My Life In Design Podcast

This week Claire sat down with Panna Rose, co-founder and managing director of London based brand design agency ODA. Panna’s background is on the account management and client relationship side of the business, and after many years as the MD of Williams Murray Hamm, set up ODA with partners Sarah Westwood and Grant Willis. She’s a trustee of Phab, a non-profit that provides places for people to feel independent, meet friends, and gain confidence. And an ambassador for Good Nugget. She’s won numerous awards including Transform, DBAs, D&AD pencils and worked on brands including Airtime, Costa...

This week Claire is joined by Bryan Edmondson of London based design studio SEA, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary. He’s lectured in universities around the UK, speaks at conferences globally such as D&AD, Birmingham Design Festival and Northern Design Festival. He has work held at museums including the Cooper-Hewitt in New York City; and has created and worked with brands such as Jamie Oliver, EMI, Monotype, Adidas, Rolls-Royce, Christie’s, Nokia and GF Smith.

In this episode, Byran talks to Claire about:

+ Founding and growing a design studio over three decades and...

This week Claire is joined by graphic artist, printmaker and designer Anthony Burrill. He’s renowned for his ability to distill ideas into simple yet striking forms. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the V&A, the Design Museum in London and the Cooper-Hewitt in New York; and been exhibited internationally at institutions such as the Royal Academy in London, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and the Triangle in Milan. He’s spoken globally at design conferences in cities including London, Berlin, Barcelona, Toronto and Mumbai. Anthony also has an upcoming exhibition at London's National Thea...

This week Claire is joined by legendary bookmaker, Irma Boom, who marks our 100th episode in the series. Irma Boom is the most widely renowned and laureated book designer in the world today. She's commonly known as the 'Queen of Books', having created around 600 of them. In her bold, experimental style, she challenges the convention of traditional books in both physical design and printed content. She was the youngest ever recipient of the Gutenberg Prize, and since has received over 50 more awards. A selection of her books are held from the permanent collection of MoMA and a personalised Irma...

This week, Claire is joined by Tim Perry, a trained industrial designer who led the agency Webb deVlam through to its sale in 2016. Before that, Tim worked in design strategy at the height of Nokia’s success. He has judged for D&AD and Creativepool and is now a consultant, working with leaders of independent design agencies to help them grow. He has also developed a series of training courses focused on the business side of design.

In this episode, Tim talks to Claire about:

+ His time working at Nokia at its peak selling over a...

This week Claire is joined by Greg Quinton, the co-chief creative officer of Design Bridge & Partners. Greg’s team has won over 2,000 awards at the highest level in design, over 380 D&AD pencils, including two black and over 20 yellow pencils. They’ve won 30 Cannes Lions, including the Grand Prix and Greg was jury president there this year. He served two terms as D&AD trustee and chair of education and is a coach at Imperial College London. He’s the co-author of the updated A Smile in the Mind, a graphic design university course favourite and has worked on brands...

Kicking off the 10th series of My Life in Design is typeface designer Henrik Kubel, co-founder of London-based type foundry A2-TYPE.

Henrik’s work spans cultural, editorial and brand identities, with major projects including bespoke typefaces for Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Denmark and Rail Alphabet 2, created with pioneering designer Margaret Calvert for Great British Railways. He has also designed type for organisations including The New York Times Magazine and The King’s Trust, with his work recognised by D&AD, the Type Directors Club and ISTD.

In this episode, Claire talks to Henr...

In this bonus episode, recorded live at the Cannes International Festival of Creativity, Claire met up with Roger Sho Gehrmann, the VP of Partnerships at MassiveMusic. One of the pioneers of audio branding, MassiveMusic shapes brands through music, sound, and voice, including names like TikTok, L’Oreal, Colgate and Philips. Roger has become known as 'the sonic branding guy’ and here he shares his trailblazing audio brand journey.

Roger shares his career from a ‘jingle’ obsessed childhood in Australia, to art school and to forging his own creative path with skate videos leading to his first major career o...

