A week in the life of design

What do designers do all day?

Nat Hunter, Matthew Hilton, Vyshali Sardesai, Hai Tran, Sophie Thomas and Catherine Murray

Designers Nat Hunter, Matthew Hilton, Vyshali Sardesai, Hai Tran, Sophie Thomas and Catherine Murray tell us what they do during a typical working week.

The furniture designer

A week in the life of Matthew Hilton, furniture designerMatthew Hilton has designed furniture for companies including SCP, Driade, Authentics and Habitat. Last year he established his own company to produce his own wooden furniture designs.

'I always have to be creating something. I get depressed and cross otherwise'. Read the rest of the Matthew Hilton story  

The workplace designer

Vyshali Sardesi on site as a workplace designerVyshali Sardesi is an associate at BDG workfutures, an international design consultancy focusing on strategy and design for working environments. Her typical day starts at 8am and often requires a hard hat.

'It’s about getting dirt under your fingernails.' Find out what else Vyshali Sardesi does for her job. 

The industrial designer

John Fogarty, Director of Design at BisleyJohn Fogarty is Director of Design at Bisley, Europe's leading steel furniture manufacturer. He's a real supporter of the need for an in-house design team, especially after he spent some time freelancing and forgeting to invoice for his work. 

'In-house will always get there quicker and - we would argue - just as elegantly as the glory boys in external design consultancies.'
 

The textile designer

A week in the life of Catherine MurrayCatherine Murray is the Design Director of Bute Fabrics, an upholstery fabric specialist based on an island in Scotland where work starts at the crack of dawn.

'The island has a variety of beautiful scenery. It inspires me. I don’t feel I miss out not being in London.' Catherine Murray on working in Bute.

The interactive graphics designer

A week in the life of Nat HunterNat Hunter has worked in a bank, a chemistry lab and a sandwich shop. Now she's Managing Director of Airside graphic, illustration, digital and real world interaction design agency.

'Design is about problem solving and communication, rather than aesthetics.' Read Nat Hunter on a week in her work life

The communications designer

A week in the life of Sophie ThomasSophie Thomas has founded two design groups [thomas.matthews and Three Trees Don't Make a Forest] has two children and reckons you need two things to be a good designer. Talent, yes, but sustainability too.

'It’s possible to reconcile good design and sustainability. It’s not just about doing ‘hairy jumper' design' says Sophie Thomas during a week in her work life. 

 

The packaging designer

A week in the life of Hai TranHai Tran spends a lot of time out of the office talking to customers, visiting production lines and travelling overseas for his work as a packaging designer at SiebertHead.

'It’s a buzz, a real passion.' Read what gets Hai Tran going during a week in his life as a packaging designer.

 

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