Episode 21 — James Sommerville ATTIK

Recorded in my attic with ATTIK founder James Sommerville, this episode explores his remarkable four-decade journey in design from launching ATTIK with Simon Needham in Huddersfield to becoming one of the industry's most influential creative leaders.James reflects on the early struggles of building a studio, receiving support from The King's Trust, and embracing emerging technologies such as the Apple Mac. We discuss the legendary Noise publications, the evolution of agency culture, and why today's creative businesses need to remain agile, collaborative and open to change.The conversation also delves into his thoughts on AI, the future of design education, and his latest venture, KnownUnknown a global network of creative talent built around flexibility, experimentation and the power of bringing diverse minds together.I really enjoyed this one, as it brought back memories from when I first saw ATTIK talk back in 1997.

Episode 20 explores the unconventional journey of Casey, founder of Play, from aspiring athlete to leading a global design studio. Casey shares how persistence, curiosity, and hands-on learning shaped his path into the creative industry. From late nights formatting decks at Leo Burnett to building a 30-person studio spanning San Francisco, London, and beyond, the conversation reveals the realities of design, business, and growth. It highlights the value of embracing mistakes, rejecting perfectionism, and learning by doing. Honest and inspiring, the podcast offers insight into creativity, entrepreneurship, and building a modern, design-led studio.A massive thank you to Casey for taking the time to talk to me.

The 19th podcast features Jonathan Ellery. We sat down in his beautiful London studio to talk about the origins of Browns and explore the fascinating overlap between his work as both a designer and an artist.Jonathan reflects on the early days of Browns, which he founded in 1998 with two partners. The studio quickly built an international reputation through magazine features and word of mouth, long before the era of social media. Over time, Jonathan continued to develop the studio into the independent and respected practice it is today.He also shares the inspirations behind his creative journey, from growing up in Cornwall studying art and design and discovering the possibilities of a creative career. The conversation moves through studio culture, publishing, and the relationship between design and art, highlighting Jonathan’s passion for thoughtful, independent, and meaningful creative work.I really enjoyed my conversation with Jonathan and the whiskey that followed. A huge thank you to Jonathan for taking the time to share his stories, perspectives, and experiences so openly. It was a genuine pleasure spending time in his studio and hearing about his journey.Browns Editions

The 18th podcast features the wonderful Oskar Lübeck, Founder / Chief Creative Officer of Bold Scandinavia, the international brand consultancy which unites strategy, creativity and design to create meaningful impact.We talk about Oskar's journey into design which began unexpectedly during his military service, where creativity became an escape from structure. Inspired by Swiss typography and timeless logos, he pursued studies in Gothenburg, Japan, New York, and London, culminating in a master’s degree in typography at Central Saint Martins.After stints at Pentagram and Brand Union, he returned to Stockholm to found Bold, a branding agency now celebrating its 15th anniversary with studios across Scandinavia and a new London studio. Under Oskar’s leadership, Bold has grown from a small studio into an 80-person agency known for its strategic creativity, collaborative process, and Scandinavian clarity. Highlights include the award-winning Mojang Studios rebrand, which evolved into a full franchise identity for their number one game, Minecraft. Oskar’s approach balances storytelling, strategy, and joy in the creative process championing kindness, curiosity, and psychological safety as essential ingredients for bold design.

This episode was recorded at Tom’s London studio, a beautiful space that perfectly reflects the creativity and craft of his team’s work. As always, we begin with Tom’s journey into design before diving into the story behind his iconic Massive Attack cover a piece that remains as striking and relevant today as when it was first released.We hope you enjoy listening.

In this episode Create Great, I catch up with Tom Crabtree Co-founder & Creative Director of his studio Manual, Tom reflects on the studio’s ethos and origins. We speak candidly about the studio’s evolution, from early experimental projects to more refined, purpose-driven work. We hope you like this episode, thanks for taking time to listening.

Welcome to Episode 15 of the Visuelle: Create Great podcast. It’s been a little while since our last episode, but I promise this one is well worth the wait.In this episode, I chat with Tyler Eide, Principal Creative Director of Parker Studio, which he founded in 2018. Based in Seattle, Tyler shares his journey into design, the influences that shaped his path, and as always we touch on a few recurring themes like soundtracks, Sonic, and AI.I hope you enjoy the episode.

In this, the 14th episode of Create Great, I catch up with Mark Bloom, founder of CoType Foundry and Mash Creative. We talk about his journey into design, setting up CoType Foundry as well as his prized 1971 Mini, rave flyers and more.

In this episode, I got to talk to James Kape founder and co-creative director at https://www.omse.co – A creative studio combining strategy and design to craft simple, striking brands.We spoke about his design journey the different decisions made along with the ups and downs of owning and running a studio.I'd like to thank James for his honest and open conversation, so great insights and stories were shared.

This edition of Create Great features the wonderful Mike Abbink, In August 2020, Mike joined IBM Software as Executive Creative Director and focused on the ⁠Carbon Design System⁠ which we talked about and also looked back at his design journey and the studios he's worked in and helped set up a truly inspirational conversation. I had a great time talking to Mike and I hope you enjoy the conversation and insights.