Growing up with parents who were practising designers, design as a career path was an instinctive choice for Harriet Richardson; who from an early age knew she would be a graphic designer. Her love of wordplay is an intrinsic part of her practice and she creates work that sits at the intersection between art and graphic design. As she tells, “I’ve always had a strong point of view, and art allows me to express that in a way that design doesn’t.”
Harriet studied graphic communication at the University of Central Lancashire, graduating with three D&AD Newblood awards and landed her first design job at Turner Duckworth in London. Six months into her career she received a phone call from Pentagram partner John Rushworth and moved on to work in his team, spending the next four years honing her craft. Harriet tells DbyW, “Working closely with John meant doing everything properly, with nowhere to hide away from the things I’d previously feared. I owe so much to John for the education he provided me, as well as allowing me to be unapologetically myself – even if I didn’t always fit into Pentagram’s usual ways.”
Harriet’s projects are often conceptual, using design to respond to political and cultural events, crises, and global concerns. She also works on visual identity projects – recent clients have included Extinction Rebellion and the Green New Deal for Europe, gives talks to university students about the positive impact moral creativity can have, and even creates “subversive fake news articles”.
A favourite recent project is a selection of screen prints titled Power Play, created for the 2023 Greed Exhibition, where Harriet explores the seller/buyer relationships of artworks for emerging artists. She scanned in scratch card iconography and scaled the motifs up to 50 times their original size to create striking neon screen prints. As Harriet explains, each piece can only be purchased using x50 valid, unscratched scratch cards and every “buyer will receive a postal notice directly from the artist to inform them of the final value of the piece”.
Having recently launched her own creative practice, which “harnesses creative thought for good”, Harriet is solely working with companies that have a progressive practice aligned with her values. “Something that frustrates me no end in the industry is the lack of responsibility when it comes to moral design, which was the founding idea of ‘Good Richardson’.” She intends to create, “Good work, with good clients, for good reason.”
We recently talked with Harriet to find out more about why she decided to start her own studio Good Richardson, things she learnt working at Pentagram, and challenges she’s faced during her career so far.
What initially drew you to graphic design as a career path?
Design is all I’d ever known. Both my parents were the first of their families to attend university, and both took the path of Graphic Design as a way to funnel their creativity into something that could give them a secure future. Growing up around two designers made for a very creative upbringing. We’d do things like design cinema tickets on the home printer for film night, or play ‘name the font’ on long car journeys. It sounds ridiculous now, but I was so aware of design throughout my childhood that by the time it came to specialising in subjects at school and beyond, I didn’t even question what I’d be doing. I recognise how fortunate this is as a start to life, but more recently I’ve also been coming to terms with the effects that specialising in a creative field from such a young age have had.
Can you tell us a bit about your career journey and any pivotal moments?
I studied Graphic Design at the University of Central Lancashire, where I graduated with the highest degree in the art department’s history (sorry I never get to tell anyone that so took my chance here). In my final year I won three D&AD Newblood awards and moved to London where I’d accepted a job at Turner Duckworth. It didn’t take long for me to realise that packaging really wasn’t my thing, I found it so fiddly and constraining. About six months into my first job, I got a call from Pentagram Partner John Rushworth, which I presumed was a prank call and blocked. A few emails later, I found myself accepting a job at the design powerhouse Pentagram.
What were the key things you learnt from your experience of working at Pentagram?
I spent four wonderful years at Pentagram and learnt everything I know about design craft and execution from Partner John Rushworth. Working closely with John meant doing everything properly, with nowhere to hide away from the things I’d previously feared. I owe so much to John for the education he provided me, as well as allowing me to be unapologetically myself – even if I didn’t always fit into Pentagram’s usual ways. It was a real education in design, and I’d urge anyone to gain experience there.
Like any job, it wasn’t all good. Pentagram (quite famously) has trouble nurturing talent, as it’s a very top-heavy structure. This is why people tend to stay for around four years, as the lack of movement in the structure can become quite frustrating. The other issue I experienced there was the lack of support when faced with an older male employee who had a questionable interest in me. Pentagram, like many large design agencies, doesn’t have a HR department. Do with that what you will.
You’ve recently become an independent designer. What led you to take the plunge and decide to work for yourself?
