By Design: It’s All About the Balance for Georgina Martin
Georgina began her career in experiential events and shopper marketing before moving into the advertising world, working at global agencies such as Cheil and MullenLowe Open and boutique agencies such as Space and St. Frank’s. Georgina joined The Ninety-Niners as head of design in 2022.
Since then, Georgina has helped produce award-winning work for Dole, Lloyds and Organix. Her passion for crafting work that truly resonates with people drives her commitment to producing impactful, recognisable work for brands, all while strengthening The Ninety-Niners' design output.
LBB> Tell us about your current role and design specialisms?
Georgina> I’m head of design at The Ninety-Niners. We've just turned four, so as well as overseeing the design work of others, my role is still very hands on. Our output is very broad, too. I can be working on a website or CRM campaign one day, an above the line comms campaign the next. Versatility is key.
LBB> What drew you to design in the first place and how has your design career evolved?
Georgina> I’ve had a pen or paintbrush in my hand since I was a toddler, so pursuing a creative career felt like a natural path. As a teenager, I dreamed of becoming an artist and illustrator—I was obsessed with Disney and would create my own characters. It was my dad who introduced me to branding and packaging through internships, which ultimately guided me toward a career in graphic design.
I've always been fascinated by shape and form, whether through typography or composition. My approach to initial concepts is definitely "more is more", and the real joy of my job comes from refining and crafting those ideas to find the perfect balance.
My design career has evolved quite a bit over the years. When I first started, Instagram was just beginning, and most of my learning came from my seniors and directors, inspiration was drawn from books, and campaigns were created for the physical world.
Today, as we work in a predominantly digital space, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the endless possibilities in design, especially with platforms like Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Pinterest constantly shaping our daily inspiration.
As head of design, I’m responsible for guiding how we communicate through design, which means staying current and keeping up with trends. I now look to younger talent for inspiration—they bring fresh perspectives and are truly shaping the future of design.
LBB> What aspects of design do you get really nerdy about personally?
Georgina> I’m nerdy about design systems and brand guidelines. Crafting a cohesive toolkit to bring a campaign to life—one that others can build upon—is essential for achieving consistent and harmonious design. These frameworks not only protect the integrity of ideas but also allow ample space for creativity and innovation, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
What really excites me, though, is the freedom of pitch or concept work, where you can go all in on the big idea. You get to explore without being bound by rules, guidelines, or conventions. I love developing highly detailed visual concepts, where the challenge is to communicate the core idea through images sourced from anywhere and everywhere.
LBB> There are so many new design tools out - what tools do you like to use and why?
Georgina> I used to believe you had to choose between being analogue or digital, that you couldn’t embrace both. I’ve always loved the texture of paper, pens, and paints—and I dreamed of owning GF Smith papers and Pantone books from a young age. As an avid illustrator, I initially stuck to traditional materials, but I’ve since transitioned to using my iPad and Wacom tablet. I love how quickly I can translate my ideas onto the screen and craft them without the fear of making mistakes.
I still value the tactile connection with paper and pens, so I try to strike a balance by incorporating mixed media and handcrafted elements into my concepts. I believe it’s crucial to always keep learning—whether it’s figuring out how to bring ideas from paper to screen or taking digital work and translating it back into the physical world.
LBB> Design Thinking - thoughts?
Georgina> Design is about solving problems and finding clear, visual ways to communicate ideas. It's about giving brands and concepts a voice that people can relate to. But it's also about creating an emotional connection.
Good design doesn’t just look appealing; it makes people feel something—whether it's excitement, trust, curiosity, or nostalgia. It creates a connection with the audience, making them relate to the brand or idea on a deeper level. Whether a brand is aiming for authenticity, joy, or humour, design helps convey those emotions.
The key is balancing practical solutions with emotional impact—creating something that’s both functional and meaningful. Design is a powerful way to connect with people on a deeper level.
LBB> What are the most persistent misconceptions about your particular design specialism that you see across the advertising and marketing landscape?
Georgina> One of the biggest misconceptions is that all designers are the same and possess the same abilities, skills, and competences across different disciplines. There's this joke that there’s a simple shortcut (Control+Alt+Design?) that can instantly generate a fully formed campaign with branding, typography, colour, animation, and everything else.
The reality is, the design process takes time—it requires space for learning, experimenting, and even making mistakes before we get it right. We should embrace the unique skills and talents of different designers, tapping into the right people for the right roles.
LBB> Accessible design is an increasingly prominent topic - from your experience what are the most challenging facets of accessible design? And what does best practice in accessible design in your particular design specialism look like?
Georgina> Accessible and inclusive design should be integrated into every part of the brief, from strategy through to execution. Honestly, it’s an area where we need to put in more effort to deepen our understanding of how real people engage with our work.
