Design/leader: Bond & Coyne Partner Lucy Harmer

Lucy Harmer is partner and creative director at Bond & Coyne. The London-based agency works on brand and digital projects for clients like The British Academy, Manchester Metropolitan University and Schroders Personal Wealth.

Design

What would your monograph be called?

True story. I just can’t lie. I have to say what I mean, and I always mean what I say. If I believe in a project, I’ll fight to the death for it. But that honesty – which can of course be uncomfortable at times – seems to resonate with clients emotionally.

I recently joined the rest of the Bond & Coyne team at The Traitors: Live Experience and it was a special kind of hell because I can’t pretend.

Being up-front might feel risky around the boardroom table, but it’s a huge strength in creative practice.

What recent design work made you a bit jealous?

DesignStudio rebranding as Further.

Their rebrand genuinely made me a little envious. The confidence it takes to completely bin what has come before is huge. DesignStudio, as we knew it, no longer exists. They’re going to rise above the type of work that they predict AI will hoover up and play in “high value, high impact” moments.

Their tagline – “A bet on the future” – is bold, confident and brilliant. It’s rare to see a studio take such a leap, and it reminded me of the importance of courage in design decisions.

What’s an unusual place you get inspiration from?

Talking Heads have a song for everything. David Byrne is a storytelling genius and there’s often a lyric that will play on loop in my head as a creative hook for a live project.

Inspiration can come from anywhere and it’s a reminder that creativity thrives when you let ideas cross disciplines and mediums.

Name something that is brilliantly designed, but overlooked.

The Pyrex jug. It’s simple, functional and timeless. Cute logo, great typography, highly accessible colour contrast and indestructible.

It never dribbles when you pour, feels great to hold – you buy it once and will probably never need another. It’s a beautiful example of a humble object that stands the test of time.

What object in your studio best sums up your taste?

A giant LED target we created for a Topshop fundraiser. It’s loud, it’s OTT – but purposeful. It was unmissable in the shop window on Oxford Street in London – and still far too bright when we turn it on in the studio.

As a contactless donation point for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer, it was visually a bit mad, but meaningful – and that’s exactly what I’m drawn to in design. Something that feels a little too big and a little in-your-face, yet has real intent behind it.

Leadership

What feedback felt brutal at the time, but turned out to be useful?

“It’s just a bit arbitrary.” A tutor once said this about a second-year typographic poster I’d created. It felt personal at the time, but it stuck because it made me question my choices.

Fifteen years later, it still echoes, forcing me to interrogate everything I create.

I find one of the most important parts of managing people is understanding what to say when to guide them without knocking them back too much. You have to hit that sweet spot – and it’s different for everyone!

What’s an underappreciated skill that design leaders need?

Quietness. The best leaders I’ve worked with are also the quietest. Quietness allows you to really listen, to give ideas space and to let others’ voices shine.

I often stand back during workshops while other colleagues take the stage, absorbing everything in silence. Then I deliver solutions that have naturally emerged from that process.

What keeps you up at night?

Studio pressures, business adrenaline, letting it all go.

I protect my evenings to ruminate so I can wake up for the “golden hour of clarity” somewhere between 5am and 8am, when my best ideas arrive. They come in the gaps – cycling, gym-ing, staring out at the world – not looking at a screen.

What trait is non-negotiable in new hires?

Hunger. You can’t fake it. When candidates drop the pretence of the interview, the fiery ones reveal themselves.

For younger designers especially, when portfolio presentations can feel a little too formal, I’m looking for that extra spark. It tells me whether they have what it takes to go the distance.

Complete this sentence: “I wish more clients…”

…had the confidence to see beyond short-term metrics. Long-term brand building is the way to a sustainable future. The clients I love working with understand the importance of playing the long game.†de

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