To be totally honest, it just felt right. The idea of working for someone or something else doesn’t excite me anymore. I’ve learnt so much in my 10 years in the industry, and I’m ready to put that to use. Something that frustrates me to no end in the industry is the lack of responsibility when it comes to moral design; this was the founding idea of ‘Good Richardson’. As well as starting my own design practice, I’m also dedicating time to my development as an artist. As I mentioned earlier, honing my creative craft so early on feels unnecessary and even quite stunting, so I want to use my time now to explore this more. I’ve always had a strong point of view, and art allows me to express that in a way that design doesn’t.
“Something that frustrates me to no end in the industry is the lack of responsibility when it comes to moral design; this was the founding idea of ‘Good Richardson’.”
Your work is often a tongue-in-cheek commentary on political and/or cultural issues. Why is this type of work important to you?
I struggle greatly with the idea of keeping quiet – not only around subjects of great political and cultural concern, but also just in general. I like to think that using my creativity to communicate a positive or poignant point of view is my way of doing good, but I do wonder how much of it is fed by my need to cause chaos. Either way, it seems to work!
“I like to think that using my creativity to communicate a positive or poignant point of view is my way of doing good, but I do wonder how much of it is fed by my need to cause chaos. Either way, it seems to work!”
Where do you find ideas for your creative practice? Do you have a go to process that you use for creating your designs?
Honestly most of them feel like they’ve been in my head since I was but a mere egg. Either that, or they just pop up at the weirdest times; on the toilet, in the bath, in the shower (usually bathroom based). As a lot of my work is language based, I often have ideas come to me in conversation with someone or myself in my head. I strongly believe that the worst thing a creative person can do when trying to create is to sit in front of a screen.
Can you tell us about a recent project that you’ve particularly enjoyed working on?
I recently created a piece of work called ‘Play Power’, in which I scanned scratch card iconography and blew the motifs up to 50 times their original size as neon screen prints. They make for quite impressive looking pieces, but the concept comes in the seller to buyer relationship of the artwork. The buyer of the artwork does not know the value of the payment they make, as each piece can only be purchased using x50 valid, unscratched scratch cards. The buyer will receive a postal notice directly from the artist to inform them of the final value of the piece. This artwork aims to explore themes of power and value within the art world. Starting out as a new artist is challenging for a number of reasons, with the monetary value as a reflection of self-worth being at the heart of anxiety for many.
I also recently got in contact with all my ex-boyfriends, asking each of them to meet me to ‘for a chat’ on April 21st at 1pm outside Parliament Square. There just so happens to be a Climate Protest happening on April 21st at 1pm outside Parliament Square. Well, someone had to boost the numbers…
What challenges and barriers have you faced during your career and how have you overcome them?
Honesty, sexism is the big one. It’s so prevalent in the design world. Pentagram was founded by five straight white men in the 1970s, and the culture really hasn’t evolved as much as one might assume. My mother was forced to quit her job as a Graphic Designer when she returned from maternity leave to be greeted with an unexpected salary reduction for seemingly no reason. I’ve been inappropriately propositioned by very senior members of staff at two of the three companies I’ve worked for. And sadly, these experiences of mine do not belong exclusively to me. It’s a huge issue and continues to impact negatively all industries, not just design. An important thing for men to remember is: If you’re not actively part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
“I’ve been inappropriately propositioned by very senior members of staff at two of the three companies I’ve worked for. And sadly, these experiences of mine do not belong exclusively to me. It’s a huge issue and continues to impact negatively all industries, not just design.”
What changes would you like to see that would create a more equal and diverse creative industry?
The issues within the professional design world begin way before you get to the studio. We need to tackle sexism, racism, classism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism at the source. This will make important changes much more likely later on down the line. We need to teach children useful things in school like how to do taxes, what consensual behaviour looks like, what the class system is, how to vote, what different cultures look like in the modern day – and less about names of triangles.
Do you have any advice for creatives looking to progress and develop in their careers?
No, because I never took any advice and my advice to them is to do the same. You’ll find your way. The best decisions I ever made were unpopular and against the wisdom of my parents, tutors, and bosses.
“I never took any advice and my advice to them is to do the same… The best decisions I ever made were unpopular and against the wisdom of my parents, tutors, and bosses.”