We are today announcing that after 13 years at Bristol Creative Industries, Chris Thurling is handing over the reins as chair.
Since joining the organisation in 2010, when we were called Bristol Media, Chris has been hugely instrumental in our growth and success. That includes our rebrand, building the membership, growing our visibility and launching the groundbreaking Bristol Creative Industries Internships Programme.
Taking over from Chris as co-chairs are AMBITIOUS co-founder Lis Anderson and former Aardman executive producer Heather Wright.
As Chris hands over the role, he speaks to Dan Martin about his time at the organisation, its greatest successes and the future of the creative industries in Bristol and beyond.
“In 2010 I was the founder and managing director of a digital web design agency called 3Sixty. I was approached by Paul Appleby who was running Bristol Media with Mike Bennett. Mike was stepping down to do other things and they were looking for someone to join the board who could represent the growing digital sector in Bristol. I thought it was interesting and I signed up.”
“Bristol Media was still new when I joined. It got going with some public funding, but that stopped in 2009 and the organisation moved to a membership model to fund it.
“One of the main things I’ve seen during my time is the membership model embedding itself and the organisation becoming fully self funded and not reliant on any public money or major sponsorship.
“It has survived through the membership fees which is a pretty good achievement for an organisation like BCI. That has given it credibility and autonomy. BCI exists because of its members and the only agenda is the members who support it, and not that of another organisation that is funding it.
“It has matured as an organisation to figure out what it does and what it doesn’t do. Back in the day it was pulled in lots of different directions. There were lots of people wanting Bristol Media to fit their agenda, but over time it has grown in confidence to focus on the things that it does well, not be unrealistic about what it can achieve and not be too thinly spread.”
“We had feedback that the term ‘media’ wasn’t really the collective noun that properly described the sector that we represent. Back in the early noughties, ‘media’ might have been the right word, but over time the term ‘creative industries’ gained traction and became the common parlance.
“It seemed sensible to align ourselves with the terminology that everyone was using, so it’s clear who we are and what we represent. That was one of the first things I decided we needed to do when I took over as chair. Looking back, it has been successful.”
“It is an achievement that the organisation has been financially stable and self-sustaining, even during the pandemic. That has enabled us to continue to serve members and grow the BCI team.
“Another big achievement is the new BCI board, which we appointed following the rebrand in 2021. Our focus was to have a new team of directors to help us Bristol’s creative industry in nurturing and attracting talent, connecting and growing their businesses.
“We recognised the need for our board to better reflect the diversity of talent in the city. We need individuals who can bring different perspectives and experiences and help us widen our reach across the region. An example of that is Bristol designer Marissa Lewis-Peart who we appointed to the board. In 2019, Marissa won the Ben Martin Apprentice Award in collaboration with Bristol Creative Industries.
“We introduced a new always on event schedule led by Sian Pitman, the new full time events manager we employed last year. Rather than the main focus being on the two day Vision conference that we used to run, the events are now spread out across every month in the year. This means there is something for everyone in terms of topics and price range, with some free options for people to access, particularly if they’re members.
“That has been a big success and it has made BCI a lot more visible, because there’s always something happening.
“We also introduced new formats which are tied into our mission of connecting people. These include the member lunches and Walk and Talk events. They are good ways for members to connect with each other, easy to access and something no-one else is really doing for our community.
“The social media activity, newsletter and content has been transformed in the last few years. We produce a lot of really helpful and useful content for our members.
“Finally, the Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme is the activity I’m most proud of.
“It started with the SXSW Apprentice and Ben Martin Apprentice Award, before evolving into the scheme that is running today.
“It will continue to grow and if BCI has been in any way instrumental in transforming the lives of young people who wouldn’t have had the opportunity without us, then that has got to be the biggest success.
“On diversity, so many organisations talk a good game, send all the right tweets and have all the right badges on their website, but to actually shift the dial, you need to invest proper resources and get expertise behind it.
“We’ve had rhetorical commitment for years, but BCI is now putting its money where its mouth by setting up the programme led by the full-time programme manager, Clare Leczycki.
“BCI is showing leadership in the community, which only an organisation like BCI can do because we are not commercial or competing with anyone else. We’re there to serve the interests of the membership.”
