At Octopus Vitality, we’re fairly uncommon in that each one elements of design are completed in-house.
Which means all the pieces you see, from our web site to our adverts, is dreamed up and constructed by a small group of dedicated, inventive individuals.
I just lately had the privilege of chatting with these designers to seek out out what led them to Octopus, what makes them proud and what makes design at Octopus so particular.
Meet the designers
Pete
Octopus co-founder and Inventive Director
Amy
Designer & Illustrator
First we’re chatting to Pete, Octopus’ co-founder and Inventive Director about his mission and imaginative and prescient for design at Octopus.
Samsam: What’s the overarching mission of the design workforce?
Our focus is on ensuring the transition to sustainable vitality is so easy and comfy that individuals barely even discover it is taking place.
Ranging from the preliminary first impression – that we’re an organization with ethics and morals that may be trusted – and persevering with all through the whole buyer journey.
Most individuals do not wish to spend a great deal of time desirous about their vitality provide, they need any individual they will belief to behave of their greatest pursuits on their behalf, which is strictly what we wish to do. So our mission is to make issues as environment friendly, constant and clear as attainable, by no means asking for extra time than we’d like from our clients.
Samsam: So, what do the Design Group do at Octopus?
Pete: From telephones to buildings, our society is made up of a variety of interfaces that we work together with on daily basis. I spend most of my time desirous about how we design our Octopus expertise and the way this may have an effect on clients. Our job is actually to make sure we’re consciously designing interfaces that work for individuals from a complete vary of various backgrounds, in numerous contexts, with totally different wants.
Samsam: The Design workforce is made up of some good individuals – what are a very powerful qualities you search for when hiring for the design workforce?
Pete: I consider humankind as being just like the awkward teenager in the beginning of a superhero film. We have discovered we have got some fairly cool powers: reasoning, communication, and creativeness, and we will mix them collectively to do wonderful issues. If we mix them excellent, we will create empathy and convey individuals collectively, which is the nascent super-power that we’ve not actually mastered but – it is actually highly effective, however it will probably additionally get a bit uncontrolled and be fairly harmful. Due to our empathy, we’ve created ‘tribes’ that might work collectively for everybody’s profit, however we’ve come to view different ‘tribes’ as threats that have to be brutally handled, by way of a misguided sense of safety. So there’s this challenge with the breadth of our empathy, and who or what falls outdoors it.
If our film goes to be a superhero story and never a darkish tragedy, we should broaden our sense of empathy to incorporate individuals who won’t share our beliefs. That is when empathy turns into a strong prism that supercharges our different powers. With that in thoughts,
I search for individuals with a knack for reasoning, imagining, and speaking, and a robust sense of empathy.
Design is transformational – interacting with it adjustments you ever so barely, so I hope that the artefacts that we design can encourage and develop those self same qualities in whoever we attain. That means, hopefully we will nudge the human storyline a bit of nearer to the blockbuster superhero film.
Samsam: What units design at Octopus aside from different corporations?
Pete: Digital design has modified massively in a couple of years. Till just lately the expertise was cumbersome – it used to take ages to make large adjustments. That’s now not the case. At Octopus, we have arrange our design and tech tradition in order that you do not have to attend per week so as to ship. A function or a product could be completed in a day or an hour if you recognize precisely what you are doing, and that capacity to reply shortly to clients’ wants and a altering market actually units us aside.
Our strategy isn’t to attend 6 month to launch the subsequent large killer function, it’s about persistently taking numerous small steps so we’re consistently remodeling and retaining updated.
Finally, I believe it is actually vital to consistently problem our views of the world, and ask ourselves what’s modified. Folks change slowly, however tradition, context, and expertise change more and more shortly. In design, we clearly assume lots about individuals, and what they need, and the way they assume. However good design is not nearly what’s fascinating or helpful, it is also about what’s technically possible, and that is consistently altering too.
We’re a workforce of generalists. That is very deliberate, as a result of it means we will adapt shortly to adjustments on the planet round us, and we’re not overly invested in doing issues one specific means.
I believe we’re additionally a really curious bunch, and we take pleasure in being barely out of our depth, so an unpredictable and ever-changing world is the one means we would have it.
We give attention to taking hundreds of tiny steps, moderately than one big leap – as a result of in a altering world you’ll be able to by no means be certain the place you are touchdown.
Samsam: How vital is socially aware design to you, and the way do you go about incorporating that ingredient on a sensible stage?
Pete: I believe design is basically opinionated. No matter you are designing – whether or not a billboard, an app, or a constructing – it is a conduit for the change you wish to see on the planet. It isn’t the artefact itself that is vital, it is the affect it has when it is launched into the wild – how will it change the world round us?
Most of us within the design workforce are right here particularly as a result of we wish to create one thing fairer and extra sustainable. And that may be actually laborious – it is not at all times black and white, there’s hundreds of various shades, and we have to navigate these decisions. That is the place our iterative strategy actually helps – we get many probabilities to reassess our decisions and high quality tune them for the appropriate social or sustainable affect.
