
He also discusses the impact of mentorship and community in shaping a creative career - including involvement in initiatives like Move Together and Assembly.
Links:
Sibling Rivalry
Red Setter
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Content warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and substance abuse (timestamps 03:07 - 06:23)
On the podcast this week Claire met up with James Martin, an award-winning designer, author of The Honest Guide to Creativity and Logo Design, and founder of the studio Made By James. He is known for his distinctive brand identities and straight-talking creative education.
Through his studio and content platforms, he has built a global following, worked with international clients and creative businesses, and become a trusted voice on logo design, personal branding and creative entrepreneurship.
In this episode, James shares his unconventional career journey - from going back to school after feeling lost in his teens, to launching Baby Giant Design Co., to building the Made by James brand.
James talks openly about carving your own path as a creative and why there’s no single ’traditional’ route to success.
He also reflects on the evolving design agency model, shifting budgets, and the importance of never settling creatively.
Links:
Made By James
Red Setter
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This week Claire met up with Paul Watmough-Halim and Jan Stein, the co-founders of the brand studio Hyperfocus.
Paul was named by Creative Boom as one of the top creatives of 2025, and has spoken around the world with Jan at festivals such as D&AD. Paul was head of design at clothing brand Bench and has worked on German media channel Funke and the Olympic Games for Coca-Cola. Jan has worked on brands such as Google, Swisscom and Red Bull and both are the co-hosts of the Brand Review on YouTube.
On the podcast they share their early discovery of art and design, their uniting love of skateboarding, to the influence of music, DJ-ing and creating album art. Jan shares the huge impact of growing up in East Berlin when the wall came down and seeing the world through new eyes. And they share the creative and eye-catching ways that they’ve made their mark in the world of brand design and becoming the 'go-to' for other agencies to design their websites.
Links:
Hyperfocus
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The award-winning Rejane Dal Bello, founder of Studio Dal Bello, joined host Claire Blyth at a live audience recording at D&AD’s headquarters, talking about her book ‘Citizen First, Designer Second’ and its unique perspective on design.
On the podcast Rejane shares her design journey through her book, with insights, and advice for designers who want to make a meaningful impact.
She discusses the undervaluation of design in society and the need for greater awareness of its impact.
And she explains why she hates the word branding and the feeling of creating hierarchies in design.
Links:
Rejane Dal Bello
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In the first podcast of series 9, Claire met Samar at Pentagram’s new London studios for a wide-ranging conversation on design, culture, and global identity.
Samar is known for her creative, multilingual approach to design, working at the intersection of cultures. Her work spans major global projects - from city rebrands such as Dubai, to launching Apple’s brand in Arabic, and campaigns for many clients including Porsche across technology, culture, and AI.
On the podcast, Samar shares her journey from Beirut to London, and her path to becoming a Pentagram partner in 2023
She explores the challenges of building cohesive brands across languages and cultures
And offers sharp insights into today’s design industry, from trends to challenges
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Pentagram
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In the last of the series, Claire sat down with Phil Jones, a true design innovator and a major force in the UK’s creative, digital, design and sports industries. Now best known as the founder of the invite-only Podge Lunches, Phil is also a mentor, consultant, and former MD of leading digital and typography agencies. He’s a pioneer of digital design and was voted into the BIMA Digital Hall of Fame in 2012.
On the podcast, Phil shares his epic career journey from typesetting for London’s best design agencies, founding one of the first digital studios in the UK and creating the first websites for brands including Canon and Diesel, to the origins of the very first Podge Lunch - and how it became such an influential design community-building event.
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This week, Claire is joined by Helena Raven, managing director of brand design and innovation partner Bloom. She has helped shape work for major brands such as McVitie's, KP snacks, Tango, Heineken, Talisker and Virgin Atlantic. Helena shares her early career as a professional ballet dancer, and how an injury redirected her path into marketing, comms, and ultimately brand design - via roles in government and the charity sector. Her perspective on the big challenges facing the design industry, including the impact of AI (where it's the attitudes and behaviours, not the technology, that concern her most) and her priorities for leading a successful agency, and why the real magic happens in the chemistry, culture and trust built within client relationships.
Links :
Bloom
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This week, Claire sits down with Jono Holt, founder of the communications and design studio Otherway. Founded in 2013, the agency now boasts a 75-strong team across London and New York, known for building brands such as Lucky Saint and Butternut Box, creating standout work for Smythson, Hylo, Strongbow, and Deliveroo, and nurturing long-term partnerships with icons like Fortnum & Mason.
Links :
Otherway
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This week on the podcast, Claire is joined by Radim Malinic, creative director, designer, podcaster, and bestselling author. As the founder of Brand Nu and Brand Nu Books, Radim has worked with global names like Harry Potter, Adidas, and the London Film Museum. A regular keynote speaker at events including OFFF, Adobe MAX, and TEDx, he’s the author of six acclaimed books, with his seventh arriving in spring.