“Lis and Heather’s new roles as co-chairs marks an exciting new chapter for BCI. Having both served on the board and run successful creative businesses, they are experienced hands and well equipped to build on the successes that BCI has achieved to date. They have been key to the internships programme, getting insights on members’ key challenges and connecting them to available funding.
“BCI can continue to take a leadership role in the development and attracting of young talent into the industry in the longer term, making sure there’s a pipeline of fantastic people wanting to come into the industry in Bristol and opening it up to people from all backgrounds and the places that historically haven’t had a look in.
“BCI can also help our industry build firmer commercial organisations. A lot of creative companies are quite hand to mouth and not necessarily great at realising the value of the amazing work that they do because often they are businesses set up by creative rather than commercial people. As times get tougher, creative businesses need more sustainable business models, and not just charging by the hour but finding a way to charge more by the value that they deliver.
“Connected to that is access to finance and financial advice which small businesses often don’t have internally. A collective organisation like BCI can pool organisations together to help.
“The UK does still have a reputation internationally for the creative industries, and as the UK market gets more challenging and competitive, our industry needs to look beyond these shores for opportunities for growth.
“Finally, we need to guard against complacency and any inertia that we have in thinking that Bristol’s an incredibly successful city and we can roll along and it’s all going to take care of itself.
“We need to understand that there are a lot of other cities hungry to eat your lunch. We’re in a good place, but we can’t assume we will be in 20 or 30 years time. We need to make sure that what happened to the first generation of industries in the UK doesn’t happen to the current generation through complacency and taking things for granted. That’s where an organisation like BCI can take a leadership role in pushing innovation.”
“Consistency of messages is important. The government blows hot and cold on the creative industries. Sometimes they get mixed up in the ‘culture wars’ and think that’s it not a real and important sector.
“In schools, it’s all about science, technology, education, engineering and maths, but the arts subjects are struggling and not getting the support that they need both financially and rhetorically from the government. There’s a sense that they’re not seen as real and proper subjects.
“The government needs to buy into the fact that the creative industries is one of the UK’s strongest advantages in the world and we need to be championing and banging the drum from the top down.
“I think that the government needs to find a way to undo the damaging effects of Brexit on our sector. It has had a huge supply of talent cut off by the ending of freedom of movement, which many BCI members used to find incredibly valuable.
“Schools need to be better connected with the creative industries and it needs to happen at an earlier stage with younger children. As a school governor myself, I think that the employability side of schools is still out of date. The kind of jobs that they know about and the kind of connections that schools have with industry is pretty old fashioned. There’s an ignorance of the myriad of jobs in the creative industries that people can do.”
“If you’re a supporter of the Bristol region and the creative ecosystem, joining Bristol Creative Industries is doing your bit.
“Check out what is available from BCI. The membership offers huge value for money. There’s lots you can get out of it including jobs advertising, coming to events, publishing your content on the website, and participating in the social media activity and using it to raise your profile.
“You will definitely meet great people. There are lots of fantastic people who are part of the network. You never know how they might be able to help you and your business.
“If people stop supporting BCI, it will go. If it didn’t exist, people would want to invent it. It’s a valuable thing that has taken the best part of two decades to build. It’s a fantastic asset for the city and the region. BCI is part of the jigsaw puzzle that makes up what’s good about the region.
“Alli Nicholas, who has been at BCI for 10 years, is the go-to person for all things membership so do speak to her if you have any questions.”
Clare Leczycki shares an update on the Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme.
We are just over halfway through the pilot year of the Bristol Create Industries Internship Programme, a scheme set up and funded by Bristol Creative Industries and and a group of members. It gives young people from under-represented backgrounds a chance to explore the different roles in the creative industries.
The programme, delivered in partnership with Babbasa as part of the #OurCity2030 initiative, provides interns with placements at two different agencies over a six-month period.
It aims to:
Our interns switched placements this month and are now working in their second agency.
During this process, several opportunities came up and we off-boarded three of the interns early.
Seren Spooner was offered a job at Armadillo as a junior designer and decided to take the opportunity to move into full- time work.
