Creative Lives: Joss Debae, brand strategist

Working with companies such as Dazed Media, Protein, Anyways and trend forecasting agency WGSN, freelance brand strategist Joss Debae is brought in on a project basis, helping to develop objectives to crack a brief, or build growth strategies for brands often in the fashion, sportswear, luxury or retail sector, previously including Nike, Adidas, Selfridges and Sony.

But brand strategy wasn’t a job that Joss actively pursued as a fresh graduate. Completing a BA in product design at Central Saint Martins in 2007, he admits leaving the course disillusioned and unsure of his next steps. Through work at the college’s internal design laboratory, and founding a creative collective with his former classmates, Joss eventually found himself in the world of trend forecasting, going on to work for companies such as Global Colour Research and The Future Laboratory.

Self-employed for most of his career, Joss tells us how he’s managed to shed freelance guilt and train himself out of overworking, and why he feels companies need strategists from a range of backgrounds.

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This episode of Creative Lives was was presented by Indi Davies and the editor was Ivor Manly. Lecture in Progress is made possible with the support of a number of brand patrons – they include ustwo, GF Smith, Squarespace and The Paul Smith Foundation. Check out lectureinprogress.com for more details.