4 minute read
William Bristow.
WILLIAM BRISTOW
Service Designer at Methods
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Hello, I’m Will. I do ‘designy’ things. Specialising in Service Design, I help organisations understand their customer and/or business problems and work with them to make things better. So far, I have worked in both private and public sectors, and I’ve been employed in-house (within an organisation) and in an agency (as a consultant, external to an organisation).
You could say that I’ve had fairly linear/obvious progression in my career. Having studied Product Design at MDX, I see product and services as somewhat the same thing. They just use different mediums to deliver value to someone.
In my experience, there is no one route a person can/should take. Designers, or similar fields, often have varied backgrounds. Specialists, however, usually have had some level of training that leads to that role and may require a bit more planning and investment to get there. One thing is common amongst all of them… relentless empathy!
MDX was the best introduction to the world of design that I could have hoped for. The team has a unique ability to bring variety to education. You will experience a broad spectrum of ‘design’. This allows a student to carve their own path, and not become a factory, producing cookiecutter graduates.
They understand Design as an industry, and what it means to be a valuable asset to any hiring team. As I’m sure they will say themselves, they give students the foundations to build their skills, in their own way. Teaching you to learn. It’s a safe space to explore and get things wrong. You can be a high achiever even with unsuccessful projects, as long as you tried and you learned. You won’t have the luxury to be curious again!
I was fortunate enough to take advantage of the placement year. Without a doubt one of the best things I did with my time. It allowed me to get different perspectives, and start building a network.
There isn’t one thing that got me where I am today (and hopefully where I will be in the future). Luck has played its part, for sure. There are, however, some key things that seem simple, but are quite hard to do. These will be a big differentiator when working as a junior, but are necessary throughout your career.
Listen carefully. Designers are usually quite good at this as they practice empathy as a core skill. Don’t get complacent though, the nuggets are often harder to find. This applies to design work, of course, but also any interaction you have on your journey.
Put yourself forward. Everyone appreciates help, and are often willing to give more than you might expect. Asking to do more, or showing willingness to expand is often met well by colleagues. It goes without saying, you can’t do everything at the same time, so make sure you are able to at least have a go.
Something I picked up early on was that ‘design’ doesn’t live in a bubble. The business element is so important to the work that you do, even in public or charity sectors. Not just financials, but the whole operation of a business. This often means that ‘pure’ or ‘academic’ design doesn’t fit neatly into business processes. Be ready to compromise on the small things, so you can be clear on the important things. Be mindful of business priorities and challenge where necessary to help the wider goals.
Extra tips for students: I’m going to make this a list. Who doesn’t love bulletpoints!?
+ Get a mentor - a mentor can be informal, but they should be able to guide you through tricky times.
+ Be open - be ready to take on new challenges.
+ Reflection - make time to assess what you have done, what worked, and what can be better. Those around you will also appreciate it.
+ Get help - it is always worth it, don’t be embarrassed.
+ Be comfortable making decisions - and own it if they turn out to be wrong.
+ You will need to play the numbers game when finding jobs early on, you may find people start coming to you once you have gained experience.
+ Be nice, always.Semper Doctrina.
Follow Will on Twitter @BristowWilliam
Connect with Will on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/williambristow/
Check-Out Methods: www.methods.co.uk
Article from #MDXPD: 5 Years On (Class of 2016), #MDXPD 2021 p.33-34
