Jennie Potts is Associate Creative Director at the award-winning London-based design studio B&B, which specialises in strategically led brand design. Passionate about implementing change in the design industry, alongside her role as ACD Jennie manages mentorship and internship programs aimed at increasing diversity.
Jennie’s career journey to creative leadership is truly inspiring. She’s been in the industry since university, where she completed eight internships in just ten months. A testament to her drive and determination, this experience led to an internship and eventually a Junior role at Turner Duckworth. During her six years working at the agency, she rose from Junior to Lead Designer and in 2016 moved to B&B where she was hired as a Senior Designer before becoming Design Director and then Associate Creative Director.
Reflecting on her experiences, Jennie discusses the challenges she’s faced during her career and explains how important it was for her to be constantly surrounded by supportive teams and colleagues: “I think I’ve been very fortunate to work in studios where I’ve always felt supported and championed. That’s not to say, it has always been easy! I’ve been pushed and challenged every day”. It is these challenges, however, that allowed her to become the creative leader she is today; she believes being pushed out of her comfort zone meant she was continuously learning and broadening her perspective. As Jennie tells us, “…it’s when things don’t go to plan that you really learn. The creative might go in a different direction – but it’s often these projects where you develop new skills.”
We talked with Jennie to find out more about what she enjoys most about being an Associate Creative Director, what she believes are the most important qualities for success in a creative lead role and advice for those looking to move up to more senior positions.
Where did it all begin? What were your first steps into the design industry?
I studied Graphic Design at the University of Central Lancashire. My degree included an optional placement year, so after completing my second year I packed up and moved to London for ten months. During my time in London, I did internships at eight different design agencies. The experience was invaluable. I met loads of amazing people, learnt a lot about what the job entailed, and got a sense of the kind of agency I would like to work for.
I loved my internship with Turner Duckworth, and after graduating, I hounded them and was eventually lucky enough to be offered a Junior Designer role. For the following six years I worked my way up from Junior to Lead Designer. During this time, the agency went through some exciting changes. A famous redesign for Coca-Cola meant TD shifted from doing a lot of work with mid-size brands such as Waitrose, Superdrug, and Liz Earle to working with huge global brands. I also experienced the agency move from an independently owned business to being bought by Publicis. It was an incredible six years. I worked with some super talented people.
How did you progress to your current role as Associative Creative Director at B&B Studio?
In 2016 I got a Senior Designer role at B&B Studio. B&B work on a lot of new brand creation projects for consumer-focused start-ups. This brought new and exciting creative challenges, as I was able to create new brands from scratch as well as refreshing the brands of existing businesses.
During my six years at B&B studio, I have progressed from Senior Designer to Design Director and most recently to Associate Creative Director. I make sure I keep learning from all the inspiring people I get to work with and persistently push myself out of my comfort zone.
Have there been any pivotal moments in your career?
If I had to pick one moment – I’d say moving jobs. It has given me a much broader knowledge base, which I think really helped my progression. However, I believe it’s as much about learning and growing little by little, day by day.
I find that often, it’s when things don’t go to plan that you really learn. The creative result might feel compromised or take a different direction – but it’s often these projects where you develop new skills. This can be when you’re learning how to respond to difficult questions, managing clients, increasing team moral, interpreting feedback… It’s often these moments that build resilience.
“I find that often, it’s when things don’t go to plan that you really learn. The creative result might feel compromised or take a different direction – but it’s often these projects where you develop new skills.”
Are there any barriers or challenges that you have faced during your career? If so, how have you overcome them?
I think I’ve been very fortunate to work in studios where I’ve always felt supported and championed. That’s not to say, it has always been easy! I’ve been pushed and challenged every day.
In my experience the design industry can be very competitive. To progress at top agencies, you have to really want it and be willing to work hard for it.
The persistent striving for new creative can be overwhelming and I think it’s important to remember that if it was easy, there wouldn’t be the same sense of achievement at the end. I try to encourage other designers to be really proud when they do get a piece of work out there!
“The persistent striving for new creative can be overwhelming and I think it’s important to remember that if it was easy, there wouldn’t be the same sense of achievement at the end. I try to encourage other designers to be really proud when they do get a piece of work out there!”
What does your role as an Associative Creative Director involve and what does your current workday look like?
My days are very varied and are often made up of meetings, design crits, client presentations, scheduling, production chats, checking artworks and more! Every day is different. It’s fast paced and can be high-pressure, but I love it!
Can you talk us through a key project you’ve recently worked on at B&B Studio?
I’ve worked on lots of exciting projects recently – which have been fun for different reasons…
Goldling was a new brand creation for crafted canned cocktails bringing premium cocktails to at-home drinking. To distinguish the product from the basic world of hard seltzer, we introduced a layered visual world of escapist collage, capturing the brand’s essence which was ‘refreshingly complex’. Inspired by the changing vibes of daytime and evening drinking occasions, the branding draws on light – variously captured in high contrast imagery. The product naming and a G icon device also depicts the sun, moon and stars.
Recently we also launched our new brand creation for Humans Being – a sustainable athleisure brand founded by Rita Ora. The name we created reflects the brand’s desire to build an inclusive community. The Humans Being identity is designed to work across both communications platforms and products, aided by an ownable mint green dash that can be found across the brand. In addition, a set of three circular icons – inspired by Rita’s smiley face tattoo – can be found across the brand world, communicating the brand’s commitment to sustainability, materials innovations and its partnership with the World Land Trust.
And then we recently saw the launch of our redesign for Mozzo – a conscious coffee company with a fixed social dividend built into its business model to support locally-organised grassroots initiatives, Mozzo guarantees continued investment in its coffee-growing communities and is organised around this purpose. We introduced a progressive logo and contemporary colour palette to help create cut-through in a crowded ‘purposeful’ category.
The new branding brings to life their role as a catalyst for connection between coffee growers, makers, sellers and drinkers, with an extended Z symbolising a platform for communication and lending itself to animation. By moving away from Mozzo’s existing Italian-style codes, the rebrand brings authenticity to the brand, and emboldens its voice as a truly ethical challenger coffee.
What do you enjoy most about being an ACD and what do you find most challenging?
I love seeing what the designers come up with and seeing them grow and succeed.
Working together with the team to create bloody brilliant creative and clever work for our clients is what’s it’s all about.
Most Challenging – getting clients to be brave. There have been design routes during my career that I still lament never went through. This of course can be for a number of legitimate reasons, but it’s still frustrating when the creative is powerfully strong!
“Most Challenging – getting clients to be brave. There have been design routes during my career that I still lament never went through. This of course can be for a number of legitimate reasons, but it’s still frustrating when the creative is powerfully strong!”
What do you think are the most important qualities for being successful in a creative lead role?
Enthusiasm. Integrity. Generosity. Resilience. Agility. Empathy and constant curiosity.
Do you have any advice for women and gender expansive creatives looking to move up to a senior role in design?
My advice would be to know your strengths and believe in your worth!