Computer Arts

spring 2017 pearlfisher

computerarts.creativebloq.com

Watch the videos on our YouTube channel: http://www.bit.ly/ca265-pearlfisher

MIKE BEAuCHAMP

Head of 3D design

JEss PHILLIPs

senior designer

Trained as an industrial

designer Mike works across

3D projects from packaging

to environments. Jess has

spent the last four years

rising through the ranks

having joined as a junior.

DESIGN WITH STRATEGY IN MIND

In our fourth and final video Mike Beauchamp

and Jess Phillips from Pearlfisher’s Design

division share how the agency balances its

2D and 3D design requirements and how

strategy fits into their creative process.

WATCH THE VIDEO NOW AT

http://www.bit.ly/ca265-pearlfisher

1 Balance knowledge with passion

pearlfisher’s Futures strategy and Design

divisions collaborate closely throughout

a project’s life cycle and the agency tries

to balance depth of experience with fresh

creative thinking when choosing designers

to work on any given brief. “some of the

bigger brands we work on require a certain

level of insight and knowledge of that

brand” admits mike beauchamp “but

we often balance that with a younger

more energetic level of design. certain

people are also suited to certain types of

projects so we try and cater to that too.”

2 Don’t let strategy be a straitjacket

“obviously you have to listen to the research

and the strategy but try not to let it contain

you” is Jess phillips’ advice. “strategists are

a great sounding-board for ideas but don’t

be too closed in by the theory. use it as a

springboard rather than a net.”

3. Never be afraid to ask why
   one of the best pieces of advice that
   beauchamp received from his university
   tutor is to always question why something
   is there and that’s particularly true
   when it comes to brand strategy. “if
   somebody can’t explain it then there’s
   a conversation that’s worth having” he
   insists. “people can be apprehensive
   about questioning things because they’re
   concerned about not knowing what they
   should know. one of my favourite things
   about designers is that they’re kind of nosy:
   an inquisitive nature is inherent in a lot of
   creative outputs. i would always encourage
   people to keep questioning why.”

Jess Phillips and Mike Beauchamp

reveal how they interpret the

findings of Pearlfisher’s team

of strategists at the coalface

of the design department

THREE WAys TO

TuRN sTRATEgy

INTO gREAT DEsIgN

Right and below:
pearlfisher’s creation of
tampon brand Fémme used
branding to drive a cultural
change in the use of tampons
in china where only two per
cent of chinese women use
tampons compared to 70
per cent in the West.