Interview: Brand designer and agency founder, Mickey Devine
As part of our commitment to elevate creative voices we are speaking to members to our community. We will be celebrating their work and sharing their story because we think it’s important to champion the people that make our sector so damn good! In this edition we are joined by brand designer and agency owner, Mickey Devine.
Mickey Devine ©
Hey Mickey. It’s great to speak to you. To kick us off could you tell me about how you entered design?
I studied illustration at the University of Sunderland but changed to Graphic Communication after a year. It took about 9 months to get a placement after graduating. I was working in a clothes shop and Elmwood asked me to do a two-week unpaid placement in Edinburgh. My area manager gave me the ultimatum of working for a living or to ‘chase a pipe dream’. I said, ‘you’ve made this very easy for me’ and walked out.
I wasn’t very good, but I loved the experience. From there I moved to London and got a two-week placement at Ranch Design on my first day and ended up working there for around 7 months. I owe Paul from Ranch an awful lot. It turns out I didn’t know anything before this point. He was patient, demanding and at times brutal but he obviously saw something in me and knew that I could handle being challenged.
In the early days of your career can you remember the challenges you faced?
Massive imposter syndrome. I can’t reiterate how little I knew. At university I don’t recall learning anything technical. And then when you work on real jobs — it’s scary. I didn’t feel like I belonged in the early stages, but I made sure that I put the effort in. I thought if I work harder than anyone else, I’ll be rewarded.
I was given a project to recreate a brochure that had been previously produced. He said there was a break in, and they stole a hard drive amongst other things. It was a 24-page A4 landscape brochure with a foil and emboss on the cover. I had to measure the grid with a ruler, replicate each page the same, print out and hold it to the light to make sure every detail was perfect to the printed version they had. Every piece of kerning, leading and so on. It took 5 days to get it right. At the end I said, ‘there wasn’t a break in was there?’ Of course there wasn’t. But that lesson taught me that every tiny detail matters and it’s something I’ve carried with me throughout my career.
After entering design where did you go next?
The first few years was all about learning my craft. I hadn’t even touched a computer until I got to university, and I didn’t know what a Mac was, let alone graphic design. But once I caught the design bug, I was hooked. From the start, I knew I wanted to build my own agency someday and maybe even make a difference in the world.
I worked for a couple of agencies in Newcastle after Ranch. I took the opportunity to observe and learn from the people around me. I’d imagine myself as a Creative Director, thinking about how I’d handle a project, what I’d do differently, and the kind of culture I’d want to create. I intentionally worked across various types of agencies to get a sense of what felt right for me. What kind of projects would my agency take on? Would it be a big team or a small, close-knit one? Over time, I found that I thrived on projects I truly believed in, collaborating with people who shared my values – a focus that still guides the work I do today.
Mickey Devine ©
Was there any part of that journey you would have done differently?
Sleeping on floors and couches in London, then not being able to afford the rent when I found a flat, so I found a weekend job on top of my placement which resulted in 7-day weeks for seven months, then travelling 3 hours to get to work as a junior (as I couldn’t drive) and then 3 hours to get home, freelancing on a night, burn out, anxiety, depression, panic attacks… I honestly wouldn’t change a thing.
The toughest times have brought the best out of me. They have instilled a drive and determination that I never knew I had. Being from a very working-class background I was brought up to believe that you must work harder than anyone else, fight for the things you want. I’m not saying that’s the right or only way because it isn’t. But it was what I had to go through to achieve what I’ve achieved.
When we first connected you were the co–founder of Everything Studio. How did that start?
It started in a spare bedroom with a blank website, and we said let’s fill it with work. My co-founder Mark is a writer and I’m a designer and the idea was he would do the words, and I’d do the pictures. It seemed so simple. We weren’t business people. We were 30 with nothing to lose. It was an exciting time.
We wanted to make a difference. We worked with great people, who helped others, with a range of charities that we believed in, cultural organisations, colleges and universities. Anyone that shared our belief. We made mistakes. Wow we made mistakes. But you learn from them, and we tried to be the best agency that we could be.
You have since closed the business and gone solo. What are the biggest lessons you learnt as a founder?
Don’t be a control freak. Allow people you work with room to evolve and grow. Don’t try and do it all yourself.
Treat everyone you meet as a possible client or collaboration. You never know.
Get a good accountant.
Over save and expect the worst to happen — always.
Constantly look at how you work and how your process can evolve and be open for change.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help from peers, friends, and networks.
Encourage. Encourage. Encourage.
Be positive. That doesn’t come natural for me.
Say no to projects that don’t sit right with you.
But most important. Enjoy it.
Mondays is your new agency. What are your plans for the business?
Mondays are for sharing fearless ideas and daring to deliver them. I’m working solo at the moment, but reaching out to talented independents and freelancers, as I plan to work with a wider creative team on projects, to keep things fresh and interesting. With our collective experience we know when to challenge, and when to listen intently. Our goal is to stand out, to be different, and we want people to feel excited about joining us on this journey.
Right now, we’re working on some exciting projects. One recent highlight is rebranding Make Film History, a project that gives emerging filmmakers in schools, film training programs, and higher education access to 300 films from archives like the BFI, BBC, and others across the UK and Ireland.
Another project I’m really excited about is working with Jo Milne. Jo has a rare condition called Usher syndrome, a condition affecting around 100,000 people globally. I first heard Jo speak at Pattern, a North East networking event ran by photographer Chris Owens (who also took my lovely portrait). Her positivity and drive to find a cure blew me away, and I’m excited to be working with her and her husband and can’t wait to share what we’ve been creating together.
Mickey Devine ©
What would be your advice to anyone that’s looking to go solo?
It’s probably too soon for me to be able to answer that confidently. It’s only been a couple of months. Tap into networks and meet people. Working alone has been more challenging than I thought it would be.
It’s difficult juggling every aspect of the business especially when you have multiple projects on at the same time. Allocate blocks through the week for work, for play, meetings and business development. Don’t put yourself under too much pressure initially. There will be good and bad days.
Based on your experiences is there one thing you think the design industry should be better at?
I do believe that everything is starting to look the same. I’m not sure if it’s always been that way? Everywhere you look it’s the same work. Designers have started to design for social media platforms. Every ‘new’ brand you see looks like it has a shelf life of about 6 months. It’s not sustainable and we need to do better as an industry.
Final question. What the short and long–term plan for Mondays?
I live by the coast in Sunderland and the transformation the city is going through is massive. There is a buzz that hasn’t been around since I was at university when the music scene kicked off with local bands being signed like Field Music and The Futureheads. I want to help local businesses thrive and be better.
I’ve started working with a local charity called The Cultural Spring on a magazine celebrating 10 years of bringing arts and culture to the area. They do incredible things for the city, and it’s been a pleasure working with the team. I’m also in discussions about becoming a trustee at another Sunderland charity which I’m very excited about. And I’ve agreed to speak with the students at University of Sunderland before Christmas, as well as hold portfolio reviews on the afternoon. I’m looking forward to seeing what the future of the industry looks like.
I’m also working on a film festival guide for British Council and about to start a new branding project for a company in Scotland. So, I’m enjoying embedding myself into my local community as well as using it as a base to work with amazing organisations across the UK.
Long-term. I want to build a team again. I want to surround myself with talented people, who come from diverse backgrounds and cultures, who are hungry to learn, grow and do amazing things together.
But for now, it’s simply about enjoying Mondays and being excited by the unknown.
Fore more about Mickey Devine and Monday’s visit: mondays.design
Mickey Devine ©
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