I believe it is also about focus – as we have change into often known as an organization with an moral perspective, lots of people and firms wish to workforce up and work collectively on all types of wonderful causes. Typically, we have to carry it again to the trigger we’re basically right here for, and the massive one which the world desperately wants: to speed up the transition to a completely renewable vitality system.
Meet Monica
Monica joined Octopus as a Designer means again in 2018. I had a chat along with her about how Octopus does design in another way.
Samsam: How would you describe your position?
Monica: My position consists of quite a lot of video and animation work internally or for our advertising and marketing division. It varies massively – on any given day, I is likely to be doing something from modifying movies to engaged on design branding, or making a touchdown web page for one among our companions.
It’s a really inventive position. I’m fortunate to have a ton of freedom to discover my very own concepts or tackle attention-grabbing tasks, like our Octopus Pub Quiz to entertain clients throughout lockdown, or making enjoyable animated academic Youtube movies.
Samsam: What was your background earlier than you got here to Octopus?
Monica: I’ve a Diploma in Artwork & Design and a BA in Visible Communication the place I learnt a few vary of the way to make the world a greater place utilizing a visible medium. After I graduated I began a design internship in Madrid, which is the place I’m from – it paid pennies however I did get quite a lot of expertise and actually fell in love with design there. At the moment I used to be additionally doing inventive group work, providing free programs to adults with extreme disabilities, and studying to show English in ways in which included inventive practices.
I spent a while working in promoting however I discovered company life actually monotonous, and I wished to work someplace that I might really feel the optimistic affect of my work, so fortunately I landed this unbelievable alternative with Octopus!
Samsam: What units Design at Octopus aside from different corporations?
At Octopus, we actually worth making use of a human contact.
We like doing campaigns and good issues like pub quizzes or making a gift of freebies just because we love to do good stuff for our clients. This sentiment extends to our design and illustrations as effectively – it’s probably the most impactful technique to present our vibrancy, character, and our real care for everybody who’s with us.
Samsam: Is there a challenge that you’ve got been actually happy with?
Monica: After we first began Octopus Vitality Companies (our good meter set up service) I used to be requested to design a wrap for the vans.
I spent a very long time desirous about methods to make ours stand out and I beloved the concept of doing one thing primarily based on Sizzling Wheels utilizing Octopus tentacles as a substitute of flames. It actually stands out and we’ve had a improbable response!
Samsam: What’s been your largest problem and the way did you overcome it?
Monica: Turning into a supervisor and discovering a junior designer to hitch our workforce was fairly difficult. I used to be on the lookout for somebody actually passionate in regards to the work, and who was comfortable to select up new expertise (moderately than prioritising a specific ability set).
You create nice merchandise whenever you give individuals the liberty to be inventive and do the issues they’re good at.
As quickly as I met Amy and noticed her portfolio I knew she can be good for the job. It’s been actually vital to me to not stifle her creativity and create an surroundings the place she will thrive and develop – the method has been difficult however finally tremendous fulfilling and a large success.
Samsam: I do know you do quite a lot of work with Octopus Japan – how has your position developed with this partnership?
Monica: I began engaged on our Japanese enterprise into Tokyo, working alongside the Tokyo Gasoline workforce in March. My position has modified lots over the previous few months and I’ve labored intently with our Entrance-Finish Builders, Operations Group and everybody in Tokyo to grasp the wants of shoppers in Japan and what they count on from an vitality firm. Discovering methods to shock our new clients and hiring wonderful new expertise to work with us and dealing with our advertising and marketing director for Japan on how we will launch our product in probably the most Octopus means attainable. It has been a really difficult, emotional trip and I’m so happy with the work we’ve all put in to carry this enterprise to life.
I’d by no means imagined that 3.5 years after beginning at Octopus as a Junior Designer that I’d find yourself being a inventive director of our begin up in Japan!
Samsam: What has been your largest be taught throughout this course of?
Monica: It’s all been a large studying curve for me and one of many largest, most inventive tasks I’ve ever been part of. Up to now, I’ve managed to supply a working web site + consumer journey and I’ve learnt lots in regards to the advertising and marketing and promoting world of Japan in our purpose to create culturally related advertising and marketing. One of the vital satisfying issues about this challenge has been designing in Japanese and I’m really studying Japanese in the mean time which is extremely enjoyable and has made me realise what number of pointless phrases we’ve in English! Exploring the principles of this new language and tradition has been eye opening, and I’m grateful for this extremely distinctive studying that I might solely have been part of by way of this challenge.
Group Japan
Samsam: What’s it like working with Amy, Maya and Pete?
All of us have a very totally different set of expertise so it’s actually enjoyable to be taught from one another. We regularly share our work with each other and all of us genuinely get alongside so there’s a good dynamic – we’ve one another’s backs.
I really feel actually fortunate to work in such a beautiful, inventive and collaborative surroundings.
Samsam: Do you get to work on different design tasks in your individual time?
