development to the refining of the detail,”
explains Zareem-Slade. “It’s probably more
of a challenge for Design Bridge than
it is for us, but they are always gracious
and patient, which is a sign of the great
partnership we’ve built together.”
Get to know the context
Paying attention to the details of your
client’s products is vital, which is why
Design Bridge makes a habit of visiting
Fortnum’s Piccadilly store before meetings.
“We’ve become familiar with what does
and doesn’t work on shelves,” says Goss.
“For example, we know what colours
and finishes will stand out on the dark
mahogany shelves, and that using too much
gold doesn’t work well with the lighting.”
“We often take mock-ups along with
us and put them on the shelves,” adds
Templeman. “It sounds so simple, but
doing this really helps us to refine the
AUGUST 2019 COLLABORATIONS
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COMFINDING YOUR
IDEAL CREATIVE
PARTNER- TRUST AND
MUTUAL RESPECT
For Non-Format’s Jon Forss, it’s
all about finding someone who
you trust and respect. “If it’s a
constant tug of war, then maybe
that can create incredible
results for a while, but to go
the distance you need to be
working on trust.” - SOMEONE WHO
CHALLENGES YOU
There are certain type of
collaborators who should be
avoided if possible, according
to illustrator Victo Ngai. “Watch
out for ‘lazy’ collaborators who
don’t care about standing up
for a good idea but only want
to relay what their bosses
tell them, and for the ‘easy’
collaborators who would give
you a pass on ‘good-enough’
work,” Ngai says. “I recommend
working with someone who
cares about the projects as
much as you do, someone
who can challenge you and
help you grow.” - THE RIGHT CHEMISTRY
“People buy people,” says
Fortnum & Mason’s Zia
Zareem-Slade. While process
and methodology are required,
fundamentally you need to have
the right chemistry with the
people you collaborate with,
Zareem-Slade explains. “Your
empathy and ability to listen
to what others have to say, and
genuinely enjoying working
together, is key.”
We explore what
qualities to look for in
your next collaboratorZIAZAREEM-SLADE
CUSTOMEREXPERIENCEDIRECTORFORTNUM&MASON
Placing brand experience design thinking at the heart
of Fortnum’s strategy, Zareem-Slade ensures that
Fortnum & Mason’s unique charm and wit is brought
to life across every aspect of the brand to deliver
commercial success.
design and see it how the consumer would
see it in the real world.”Trust the designer-client relationship
“One of the things that I love about working
with Zia and her team is that they push us,
but they also allow us to push them,” says
Templeman. “They want to know what we
think; they respect our opinions, and they
trust us to do a good job. The relationship
is also based on honesty. They will tell us
when they don’t like our creative routes,
and that’s not always easy to hear, but they
always have faith in us and know that we’ll
crack it together. That faith and openness
comes from the strong relationship we have
built with them over the years.”Don’t stick to the same old processes
“I think the biggest challenge we have is
that they are a small team, but they operate
a big business, so time is precious and our
deadlines are often very tight,” says Goss.
“Sometimes we might just have half an
hour to talk through three projects with
them, so we’ve had to adapt how we work
and how we present our work.”
“The way we work together is a bit more
fluid and looser than how I might work with
some of my other clients,” says Templeman.
“I’ve had to learn to adapt quickly as things
can change more quickly than on other
projects, but we’ve found a way that seems
to work for everyone involved. I think that’s
the key to our relationship.”“Things can
change and shift
more quickly than
on other projects’’
Design Bridge worked on the packaging for Fortnum
& Mason’s Queen Bee honey, Handmade English
Chocolates (left) and Piccadilly stem ginger biscuits.