Radim shares his life in design from growing up in the Czech Republic, to moving to London and becoming a self-taught creative. He discusses the evolution of his creativity from design, to writing to publishing (we highly recommend his books!) and overcoming burnout along the way. He also shares the importance of not waiting for things to happen - but making your own opportunities, from starting his own studio, to publishing and even creating his own coffee company.
Links :
Radim Malinic
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Recorded at London Packaging Week, Chloe Templeman, ECD at Pearlfisher, joined Claire on the podcast to talk about her life in design so far. Chloe leads the creative vision of the London studio overseeing a diverse portfolio of brands across food & beverage, beauty, tech, healthcare and lifestyle. Her work during her career includes clients such as Fortnum & Mason, Smirnoff, Lipton Iced Tea, Tanqueray Ten, Wild Deodorant, Nivea and Heineken, and has been recognised with various accolades, including D&AD Pencils, Pentawards, FAB Awards and DBA Design Effectiveness Awards.
On the podcast Chloe shares her journey, from starting out in Scotland, to moving to London and building a successful career at top brand design agencies including Brand Union and Design Bridge, culminating in joining Pearlfisher 18 months ago.
Links :
Pearlfisher
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This week, we’re coming live from Transform Tuesday at the Crown & Two Chairman pub in London’s Soho, with Simon Dixon, co-founder of DixonBaxi.
Simon shares his journey from setting up his first agency straight out of an art foundation course, to where he is today running one of the best known branding agencies.
He gives great advice on how to get noticed as a young person entering the industry.
(NOTE - On Spotify, the chapter notes are auto-generated from the sound and it’s recording Aporva’s name as Apulva which is annoying!! I’m looking for ways to change or remove this, but in the meantime - it’s Aporva! 😀)
Links :
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Recorded at FutureBrand’s Amsterdam HQ, Queenie Lo, President of Spatial Design, joined Claire on the podcast to share her life in design so far. Queenie leads the global team to create immersive, insight driven brand experiences across retail, hospitality, and branded environments for global clients including LVMH brands such as Sephora and YYX, McDonald’s, Bentley, Bottega Veneta and Adidas.
Links:
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Joining the podcast this week is Christoph Lindner, President and Vice-Chancellor of the Royal College of Art. Recorded at the RCA’s innovative Battersea campus, Claire and Christoph have one of the most sensible and thought-provoking conversations about the wide-reaching possibilities of design and creativity in every aspect of our lives and work.
Christoph shares his design journey – from a liberal arts degree in Colorado, to a PhD in Scotland, via academia including the Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, to the University of Oregon, London’s Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, to joining the Royal College of Art in April 2024. He discusses the institution’s collaborative and leading approach to art and design; with the RCA’s ambition to become more accessible and future prepared. And he talks about how a creative life can take many different forms, and the advice that if you want a creative life… go for it!
Links:
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Joining the podcast this week is James Greenfield, CEO and co-founder of Koto. James co-founded Koto 10 year ago, from humble beginnings in the corner of his friend Mr Bingo’s studio, to Koto’s global expansion with studios in London, Berlin, LA, New York and Sydney and clients including Amazon, Google, Spotify and Uber.
James shares his design journey - from the life-changing work experience at 15, through art foundation and graphic design at university, to knocking on agency doors and rising into senior design creative roles at agencies including DesignStudio, Man vs Machine, Airside before founding Koto
He discusses the forces that led him to co-founding Koto and the values that define it globally today, on inventing ‘Pinterest before Pinterest’ and how a tweet led to working with Coca-Cola.
Links:
Koto
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Recorded with an audience live at D&AD’s London HQ, Lisa Smith, the new D&AD President and Global Chief Design Officer at Uncommon Creative Studio, joined host Claire Blyth, to share her life in design so far, which is nothing short of inspiring.
On the podcast Lisa talks about her first steps into graphic design, from foundation art to knocking on doors to get a job, then time at agencies like Wolff Olins and JKR and in-house at Chobani.
She shares insights and learnings from key branding projects in her career, including Burger King, USA Today and the V&A.
She also digs deep on many issues, from mental health, to internal politics, to failing, and building resilience.
Links:
Uncommon Studio
D&AD
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In this bonus episode recorded live at New Designers, Claire speaks with ceramicist, designer, and curator, Peter Ting about his life in design. Renowned for work that fuses Eastern heritage with Western elegance, Peter has collaborated with brands like Asprey and Thomas Goode, founded the Ting Ying gallery, and is featured in major collections worldwide – including the V&A, where his celebrated ‘Buddha Hands Cup & Saucer’ is on display.
Peter shares his story in design, from first becoming aware of the impact of curation at an early age, to developing a lifelong love of ceramics. On the podcast Peter discusses the importance of thinking about the audience, the person who will receive your message and designing for them. Delivering work with ‘sparkles’, and standing out in a digital era.
