My Life In Design Podcast

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This week Claire met up with Paul Watmough-Halim and Jan Stein, the co-founders of the brand studio Hyperfocus. 
Paul was named by Creative Boom as one of the top creatives of 2025, and has spoken around the world with Jan at festivals such as D&AD. Paul was head of design at clothing brand Bench and has worked on German media channel Funke and the Olympic Games for Coca-Cola. Jan has worked on brands such as Google, Swisscom and Red Bull and both are the co-hosts of the Brand Review on YouTube. 
On the podcast they share their early discovery of art and design, their uniting love of skateboarding, to the influence of music, DJ-ing and creating album art. Jan shares the huge impact of growing up in East Berlin when the wall came down and seeing the world through new eyes. And they share the creative and eye-catching ways that they’ve made their mark in the world of brand design and becoming the 'go-to' for other agencies to design their websites.
Links:
Hyperfocus
Red Setter
Dba

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The award-winning Rejane Dal Bello, founder of Studio Dal Bello, joined host Claire Blyth at a live audience recording at D&AD’s headquarters, talking about her book ‘Citizen First, Designer Second’ and its unique perspective on design. 
On the podcast Rejane shares her design journey through her book, with insights, and advice for designers who want to make a meaningful impact. 
She discusses the undervaluation of design in society and the need for greater awareness of its impact.
And she explains why she hates the word branding and the feeling of creating hierarchies in design. 
Links:
Rejane Dal Bello
Red Setter
Dba

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In the first podcast of series 9, Claire met Samar at Pentagram’s new London studios for a wide-ranging conversation on design, culture, and global identity.
Samar is known for her creative, multilingual approach to design, working at the intersection of cultures. Her work spans major global projects - from city rebrands such as Dubai, to launching Apple’s brand in Arabic, and campaigns for many clients including Porsche across technology, culture, and AI.
 On the podcast, Samar shares her journey from Beirut to London, and her path to becoming a Pentagram partner in 2023
She explores the challenges of building cohesive brands across languages and cultures  
And offers sharp insights into today’s design industry, from trends to challenges

Links : 
Pentagram
Red Setter
Dba

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In the last of the series, Claire sat down with Phil Jones, a true design innovator and a major force in the UK’s creative, digital, design and sports industries. Now best known as the founder of the invite-only Podge Lunches, Phil is also a mentor, consultant, and former MD of leading digital and typography agencies. He’s a pioneer of digital design and was voted into the BIMA Digital Hall of Fame in 2012.
On the podcast, Phil shares his epic career journey from typesetting for London’s best design agencies, founding one of the first digital studios in the UK and creating the first websites for brands including Canon and Diesel, to the origins of the very first Podge Lunch - and how it became such an influential design community-building event.

Links : 
Red Setter
Dba

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This week, Claire is joined by Helena Raven, managing director of brand design and innovation partner Bloom. She has helped shape work for major brands such as McVitie's, KP snacks, Tango, Heineken, Talisker and Virgin Atlantic. Helena shares her early career as a professional ballet dancer, and how an injury redirected her path into marketing, comms, and ultimately brand design - via roles in government and the charity sector. Her perspective on the big challenges facing the design industry, including the impact of AI (where it's the attitudes and behaviours, not the technology, that concern her most) and her priorities for leading a successful agency, and why the real magic happens in the chemistry, culture and trust built within client relationships.
Links : 
Bloom
Red Setter
Dba