“As a graphic designer, I was initially unsure about going into client service, but quickly found that I really enjoyed it. Agency structure has been a highlight for me and being openminded about all the different roles and opportunities available within an agency has been really interesting. It has allowed me to see where my experience and skills can fit with an organisation like Armadillo.
“I really wouldn’t be anywhere without this programme; it has made the transition out of university so incredibly easy. To have a variety of roles put in front of you is amazing, and even though I won’t be changing my agency and role in the second part of the programme, as I was offered a full-time position, to have the opportunity to switch and learn new skills at a new company makes such an impact.
“The support that you get from your peers throughout the programme is also so impactful, we have all been there for each other throughout this process which has been amazing.”
Mohd Wani decided to go back into education to do a masters in UX at one of the most prestigious universities in the UK:
“This programme has given me a new career path in an industry I never thought would be for me. By moving into UX design from graphic design, I can now see myself excelling more in this role than I ever could’ve imagined in graphic design.
“In four months on this programme working in UX, I can see more improvement in myself than in three years of training in graphic design.
“The work I have completed at Atomic Smash has helped me to secure a place at the Royal College of Art, which I will be starting later this year. But I have also been offered a full time by Atomic Smash when I finish my course, so I know my future is secure.
“The programme has taught me great networking skills, and different ways of talking to people. The skills sessions we do each week has also given me so many additional skills outside of my day-to-day job which are so valuable, and that is all thanks to this programme.
“The work I have done because of the programme and the skills that I now have, has helped me get rid of my past feelings of ‘I don’t belong here’, and now I know that I do.
“I would tell anyone thinking of joining the programme to just do it. It will give you so many different opportunities to find out what you are good at, what you are in to, and what your career path can be.”
Laurel Beckford is now working with Babbasa’s communications team:
”The BCI internship programme is one of the best out there for any individual looking to get their foot into the creative sector. The amount of support I have received is incredible and gives you so many opportunities to build up your skills.
“I was made aware of the programme through Babbasa and worked with them to help me with the process of getting in touch with BCI.
“Before I came on this programme, I didn’t know one thing about building a website, and now I can and have learnt so many skills.
“I have travelled to London with my agency, met clients face to face, and been involved in a photoshoot, which has been a real highlight.
“The BCI Internship programme can help anyone make their way into the creative sector and will give you the chance to do that.”
Whilst we are sad to be saying goodbye to some of the interns, we are incredibly excited to see opportunities created by the network and it’s brilliant to see the young people thrive and move onto the next stage of their career. We look forward to hearing more about how they are getting on in the coming months.
Other interns have also been offered jobs but have chosen to complete the internship programme, while some are exploring further training to hone their skills.
You can see the agencies currently involved in the progamme here.
The pilot programme will finish at the end of November. We will then review and reflect on the learnings from the interns and participating agencies to see how the scheme can be further developed and expanded. We are particularly excited to be working more closely with the team at Babbasa to develop our onboarding and training processes for the next round.
Conversations for the 2024 Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme has begun. If you run a creative business in Bristol and are interested in hearing more about how to get involved, contact BCI membership manager Alli Nicholas on [email protected]
IN 2023, WE RECERTIFIED WITH A SCORE OF 130.3.
130.3 is an outstanding achievement and something we should all be very proud of.
In 2019, ADLIB was one of a small handful of recruitment businesses globally that certified as a B Corp, our starting point was a score of 82.8. Our belief is that the B Corp assessment provides a structure, with clear measurement, to set clear improvement targets. Our initial certification was simply the start of the journey.
We set out our intentions through the publication of our annual impact reports and set the bar high. This approach and transparency ensured we achieved the focus and accountability needed to make improvements and reach our goals.
This impact report reflects on our recertification, what we have achieved, and provides a glimpse into where we head next.
GOVERNANCE – In 2020 ADLIB converted to a 100% employee ownership model. True stakeholder capitalism. Our recertification score acknowledges this transparency, from an internal perspective with regards to the day-to-day financial management, quarterly updates and access to the entire P&L. External publication of impact reports on social and environmental performance and commitment to our code of conducts.
WORKERS – We’re a people business in every sense of the phrase. Since our initial certification we have invested heavily into our team through numerous initiatives to build a stakeholder model that is fit for the long term.
