ABOUT

MY STORY

I started further education at Edinburgh College of Art and then transferred to London Central School of Art & Design to study product design.

London itself was a monster learning  experience. I was a fairly average student but managed to win a Royal Society of Arts Travelling Bursary.

My home town is Hawick in the Scottish Borders, also home to the luxury Scottish cashmere industry. It's normal for local companies to trade with international brands based in the metropolitan capitals around the world. In my first year as a young designer, I travelled to Florence, Milan, Paris, Dusseldorf as well as London - staying the best hotels - because that's where my target audience stayed!

Learning The Tools Of My Trade 

It was with Braemar that I cut my management teeth. I was under a lot of pressure early on in my career because I didn't have a network for colour and fashion trends or a workable understanding of target customers and project planning.  

Through my friendship with Scottish artist William Johnstone, I met John Claridge who supplied woven accessories to many of the fashion brand names in Paris. My colour and fashion trend problems faded away. I taught myself project planning and put a lot of time learning about my target audiences. And, to improve my technical skills I attended one day a week at the local knitted textiles college. It was at this time I started to get seriously interested in marketing and branding.

Surprisingly, there was little support from the 'bosses' and I often encountered answers such as - 'You're the designer, you should know.'  When you ask someone who should know something that they don't - an aggressive reaction is fairly standard. I stopped asking and set out to find the answers myself. 

After 8 years, I'd had enough. Half way through yet another mindless discussion, I announced I was leaving. It was totally reactive but I then had to start my own business.

Teaching  Students Was Another Important Learning Curve 

I started out as a freelance designer and I was fortunate to be appointed as a part-time lecturer at The Scottish College of Textiles - to help pay the bills. 

I worked mainly with 1st and 2nd year students. I enjoyed it immensely. Some of the work was quite exciting. It was a bit of a surprise when head of the department asked me to help with five final year students. Why me? "Because these students are failing. You work in the commercial world and we think that might make the difference!" Daunting!

up-lifter Was Born at College!

So, I was introduced to the famous five. I refused to talk to them in the studio where everyone would eavesdrop and I marched them along the corridor until I found an empty room. I let instinct lead me. There was a chalkboard in the room and I started by writing down their names. Forgetting someone's name is never good.

I didn't talk about their work or about myself. I asked each of them what qualification they would get on graduation. Not one said they were failing!!

I then read out the official marks from their full time lecturers. There were tears, anger and a few stony faces. They were all failing! They looked beaten. Their dress, hair, personal hygiene and body language signalled - failure!

I then asked each of them what they would like to achieve at graduation and I wrote the target qualification next to each name. 

Next we looked at their timetable. This was 'bread and butter' stuff for me. You have to work out the stages involved in your project and set deadlines for each. Their graduation date was 5 months away but after calculations we agreed that their degree show sketch range had to be finalised in 3 weeks time. Bombshell!

We had been talking for less than 2 hours and as they got ready to leave with a totally different outlook on the world, I touched on the very sensitive topic of dress and personal hygiene. I had a brainwave. 'One last thing. What are you training to be? "Designers!!!" So, if you want to be a designer - dress like a designer!

Three days later I was back in college and made my way to the 4th year studio. The difference was night and day. Five very attractive young women, smartly dress, hair and makeup in order - working like designers! And, it was all down to...

...no criticism, facing the facts, setting goals and timescales and embracing some personal discipline -

Don't just think about it. Do something about it!

That exercise with five students was the foundation of my personal and business development process that I've been teaching for over 20 years.