Jobs Menu

Rituals and principles in creative leadership: Richard Swain, Partner at Further, on the Design Next podcast

“There’s a difference between having raw talent, and being set up for success”

We couldn’t agree more. It’s this understanding, among plenty of other wisdom, that places Richard at the top of the ‘I wish this was my boss’ list.

In this episode of the Design Next podcast, we speak with Richard Swain, Partner at Further (formerly known as DesignStudio – more on that in a minute). Having grown his career through strategy, Richard brings a strong point of view to his leadership role: building rituals, built on principles, is essential in providing a grounding force for greatness. A pivotal move in this industry, and this conversation, built on constant creative change.

“There’s so much out of our control. Especially as a leader in a creative agency.”
Remember this? Just some of the iconic work taking the leap from DesignStudio case study to Further case study.

This podcast episode launches in the week that DesignStudio is rebranded as Further, signalling a bold evolution of its offer and ambition. They are, of course, the studio behind the Airbnb brand, and their case studies span the Premier League, Deliveroo, Nike, and FKA Twigs.

The call to arms for this shift? Design will be commoditised. But creativity will endure.

Even amongst this momentous and exciting shift for the company, Richard is very honest and humble about his own experiences. We talk about aligning personal success, professional performance, and teamship; pivoting due to new business fluctuation, and how his leadership style has developed.

“And when you change jobs, you’re just exchanging one set of challenges for another.”
“There’s so much that can change. Be a grounding force.”
Richard’s career has seen him partner with some mighty clients – including sports teams, household brands and startup unicorns. That includes time in roles at Landor, Huge, and Wolff Olins.

His genuine care for what he does, his ambition for his team, and his value for creativity, are all lessons we can bring to our every day.