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How did some of the some of the world’s best designers, strategists, and agency leads, get into design? How did they know it was even a thing they could form a career around? I’m Claire Blyth, founder of design focussed PR agency Red Setter. I’ll be speaking to some of my favourite people in design to talk about how they got where they are today.
82 Episodes
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Send us a text 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. Links : Otherway Red Setter Dba
Send us a text 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,...
Send us a text 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 wit...
Send us a text 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 fro...
Send us a text 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. Links: FutureBrand Redsetter dba
Send us a text 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 Amst...
Send us a text 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 ...
Send us a text 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 l...
Send us a text 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 ...
Send us a text 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 Hele...
Send us a text 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 explora...
Send us a text 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 ...
Send us a text 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 futur...
Send us a text 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 commu...
Send us a text 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. Links: C...
Send us a text 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 lang...
Send us a text 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. Links: Taxi Stu...
Send us a text 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 Debbi...
Send us a text 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 ...
Send us a text 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 Cityma...
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