Ian Thompson of 'Thompson brand partners' was also a guest speaker at the design symposium, Liverpool. The key to Ian's discussion was branding and 'how to make money doing what you love'. Ian says that you need to design effectively to get the best jobs.
Ian beleives that finding your neiche in design is one of the toughest roads you will face in your career of design.
When tackling branding briefs Ian says that you need to acknowledge where and what the problem is within the brand. Ian's opinion is that most people prefer not to change as it is a big risk, so he beleives most re brands are only slight changes.
Ian beleive's that the the most effective brand is Durex. He says that Durex: play became a £40 million subrand within two years. In Ian's opinion Wolly Ollins is the forward runner of branding.
When looking for work placements Ian says that he looks for people with a insatiable desire to learn and willingness to work. He beleives that you need to demostrate a real intrest in briefs and show you are self sufficient. Recruiting people for placement who have no fear of doing boring stuff for a while. Ian says one key value is being commercially minded, reading and understanding as much as you can. Talking about the world, not just the design world.
When applying for placements Ian says that you need to give the idea of what YOU can bring to them and express the desire to have effective work. When in the industry for 6-7 years Ian recommends that you should re visit your freshness.
Ian beleives that when looking at portfolios you immediately know whether people will make it. Presentation is a important factor. Ian says that you should arrange your portfolio to a narrative. To show a story or a journey.