Links:
Peter Ting
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In the final episode of this series, Claire sits down with Tosh Hall, global chief creative officer at JKR, an agency that has been recognised as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies and winner of multiple top design awards, including Creative Review’s Design Studio of the Year and Ad Age’s A-list Design and Branding Agency. Tosh has been named one of Ad Age’s most creative people and has led work for major global brands like Budweiser, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Uber, and Jack Daniel’s.
On the podcast Tosh shares his early experiences of trying to secure a design job in NYC, fuelled on by an inspirational note from Pentagram’s Michael Beirut and a serendipitous moment on a New York subway.
He shares his story of joining JKR in NYC and how it broke through to be become one of the most respected and award-winning global branding agencies. And he talks about the importance of tenacity, perseverance and showing up everyday.
Links:
JKR
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In our latest episode, Claire speaks to Helen Keyes, who was most recently the global head of brand, communications and digital design at Philips, where she was also part of the award-winning Philips Design leadership team. She has contributed to major brands along the way including Royal Mail, Mazda, Scandinavian Airlines, and the Ford Motor Company. Helen shares her life in design so far and some of the experiences that have shaped her along the way.
On the podcast Helen shares her art school journey into first jobs and the mentors who have had such a significant impact on her life.
She talks about the far-reaching role and impact of design within Philips at every single touchpoint.
And her parting shot to designers… stay curious.
Links:
Helen Keyes
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This week, Claire sits down with Dave Recchia, Executive Creative Director at creative brand consultancy The Team. An award-winning creative director and author, Dave takes us on a journey from his early days in Australia to a 27-year career at The Team in London - shaping iconic brands like Heathrow Airport, McLaren Formula One, NatWest, Coca-Cola, and IBM.
On the podcast Dave shares his early fascination with visual identities and the importance of curiosity and exploration in shaping a design career, the issue of free pitching and its implications for designers, and he shares advice for aspiring designers on authenticity, adaptability, and embracing new technologies.
Links:
The Team
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In this episode, recorded live at the Northern Design Festival, Claire met up with Claire Parker, Group Creative Partner at The Chase. Claire shares her globe-trotting and award-winning career to date. With over 30 years in the industry, working in major cities including Sydney, Singapore, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and New York, Claire has led global teams, working at agencies including Design Bridge and Saatchi & Saatchi, she’s judged major awards like Cannes and D&AD, and worked on iconic brands including Johnnie Walker, Coca-Cola, Singapore Airlines, LEGO, and Mastercard.
Claire shares her journey into the design industry and the role her Mum played in supporting her path into design education. She talks about the role of strategy in the design process (the fun bit!), and she has some really excellent advice to all young designers on how to get ahead, create a career path, ask for pay rises – and being brave and be more Bowie!
Links:
The Chase
The Northern Design Festival
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Last week at in sunny Barcelona, My Life in Design was recorded live at OFFF with special guest: Marc Català.
In this in-person episode, Marc shares the story behind co-founding Mucho - a global design agency with studios in Barcelona, San Francisco, and Melbourne, and a collective of 11 partners. With award-winning work for brands like Visa, Aeroméxico and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Barcelona, Marc is a creative force, teacher, and global speaker shaping the future of brand design. Marc shares his story of a life in design so far and some of the experiences that have shaped him along the way.
Links:
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EINA
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This week, Claire met up with Claire Robertshaw, Executive Creative Director at Design Bridge and Partners - the world’s most awarded brand design agency. Claire leads the London studio, overseeing creative excellence across one of the most dynamic teams in the industry. She's also a powerful advocate for gender equality, education, and mentorship in design.
Claire talks about the role of education, from GCSEs to foundation courses, in shaping a design career. Why written communication is just as vital as visuals, and the highs and hard truths of balancing motherhood and a senior creative role.
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This week, Claire met up with the founding editor of Creative Boom, Katy Cowan. A huge creative industries cheer leader, Katy launched Creative Boom in 2009 as a platform to celebrate, support and inspire.
Katy shares how she transitioned from broadcast journalism to PR, to founding Creative Boom. Why engagement and community are essential to Creative Boom’s success, and she talks about the importance of being open to trying new things and learning along the way.
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This week Claire sat down with Laura Stein, Chief Creative Officer at Bruce Mau Design. Laura’s work has earned recognition from D&AD and Cannes Lions. Beyond the studio, Laura has served on the board of the Advertising & Design Club of Canada and presented at leading conferences around the world, from Brand New to Design Thinking. She’s created brand identities for the likes of Sonos, Lululemon, ASX, Harvard, the Smithsonian and more.
Laura shares how her love for language, music, and art shaped her path into design – including a stint in a 90s indie guitar band!
How a pivotal moment in Central America that reignited her passion for visual storytelling, and on being part of the Sonos brand story, turning it from unknown to global brand.
Links:
Bruce Mau Design
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This week, Claire sat down with Spencer Buck, founder and chief creative officer of the global brand consultancy, Taxi Studio.
