We’re celebrating a big milestone

There’s a buzz among the team around the business turning 25 years old which is very special. Doug sat down with Zara who handles our Marketing and she put him on the spot to answer 3 questions. 

25 feels like such a milestone, it’s a testament to the clients we work with, the wonderful briefs we receive and the hard work and dedication from the team.

Question 1 – How did I start the business?

“I think like most business owners starting up, it was from the kitchen table. I won a project with Levis, who knew me from my freelancing days and it started from there. Quickly following these initial projects, we won a project with a duty-free retailer and then Debenhams. We were designing window displays and installations which had to be attractive yet easy to make and replicate. Sometimes it’s the smaller-sized projects which prove to be more complicated. It was really hard work to begin with, very long hours and relentless client and project management.”

Question 2 – What was my proudest moment?

“I think when you look back and think about the work that has been built and implemented, it’s simply turning sketches and hand-drawn plans and designs into stores and fixtures that get built. My passion is drawing and sketching and although there is much more software than 25 years ago, it’s the same principle at the heart. 

It’s also about travel and meeting people from all walks of life, I rarely say no to a meeting because you never know the full story until you’ve had a proper conversation. I’ve travelled and delivered projects in Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Dubai, Sao Paulo, India, Korea, Kenya and China, currently working on projects in Lisbon, Cape Verde and Brazil.”

Question 3 – How has the industry changed?

“Well, I used to work 7 am until midnight and thankfully those days are mostly a thing of the past. Awareness around mental health I think has also really helped our industry in stopping the long hours. In terms of productivity, we used to research using books and going to libraries so that’s changed quite a bit! 

Covid is a big factor in making working from home so much better, which is a great benefit. We are all social beings, but being at home allows for much more focused time. In terms of hiring talent, our team can include designers from everywhere which is exciting too. 

Within Retail, clients and brands now understand experience so much more, the briefs are getting better and it’s widely understood that humans need to connect in a space.”

If you are looking for someone to design your store, let’s have a chat to see if Barber Design are the right fit for you. Drop us an email to studio@barberdesign.co.uk or call us on +44 (0)20 7731 2001 and we’ll take it from there.