We do a lot of Q&As on The Dieline, but none are quite like this. This special interview is conducted between two of the team members at Red Antler, Simon Endres, Co-Founder and Head of Design and Scott Chapps, Head of Industrial Design. They pick each other’s brains about the creative process, the design experience for consumers, what’s next in branding and packaging, and more.
Scott: Being brave is deeply tied to collaboration, and having the ability to convince your audience by showing them a range of thinking that balances calculated and emotional judgments. You have to demonstrate both the potential implications and the payoff with introducing a novel idea and how it will affect the discourse with consumers. All strategic ideas have a trajectory so risk can be mapped in relation to time and investment, and it may not be prudent to introduce the riskiest idea first but instead ladder up to it—this approach should be articulated in the design strategy phase. You have to make sure everyone is comfortable with being slightly uncomfortable, which is what makes the whole idea exciting in the first place. Being brave should be holistic to include the full support system from brand, digital, content and marketing all working collectively to support the idea and bring it to life.
Scott: Over the last 20 plus years I’ve either been a part of or have established different types of industrial design teams. While the discipline has an umbrella title there are many wonderful thinkers, technicians and craftsman in the field of Industrial design, and I get to learn so much from the individuals I work with. I also get to impart my experience, which is focused on helping teams to navigate situations, pushing hard on strategy and practicing the art of staying as objective as possible about the work.