Spencer discusses the impact of support from key people in his life, from his parents, to art teachers, to industry professionals and his peers. Future trends in design, including the influence of technology and the need for meaningful work, and the meaning and importance of the word ‘alacrity’ on him, his work, and the Taxi Studio team.
Links:
Taxi Studio
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This week, Claire met up with Debbie Millman, the renowned designer and the host of Design Matters. Debbie hosts one of the world's longest-running podcasts and the OG design podcast, which has featured nearly 700 influential creatives and won multiple prestigious awards. She is the author of eight books and has also received the Audio Vanguard Award and a Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, cementing her impact in the design and creative industries.
In a first for Debbie, she invited Claire into her podcast studio, to record today’s ‘My Life in Design’ episode. Here’s your chance to hear Debbie’s side of the story and her life in design so far.
Debbie talks about her extensive career in design and branding – her time at Sterling Brands and the co-creation with Stephen Heller of the world’s first ever Masters in Branding program at the School of Visual Arts. She discusses personal projects and collabs including her work with Canva and her upcoming book ‘Love Letter to a Garden’ – a visual story of falling in love with gardening (published April 15). And she talks about the importance of business development ‘the pulse of an organisation’ in brand design agencies.
Links:
Debbie Millman | Love Letter To A Garden | Design Matters
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This week Claire met up with with design industry leader Jonathan Sands, former chair of Elmwood, who led the international brand design consultancy for 40 years, completing a management buyout in 1989 and selling the global business in 2021.
Awarded an OBE in 2011 for services to the creative industries, he has worked with major brands like the BBC, Heineken, and Royal Mail and now serves as a trustee of the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Jonathan shares the Elmwood ambition to become the world’s most effective design agency demonstrated through awards such as the DBA’s Design Effectiveness Awards, and he discusses the need for greater recognition and support for creative industries in education.
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This week Claire caught up with Vuokko Aro, the Chief Design Officer at Monzo. She helps the bank’s leadership team use design as a strategic lever across the company as it scales. This all helped Monzo win Marketing Society brand of the year in 2024.
Vuokko discusses her unconventional path into her current career, from studying economics to working in journalism and eventually transitioning into design. She talks about her experience of working with startups like Citymapper before joining Monzo in 2017. She discusses Monzo's brand evolution and commitment to customer-centric design and shares how her side projects in fashion design and music are important creative outlets.
Links:
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Monzo
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In the first of a new season, Claire sat down with Kwame in front of a live audience in New York to share his life in design… so far.
Kwame is the first US D&AD President, and also the co-founder of Kin, a creative company that drives positive change in business and culture. He shares his early influences in design and talks about his transition from working in finance to discovering the world of design.
Kwame talks about his role at D&AD in New York and some of the brilliant initiatives that D&AD is doing to support the creative community – today and for the future.
Links:
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Kin
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In the final episode of this series, Claire has the honour of speaking to Henry Steiner, founder of Steiner&Co, also known as the ‘Father of Hong Kong Graphic Design. Fresh from being the subject of a recent exhibition at the M+ gallery in Hong Kong, 90-year-old Henry shares his long and insightful journey in design, starting with being awe-struck by a piece of packaging design when he was only 3 years old!
He shares his formative years, from leaving his birth country of Austria under the threat of WWII and moving to the USA; to learning at Yale under the tutelage of graphic design legend Paul Rand. He talks about his design career in Hong Kong, founding Steiner&Co in 1963 and the design impact of his work on the look and feel of the growing city, including the iconic HSBC logo and designing Hong Kong’s bank notes!
Links:
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Steiner&Co
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This week Claire meets up with Benji Wiedemann and Alex Lampe, who co-founded the design agency Wiedemann Lampe. They share their lives in design and the evolution of their studio working in the cultural space and the skill of being able to articulate intangible things.
They share their share the impact of starting their careers in the dot.com boom era of the early noughties… and the following crash. The huge influence of working and learning at iconic design agency Lewis Moberly, under the tutelage of Mary Lewis. And the role of design in branding and cultural narratives.
Links:
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Wiedemann Lampe | Instagram | Linkedin
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This week Claire sat down with Julia Beardwood, founder of New York agency Beardwood&Co, to hear her unconventional journey into design, via mathematics and marketing, to advertising, then the switch to branding at Landor.
She shares the secrets behind her transition into the world of brand design (and her move to New York from the UK via Paris) The importance of honesty and direct communication in client relationships and talks about the leap into entrepreneurship by setting up her own agency.
Links:
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This week on the podcast Claire sat down with Dick Powell, co-founder of product design and innovation agency Seymour Powell, to talk all things design. Dick talks about everything from design education to founding a business, working on designs for spaceships, and what ‘brand’ actually means to him. He shares his early interest in design and its evolution from architecture to industrial design, reflections on the current state and evolution of the design industry, and in-house design trends.
