Over the past 3 years, I’ve worked with a number of different clients delivering a range of different services, but being truly independent permits me flexibility in the way that I can work with them to define my role within their organisation. Sometimes it’s a straightforward piece of industrial design sliced into manageable phases of activity with clear deliverables. The emphasis is directly on me to deliver the output – as most are accustomed in design agency life.
But I’ve also been privileged to work with lots of clients in ways that are far more interwoven with their day to day activity.
Working with small businesses on an advisory basis, supporting curiosity and assisting in the transition between simply ‘getting shit done’ and becoming a more considered, profit making machine.
Mentoring key individuals within client design teams to help them develop, build leadership confidence and understand the mechanics of ‘design management’.
Becoming a key external ‘creative sounding board’ for in-house design teams to call upon as desired to seek counterpoint, discuss direction and provoke alternative thinking.
Or working with senior design leadership to help define creative team structures, operating practices and identifying talent with potential.
Lots of different modes of operation. Lots of different billing structures. Lots of different management styles. Lots of different backgrounds and markets.
When I first started offering mentoring, I didn’t really know what to expect, but the response has been heartwarming. I have found myself working with individuals and teams alike, across tiny and large businesses alike, with personal ambitions and business-led targets alike.
All of this has got me thinking.
I’m not hired as an NED, but a lot of what I do is business strategy, operational structure and holding design leaders and business owners to account.
I’m not hired as a Creative Director, but a lot of what I do is help design projects move forward profitably with expert outside opinion.
I offer my services as a Mentor to creative folk, but a lot of what I do is often outside of the straightforward mentorship remit.
So, I wanted to informally aggregate all of these strands into something singular that makes sense to people who may find it useful. It’s a singular offer but it’s far from a singular service.
The bit in the middle of it all.
I’ve simply called it ‘creative guidance’.
Helping to support bigger picture direction, alongside day to day creative direction and supporting creative individuals to take greater leadership. In a way that suits the business and their creative team.
From the work I’ve done over the past few years, a day a month works well.
8 hours to slice and dice as you see fit. It could be 8 hour-long review sessions or 2 half day meetings or 1 full-on day of chewing over tricky conundrums. Any combination or permutation therein.
Every month. On a yearly basis.
This isn’t a training course or a pre-defined workshop. This isn’t a trademarked process.
Just time. Every month. With me. For a year.
For the cost of an intern*…roughly speaking.
But without the added complexity of National Insurance, holidays or pension contributions.
You may be a business with all sorts of topics and concerns you need support to solve, or you may have a very clear idea of how you might use direct support in a clinical way. The point is that you know what your needs are.
If you think this might be something of interest, then drop me a message and we can discuss further.
It’s worth noting that this is one aspect of what I offer to clients. The rest can be found here in more detail.
*I’m not advocating that interns or junior designers are not worth employing….on the contrary…I’m just trying to find an equatable measure for ease of comparison.
