Colin Macgadie - 10 things I’ve learned about design
Colin Macgadie is creative director at BDG Architecture + Design, which he joined in 2012. He studied interior design at the University for the Creative Arts and has to date enjoyed a 12-year career in workplace design and strategy, he tells Pamela Buxton
by Colin Macgadie
1. THERE IS RARELY SUCH A THING AS A NEW IDEA IN OFFICE DESIGN.
I don't think the design of the workplace has really changed that much. Look at Foster's Willis Faber offices in the Seventies, a really sociable environment with its own swimming pool, roof terrace, and choice of open-plan or cellular offices. Nowadays we talk about technology being the reason for mobile working but really, when the computer arrived it held that back, and it's only now that this is accelerating again with mobile technology, which in turn is recreating the type of office environments that originated 40 years ago.
2. CLIENTS ARE MORE EDUCATED ABOUT DESIGN NOWADAYS.
And I like that. We're not having to spend time explaining the benefits of design - they know about that already. So instead of spending time explaining to them about how you can add value, you can spend that time actually adding that value. But you still need to be on top of your game and know more, adding value through experience.
3. HONESTY AND TRANSPARENCY IS KEY.
There's no room for bullshit. I believe in close collaboration with clients. Get them involved as much as possible, even it means inviting the CEO to a meeting about snagging - they'll see things that the designer doesn't.
Colin's sketches for offices for interactive marketing agency Possible in central London
4. YOU NEED A BALANCE OF SCIENCE AND ART.
Evidence and data are important but not more than design - they have to be equal partners and you need both. Put the emotional side of design to one side and gather evidence to back up your ideas. Once you have a rationale that the business people can understand and support then you can concentrate on developing the design.
5. THERE'S A LOT OF MANAGEMENT FEAR.
There's fear about managing change in the workplace, and clients often look to us to help them manage that in the design. Clients can get lost worrying about what they perceive is a large degree of change while, in effect, most staff won't mind that much about where they work, and the change can happen naturally. We can help clients set up a space that supports agile working, but really it's the management that has to change. Never dictate where people will want to spend time.
Colin's sketches for offices for interactive marketing agency Possible in central London
6. DESIGN DOES IMPACT POSITIVELY ON BUSINESS EFFECTIVENESS - ALTHOUGH IT'S HARD TO MEASURE.
We do post-occupancy surveys measuring things like face-to-face communication and how long people spend talking to colleagues or working productively at their desk. We might find there are more people working at their desk and less people disturbing them and you might think it's a great result - but who knows if they're actually on Facebook! You can never measure directly the quality of work, but the business will know internally how to use the data and will be able to see trends for staff retention and staff satisfaction.
7. EVERY PROJECT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT REGARDLESS OF SIZE AND BUDGET.
You have to spend the time you need to get it right.
8. DESIGNERS AND CLIENTS ARE TOO WORRIED ABOUT FAILING.
Don't be afraid to move out of your comfort zone to try out new ideas rather than always specifying the same thing or designing the same detail. You'll never know if you don't try!
Offices for digital marketing agency VML in Mornington Crescent, London
9. DRAWING BY HAND HAS BECOME MORE VALUABLE.
It's a real insight into people's design skills. When recruiting, I'm always looking for something other than just computer drawings in the portfolio to help me differentiate. When candidates apply with hand drawing skills as well, those are very often the ones I want. I draw by hand all the time (see Macgadie's sketches on the previous page). Sometimes that quick ink sketch that's really messy can be the most powerful.
10. NEVER ASSUME.
I met Paul Smith a long time ago and he gave me that advice. I continue to refer to it and always make sure I check, not assume.