By stepping back and asking questions about typography legibility, communication clarity, colour choices, subtitles on videos, and descriptive captions in social posts, we can make small adjustments that significantly improve accessibility.
These seemingly minor changes in how we approach design—often taken for granted as universally accessible—can help broaden its appeal to everyone.
LBB> What design controversies or challenges do you find trickiest to navigate or do you find yourself thinking about most frequently?
Georgina> In just ten years, the design landscape has undergone a rapid transformation. This shift is a double-edged sword.
On the one hand, design has become more accessible thanks to social platforms, enabling anyone to produce high-quality work using apps. This increased accessibility is wonderful, allowing more people to unleash their creativity.
On the other hand, it also risks devaluing the craft. My role isn’t just about delivering customised, standout creative that resonates and makes an impact—it’s about ensuring the work truly connects with the audience. While template-based design may look good, it doesn't have the power to break through or make a lasting impression.
LBB> How do you think about the ethics of design?
Georgina> I don’t know if there are any specific ethics that apply to design only, but I do think we are entering an ethical conversation around the use of AI.
For years consumers have campaigned for realness, authenticity, honesty from brands – and we made progress. But now we are seeing the use of AI take over the advertising industry, through fake augmented billboards produced only for social media for example. I don’t agree with using AI to manipulate consumers or create false advertising. While it’s a fun tool, it comes with significant responsibility. It’s crucial that we use AI ethically and safely, ensuring it’s applied in a way that is transparent and honest.
However, I’ve come to realise that, when used thoughtfully and sparingly, AI can be a powerful tool for bringing conceptual visual ideas to life quickly. It gives me more time and space to focus on refining the craft and developing the ideas further once we’ve sold in the ideas.
LBB> What are some of your favourite examples of creative design solutions that inspire you?
Georgina> I’m inspired by so many different aspects of design—advertising, branding, architecture, interior design, illustration, fashion. Each design solution is personal, and I find myself living between both maximalism and minimalism across all parts of my life.
Refined, simple, and clean design has always been a key source of inspiration for me. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing a design where the best solution is the simplest one, yet it still feels carefully crafted and complete. It’s the kind of design where every element serves a purpose, and nothing feels unnecessary or overcomplicated. The beauty is in the subtlety—the way typography, colour, and spacing all come together in perfect harmony.
It feels effortless, but you know it’s the result of thoughtful consideration and meticulous refinement.
That said, I’m equally obsessed with the bizarre and the bold. I love when an agency presents a wild idea to a client, and the client embraces it with minimal revisions. Those campaigns make me happy—they’re a reminder that sometimes the most unexpected, "bonkers" ideas are the ones that leave a lasting impression.
Even if it’s a bit visually overwhelming, when the campaign makes sense and captures attention, it’s exciting. It’s the kind of design that pulls you in for a second look, and sometimes that’s exactly what makes it brilliant.
LBB> Which design projects throughout your career have been the most satisfying to work on and why?
Georgina> It's not often that we get the chance to break the rules and create typography from scratch, so when Organix came to us with a campaign brief for ‘Spark their Love of Great Food’, we saw the perfect opportunity to design a custom typeface that really captured a sense of joy.
Seeing the work come to life across print, social media, and shopper campaigns still brings me so much happiness—especially when my mum sends me photos from the supermarket or screenshots of my work on her social media feed.
She’s always been a huge fan of anything I work on, and that never gets old. And, winning Silver in typography at the Creativepool Awards 2023 was the icing on the cake.
LBB> What’s going on at the moment in design that’s getting you particularly excited?
Georgina> It’s really refreshing to see brands embracing physical, tactile print advertising again. A great example of this recently is the Boots gifting campaign, where products seemed to burst out of the billboard. It was such a simple concept, yet incredibly visually striking and, most importantly, REAL. It’s a reminder of how powerful physical advertising can be when done right.
LBB> Who are your design heroes and why?
Georgina> Paula Scher should be a hero to every designer—she’s an absolute legend and an endless source of inspiration.
What I admire most about her is how she listens closely to her clients' needs while seeking out the unique spaces within design and typography where form and shape can be stretched and redefined. She has an incredible ability to push the limits of what’s possible, creating a graphic language that feels fresh and original. I’m especially drawn to the way she balances complexity with simplicity in her work, breaking the rules only to establish new ones that result in timeless design.
LBB> Thinking of people at the beginning of their career, what advice would you give them for navigating this constantly changing field?
Georgina> Don’t stress if you’re not the best designer, animator, or presenter right away. Focus on what you love about design and keep that as your guiding force. Enjoy the process—it's easy to get overwhelmed by all the possibilities, but at the end of the day, design should be fun. So, have fun with it!
