How have you found your time at Clever Ghost?
A lot has changed since I joined the Clever Ghost team this time last year; it was the first job I've started where I had to work from home from the beginning, so that was definitely different! It was a learning experience getting to know the ins and outs of the job, as well as co-workers/clients from my house, but we made it work, and it made coming back to the office feel all the more exciting.
Clever Ghost has also been the smallest team I've worked in within a studio environment, which meant getting used to having more responsibility for client work and having more of a direct relationship with clients vs working in an ad agency where account managers do most of the talking to clients. Working in such a small close-knit team is something I've really enjoyed; I've found that being able to bounce concepts and ideas off of each other has been really valuable and a great learning experience for us both.
What do you like most about it?
I think working in an environment where I'm comfortable sharing creative ideas and getting feedback on them is really important; it's great to feel like I have a valuable input to Clever Ghost and its projects, and it's exciting to see the company grow while being a part of that.
Any favourite projects?
I always really enjoy the branding projects that come in. One that stands out to me is the branding we did for Eightyfive 90 as it allowed me to bring in some elements of 80s design which is something I've been waiting for an excuse to do for a while - I love the fun colours and typography of the time and it was amazing to be able to create a brand with a visual nod to this era.
Outside of branding, I also enjoyed working on the SPAR 60th Anniversary artwork for this year's Balmoral Show. We created a timeline to showcase SPAR in Northern Ireland over the last 60 years and applied it to POS for the Balmoral Show. It was a highlight to then see royalty view our work at the show.
Learned anything new?
I've learned a lot this year and feel like I've really grown as a designer. It's a lot different to work in a team of two vs working in a large advertising agency where there is a much bigger design team plus account managers - the process and level of input/involvement is certainly new to me and I've enjoyed adapting to this and figuring out new ways to approach projects.
Plans for 2022?
2022 is looking like an exciting year for Clever Ghost. Not only are we moving to a shiny new office, but the team is also growing, allowing us to focus more on our own brand and processes, as well as new ways to network and expand our horizons. Here's to 2022!
