Made Thought, Koto, Collins and more feature in new design podcast, Private View(s)

Private View(s) is a new 10-episode podcast series, each of which is focused on a different design and branding agency, interviewing its top creatives not about the work they do but instead the thinking behind their practice. Five episodes have been released initially, featuring agencies Made Thought, Koto, Collins, RoAndCo and Base Design, with five more to come.

The series was created by client-creative “matchmaking” agency Ask Us For Ideas in collaboration with David Michon – previously an editor at Monocle and Icon magazines – and recorded in London and New York.

Talking points in the episodes range from big industry topics such as what good branding can and can’t do, and why agencies are tackling business models before they design anything. Delving into the wider strategies and principles behind these studios, the conversation also moves to wider discussions around tackling climate change and tech addiction in the creative industry, as well as the gender split in the workforce.

On the latter, RoAndCo’s creative director Roanne Adams speaks out about the advantages of having an all-female leadership team. “A lot of women want to come and work for us. And maybe those women feel much more passionate and driven to work for us because they want so desperately to work under female leadership.”

Koto’s founder and creative director James Greenfield gives his opinion on British designers’ unique approach to creative work. “There is a combination of the historic nature of education in the UK combined with a slightly British cynicism, plus a bit of tall poppy syndrome where we don’t like people to get too elevated above their station. That combines together to make us quite inquisitive and bullshit-free.”

In Made Thought’s episode, creative director Ben Parker reveals the studio has had an influx of climate-conscious clients, and appointed a sustainability advisor as a result. “All of our clients are coming to us, whether it’s skincare through to apparel right the way through to fast-moving consumer goods, asking how we do a no-waste lifecycle. And that’s fascinating.”

Private View(s) is available to download on Apple Podcasts and Soundcloud.