In a bonus episode, recorded live at the Northern Design Festival, Claire met up with Emma Barratt, global ECD at Wolff Olins. One of the industry’s most trusted leaders in branding, she speaks regularly on global stages and heads up juries at places like D&AD, The One Show and the LIA Awards. She leads large-scale brand transformations for some of the world’s most influential companies, including Uber, Decathlon, Hyundai, Google and Blank Street. 

In this episode, Emma shares her journey into design and talks about being a proud Northerner and proud dyslexic - and her i...

In the last episode of series 9, Claire met up with Laurence Bendjenad, Creative Director of the brand design agency Lonsdale in Paris.

Laurence talks through her journey from dropping out of her law degree to finding her passion in design. She talks about working for some of the best CPG brand agencies and the opportunities to travel and live in San Francisco and NYC. 

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This week Claire meets up with legendary designer Michael Johnson, founder of brand design consultancy Johnson Banks. He’s known for defining and designing brands that make a difference, such as UCL, Shelter, Jodrell Bank, University of Cambridge, RIBA and the UN Climate Change Conference - COP26. Michael speaks design conferences around the world, teaches at leading institutions including Ravensbourne, Kingston University, Glasgow School of Art, ArtCenter Pasadena, NYC’s School of Visual Arts, and the University of Cambridge. He is an award-winning author of multiple books including the ground-breaking Branding: In Five and a Half Step...

This week on the podcast, Claire sits down with Jessie McGuire — Managing Partner of the independent design & creative studio Thought Matter. This year’s winner of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Award for Communication Design. 

With a career spanning some of the most respected studios in the industry, Jessie has built a reputation for shaping work that is not only beautifully crafted, but effective — helping brands connect more meaningfully with their audiences.

In this episode, Jessie shares her journey into design and how her career has evolved over time, reflecting on the realities of building a creat...

This week Claire met up with Sarah Williams - President of AIGA NY, where she champions the future of design for all, and co-CEO of branding agency Beardwood&Co. An award-winning creative leader, she has been recognised by the DBA Effectiveness Awards, The Clio Awards, and PAC Global, and has worked with brands including Hyatt Hotels, Yankee Candle, Pottery Barn, Corona, and Bath & Body Works, as well as speaking at conferences such as How Design Live.

In this episode, Sarah shares her journey into design - from growing up in a small town and discovering a love...

This week on the podcast Claire, sits down with Kiser Barnes, chief creative officer and partner at Red Antler. The episode was recorded in front of a live audience at Red Antler’s new Manhattan studio. 

From startups to Fortune 100 brands, Kiser has helped shape some of the world’s most recognisable companies, including Google, LVMH, Crocs, Delta Airlines, Calvin Klein and McKinsey. A Cannes Lions Grand Prix winner and Ad Age Innovator 50 (2025), he’s also spoken globally and serves on the board of AIGA.

In this episode, Kiser shares his journey into design - from ph...

On the podcast this week Claire met up with Mitch Monson, executive director of creative and partnerships at Sibling Rivalry. An award-winning creative leader, his work has been recognised by organisations including the Clio Awards, Art Directors Club and the Broadcast Design Association, and he has received three Emmy Awards.

Mitch has led brand and broadcast campaigns for global clients including Marvel Studios, NBC Sports and NBC Olympics, Netflix, HBO, Amazon Studios, Warner Brothers, BBC and The Walt Disney Company. He is also a regular speaker and juror for leading industry organisations such as AIGA and The...

Content warning: This episode contains discussions of sexual abuse and substance abuse (timestamps 03:07 - 06:23)

On the podcast this week Claire met up with James Martin, an award-winning designer, author of The Honest Guide to Creativity and Logo Design, and founder of the studio Made By James. He is known for his distinctive brand identities and straight-talking creative education.

Through his studio and content platforms, he has built a global following, worked with international clients and creative businesses, and become a trusted voice on logo design, personal branding and creative entrepreneurship.

In this episode...

This week Claire met up with Paul Watmough-Halim and Jan Stein, the co-founders of the brand studio Hyperfocus. 

Paul was named by Creative Boom as one of the top creatives of 2025, and has spoken around the world with Jan at festivals such as D&AD. Paul was head of design at clothing brand Bench and has worked on German media channel Funke and the Olympic Games for Coca-Cola. Jan has worked on brands such as Google, Swisscom and Red Bull and both are the co-hosts of the Brand Review on YouTube. 

