Introducing Ollie & Never Settle For Ordinary

Geo’s Never Settle For Ordinary Series: Introducing our Senior Designer

Who are you? What do you do?
I’m Ollie, a Senior Graphic Designer at GeoBrand. I have been with the company since 2017 and my responsibilities include managing all aspects of projects, from initial concept to final delivery, while creating visually impactful design solutions for websites, brand identities, and more. In addition to my design work, I also oversee and mentor the junior designers at the studio, fostering their growth and encouraging them to push creative boundaries. I also act as the in-house DJ, filling the studio with good sounds, and helping the team to stay motivated and in high spirits throughout the week.

Share a little bit about your journey so far…
Coming from a fairly creative family and having a sister that’s a full-time artist, I have always been around creativity and art in some form. During school, I knew I wanted to do something creative within my GCSE options, but as someone that can’t draw, I saw the opportunity in taking Graphic Products to fulfil my creative itch. From there I discovered that I could make a real career out of it. I took it at A-Level and finally went on to Ravensbourne University to study for a degree in Graphic Design.

Whilst at uni, I did some work experience at Geo and also worked as a part-time Junior Designer at another agency before then joining Geo as a Junior Designer in the summer of 2017. This provided me with valuable experience as I was involved in every project regardless of its nature.

What does ‘Never Settle For Ordinary’ mean to you?
For me, it encapsulates our responsibility as brand and design specialists to convince our clients to be braver, and bolder and to take risks. I believe brands need to be bolder whilst confidently delivering stories that reflect their individuality and ability to be different within their sectors. We want to bring real value and impact to our clients, and I believe that is how you can achieve this. I also believe as storytellers for our clients, we need to understand their business and really get involved into everything they’re doing. We do this by experiencing any events, activities or services that they offer themselves. We’ve had meals and drinks at the Fest&Revel pubs, ran the Heart of Kent Hospice 10k Run and delved deep into the Portman Estate historic archives, to name just a few things

Ollie and Harrison at the launch of Shaun the Sheep in the heart of Kent Art Trail.

Do you have any dream projects to work on this year?
Anything consumer-based, it’s the main reason I fell in love with design and is often one of the most creative projects to work on. I really enjoyed the process and the outcomes of working on both Chegworh Valley and Creemi, which were both branding and packaging projects. It always gives me a buzz holding something physical in my hand that I’ve helped create or when I see someone else interacting with it.

On top of that, I’d love to get to work more within hospitality. Being someone that spends a lot of time in pubs, bars and restaurants I’ve noticed that there is a real opportunity to create big impact and value for brands within that industry.