Explore every episode of the podcast My Life In Design Podcast

This week Claire is joined by Bryan Edmondson of London based design studio SEA, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. He’s lectured in universities around the UK, speaks at conferences globally such as D&AD, Birmingham Design Festival and Northern Design Festival. He has work held at museums including the Cooper-Hewitt in New York City; and has created and worked with brands such as Jamie Oliver, EMI, Monotype, Adidas, Rolls-Royce, Christie’s, Nokia and GF Smith.

In this episode, Byran talks to Claire about:

+ Founding and growing a design studio over three decades and working across multiple sectors, including music, fashion, hospitality, beauty, and outdoor brands 

+ The importance of business education, professional representation and support for the design industry 

+ Advice for emerging designers: focus on quality, develop a distinctive voice, learn from design history, and persevere through rejection

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SEA

This week Claire is joined by graphic artist, printmaker and designer Anthony Burrill. He’s renowned for his ability to distill ideas into simple yet striking forms. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the V&A, the Design Museum in London and the Cooper-Hewitt in New York; and been exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Royal Academy in London, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Triangle in Milan. He’s spoken globally at design conferences in cities including London, Berlin, Barcelona, Toronto and Mumbai. Anthony also has an upcoming exhibition at London's National Theatre starting on the 22nd of October.

In this episode, Anthony talks to Claire about:

+ Early opportunities creating animations and graphics for MTV, followed by freelance work in advertising

+ Moving from commercial projects towards making independent artwork, prints and books

+ How letterpress printing and the phrase “Work hard and be nice to people” shaped a defining series of prints and his career (and the origin story behind that iconic print) 

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Anthony Burrill

This week Claire is joined by legendary bookmaker, Irma Boom, who marks our 100th episode in the series. Irma Boom is the most widely renowned and laureated book designer in the world today. She's commonly known as the 'Queen of Books', having created around 600 of them. In her bold, experimental style, she challenges the convention of traditional books in both physical design and printed content. She was the youngest ever recipient of the Gutenberg Prize, and since has received over 50 more awards. A selection of her books are held from the permanent collection of MoMA and a personalised Irma Boom archive has been set up in the University of Amsterdam and the Vatican Library.

This episode was recorded in front of a live audience at D&AD’s London headquarters.

In this episode, Irma talks to Claire about:

+ Treating book design as an artistic, idea-led practice rather than simply designing a cover 

+ The role of collaboration, creative control and persistence in bringing books to life
+ Creating for brands like Chanel, and researching the history of books through archives and libraries, including the Vatican Library

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Irma Boom

This week, Claire is joined by Tim Perry, a trained industrial designer who led the agency Webb deVlam through to its sale in 2016. Before that, Tim worked in design strategy at the height of Nokia’s success. He has judged for D&AD and Creativepool and is now a consultant, working with leaders of independent design agencies to help them grow. He has also developed a series of training courses focused on the business side of design.

In this episode, Tim talks to Claire about:

+ His time working at Nokia at its peak selling over a million handsets a day - and the impact of the iPhone launch

+ His move into packaging design, then scaling an agency and navigating the complexities of its sale
+ How he moved into design strategy consulting and advising independent agencies on growth

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Signal Awards 

This week Claire is joined by Greg Quinton, the co-chief creative officer of Design Bridge & Partners. Greg’s team has won over 2,000 awards at the highest level in design, over 380 D&AD pencils, including two black and over 20 yellow pencils. They’ve won 30 Cannes Lions, including the Grand Prix and Greg was jury president there this year. He served two terms as D&AD trustee and chair of education and is a coach at Imperial College London. He’s the co-author of the updated A Smile in the Mind, a graphic design university course favourite and has worked on brands such as HSBC, London Symphony Orchestra, The National Gallery and Aston Martin. 

In this episode, Greg talks to host Claire about:

+ His luck in having creativity as part of the DNA of his family and being a right-brained person 
+ On the importance of finding your passion and not chasing the money 
+ How he doesn’t believe in perfection and that we’re all a work in progress

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Kicking off the 10th series of My Life in Design is typeface designer Henrik Kubel, co-founder of London-based type foundry A2-TYPE.

Henrik’s work spans cultural, editorial and brand identities, with major projects including bespoke typefaces for Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark and Rail Alphabet 2, created with pioneering designer Margaret Calvert for Great British Railways. He has also designed type for organisations including The New York Times Magazine and The King’s Trust, with his work recognised by D&AD, the Type Directors Club and ISTD.

In this episode, Claire talks to Henrik about:

+ His discovery of type design and why custom type is so vital to branding
+ Knock-backs, education and the importance of self-belief
+ How he’s embracing AI right now - and what he thinks the future holds for type design

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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. 

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Sibling Rivalry

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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.

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Made By James

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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.

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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! 😀) 

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DixonBaxi

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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.

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FutureBrand

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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!

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Royal College of Art

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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Mucho

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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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Design Bridge and Partners

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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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Creative Boom

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Jonathan Sands OBE

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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.

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Vuokko Aro

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:

D&AD

Kin

Redsetter

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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:
Red Setter
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Steiner&Co

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:
Red Setter
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Wiedemann Lampe | Instagram | Linkedin

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:
Red Setter
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Beardwood&Co, 

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.

Links:
Red Setter
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Seymour Powell

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:
Red Setter
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Experimenta

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

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:
Red Setter
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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