By Design: Pushing Boundaries with Sid Tomkins
Sid Tomkins is head of design at Specsavers Creative, where he is responsible for the Design output of the in-house agency. Prior to joining Specsavers, he spent 20 years building and managing design departments and studios for agencies including BBH and the Ogilvy Global network. Sid has also run his own design business Baker Tomkins, which was widely recognised as the benchmark for crafted design and typographic excellence, with a production service to match. In addition, he ran Watershed Studio, which was acquired by Ogilvy in 2000.
LBB> Tell us about your current role and design specialism(s)?
Sid> I am the head of design at Specsavers Creative (formerly The Agency), having joined in July 2022. We are a team of 20 - a mix of traditional, digital, integrated, and motion design.
LBB> What drew you to design in the first place and how has your design career evolved?
Sid> Being the mature man that I am I started out as a paste-up artist in a traditional studio specialising in hand lettering. It was here I discovered my interest in the craft of typography, the perfect grounding for what was to be my true vocation - Design.
LBB> What aspects of design do you get really nerdy about personally?
Sid> Typography, typefaces and kerning.
LBB> There are so many new design tools out - what tools do you like to use and why? (whether digital platforms or old-fashioned pen and paper!)
Sid> I like the type and layout control you get with InDesign, the manipulation ability of Illustrator, and the artistic nature of Photoshop. Motion is what I’d like to try next. And I still enjoy finding jobs where I can get the old scalpel and ruler out.
LBB> Design Thinking - thoughts?
Sid> Design Thinking is often undervalued. Mostly though I have worked in places where Design Thinking and Design Execution is seen as a critical component in the process. This to some is dismissed as unnecessary.
LBB> What are the most persistent misconceptions about your particular design specialism that you see across the advertising and marketing landscape?
Sid> There’s a difference between what’s acceptable and what’s special. I believe my clients and my craft deserves something that’s been given a little extra time and thought, so maybe it says or means something more to a viewer. Too often, I’m dismayed by thinking like this:
‘Why do we need a designer when we have an art director.’
‘I have PowerPoint, I can do what they do’.
‘How can that possibly take three days?’
‘We have a production artist who can do that in half the time’.
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?
Sid> Design has always been about reaching people - being, in a sense accessible to them. Accessible design is another permutation of presenting our ideas to more people. 20,000 years ago, we were doing accessible design in caves at Lascaux.
With the technology we now have at our fingertips and our design knowledge, accessible design is just another rewarding design challenge.
LBB> What design controversies or challenges do you find trickiest to navigate or do you find yourself thinking about most frequently?
Sid> Historically, working on multiple brands, keeping the design fresh and progressive, with craft, in short time was the daily challenge.
You might think working in-house would make that easier. It doesn’t. Keeping one brand, a 40-year-old brand, fresh and progressive is the same daily challenge.
Specsavers has Optical, Audiology, Home Visits, and Contact Lenses. One brand, four offerings. Each has their own individual messages. On TV, in print, OOH, online and all that involves. All share the same brand essence, and one Visual Identity.
The business is furiously passionate about its purpose, and rightfully so. They care about everything they do and say. It’s not a challenge, it’s a privilege.
LBB> How do you think about the ethics of design?
Sid> I rely on my personal ethics and standards. I think we all now strive to create designs that are honest, inclusive, respectful of intellectual property, and socially responsible. Of course, we like the same things in design that we like in people. A sense of wit, surprise, something different and unexpected.
LBB> What are some of your favourite examples of creative design solutions that inspire you?
Sid> My greatest period of inspiration was working in New York for Ogilvy on the IBM account. That was a real learning curve. A brand steeped in design history, with very high standards and a legacy you worked hard to live up to. The experience showed me a different aspect of design that I hadn’t thought of before. I had hands-on experience working with AI – ten years ago. Pioneering technology, brave client, first-class creative. The perfect combination gave us a winning solution.
LBB> Which design projects throughout your career have been the most satisfying to work on and why?
Sid> In the '80s I helped create a beautiful print campaign for a British hotel chain. The creative director (Garnet Edwards) welcomed my suggestion to use a unique photographic technique and use an unexpected typeface – these two design treatments made the work stand-out and memorable. Garnet trusted me.
The work for IBM I have alluded to above was the most satisfying and gratifying work I have helped create. Annually for six years we produced a series of posters themed around IBM’s Chairman and CEO T.J. Watson’s one word slogan – ‘THINK’. As the series evolved and with the help of IBM’s AI offering, we invited designers, artists, and photographers around the world to contribute. The last in the series culminated into a Gallery Exhibition where the star of the show was an AI-driven Photobooth. This entire project was a genuine collaboration between man and machine.
And more recently for Specsavers. The most satisfying project I’ve worked on since leaving Ogilvy has been a Print and OOH campaign, Ordinary Sounds Rediscovered, for the Audiology business. Another coming together of very talented people, from marketing team, client partner, producer, creative team, designer and artworker. All doing their best to produce their best.
LBB> What’s going on at the moment in design that’s getting you particularly excited?
Sid> Motion technology and working ‘with’ a more accessible AI. Until I find the time to learn more, I will continue to enjoy collaborating with specialists inside and outside our business.
LBB> Who are your design heroes and why?
Brian and his team continue to wow me. Always pushing design boundaries. The surprise and delight is persistent.
Fifty years and still leading the way. My go-to Instagram page. So much talent in every area. Every piece of work crafted within an inch of its life. Every brand they touch stands out from the crowded, cluttered world we see every day. Here is one of my favourite pieces (old and new).
LBB> Thinking of people at the beginning of their career, what advice would you give them for navigating this constantly changing field?
Sid> Listen. Work hard. Look around and learn – continually. Push yourself, again and again and again.
I often remind myself of this '70s quote, surprisingly still relevant today:
“Good design is good business.” (Thomas J. Watson, the former chairman and CEO of IBM.)
This statement emphasises the importance of well-thought-out and aesthetically pleasing design in various aspects of business, including products, services, and user experiences.
