Craft

The act of looking for a design job, but it's the quarterly Craft away day.

It’s a rare but wonderful thing, to find somebody who genuinely has had creativity running through their veins for literally as long as they can remember. The latest Design Next podcast episode features Chloe Templeman, Executive Creative Director at Pearlfisher and PENTAWARDS Jury Co-President. Whether you lead a creative team, you're building your career, or you're thinking about leadership, Chloe has the wisdom - and passion - you need, including: 🌻 The 'torture method' that shaped her entire approach! 🌷 What she looks for in people that no portfolio shows 🌸 How she talked her way into the Pentawards jury, and why that matters to all of us Chloe cares deeply about this industry. You should too. 📽️ Youtube: https://lnkd.in/eQdha6mV 🎧 Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eVksk-ar 🎙️ Apple Podcasts: https://lnkd.in/eea67pQi

The Last Junior Designer? Our Brand & Marketing Director Daisy Crowder joins a panel today exploring one of the biggest questions facing the creative industry right now. As traditional entry routes evolve, how will the next generation develop the thinking that great design requires? Join us at House of Brand Transformation in Cannes: 📅 Tuesday 23 June ⏰ 16:45–17:20 📍 Pool Stage, House of Brand Transformation The panel, hosted by Claire Blyth of Red Setter • Claire Robertshaw, Design Bridge and Partners • Emma Barratt, Wolff Olins • Shola Ladeji, OLIVER | The Brandtech Group (and D&AD Shift alumnus) 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/eUszW5VG

The best candidates don't care that you're hiring. They care whether you're worth leaving a good job for. We keep seeing the same mistake: businesses treat recruitment like a vacancy announcement instead of an attraction challenge. Read our thoughts on what ambitious candidates 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 respond to in our latest journal. 🌷 https://lnkd.in/eWp88xh7

The start of this year has been an absolute blast. We've fought blizzards in Arizona; hosted our own events in London, New York, Manchester and Leeds; bumped into pals across continents, and our network is blossoming. 🌸 Shout out to hosts Glug Events, AIGA Design, D&AD Festival and Shift Showcases, SXSW London, The One Club for Creativity Creative Leaders Retreat, Multiplicity by Foilco, Red Setter events at Red Antler and Wiedemann Lampe studios, OFFF, Northern Design Festival and Motion North - amongst others. Next week? Dan Crowder, Jess Parker, Tommy Castleman, Paula Carrahar and Daisy Crowder are heading to Cannes. ❤️🔥 Wherever world-class design exists, Craft exists. We share upcoming IRL UK and US events in our bi-weekly newsletter 📩 http://eepurl.com/iv-IO6 See you soon!

Last week we brought Hear Here back to Manchester; a stunning evening at LOVE.s studio, set to champion the retention of gender diverse leaders in design. Three brilliant panelists. 65 creative leaders in one room. One theme we all leaned in to: 𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝑴𝒐𝒗𝒆. 🌻 How do you lead, create and grow when everything around you is shifting? When do you stop waiting for permission, and start designing change on your own terms? Meghan Labot, Managing Director of LOVE New York, talked about a career built on embracing change rather than fearing it. And when times are tough or new, you need to build your foundations on certainty. 🗨️ "Confidence comes from certainty. I've always tried to find something to be certain of, even in moments of change and uncertainty." Independent Design Journalist Abbey Bamford spoke with refreshing honesty about going freelance: the uncertainty, the search for community, and the importance of backing yourself. 🗨️ "Freelance is inherently full of change. Every day is going to be different. You need to back yourself early on." And Hana Khan, Creative Partnerships at Channel 4, brought a fresh lens on culture. We discussed the micro trends that reveal something beyond the content, about how people are actually feeling, and what that means for the brands and creative leaders trying to stay relevant. This was not a panel talk about fixing the industry. 🌷 We shared honest stories, good drinks, and positive energy between people who want to see positive momentum in the design industry. Hear Here will be back in London next. Watch this space. #manchester #creativeleadership #designagency #designindustry

It’s a small world, and our community feels tighter than ever. 🌷 New York. Craft dinner. 24 creative legends. Many based near, some from afar. Agency and brand-side leaders. Endless conversation. People who've known each other for years finally end up in the same room, alongside a few faces nobody expected to see, and new people worth knowing. 👀 We're doing more of these. If you think you should be at the table, you probably should be - we’ll be in touch.

SXSW London didn't disappoint - but it did overwhelm. We've pulled together the key takeaways relevant to design thinkers and creative leaders. The headlines? 🌻 Why your team isn’t using the AI tools you’ve adopted 🌻 The ‘missing’ demographic our brands should be engaging with 🌻 Things things Silicon Valley startups do that your business should be doing 🌻 How to write an SLA that means something 🌻 Ready yourself for full brand immersion – by staying still 🌻 Brands are a participant in culture, not a creator of it 🌻 What Sir John Hegarty thinks about the role of AI Read the full journal here: https://lnkd.in/e5iaYvb7 #design #creativeleadership #creativebusiness #brandbuilding

Does your recruitment partner just... get you? Starting this week with some lovely feedback from a studio we're working with for the first time. At Craft, we're super proud to be specialists - we each cover different locations and disciplines for both freelance&full time hires meaning we truly know our markets and can recognise candidates who are exactly what you're looking for What drives us is our passion for design ❤️ Many of us come from design backgrounds, and this genuine interest in the industry, along with our ability to recognise the right talent, distinguishes us from others. If you're a studio looking to hire with people who just... get it, get in touch via annie@itscraft.com

In an industry that’s always shifting, navigating change is a daily challenge. On June 10, we’re opening our studio to host Hear Here, an invite-only gathering for creative leaders, centred on one of the biggest questions we’re all facing right now: when to hold your ground, and when to leap. In a year where we’ve made a leap of our own by expanding LOVE. to New York 🇺🇸 , it’s a conversation that feels particularly relevant to us. Our's was a step driven by belief, ambition, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. We’ll be joined by an incredible panel of women, including our own MD in New York, Meghan Labot, who have shaped change on their own terms, generously sharing honest perspectives on leadership, growth, and making moves that matter. ❤️ Expect an intimate setting, open conversation, and a room full of people who are curious, candid, and ready to listen. Looking forward to welcoming this community into our space. This event is by invitation only and space is limited. If you're a creative leader in Manchester, register your interest via the link below. 📍 LOVE Studio 📅 Wednesday 10th June, 6.15–8.30pm 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eRvmgevQ #creativeleadership #manchester #designevent #community #creative