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Seymour Powell
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This week Claire meets up with Fe Amarante founder and principal of Experimenta, whose career spans major companies like Coca-Cola, Danone, and The Hershey Company. Now running her own agency, Experimenta, focusing on sustainable creativity, she shared her life in design so far. Fe talks about the evolving perception of in-house creative roles and their potential for fulfilment, the thinking and ethos behind her agency Experimenta, and her thoughts on being terrified and doing it anyway!
Links:
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Experimenta
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This week Claire meets up with design legend Ian Ritchie to talk about his life in design, from his early experiences of earning his way with signwriting, to art school and the evolution and growth of design agency JKR.
Ian shares his story of JKR, from co-founding, to the challenges and the big decisions made to enable success. He talks about the relationship between design and advertising and the need for cross-disciplinary talent, and gives insights into what he’s doing post-JRK, including the design of a type face that will be launching later this year.
Links:
Red Setter
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JKR
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This week Claire sits down with Jolene Delisle, founder and creative director of New York’s The Working Assembly.
Jolene shares her journey into the design and branding industry, from internships, to founding The Working Assembly in 2017 with the goal of supporting the start-up scene in New York at the time.
Jolene talks about her commitment to supporting emerging brands, especially those led by women and founders of colour which led to establishing her own agency. How becoming the owner of a 1950's ice cream shop called Cherries became the perfect team playground for creativity, providing entrepreneurial insights to better understand their clients. On being very intentional on the size of The Working Assembly and the type of projects they take on (and running a wait list!)
Links:
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The Working Assembly
This week, Claire meets up with Fred Gelli, co-founder and CEO of Brazil’s largest independent design agency, Tatil.
Fred shares his journey from engineering, to discovering his passion for design and co-founding an agency, and working on major projects including the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Rio Carnival, and a 17-year collaboration with Coca-Cola.
He talks about his informative experience working with the Body Shop’s Dame Anita Roddick, the importance of nature being a source of inspiration for good design, and he shares the impact of winning and delivering work for the Rio 2016 Olympics and the Rio Carnival.
Links:
Red Setter
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Tatil
This week Claire catches up with Joanne Chan CEO of Turner Duckworth.
Joanne shares her journey from fine arts to the world of design and working with some major brands like Coca-Cola and Amazon.
She talks about how her background in fine arts helped lead to success in the competitive design industry.
How brands need to evolve and what distinguishes a truly iconic logo from the rest (including the Amazon story with a clear brief from Jeff Bezos and a clever solution by their designer at the time Anthony Biles)
On the importance of in-person collaboration for nurturing creativity. And Joanne’s thoughts on the changes in the competitive landscape of design agencies.
Links:
Red Setter
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Turner Duckworth
My Life in Design is back - recorded LIVE at the London Design Festival with designer Domenic Lippa, Pentagram partner (and chair) and Festival design director.
Earlier this week we had the absolute pleasure of hosting a LIVE podcast recording of ‘My Life in Design’ as part of the London Design Festival. Marking the 50th episode and start of series 6, Domenic sat down with host Claire in front of an audience at the gorgeous art’otel in Hoxton London to share his life in design so far…
Domenic shares his journey into design, from a home full of creativity, to a focus on graphic design from an early age that no art teacher could shift! His early experiences working in agencies, forming a partnership with future Pentagram partner Harry Pearce, their agency Lippa Pearce, and joining the world’s best known design consultancy Pentagram.
Links:
Red Setter
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Pentagram
In the final episode of the series, Claire sits down with Mauro Porcini, Senior VP and Chief Design Officer at PepsiCo.
Mauro shares his journey of how he discovered design as a career, and how he arrived at PepsiCo with an ambition to reshape innovation at the company by leveraging design and introducing a design culture. He talks about how design can change the trajectory of a company and on thinking big and not being afraid to dream.
Links:
Red Setter
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Mauro Porcini
his week, Claire sits down with Ekaterina Solomeina, co-founder of Future London Academy. Ekaterina shares her life in design from Russia to London, from agency to in-house. She shares her discovery of design as a career through early experiences of coding and website design, and her experiences of working with two original design powerhouses - Michael Wolff and Donatella Versace. How both have influenced the way she works and thinks.
Links:
Red Setter
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Future London Academy
This week on Claire sits down with Alex Moulton, chief creative officer at Trollbäck+Company in NYC. Alex shares his life in design, from filmmaking and sonic branding, to full brand experience.
Links:
Red Setter
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Trollbäck+Company
This week Claire sits down with Alex Center, founder of design agency CENTER. Alex shares his life in design, from a dream internship working on the New York Knicks, to his time at the Coca-Cola Company building iconic drinks brands like vitaminwater and POWERAID, to the founding of CENTER in 2017.
Links:
Red Setter
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Center
This week Claire chats with Joshua Breidenbach, from Vietnam’s Rice. Joshua shares his life in design, from early family influences, to the messages of punk music, and a pivotal project with Coca-Cola that marked the official founding of Rice.