COMMUNITY – At the centre of any community is a shared belief in attitudes and interests in common. For ADLIB, community covers a lot of ground. We support regional ecosystems, provide insight and advocate for international communities that are fighting for equality. The team have built their own communities from the ground up, we’ve supported community based projects that improve people’s lives, and play an active role within the B Corp community.
ENVIRONMENT – As a B2B service provider we store an increasing amount of customer and candidate data. Given our learnings from within the Green Tech South West community, we are increasingly aware that the life cycle of storing, processing, and transmitting digital information is an area that we need to pay significant attention to.
CUSTOMERS – In 2021-22 we aimed to improve our customer score by 10 points via the MotherBoard Charter. After long discussion with B Lab it was concluded that Mums in Tech are not recognised as underserved. Furthermore, the initiative is a not for profit, charging charter signatories an administration fee only and therefore no points were awarded. Our response was threefold.
The Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme, in partnership with Babbasa as part of the OurCity2030 initiative, is a stellar example of how BCI members can come together to fund and deliver a complex programme of internships and training to support some of the region’s most underrepresented young people.
After a successful pilot over the past few months with 14 brilliant agencies, we are now looking for more creative businesses to join our mission.
They will support the second cohort of interns during the next phase of this innovative project in 2024.
Agencies pay a one-off fee which covers:
✅ Onboarding to the programme including guidance and templates around internship structure/workplan.
✅ ED&I, mental health and neurodiversity training with a focus on working with young people from underrepresented groups.
✅ HR support and mentoring from Bristol Creative Industries’ dedicated internship programme manager Clare Leczycki.
✅ Recruitment and employment of two interns over six months.
If you are interested in taking part, email Bristol Creative Industries membership manager Alli Nicholas on [email protected]
Paula Newport, director of people and culture, Aardman Animations:
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If you are interested in taking part, email Bristol Creative Industries membership manager Alli Nicholas on [email protected]
Savvy art buyers get the chance to snap up bargain artworks and join in the fun as the RWA’s Secret Postcard Auction returns.
Following the huge success of the 2022 Secret Postcard Auction, the event will run online from 28 October to 9 November, with a physical display of the artworks on show at the RWA from 4-9 November.
An unmissable event in the RWA annual calendar, and a major fundraiser for us as an independent charity, the Secret Postcard Auction offers you the opportunity to make the winning bid on original artworks by famous, or soon-to-be-famous, artists!
As the name suggests, all the artworks are postcard size – albeit a large postcard, at approximately 14 x 19cm cm (5½” x 7½”). The postcards can be viewed, and bids can be placed on our 32 Auction site. It’s great fun and bidding can get fierce but there’s plenty of opportunity to grab a wonderful original work of art for as little as £40!
This year, as well as being online, you’ll have the opportunity to get a closer look at the postcards while they’re on display in the Youngwood Room at the RWA from 4 – 9 November.
Last year’s postcards included works by Sir Frank Bowling RA, Eileen Cooper RA, Maggie Hambling, David Remfry RA to name just a few. This year’s entries have started to roll in and we can already confirm contributions from Jeremy Deller, Anne Desmet RA, Simon Drew, Gilbert and George RA, Kurt Jackson RWA, Andrew Lanyon, Sir Richard Long RA RWA, Mali Morris RA, Cathie Pilkington RA and Bob & Roberta Smith RA, with many more to be revealed.
All of the contributing artists are named, but the identity of who did which artwork is anonymous until the auction has closed.
Bidding opens for the public on 28 October and will close at 10pm on 9 November 2023.
Since its re-opening last year, the RWA has welcomed more visitors to its building than at any time in its history and brought life-enhancing creativity to people who’ve never had that opportunity before, but we can only continue to do this with your help.
As an independent charity with less than 1% of costs covered from the public purse each year, we rely on our fundraising efforts to keep the doors open and run our outreach programme, engaging people in some of Bristol’s most under-represented communities. The money raised by the Secret Postcard Auction is a vital contributor to our finances. Last year we were blown away by the support, as donations reached over £70,000, while bidders still walked away with incredible bargains.
