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Mary Lewis, Creative Director of Lewis
Moberly in Britain, speaks on design like the
savant she is. And we at Design Indaba will
celebrate her work at next February's banner
event.
Mary is a recipient of the British Design & Art
Direction President's Award in 2001 for
Outstanding Contribution to Design and her
numerous awards include D&AD Gold and
three Silver Awards, DBA Grand Prix and
International Brand Packaging Awards. She is a
brand identity designer whose prestigious
clients include Champagne Bollinger, Le Bon
Marché, Jasper Conran, HRH The Prince of
Wales, Stuart Crystal and The Royal Mail.
Currently she is developing the brand portfolio
for Harrods, conducting global projects for
Johnson & Johnson and is a consultant to
Marks & Spencer. She is contributing author to
Understanding Brands.
Design Indaba asked prominent South African
designer, Joanne Thomas of The Jupiter
Drawing Room to conduct an interview. Given
Joanne's own portfolio, particularly in
packaging design, we thought she would have
the inside track.
I was interested to find out that you started your career in advertising. Itwould seemthat in the UK and Europe the
areas of advertising and design are very defined and separate,whereas in South Africa increasingly agencies are
boasting a 'through-the-line approach' covering everything fromdesign through to 'above-the-line' advertising.What
did you learn fromyour time in advertising? And can the two worlds learn fromeach other?
I loved working in advertising and enjoy sharp brains, quick wit and the ability to sum up in a second. These skills are
equally relevant and potent in the hands of the designer. However the conflict between the two worlds has always baffled
me. Advertising is transient, you can walk past a poster and turn off the TV. But design is enduring. You take it home with
you. Apart fromthat, both disciplines are there to amplify the brand. A common goal to be achieved in partnership. This is
how we successfully work with advertising agencies.
Was there any other career path you could have taken?
Post art school I abandoned graphic design and worked as a fine art printmaker, teaching in art schools to support this and using the printmaking facilities during the holidays. I was teaching graphic design and after three years I began to worry that I'd never actually done it. I set out to tackle some projects and never went back.
You'll be speaking at the Design Indaba in South Africa in February next year, do you travel a lot? And how do these travels inspire you?
Travel is one of the best things about what I do. Our clients are international
and my bag stays ready and packed. Our client base is diverse both in type
and provenance. Which means it can be New York one week and a one
horse town in the Caucasus the next... Identifying local nuances is essential
to what I do. It stimulates professional and personal curiosity.
Is there any one particular country that you think sits at the forefront of
design? And who's next?
Different countries have difference strengths. America produces stunning
annual reports, Japan understands the packaging ritual better than anyone
else, here in the UK we have a design literate audience to keep us on our
toes and South Africa is producing some beautifully crafted work… As
boundaries recede it's hard to pinpoint, but Russia must be poised to reclaim
and enjoy a visual extravaganza.
What's your fantasy job?
It would be back in
the printroom, with
no pressures but my
own, surrounded by
the ritual of the
medium, a whole
long day ahead of
me, and rows of
empty racks waiting
for my prints…
We often struggle with trying to
understand how sophisticated our
emerging mass market is in South Africa
-will they understand and appreciate
good design? Do you think that
designers can 'lead' a market to a better
understanding of design?
Yes, yes, yes. But not by promoting
design. Solve problems, create something
of beauty, readily understood and valued,
and you have fans. Once the ball is
rolling design is 'must have' - and not
exclusive.
If I say "African design" what picture
leaps to mind?
The profile of a majestic elephant leading
more elephants of smaller sizes through
the haze of early morning... Wow.
Designer: God.
What's been the proudest moment in
your career?
Winning the British Design and Art
Direction Gold Award for Outstanding
Design.
The seemingly unattainable Gold at
D&AD. What piece of work was this for?
The award was given for the design of
the launch wines in a range of over three
hundred labels for UK retailer Asda. In
1988 when the project was commissioned
supermarket packaging was either a
cheap apology of a brand lookalike.
Marketers patronised the mass market,
and retailers peddled price points over
quality and were yet to wake up to the
power of their own brand.
