My Life In Design Podcast

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&ADKinRedsetterdba

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 SetterdbaSteiner&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 SetterdbaWiedemann 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 SetterdbaBeardwood&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 SetterdbaSeymour 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 SetterdbaExperimenta

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 SetterdbaJKR

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 SetterdbaThe 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 SetterdbaTatil

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 SetterdbaTurner 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 SetterdbaPentagram

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 SetterdbaMauro Porcini

This 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 SetterdbaFuture 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 SetterdbaTrollbäck+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 SetterdbaCenter

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 SetterdbaRice

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 SetterdbaDNCO

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 SetterdbaPearlfisher

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 SetterdbaB&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 SetterdbaBUCK

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 SetterdbaLewis 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 SetterdbaStudio BLUPPodcast 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 SetterdbaMarina WillerPodcast 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 SetterdbaHow & HowPodcast 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 SetterdbaStudio Rejane Dal BelloPodcast 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 SetterdbaSTEFAN SAGMEISTERSAGMEISTER & WALSHPodcast 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 SetterdbaNB StudioPodcast 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 SetterdbaJKRPodcast 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 SetterdbaPodcast 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 SetterDenominationdbaPodcast 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 SetterStudio Sutherl&dbaPodcast 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 co-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 SetterCOLLINSdbaPodcast 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 SetterSynoptic OfficedbaPodcast 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 SetterAccept & ProceeddbaPodcast 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 job. She discusses her early career as art director in the 1970s and early 80s, working for CBS records, and becoming a partner of Pentagram NYC in 1991. 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 SetterPaula ScherdbaPodcast 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 SetterCraig BlackdbaPodcast 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 SetterVault49dbaPodcast 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 SetterSarah BorisdbaPodcast 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 SetterLOVEdbaPodcast 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. 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 & Giles Calver; and what it means to be part of Pentagram.Links:Red SetterPentagramdbaPodcast 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:RedsetterJack Renwick Studio | Instagramdba

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:RedsetterPepsicoPepsico Designdba

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:RedsetterCOLLINSdba

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:RedsetterOffice of Craigdba

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:RedsetterSpindba

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:RedsetterFrost*collectivedba

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:RedsetterDiageodba

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:RedsetterStudio Dumbardba

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:RedsetterDixonBaxidba

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 SetterThe Design Community Hub