

My Life In Design Podcast
Claire Blyth
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 19, 2023 • 1h 1min
Rowena Curlewis and Margaret Nolan of Denomination
Send us Fan MailThis week Claire meets up with Rowena Curlewis and Margaret Nolan of the drinks specialist agency - Denomination. Row & Margaret talk about early beginnings at Lewis Moberly, on the importance of getting the culture right when you set up a business partnership, setting up studios around the world, and some great tips for junior designers. Links:Red SetterDenominationdbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Oct 12, 2023 • 1h 1min
Jim Sutherland of Studio Sutherl&
Send us Fan MailWe kick off the fourth series of My Life in Design with Jim Sutherland. Jim founded the multi-award winning Studio Sutherl&, and is visiting professor at Norwich University of the Arts. Jim talks about how he got started in design, overcoming his shyness to make an impression and present work, and why you don’t need to wear a suit as a junior designer!Links:Red SetterStudio Sutherl&dbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Aug 3, 2023 • 48min
Brian Collins – Co-founder of COLLINS
Brian Collins, co-founder of Collins, shares his journey from starting a design studio in his bedroom to international success. He discusses his design school experience, mental health advice for young designers, and the importance of networking and creativity in the design industry.

Jul 27, 2023 • 55min
Caspar Lam and YuJune Park, Founders of Synoptic Office
Send us Fan MailThis week, Claire speaks to Caspar Lam and YuJune Park, Founders of the award-winning Synoptic Office and Professors in Communication Design at the Parsons School of Design, NY. Caspar and YuJune talk about their discovery of design and their shared love of visualising ideas. They discuss how design is constantly evolving and the continued role for human input to ask the right questions.Links:Red SetterSynoptic OfficedbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Jul 20, 2023 • 48min
David Johnston - Founder of Accept & Proceed
Send us Fan MailThis week Claire meets up with David Johnston, founder of Accept & Proceed, exploring his design journey, from discovering graphic design and his art school experience, to entering the design industry at a time in the nineties when graphic design felt ‘punk, exciting and everything is possible.’ David talks about setting up Accept & Proceed and working with clients like Nike, Google, Rapha and NASA, using design as a force for good. He also shares valuable tips to young designers starting out.Links:Red SetterAccept & ProceeddbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Jul 13, 2023 • 41min
Paula Scher - Pentagram partner & design genius
Send us Fan MailThis week Claire meets up with the rather fantastic Paula Scher. Paula shares her design journey from discovering graphic design, her art school experience, and landing her first job. She discusses her early career as art director in the 1970s and early 80s, working for CBS records, and becoming a partner of Pentagram NYC in 1991. She discusses her thoughts on what branding is and can a graphic designer really design a brand, and the importance of young designers getting themselves noticed. Links:Red SetterPaula ScherdbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Jul 6, 2023 • 1h 3min
Craig Black - Visual Artist
Send us Fan MailThis week Claire met up with visual artist Craig Black. Craig shares his rise from footballer to typographer to visual artist and performing his ‘Acrylic Fusion’ technique in front of some of the world’s greatest footballers at the FIFA World Cup in 2022.Links:Red SetterCraig BlackdbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Jun 29, 2023 • 1h 14min
John Glasgow, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Vault49
Send us Fan MailThis week Claire meets up with John Glasgow, Creative Director and Co-Founder of Vault49. John talks about his early days in the London street art scene, moving to NYC, and setting up Vault49 with Co-Founder Jonathan Kenyon. He also talks about the issues we face today with lack of diversity in design and what can be done about them.Links:Red SetterVault49dbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Jun 22, 2023 • 48min
Sarah Boris - Artist and Designer
Send us Fan MailThis week Claire meets up with artist and designer, Sarah Boris. She shares how she balances her love for art and design, with her art fuelling the design side. She talks about the lengths she went to, to secure her dream first design job at the Barbican, and about feeling part of the design industry and wanting a central space for designers to meet up! Links:Red SetterSarah BorisdbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice

Jun 15, 2023 • 51min
Dave Palmer - ECD & Owner of LOVE
Send us Fan MailThis week Claire met up with Dave Palmer, ECD & Owner of LOVE. Dave talks about his discovery of graphic design through his love of music and record covers, and the challenges he faced building a portfolio and trying to secure his first job in the wake of the 1990s dot com crash, to co-founding LOVE in 2001, and building an agency that now has 85 people working in Manchester with brands globally. Links:Red SetterLOVEdbaPodcast Editing by Stick and Splice