In the retail arena, Asda was personified
by its irreverence and 'northern
confidence'. The design concept took its
inspiration from high-end branded wines
- Baron Philippe de Rothschild and its
portfolio of artists. Delivering 'art' at £2 a
bottle was a challenge in itself. A host of
enthusiastic creatives including sculptors,
ceramists and photographers were
briefed to create images for each label
design. Some were famous, others just
graduating. They all signed the label,
and a brave and visionary client was
persuaded that there could be no
compromise. What was proposed as a
design, was to be used.
Each label was entirely individual with
no reference to brands or category. The
wine critic Malcolm Gluck described it as
a "glittering array nictating like gems".
Industry benchmarker Beryl McAlhone
described it as "Mould breaking work".
Several artists were set on course for
fame and fortune, Asda's sales rose and
marketers were left scratching their
heads as to its success. The message is
"don't underestimate the consumer and
don't do things in half measures".
Your company's successes continue to
stream in - not least of all the D&AD
Presidents Award that you personally
received - do you find it difficult to keep
up the goodwork?
It's always hard to keep up good work,
but if it wasn't hard it wouldn't be good.
How important are awards to you
personally and secondly to your
business?
My rational answer is that the two are
intrinsically linked. Awards are not an
indulgence they are a commercial asset.
They attract the best designers to our
team who in turn do the best work for our
clients.
My emotional response is that I love to
win them…
Your design or that of Lewis Moberly has always
been the kind of design that makes me say " I wish
I'd done that.." Is there any piece of design that you
wish you had done?
There are lots but one in
particular... Chanel No 5
Humour often seems to play an integral part of your design. Are you just a funny
bunch of people or is there a deeper philosophy behind your design?
I don't think humour looms large in our portfolio. But in our quest for simplicity,wit
can thrive. All projects require different approaches. We say we design bin liners
(Boots Bin Liners) and Bolly (Champagne Bollinger). We're probably also a funny
bunch of people…
About this 'bunch of people' - how many people do you haveworking in your
offices? And what qualities do you look for when hiring new people to work with
you?
We have a team of thirty people, ten of whom are designers. In hiring I look for
particular talents to balance what I think we may need at any one time. They should
have a real passion for design, be hungry for projects and competitive in spirit. I
enjoy working with strong individuals who bring something through their personality
to the culture of the team and can argue their case. I also enjoy designers who have
worked in different disciplines to ours, they have no preconcieved ideas and I
experiment with creatives who have changed career e.g. banker to designer…
Fighting spirit? Could you elaborate on this?
Fighting spirit is the quality which takes a design without
compromise, from conception to production. It has the
power to survive marketing institutionalism and emerge
unscathed. Apple would be a good example, though in
this case the vision was driven from the top, but that tells
its own story.
What projects are you currently involved in?
Ironically, Baron Philippe de Rothschild - fifteen years
after the Asda project. Johnson and Johnson, on
international projects for some of their leading brands.
Harrods, the redesign of their own brand range. Pol
Roger, the renowned champagne house and Marks and
Spencer where I work as a consultant.
Do you continue to be challenged by new briefs?
Yes, but experience does reduce tolerance. Briefs I take
on now have to be well worked. I lose patience with
creative wastage and only begin design when the
objectives are clear. I like a real problem to solve, then
there's the challenge of doing it beautifully and
appropriately.
Where does your inspiration come from?
Life.
Any career low points?
We were asked by The Observer newspaper to propose
the packaging design for Cannabis, should it become
legal. The work made the front cover of the supplement
and included a design by our newest recruit featuring
vibrating vertical stripes. I only discovered they belonged
to Bridget Riley when I got a letter from her solicitor…
If you were to go through your pantry at home right
now - which is the best piece of packaging you would
find there?
My little bottle of Angostura Bitters. It's been there a long
time, you only use a little and they don't change the
design. It's a rebel. Label's too big, types too small and
it's wall to wall text - and no colour except a touch of red
and a strange yellow top. No brand manager ever got
near it and I don't want to be asked to redesign it.
What do you consider to be the key components of great design?
Relevance, Distinction, Intelligence, Tension, Aesthetic pleasure, Fighting spirit.
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