1 Having my own company works best for me. I think I’m probably completely unemployable now anyway and have been for quite a few years! I have a business partner who looks after the business side and I look after the creative work. I’ve never wanted to do anything apart from design, although it has been a rollercoaster over the years, going as low as you can go and as high as you can get. The past few years have been great and I’ll be very happy if Lumsden carries on doing as well both in the UK and, increasingly, internationally.
2 Follow your heroes and learn from them. One of mine is Rodney Fitch, who I worked for a long time ago for a few years and went on to become a friend. He was a great guy and practically invented what we’re all doing now in retail design. John Sorrell is another hero and Wally Olins. Then there’s Andy Warhol, David Bowie…
3 Search the world for inspiration. There’s a danger of becoming too screen-based. The more you’re away from your desk, the better. Film, art, music, nature, visiting places, talking to people – this is what it’s all about. It’s really important to travel whenever you can and witness other cultures – I’m always wary about employing anyone who hasn’t travelled much. Getting inspiration from all these different areas really helps us to create the whole touch, feel and experience of design.
The Harry Potter shop at King’s Cross station, London
4 Be a people watcher. It’s too easy for designers to stick themselves in a bubble and ignore what ordinary people want and how they behave. Instead, look at how people react and experience things. You can only begin to inspire them if you truly understand what they want.
5 Be a customer not a designer. I always think of what I’d want to experience in a shop, which is always completely different according to the context. The recent emphasis on showroomstyle retail on the high street is about giving customers the chance to experience that brand rather than just buying. But museum retail has always been slightly different – people want to take something home from that destination so that they can own a piece of that experience. I’d love to be able to apply some of what we’ve learned from museum and destination retail lately to the high street.
6 Get your fees agreed before you do anything. Being upfront about fees always avoids trouble later.
Inside the gift shop at the National Theatre
7 Always challenge your client. You have to choose your moment, but the last thing clients want is a yes man who just does what they say. I find challenging them gains more respect than going with the flow – clients want to be surprised. You can end up forming a really close relationship with a lot of clients. They are often making a significant investment so you’re in a great position of trust.
The worst thing is when clients say they want something that’s already been done elsewhere, although fortunately this doesn’t often happen with my museum clients. For me, design is about discovering new ways of doing things – I like to think that we don’t have a house style. And if clients end up going on a different journey than they’d initially expected but end up in a better place, that’s a good thing.
8 Employ people who are better than you. Or at least better than you at some aspect of design. Having people with a different experience, skill-set, or culture is an advantage and it’s really important to get the mix right.
Books and more in the British Museum shop
9 Get to know the people who will make your design. It’s important to talk confidently to those who will make and install your designs – you can learn so much. I trained as a furniture designer, which helps. We’re always part of the on-site project team.
10 Never worry about your competition. Be aware of what they’re doing but don’t think you don’t have a chance against them in a pitch. You can beat anyone to a job, but have to remember that they can beat you too.