Links:
Red Setter
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Rice
This week on ‘My Life in Design’ Claire catches up with Joy Nazzari of DNCO to discuss her life in design, and her unusual route into the industry from a start in tech investment banking.
Joy shares stories from her childhood, including an Easter Egg hunt at Walter Landor’s home (the founder of the legendary agency Landor). She talks about launching and growing DNCO and some of the major decisions that she’s had to make along the way, and on the challenge and privilege of managing people.
Links:
Red Setter
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DNCO
This week Claire chats with Hamish Campbell, VP executive creative director of Pearlfisher NYC. Hamish recounts his life in design and how a love for art evolved into a career in graphic design, blending the precision of engineering with the creativity of visual art.
Links:
Red Setter
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Pearlfisher
This week Claire chats with Kerry and Shaun, co-founders of B&B Studio, about their journeys into design and the founding of their award-winning studio. They share insights into their first client, Bear, which went on to win the DBA Grand Prix at the Design Effectiveness Awards.
Links:
Red Setter
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B&B Studio
This week Claire meets up with Emily Rickard, CEO of BUCK.
Emily talks about her career journey, from filmmaking aspirations to fashion journalism and TV production in Australia, to leading a global creative powerhouse that is BUCK.
Links:
Red Setter
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BUCK
In the first episode of the new series, Claire meets up with design legend Mary Lewis, creative director of Lewis Moberly. Mary talks about her early years living on a farm and her fascination with branded goods. Going to art college and then moving down to art school in Camberwell, London. And her time as a graphic design teacher before discovering the ad industry and her love of packaging, then founding Lewis Moberly with her husband Robert.
Links:
Red Setter
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Lewis Moberly
In the final episode of the series episode, Claire meets up with digital artist Dines, co-founder and chief creative officer of Studio BLUP. He shares his journey from discovering his passion for design at a young age to establishing a successful creative company. Dines discusses the challenges he’s faced, the importance of resilience, and the role of his supportive friend and business partner, Alex. He also talks about his decision to buy back his company and rebrand it with a focus on digital art, innovation, and education of the next generation of creatives.
Links:
Red Setter
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Studio BLUP
Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with Marina Willer, partner at Pentagram. Marina talks about growing up in a creative house in Brazil and being influenced by the politics and injustice there at the time. She talks about moving to the UK to study at the Royal College of Art, working at Wolff Olins, and becoming a partner at Pentagram.
Links:
Red Setter
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Marina Willer
Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with Cat How, Founder & ECD of branding agency How & How. Cat talks about her route into design through journalism, ecommerce, and shared office spaces. She discusses her experience at Central St Martins studying for her Masters, and starting How & How during lockdown.
Links:
Red Setter
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How & How
Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with Rejane Dal Bello. Rejane talks about how she thought she’d be a dentist as a child but found a love of art on an exchange year in the US. She talks about her time at NYC’s School of Visual Arts being taught by Milton Glaser, moving to the Netherlands and working at Studio Dumbar, setting up her own studio, and why you should follow your gut.
Links:
Red Setter
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Studio Rejane Dal Bello
Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with a personal design hero of hers – Stefan Sagmeister. Stefan talks about his experiences of working with Lou Reed and The Rolling Stones, On the importance of finding something in your life that you’re good at, and working on it to be better, on creative sabbaticals (Stefan has one every 7 years) and his time working with Jessica Walsh.
Links:
Red Setter
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STEFAN SAGMEISTER
SAGMEISTER & WALSH
Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with Alan Dye and Nick Finney, founders of NB Studio. They talk about their ‘apprenticeship’ at Pentagram and how they founded NB Studio in the pub next door! Some great tips for young designers too.
Links:
Red Setter
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NB Studio
Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with Sean Thomas, Executive Creative Director of JKR. Sean talks about how art was his sanctuary at school, his first roles in agencies Pearlfisher and The Core, through freelance and to JKR.
Links:
Red Setter
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JKR
Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with Robert Brunner, the product and brand designer who set up Apple’s first industrial design department, designed the first PowerBook, and went on to design the product and brand of Beats with Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine. Robert discusses how he became an engineer after his father, how he moved on to become a product designer, and his ground-breaking work on Apple’s laptops and handheld computing.
Links:
Red Setter
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with Rowena Curlewis and Margaret Nolan of the drinks specialist agency - Denomination.
Row & Margaret talk about early beginnings at Lewis Moberly, on the importance of getting the culture right when you set up a business partnership, setting up studios around the world, and some great tips for junior designers.
Links:
Red Setter
Denomination
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
We kick off the fourth series of My Life in Design with Jim Sutherland. Jim founded the multi-award winning Studio Sutherl&, and is visiting professor at Norwich University of the Arts. Jim talks about how he got started in design, overcoming his shyness to make an impression and present work, and why you don’t need to wear a suit as a junior designer!
