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Some Thoughts on the Evolution of Design Talent

29/03/2019
Executive Search
London, UK
71
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A selection of choice quotes from Gemini People’s recent panel session

This week London’s Henry Wood House filled for evening of debate hosted by creative recruitment agency Gemini People. The discussion centred around the design industry, how it's changed over the years, the impact of digital and the current talent gaps within the industry.

Here’s a selection of highlights from the night’s conversation.



On the design industry and the changes over the years:


“The difference between being a designer and an artist is that often designers are problem solvers. I think we forget that in our sector and assume designers just make things look pretty.”

Louise Sloper, creative director & designer, consultant


“Good design carries emotion.”

Penny Parnell, creative leader, Not on the High Street


“Back in the old days we were taught to be strategists, to think about everything. Now, in advertising agencies you’re seen as an artworker - a person that moves things around on a computer, which is a bad use of a designer’s brain.”

Louise Sloper, creative director & designer, consultant


“30 years ago people would go ‘I’m a writer. Make me do anything else and I’ll melt.’ Now you’ve got people that are good writers, good coders, good at lots of different things - multifaceted but never the same.” 

Dave Buonaguidi, co-founder, UNLTD-INC


“Advertising’s got a bit shit because a lot of agencies haven’t grown up. They’ve got a bit stuck in their ways.”

Jonny Goodall, creative director, VCCP iX


“The biggest thing that’s changed for me is that clients don’t give a fuck about what we do anymore. We were horrendously wanton with their money for decades. We ruined them for our own devices. They’ve got smarter but they don’t like us. As a result we’ve just become a commodity.”

Dave Buonaguidi, co-founder, UNLTD-INC


“The future gets interesting for us because we’ve all [on the panel] just said in one way or another we’ve had bad experiences as designers in ad agencies. There’s all this stuff out there about design-led businesses. There’s a lot of future in design being part of a business, rather than the output of the agency that was hired to do something.”

Jonny Goodall, creative director, VCCP iX



“The ambition has just dissolved. When you’re working with any big client, ambition is: ‘let’s just hit last year’s numbers with half a per cent on top. That will help me get my summer bonus, it won’t get me fired.’”

Dave Buonaguidi, co-founder, UNLTD-INC


“We’re up to our necks in beige sludge thinking we’re all in a really good job.”

Dave Buonaguidi, co-founder, UNLTD-INC


On hiring and maintaining a great team: 


“Time and money is screwing with mentorship. There’s no one teaching people, allowing them to have a voice and pulling people through. Because we’ve got no time or money we need someone to get on and do the job, we might be getting some slightly blander people because we know they’re safe.”

Louise Sloper, creative director & designer, consultant


“Look for good values as much as you look for anything on a list.”

Penny Parnell, creative leader, Not on the High Street


“If you create an environment where people are enthused to be there, they are mentoring each other automatically.”

Louise Sloper, creative director & designer, consultant


“People are feeling forgotten. We hired a Head of Art last year who elevated the quality of our design tenfold just on pitches and making little things look spectacular. He’s been in the industry for 25 years. Having that knowledge in the building is just as important as having that hunger.”

Graham Symon, director of talent acquisition, Havas


“Make your creative department a place people want to work. Give people time to do their jobs. That’s not something you can fudge. It should be a genuine thing.”

Penny Parnell, creative leader, Not on the High Street


“As a recruiter, the worst possible brief is: ‘Find me another John. John’s great.’ From a creative point of view briefing your recruiters thoroughly will get them to fill your briefs much better.”

Graham Symon, director of talent acquisition, Havas


On hiring new and diverse talent:


“How are they going to get into the business? It costs £15,000 a year to do a ‘one-year’ course which is basically six months. If you’re a Bangladeshi kid living in Tower Hamlets, why would you even want to get into the business? If you’re a girl on the Isle of Skye and you’re the next Jony Ive, we’re fucked. You’re never going to get into the business. We miss out and she misses out.”

Dave Buonaguidi, co-founder, UNLTD-INC


“I get so many CVs from people and they can be so boring. You’re creative - be creative. Think outside the box.”

Penny Parnell, creative leader, Not on the High Street


“Most conventional design will become automated. So you’ll be hiring the designers that have that creative eye or that mentality to make something stand out.”

Graham Symon, director of talent acquisition, Havas

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