On the podcast they sh...

The award-winning Rejane Dal Bello, founder of Studio Dal Bello, joined host Claire Blyth at a live audience recording at D&AD’s headquarters, talking about her book ‘Citizen First, Designer Second’ and its unique perspective on design. 

On the podcast Rejane shares her design journey through her book, with insights, and advice for designers who want to make a meaningful impact. 

She discusses the undervaluation of design in society and the need for greater awareness of its impact.

And she explains why she hates the word branding and the feeling of creating hierarch...

In the first podcast of series 9, Claire met Samar at Pentagram’s new London studios for a wide-ranging conversation on design, culture, and global identity.

Samar is known for her creative, multilingual approach to design, working at the intersection of cultures. Her work spans major global projects - from city rebrands such as Dubai, to launching Apple’s brand in Arabic, and campaigns for many clients including Porsche across technology, culture, and AI.

 On the podcast, Samar shares her journey from Beirut to London, and her path to becoming a Pentagram partner in 2023

She e...

In the last of the series, Claire sat down with Phil Jones, a true design innovator and a major force in the UK’s creative, digital, design and sports industries. Now best known as the founder of the invite-only Podge Lunches, Phil is also a mentor, consultant, and former MD of leading digital and typography agencies. He’s a pioneer of digital design and was voted into the BIMA Digital Hall of Fame in 2012.

On the podcast, Phil shares his epic career journey from typesetting for London’s best design agencies, founding one of the first digital studio...

This week, Claire is joined by Helena Raven, managing director of brand design and innovation partner Bloom. She has helped shape work for major brands such as McVitie's, KP snacks, Tango, Heineken, Talisker and Virgin Atlantic. Helena shares her early career as a professional ballet dancer, and how an injury redirected her path into marketing, comms, and ultimately brand design - via roles in government and the charity sector. Her perspective on the big challenges facing the design industry, including the impact of AI (where it's the attitudes and behaviours, not the technology, that concern her most) and her...

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.

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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, to moving to London and becoming a self-taught creative. He discusses the evolution of his cr...

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 with various accolades, including D&AD Pencils, Pentawards, FAB Awards and DBA Design Effectiveness Awards.

On the podcast Chloe shares her journey, from starting...

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 from the sound and it’s recording Aporva’s name as Apulva which is annoying...

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:

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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 Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, to the University of Oregon, London’s Bartlett Faculty of the Built Environment, to joining the Royal College of Art...

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 doors and rising into senior design creative roles at agencies including DesignStudio, Man vs Machine, Airside before founding Koto
...

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 learnings from key branding projects in her career, including Burger Kin...

In this bonus episode recorded live at New Designers, Claire speaks with ceramicist, designer, and curator, Peter Ting about his life in design. Renowned for work that fuses Eastern heritage with Western elegance, Peter has collaborated with brands like Asprey and Thomas Goode, founded the Ting Ying gallery, and is featured in major collections worldwide – including the V&A, where his celebrated ‘Buddha Hands Cup & Saucer’ is on display. 

Peter shares his story in design, from first becoming aware of the impact of curation at an early age, to developing a lifelong love of ceramics. On the podcast...

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 Jack Daniel’s.

On the podcast Tosh shares his early experiences of trying to...

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 Helen shares her art school journey into first jobs and the mentors who have had such a significant i...

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 exploration in shaping a design career, the issue of free pitching and its implications for designers, and he shares advice for aspiring d...

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 worked on iconic brands including Johnnie Walker, Coca-Cola, Singapore Airlines, LEGO, and Mastercard.

Claire shares her journey into the design industry and th...

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 future of brand design. Marc shares his story of a life in design so far and some of the experiences tha...

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 communication is just as vital as visuals, and the highs and hard truths of balancing motherhood and a senior creative role. 

<...

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:

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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 language, music, and art shaped her path into design – including a stint in a 90s indie guitar band!<...

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:

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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 Debbie, she invited Claire into her podcast studio, to record today’s ‘My Life in Design’ episode. Here’s your chance to hear D...