Links:
Red Setter
Studio Sutherl&
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week, in the final episode of series 3, Claire meets up with Brian Collins, designer, creative director, educator, and founder of design firm COLLINS - named by Forbes as one of the companies transforming the future of brand building. Brian talks about his discovery of design and making the bold statement at the age of 17 that he wanted to run his own design agency. Brian also shares his design school experience (with nights at Studio 54!), to starting out on the COLLINS journey. He also touches on mental health, with advice to young designers on taking care of the mind. Series 4 will be back in October 2023 with more brand design leaders.
Links:
Red Setter
COLLINS
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week, Claire speaks to Caspar Lam and YuJune Park, Founders of the award-winning Synoptic Office and Professors in Communication Design at the Parsons School of Design, NY. Caspar and YuJune talk about their discovery of design and their shared love of visualising ideas. They discuss how design is constantly evolving and the continued role for human input to ask the right questions.
Links:
Red Setter
Synoptic Office
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with David Johnston, founder of Accept & Proceed, exploring his design journey, from discovering graphic design and his art school experience, to entering the design industry at a time in the nineties when graphic design felt ‘punk, exciting and everything is possible.’ David talks about setting up Accept & Proceed and working with clients like Nike, Google, Rapha and NASA, using design as a force for good. He also shares valuable tips to young designers starting out.
Links:
Red Setter
Accept & Proceed
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with the rather fantastic Paula Scher. Paula shares her design journey, from discovering graphic design, her art school experience, and landing her first jobs, and beginning her career as art director in the 1970s and early 80s, working for CBS records. She discusses her thoughts on what branding is and can a graphic designer really design a brand, and the importance of young designers getting themselves noticed.
Links:
Red Setter
Paula Scher
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire met up with visual artist Craig Black. Craig shares his rise from footballer to typographer to visual artist and performing his ‘Acrylic Fusion’ technique in front of some of the world’s greatest footballers at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.
Links:
Red Setter
Craig Black
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with John Glasgow, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Vault49. John talks about his early days in the London street art scene, moving to NYC, and setting up Vault49 with Co-Founder Jonathan Kenyon. He also talks about the issues we face today with lack of diversity in design and what can be done about them.
Links:
Red Setter
Vault49
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire meets up with artist and designer, Sarah Boris. She shares how she balances her love for art and design, with her art fuelling the design side. She talks about the lengths she went to, to secure her dream first design job at the Barbican, and about feeling part of the design industry and wanting a central space for designers to meet up!
Links:
Red Setter
Sarah Boris
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
This week Claire met up with Dave Palmer, ECD & Owner of LOVE. Dave talks about his discovery of graphic design through his love of music and record covers, and the challenges he faced building a portfolio and trying to secure his first job in the wake of the 1990s dot com crash, to co-founding LOVE in 2001, and building an agency that now has 85 people working in Manchester with brands globally.
Links:
Red Setter
LOVE
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
We kick off the first episode in series 3 with the Harry Pearce of Pentagram. Harry talks about how his passion for animal rights helped him complete his degree in graphic design, so he could help communicate what was going on, and how he uses his skills to support human rights at WITNESS; his first roles in design; setting up his own design practice with Dominic Lippa; and what it means to be part of Pentagram.
Links:
Redsetter
Pentagram
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Podcast Editing by Stick and Splice
For the final podcast in the series, Claire met up with Jack Renwick, founder and creative director of Jack Renwick Studio, and upcoming D&AD president. Jack talks about when she first heard the term ‘graphic design’ at school in Glasgow but couldn’t find out what it was, her time at art school overcoming struggles with self-belief, and plans for upcoming role as D&AD president!
Links:
Redsetter
Jack Renwick Studio | Instagram
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This week Claire met up with Marie-Thérèse Cassidy, VP Design Europe at PepsiCo. She talks about her early years in Newcastle and how a love of drawing and opera led to her career in design. Her first job at JKR and how Ian Ritchie’s advice shaped her career, and how she loves her role at PepsiCo seeing design through from end-to-end.
Links:
Redsetter
Pepsico
Pepsico Design
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This week Claire meets up with Astrid Stavro, VP Creative Director of COLLINS. She talks about her journey from Madrid to Central St Martins where they advised her to throw her past portfolio out of the window! Her time at the design mecca Pentagram, and the importance of knocking on the doors of people you’d like to meet to say hello.
Links:
Redsetter
COLLINS
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This week, Claire met up with Craig Oldham, founder & creative director of The Office of Craig. They talk about how he struggled to fit in when he first went to art college in Falmouth, setting up his own business, and what the design industry needs to do to sort out its diversity problems.
Links:
Redsetter
Office of Craig
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This week Claire gets together with Tony Brook, founder of Spin. He talks about his journey from a record sleeve designer to Spin as it is today. How he goes into every client relationship thinking he can achieve something great, the importance of putting out self-initiated work, and how motion design is essential.
