The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 18 with Design Firm President, Author, Podcast Host, and Professor Debbie Millman
Debbie Millman (@DebbieMillman) is a design and branding industry impresario. She will, at any given moment, be involved in a multitude of projects and roles across the profession. For nearly 20 years, she’s been the President ofSterling Brands, a design and brand strategy firm based in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Since 2005, she’s hosted Design Matters, one of the most successful radio shows (now podcasts) about design and creativity. She also founded and chairs the Master’s in Branding course at theSchool of Visual Arts in New York, and has authored numerous books.
In this episode, Debbie speaks about the structure and workflow of Sterling — now a corporate agency, how she stays energized across her many endeavors, and how she’s still working to overcome awkwardness in her life and career. We also get to hear the story of how Debbie and Prescott first met.
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Show Notes & Links
Prescott discovered Design Matters while working a crappy job working for a startup marketing firm.Helvetica, by Gary HustwitPrescott is standing on the shoulders of giants with his podcastDebbie describes herself as a brand consultant, wannabe artist, and chair of the MFA Master’s in Branding at SVADebbie and her partners at Sterling sold to the businessOmnicom in 2008Sterling defines itself as a Brand Consultancy with three disciplines – Design, Strategy, and InnovationDeeDee Gordon runs Innovation from Los Angeles; Austin McGhie runs Strategy from San FranciscoSterling acquired Philippe Becker in San Francisco, joining that to their studio.Simon Lince is Sterling’s Chief Creative Officer in New York, with four Creative Directors under him. Same with Philippe Becker in SF.Sterling consciously went to the traditional advertising agency model, rather than a “bullpen” model, with lots of cross-disciplinary work. It was “less deliberate”.“Institutional knowledge” is important for growth within an agency. Helps to serve clients year-on-year.Design strategy entails asking questions: What is the brand? What is the criteria for success? What is the “whitespace” we want to uncover? Can we own that space? What is the dynamic for change within an organization? etc.“Common vocabulary does not always equate to common behavior.”“The only people that really like brand design changes are brand designers.” (joking/not joking)“Ambiguity is never seen positively.” (e.g., ambiguous emails)Package design is a “very specific language.” One must know the grammar of a language, but not necessarily all the dialects, which are learned on the job.Design Matters is a cultural force, whether Debbie thinks it or no.Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, 2011Bill DrentellTina Roth Eisenberg (@swissmiss), Swiss MissMaria Popova (@Brainpicker), BrainpickingsDebbie does “an exhausting amount of research” for Design Matters interviews20-50 pages of notes for each guest, reduced to 5 pages of questionsLining Up a ShotDesign Matters on SoundCloud“I don’t even know that I was a fully formed human being when I was 30.”All The Wrong People Have Self-Esteem by Laurie RoselwaldAdult Onset Awkward“Getting your first job out of college is like starting kindergarten all over.”“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellent, then, is not an act but a habit.” –AristotleBabson CollegeOmnicom UniversityNancy Kane, from Harvard Business SchoolInformation RecreationDesign ObserverBrand New (and all the UnderConsideration blogs)Design*SpongeHOW and PrintThe New York TimesCNNThe Wall St. JournalThe New YorkerVogueHarper’s BazaarScientific American / SciAm Mind on airplanes, where it’s quiet(?)“Multitasking is the enemy of focused creativity”Debbie is now ashamed of her past pride as a multi-tasker“When the going gets tough, we go to Facebook.”Multi-tasking is usually “rapid-switching”Lisa Grant, Debbie’s better half at SterlingJ’aime Cohen, original SVA dir. of operationsMark Dudlik, current SVA partner in crimeCurtis Fox, producer for Design MattersEnergy management is more important than time management.Tools
SWOT analysis for brandsFacebook (the default distraction; internet background noise)TwitterInstagramTo-do lists (for things with deadlines)Techniques
Copy the habits of small studios and create “in-house studios” within the larger agencyAllow strong personality to exist and thrive in a company; build a culture as suchPrepare strategy and challenges during proposal/pitch stage. Don’t wait until you’ve won it.Want something done? Ask a busy person — they have less time to procrastinate.Learn what you’re good at. Production/details? Coming up with ideas?Habits
Celebrate small victories, such as winning a new project or clientSleep a lot. 8 hours at least.Eat better. (better than soda, candy, cigarettes, that is.)Read constantly.