Keep an eye on the RWA website for details, and GOOD LUCK with your bidding!
secretpostcard.org.uk
The Southwest’s biggest Annual Open Exhibition returns for 170th year
The RWA (Royal West of England Academy) is delighted to announce the return of its renowned Annual Open Exhibition for the 170th year, running for an extended period, from 9 September 2023 to 14 January 2024.
This dynamic and varied exhibition features painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and mixed media submissions and is a showcase of some of the most exciting artists from across the country and beyond.
Amongst this year’s selection panel were invited artist Charmaine Watkins; President of the RWA Fiona Robinson; artist and Rabley Gallery director Meryl Ainslie, and Academicians Dallas Collins VPRWA, Lucy Austin RWA, Angel Lizon RWA and Karl Singporewala RWA. They assessed every artwork on its own merits, anonymously, before being able to bring down the 4000+ entries to just over 400. No mean task when the standard of work submitted was so high!
Alison Bevan, RWA Director, says: “This year above all others, we have been quite overwhelmed by the variety and standard of artworks submitted by every kind of artist, from long-established veterans to fresh new talent just finding its artistic voice. No matter what kind of art you enjoy, we can promise every visitor will find lots to love!”
The Annual Open reflects the RWA’s ongoing commitment to championing world-class art in the region and creating opportunities for new and emerging talent. It includes in excess of £10,000 in prize money, including the £5000 Academy Prize and a £4000 Other Art Prize.
All the original artwork on display is for sale not only in the galleries, but also online, with prices starting at less than you’d pay for a furniture-shop print. Buying art helps support both the artists and the RWA, which is a completely independent charity (1070163) delivering life-enhancing creative opportunities for young people and adults across Bristol.
Tickets to the Annual Open Exhibtion are £8.90 (concessions available), or for just £15 you can buy an RWA Art Pass, which allows unlimited access to all our ticketed exhibitions as many times as you like for a whole year. https://www.rwa.org.uk
In today’s rapidly changing world, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are not just buzzwords; they’re powerful pillars that drive success, enhance problem-solving and fuel innovation within organizations. Recognising the significance of DEI, creative technology agency Aer Studios enlisted the help of HeyFlow to build a stronger and more inclusive workplace that would support their existing workforce better and prepare them for a wider range of experiences as the team grows.
Central to Aer’s new strategy was the desire to foster comfortable conversations around reproductive health and its significant impact on the workplace. And the best way to do that was to create a more informed and open dialogue to pave the way for greater understanding and empathy among employees.
Enlisting the help of Hey Flow they designed a two-step approach. Firstly, a comprehensive companywide survey to gauge the current level of understanding and comfort levels related to reproductive health in the workplace, assess management’s knowledge of existing policies and identify areas for further education.
Based on the insights gained from the survey, HeyFlow then hosted a half-day workshop for the entire team at Aer Studios that focused on key points to bridge the knowledge gap, foster open conversations, and drive positive change.
The impact of the workshop was evident, with 93% of participants left feeling comfortable discussing all reproductive health topics covered during the session. More impressively, 36.2% of participants felt significantly more comfortable discussing these topics than before the workshop.
The workshop also generated seven employee-raised initiatives to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture that could be presented to management for consideration as their DEI strategy was being further developed.
“We knew that as part of our ongoing DEI charter, there needed to be a particular focus on gender equality. But if we were going to play a role in tackling the gender imbalance and systemic issues we face in the tech industries, we were going to need some help. Working with the brilliant team at HeyFlow has created a more open dialogue among the team and inspired new policies to better support women at all stages in their reproductive journeys. If you are looking for impactful and meaningful ways to further your DEI efforts, I would highly recommend HeyFlow”
Tom Harber, Managing Director, Aer Studios
Reproductive health doesn’t stop while you’re at work. And by their partnership with HeyFlow, Aer Studios have set a precedent of ensuring companies are building on inclusive foundations that work for their current workforce. If you’re interested in finding out more about HeyFlow and how they can help you understand your female* workforce better then get in touch at [email protected]
In May we announced the 14 young people selected as the first cohort for the Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme, in partnership with Babbasa and 14 creative businesses from the BCI membership community.
Two months into the programme, which is aimed at young people from underrepresented groups, we’re sharing an update on what the interns have been getting up to.