Links:
Redsetter
Spin
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This week Claire’s joined by Vince Frost to discuss how he got to where he is today. Vince is founder, ECD & CEO of the Frost*collective in Sydney, and a globally recognised creative. Vince discusses how you never know where a chance meeting will lead you, and his time at Pentagram where he became the youngest ever partner. He also explores both the importance of the financial side of your design agency, and how design can make the world a better place.
Links:
Redsetter
Frost*collective
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This week Claire talks to Jeremy Lindley, Global Design Director at Diageo. Jeremy talks about how Ettore Sottsass, the great Italian designer, inspired him to look at a career in design, how he gained experience in a design agency while at university, and his role today at Diageo looking for the world’s best design.
Links:
Redsetter
Diageo
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Claire talks to Liza Enebeis this week. Liza is the Creative Director and Partner at the rather fantastic Studio Dumbar/DEPT in the Netherlands. She talks about wild times at Parsons School of Design in Paris, what she learnt from her seven years at Pentagram, and how students should never give up trying to get a role they love.
Links:
Redsetter
Studio Dumbar
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This week Claire talks to Aporva Baxi about his journey to set up DixonBaxi and to get it to where it is now. He talks about how the movie TRON drew him into visual culture as a child, how he hand delivered his CV in a package to his favourite 20 design agencies to get his first internship, and he has some great tips for junior designers starting out today.
Links:
Redsetter
DixonBaxi
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In the first podcast of the new series, Claire speaks to Matt and Dom the founders of Baxter & Bailey. They talk about how their love of comics and Bauhaus shaped their love of design, how Paul Hardcastle’s single 19 combined a powerful message with image and type, and the need for the industry to embrace people of all backgrounds.
For the last podcast in the first series, Claire talks to Ian Wharton of Superunion, Publicis and AKQA fame! He talks about always wanting to be a designer from a very early age, the importance of the power of persuasion in design (and life!) and how he founded Aide Health, which is a digital service which uses conversational AI to improve care for people with chronic illness.
I hope you’ve enjoyed series one. We’ll be back with series two in September!
Links:
Red Setter
The Design Community Hub
This week Jos, Global Head of Brand at Reckitt, speaks to Claire from the in-house side! He covers his early ambitions to become a designer, starting a business aged 16, leading design teams at Cadbury and Reckitt, and how to cope when your role offers you unlimited chocolate!
Links:
Red Setter
Reckitt
Nat Maher talks to Claire how she started as a teacher before moving to a career in design, and how she progressed to be one of the small percentage of women who have become principal of a design agency at Good, and Pollitt & Partners. Nat created Kerning The Gap to address this imbalance. A network of like-minded people who want to see more women in design leadership roles, hear their voices and be inspired to create real and tangible change in the industry.
Links:
Red Setter
Kerning The Gap
This week Claire speaks to Graham Wood, the design industry legend who co-founded the design collective Tomato. He talks about how he got into design, his time at Central St Martins, forming and growing Tomato, and working on campaigns such as Obama’s first election (with Rock the Vote), Michael Jordan’s retirement and PlayStation launches.
Links:
Red Setter
Graham Wood
This week is the second part of Gush’s conversation with Claire. He talks about the design industry’s problem with diversity, expanding to New York, and shares great tips for interns and junior designers.
Gush Mundae is the founder of Bulletproof, the world’s largest independent design agency. This week Claire talks to Gush about his early years in the Hounslow graffiti and hip hop scene, and how he bonded with his now business partner Jonny over an inappropriate joke at art school! He talks about his early career learning the skills of design, setting up on his own, and building Bulletproof to the agency it is today.
Stuart Watson is the co-founder of Nomad – the brilliant studio designing huge brands for the likes of the Premiership, Disney, Sky and Nike. He talks to Claire about how he discovered design in Bolton as a teenager to keep out of trouble, and went on to exhibit his work at the New Designers exhibition where he was discovered by Wolff Olins. He gives lots of advice on how to stand out and get the attention of agencies you admire, and how deciding that you’re completely unemployable can be the catalyst to finding your perfect role.
Heidi Lightfoot is co-founder of Together Design. This week she talks to Claire about getting noticed in design, about how to start and grow a successful design business, and about what a licensed brand actually is. She also shares how she keep the team creatively inspired with magic lessons and gecko life drawing!
Links:
Together
Red Setter
Kirsty Minns and Kathryn Jubrail head up Mother Design as ECD and MD. In this week’s podcast they talk to Claire about everything from early thoughts on design in a family shoe shop, to similarities between religious movements and brand, and what matters to them at Mother Design today.
Link: Mother Design
Link: Red Setter
Max Ottignon is co-founder of Ragged Edge, the agency brands around the world come to when they want to make change happen. Max talks to Claire about his journey from philosophy graduate, through an eye-opening stint in adland, to running one of the most influential branding agencies in the world today.
Link: Ragged Edge
Link: Red Setter