Meet Steph Smith, Head of Design at Brew Digital

What’s your name and role at Brew Digital?

I’m Steph, and I’m the Head of Design at Brew Digital. 

What does a typical day look like for you? 

My work days are really varied, which means no two are ever really the same. I spend a lot of time on calls and meetings for briefing new projects, setting creative direction among my team, or in feedback calls with clients. I also line-manage my team to make sure they’re comfortable, happy and satisfied with their work. Otherwise, I spend a lot of my workday looking for ways to improve our design processes and tooling, and strategising our own Brew Digital brand. 

How did you end up working in design? 

Completely by chance. I got some work experience when I was fresh out of college, and they offered me a full time role before my two weeks were up. I spent the year honing my skills, before studying Film Studies at university. Once out, I found agency work, then creative production, and then team lead roles. It’s been a varied journey, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I’ve picked up loads of transferable creative skills that make me better suited for my current position.

What’s your favourite part of the job? 

Undoubtedly my favourite part of the job is getting to see the amazing work my team comes up with to help our clients achieve their goals. They’re an incredibly talented bunch. I also really like setting creative direction on projects – I might have an idea, but I know it will evolve and be 10 times better the next time I see it, after the team has worked their magic; It’s incredibly rewarding. It doesn’t get much better than when a long-awaited process plan comes into play and starts working for everyone; such satisfaction.

What are the bits that are most challenging? 

I suppose there’s two parts to my job that are particularly challenging. The first is communication, which often rears problems when it comes to the briefs we receive. Brief writing is a skill, and it’s not always the clearest what a client is looking for! Thankfully we have a great Decision Sprint service here to help clear any questions or queries up before we start work on a project. The other biggest challenge is probably educating the people we work with on how long creative work takes. Because it’s ‘arty’ it’s considered fun  – which don’t get me wrong, it is (we’re very lucky to do a job where we can draw for most of the day) – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Design is a skill that’s been honed across years of mine and my team’s careers, but applied creativity is a strategic practice and it takes time to produce the right visual response to a problem. Picking up the tools is only half of the work – the rest is interpreting the brief in your imagination. 

Do you have a secret skill or talent your work colleagues don’t know about?

I learned to ride a horse at age 7. I’ve always had a fondness for a bit of a lively horse – I like the challenge, and have mastered flying and landing (fairly) safely! I learned to stay in the saddle long enough to compete, and had a good run of trophies for showjumping, back in the day.

Is there anything about the job that surprises you? Or something people might not know about what you do?

Although my team is constantly working on projects where they’re completing hands-on creative work with actual deliverables, my role is actually much less design-based, which surprises some people. My background in design means I understand the principles, but my role itself is less about personally creating designs, and is much more about applying creativity to strategic thinking. It’s much more ‘big picture’ thinking, which to some designers sounds like hell – “I don’t get to produce cool designs!?” – but me? I love it. Rather than designing assets, illustrations, or creating videos, I design processes, strategies, and directions that will help achieve goals and make people happy. Plus, I get to see the team create the cool work. That makes me even more pleased than if I’d done it myself.  

The design team feeds into every project we do at Brew Digital. What are some of the commonalities between team needs, and what are the big divergences? 

We do! I guess the commonalities between each of the teams (digital marketing, development, design) is that communication is really at the forefront of everything we do, whether that’s in what each of us delivers, or the dynamic needed between us when working together. We work really closely with the Digital Marketing team to realise their ads and bring to life their messaging, and with the Development team, it’s vital we talk and collaborate to discuss what can and can’t be delivered in the scope of the project. The biggest divergences? I suppose you hit the nail on the head with the question – design touches every part of Brew Digital’s output. We have to be really agile and bounce from design discipline to design discipline to meet the needs of our clients, and the other teams at Brew Digital. None of the other teams have the same sort of crossover that we do, and it’s a blessing and a curse to keep on top of the bigger design picture. 

Is there a project you’re particularly proud of?

There’s loads, if I’m honest. As a whole team, our most recent huge project was rebranding our parent company, The Adaptavist Group. It looks great and I’m proud of how we delivered on that, as well as what was delivered. But more often than not, I’m most proud of the wins of the team. As much as I’m proud to see a new website or video campaign launched, seeing one of the team nail a new skill or tool they’ve been working on is incredibly rewarding. 

What is a common design mistake you see companies make?

Inconsistency. Brands aren’t built just on visual identity, but the whole experience a customer interacts with. From first sight to final sale and customer care, it should all be part of a carefully designed strategy. Every email, social graphic, video, and even store or event space should be entirely on-brand – in tone of voice, value offering, and appearance. 

Have you seen any changes to the industry since you started? Do wider design and style trends have an impact on the work your team does?

Yes and no. Of course the industry has changed and adapted since I started designing; there’s loads of new tools as well as continual streams of new trends. But I find that it’s often all relative. We can be clued up on the latest styles, but that doesn’t mean that they’re going to be the right visual solutions for every client. I’ll always rely on a strong basis of foundational principles of design, and for the rest, it’s about understanding the needs of the client and the constraints you have to work within. Industry trends and fashions are important sources of inspiration, but it’s really key to make sure you’re looking at the problem right in front of you before you start looking elsewhere for solutions. 

How do you spend your ‘off-time’? 

I love being outside, so I’m usually on a long drive somewhere or heading to the beach for a good walk with my dog. If I’m not outdoors I’m usually on the sofa with a movie, or at the pub with friends and family. 

Do you have any book, film or TV recommendations? 

I recently read The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer and really enjoyed it. My go-to movie is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, but if you’re into old Ealing comedies, Kind Hearts and Coronets is golden. 

Is there an upcoming or emerging technology that has you really excited? 

I think AR is really exciting in the design world. It goes back to that brand ‘experience’ that all successful brands should create already, but takes it further. Creating things that seem impossible, outside of the ‘real’ or the laws of physics, and blending them seamlessly into the world we interact with everyday. I think that’s really exciting! 

Why do you love working at Brew Digital?

Probably the same reason everyone else does: I get a huge kilo bag of Skittles on my birthday. The people aren’t too bad either. They make the bad days better and the good days great.