Clare Leczycki, Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme manager, said:
“Our interns are two months into their first three month placement and we are delighted with the progress. Each of the supporting agencies are providing a 360 degree view of the different departments alongside bespoke support around the interns’ key areas of interest.
“I have the joy of spending Fridays with the cohort as part of the skills and training programme which is co-produced with the interns. Guest speakers come in to share knowledge and expertise on a range of topics. So far we have explored mental health and resilience tools and strategies, neurodiversity and uncovering barriers to work, how to speak to your employers about your needs, the power of networking and navigating live project briefs.
“The group is also working on a live brief which allows them to come together with a focus on their area of expertise. They learn from one another whilst producing a tangible product that they will be able to showcase at the end of their internship.
“I am blown away at how well the group has bonded, how they show up each week with great energy, ideas and commitment. I appreciate the time I get to spend with them.
“The journey for the interns and the participating agencies is far from straightforward. For the agencies, creating learning opportunities and delivering training whilst running a business and being ready to make changes to welcome people from diverse backgrounds to their organisation is a lot to manage all at once.
“For the interns, being a new person in a company can already feel quite daunting. Not really seeing anyone else who looks like you can feel quite intimidating, especially when you are so early on in your career.
“My job is to ensure everyone is having a positive experience, so it’s lots of listening, encouraging open conversations, building trust and nurturing relationships. There are lots of different needs to attend to and success looks different for everyone so managing expectations is key in navigating this project.
“Our aim is to create a space that empowers everyone involved to be open and ready to learn, to be comfortable with vulnerability, to share challenges across the team, addressing issues when they come up and be ready to respond and make changes when needed.
“Some days we get things wrong but I trust we are all here for the same reasons; to make long-lasting change to the creative industries by providing opportunities to these incredibly talented young people who need a foot in the door and a warm welcome when they step inside.”
Kayjay McDonald-Ferguson, who is interning at saintnicks, is regularly sharing LinkedIn updates with brilliant behind the scenes insights from the programme. Here are some of his posts:
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Three of the interns joined the Bristol Creative Industries board meeting to deliver a brilliant presentation:
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Laurel is an intern at ThirtyThree.
Amy is an intern at Halo.
See a video below or watch it on Instagram.
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Armadillo discusses being involved in the programme.
On the workshop during which the 14 interns were selected, Rob Pellow, executive technical director at Armadillo, said:
“Meeting the potential interns and working with them in the workshop was an unbelievably eye-opening experience. Nothing had prepared me for the level of passion, curiosity and dedication to finding work that energises them.”
Megan O’Keefe, senior account manager, added:
“I’m really looking forward to being part of this project. Having joined the workshop, it’s clear how engaged everyone was and how keen to learn. There were some great questions so I’m looking forward to having some fresh perspectives and input.”
He is an intern at Atomic Smash.
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“We are thrilled to introduce Ahmed, the newest addition to the growing Newicon team. Ahmed has just stepped on board as our Software Development Intern, armed with an innovative mindset, enthusiasm, and a resolve to leave a lasting positive impact.”
“Last year, we shared our ‘Guide to a fair and inclusive workplace’, that hopes to address some of the hiring biases and challenges that are also preventing diverse talent from receiving and benefiting from opportunities. It considers where best to post job ads that will reach diverse audiences and how to write job ads without using gendered language. This tackles the practicalities of promoting the opportunities, but we were also looking for our opportunity to be able to provide an opportunity. Cue fanfare. This is when we heard about BCI’s new internship programme.
“We are thrilled to have welcomed our first intern, Sara Matloob, to the Mr B & Friends team. With a love of baking chocolate chip cookies, Jane Eyre and an interest in copywriting, idea generation and marketing we’re very excited to have her join the team.”
To stay updated on the Bristol Creative Industries Internship Programme, follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.
Main image credit: Alli Nicholas, Bristol Creative Industries membership manager
Second image credit: Eljay | www.instagram.com/Eljaybriss | www.eljaybriss.co.uk
The worlds of digital, product and service design are familiar with having end-users and customers involved in defining, testing and developing inclusive and accessible experiences. In brand identity design such involvement may be much less common but I don’t believe that that should remain the accepted norm. Always open to learning and developing my processes, I’m on a journey of discovery – exploring how I can ensure that The Co-Foundry takes a truly inclusive approach towards creating brand identities fit for the 21st Century.
