JUNE 2019 COLLINS
COMPUTERARTS.CREATIVEBLOQ.COM- NURTURE RELATIONSHIPS
“Great work is always the result of great
relationships,” says creative director Tom
Wilder. “I can’t overstate the trust we seek
to build with our clients and each other.”
Associate business director Antonia Lazar
has some tips on building that trust:
“Constant communication allows for both
teams to build trust in the collaborative
relationship,” she says. In order to maintain
this, “create a schedule of check-in calls
with your client, regardless of milestones
on the project timeline.” - EMBRACE COMPETITION
“Find great people to surround yourself
with,” advises Wilder. “I’m jealous daily
of what my colleagues create; friendly
competition only makes work better.” Make
sure you’re looking for competition and
inspiration in the right places, however.
“Stop looking at what everyone else is doing
on Instagram,” he says. “The internet is an
amazing place but unfortunately, it’s also
made everything in design homogenised.” - KEEP A CLEAR HEAD
It’s only natural that problems will arise
during the creative process, and when that
happens, you shouldn’t ignore them. “Don’t
hide from difficult conversations,” says
Lazar. “They will only come back to nip you
in the ass if you don’t face them head-on.”
And when things get particularly tough,
don’t act until your head is clear. “No
problem is so urgent that it must be solved
without thinking,” says Lazar, who advises
taking a few deep breaths when things get
hectic. “After that, I have the mental space
to problem-solve from new angles – angles
that might not have been apparent amidst
the clutter of urgency.”
If your problem is a creative one, it’s also
important to take some time out, says
Wilder. “I find it’s always best to not stare at
the screen and pray for an answer to come,”
he says. “A solution for me usually comes
from time away from my actual work.
Forcing creativity never works.”
Antonia Lazar and Tom Wilder
explain how to push your
designs to the next levelHOW TO MAKE
EXTRAORDINARY
DESIGN WORK
ANTONIA LAZAR
Associate business director
Antonia Lazar is associate business director at COLLINS. She leads
some of the company’s work with Target, vitaminwater, Museum of the
Moving Image, AICP, Art Directors Club and OYO.Above: Fun
illustrations
formed a key part
of Mailchimp’s
rebrand.Left: The identity
for Spotify is
based around the
“burst” of emotion
when a person
connects with
a song.