Solving a branding brief can be done in any number of ways – there is never one single solution. But despite there being multiple angles and possible approaches, it’s not unusual to find that insufficient differing perspectives get explored during the strategic and creative stages of a project – something which can result in assumptions being perpetuated and generic solutions being delivered. And although no one sets out to deliberately exclude underrepresented voices, that thing where you assume your knowledge is all knowledge, is an easy trap to fall into.
Socially-conscious, human-centred businesses, institutions and organisations already understand the importance of listening to more than just the loudest and most dominant voices. They actively cast their net wider and ensure that individuals and minority communities get heard too. As brand strategists and designers, we should make creating space for, and listening to these diverse and underrepresented voices, an integral part of our practice too.
In this post I want to track the stages of a ‘typical’ brand project, identifying where we can embed inclusive practices and, in this way, exploring how brand designers, strategists and their clients can take practical steps towards a more inclusive approach.
Considering how brands are experienced by a more diverse range of customers and potential customers in the real world will lead to insights that then help create more meaningful and more widely resonant brand identities. These can, in their turn, contribute to extending brand reach and improving a brand’s accessibility and appeal across, for example, demographic divides, divergent thinkers, abilities and religions.
A 2022 study by the Design Council found the UK design industry in good shape but with a buoyant growth trajectory not being matched by a growth in diversity. More recently, speaking at Clerkenwell Design Week, Design Council CEO Minnie Moll spelled this out, saying, “only 23% of designers in the UK identify as female” while “88% of design managers identify as white”. It’s something I’ve written about on The Journal over the years here and here.
Inevitably, we’re all sometimes guilty of only viewing the world we live in from our own limited prism. So how can we ensure that the light we refract takes in the full gamut of possibilities and experiences, and not just a limited palette? How can we shine a light on underrepresented communities, reflecting life as it really is and ultimately driving change?
Apart from being an ethical, respectful, empathetic and positive way to design, there are several strategic reasons why inclusivity matters. In UX and CX design there is already a broad consensus around inclusive design extending market share and accelerating innovation, so how can inclusive brand identity design benefit the brand, and the audience it serves?
Key benefits of adopting inclusive practices include:
In other words, from a commercial perspective, you increase your brand value and drive higher brand engagement.
An inclusive approach starts not just with knowledge of your audiences but with knowledge of yourself.
The path to greater inclusivity starts with asking yourself: “Who might I be excluding with my design decision?” (Jeff Zundel, LinkedIn’s Inclusive Design Advocate). We need to recognise and acknowledge our own unconscious bias and begin with an open mindset, whether that’s through unconscious bias training or simply respecting and being open to the opinions of others.
So, start with the question: “Who are we not reaching or serving?”
Educating yourself on how current events and public discourse impacts the people you intend to reach is important too, but nothing beats actually consulting and working alongside your stakeholders.
Follow this link for the full article, where I look at this from a ‘typical’ brand design process and see where we can bring voices that may have previously been left out, in.
We are super excited to be bringing MotherBoard events to Bristol!
When: Wednesday 19th July 2023.
What time: 6.30pm – 9pm
Location: Huboo, 41 Corn St, Bristol BS1 1HT
Drinks and pizza provided.
Speakers include:
Rav Bumbra, Founder of Cajigo
Rowena Innocent, SVP Engineering at Ultraleap
Chloe Allan, Technology Manager, Just Eat
David Maher Roberts, Managing Partner of Digital DNA & Founder of TechSpark
Join us for the first Bristol MotherBoard community event! This event will be a networking event, with a panel talk starting 7.30pm.
With 50% of women leaving the industry by the time they are 35, we will be asking the important question “how we can retain more women in tech”.
We will offer practical takeaways including how businesses can support their female talent and drive retention, how businesses can offer an inclusive environment for mums and what we as individuals can do to support our peers and be advocates for all women working in tech.
If you have not been to one of our events before, MotherBoard is a community, event series and charter for everyone who believes we need more support for women working in the tech industry. We encourage everybody to join who is interested in understanding more about how to drive inclusion in the workplace.
Please RSVP to confirm your place.
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