Monica: I’m presently doing an MA equal in animation so I don’t have a lot spare time, however I’ve been in a position to be part of some actually cool tasks. My favorite was Solpowered, a renewable vitality charity based by a couple of Octopus alumni, which offers dependable, sustainable vitality to hospitals in impoverished components of Zimbabwe. I labored on designing their web site, and we efficiently obtained funding from Octopus Giving and Engineers With out Borders. They’re doing unbelievable issues so it was a beautiful challenge to be part of.
Fast Qs
Most memorable day at Octopus?
My first day at Octopus was the day that we celebrated 200k clients, moved workplaces and threw an enormous get together within the outdated workplace. I used to be launched into the deep finish with out figuring out anyone!
Favorite Podcast?
The Receipts Podcast – they crack me up
Favourite film?
Delight & Prejudice
What’s your work consolation or ritual?
I really like baking and just lately made salted caramel macarons which got here out fairly nice.
Any uncommon expertise or hobbies?
I really like crafting! Obby is a cool web site with craft workshops for creatives with tremendous enjoyable issues like pottery and ring making.
Your greatest journey ever?
I took a ten day household journey to Jordan just lately, which was a fully lovely expertise.
What’s one thing you actually wish to do that 12 months?
I wish to go on an extended pottery course, and craft my very own dinner set.
Meet Maya
I spoke to Maya, our UX/UI designer, in regards to the significance of perfecting the web buyer expertise.
Samsam: How would you describe your position in a couple of sentences?
Maya: I lead on our UX (Person Expertise) and UI (Person Interplay) Design, and I assume you may say I’m a bit just like the model police, particularly as Octopus grows globally. In my UX & UI capability I’ve to be sure that our clients have the very best digital expertise attainable which is a continuing iterative course of as with most digital merchandise.
Samsam: How did you start working in design?
Maya: I used to be a type of youngsters that was consistently drawing, making issues and expressing my very own creativity, and that carried me by way of faculty and into College, the place I studied Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins. After that I went to LCC to review Interplay Design the place I learnt in regards to the relationship between individuals and expertise, specializing in how we work together with design by way of expertise.
After I graduated, I moved to Berlin and lived the hipster dream interning at inventive businesses of assorted sizes and designing inventive campaigns for large manufacturers comparable to Adidas and Pink Bull. I additionally lived and labored in Reykjavik, supporting the design pageant there and consuming quite a lot of salted fish.
Across the time I acquired again I wished to discover a profession that might incorporate my expertise at design, empathy plus harness my curiosity in expertise, so I enrolled on the Normal Meeting UX course. This turned out to be among the finest selections I ever made, as not lengthy after I used to be in a position to get a UX job at HAVAS Lynx the place I used to be concerned in creating apps and web sites that may go some technique to assuaging the stress that sick sufferers felt when receiving their therapies.
That then led to the fantastic Olivia, Octopus’ expertise acquisition extraordinaire, getting in contact with me a few designer position right here, which I leapt at, given Octopus’ place as each environmental protectors and an awesome firm to work for.
An attractive instance of Maya’s artwork work
Trying again on all my experiences I undoubtedly really feel probably the most satisfaction on the jobs that had a function behind them, designed to enhance lives and make a distinction.
Samsam: What are you presently engaged on?
I just lately took the initiative to develop our model tips, which goes to assist as we increase, guaranteeing that the model is constant throughout the globe. We’re not a strict ‘guidelines’-based firm and all of us get quite a lot of belief and autonomy which I really like, however my position was to be sure that all our designs agree with our model, and that we’re all on the identical web page throughout workplaces.
Samsam: What assets or web sites would you advocate for people who find themselves attempting to get into UX design?
Maya: Take a look at NNGroup, Interplay Design Basis, Muzli Inspiration and Mobbin if you wish to be impressed by nice UX and greatest follow, and if that tickles your fancy then try to get aware of Figma and Adobe Illustrator. Previous that I’d in fact extremely advocate the GA UX quick course I did, which is the place I actually developed my UX portfolio.
Samsam: What’s your favorite a part of the job?
Maya: I really like the collaboration throughout the corporate. As a part of my position, I work intently with the front-end improvement workforce who continue to grow from energy to energy. Not solely have we learnt lots from one another however we actually belief one another which is massively vital.
No two days are the identical at Octopus and there’s at all times such an awesome number of tasks to work on.
Samsam: What work are you most happy with?
It must be our “Portraits from the Precipice” marketing campaign in collaboration with Artfinder. We requested members of the general public to ship of their artwork about local weather change and the responses had been phenomenal. We then chosen the very best ones so as to broadcast them on billboards throughout London. It was unofficially one of many largest environmental exhibitions within the UK. The top of this was going to Waterloo station with my household to observe my work get broadcast on the 40-metre-long digital display, which was all fairly surreal.
Maya’s billboard designs (spot her checking them out in Waterloo Station)
Fast Qs
Favorite Octopus Pet?
Nellie the Canine, in her loveliest little Octopus hat!
Most memorable day at work?
The tremendous enjoyable London Queer Vogue Week occasion, the place I acquired to make a cool, grungy model of our Octopus mascot in neon gentle type, Constantine (I’ve been advised it seems like a fried egg although).
Greatest place you’ve lived?
I took a 12 months out in Berlin the place I had probably the most unbelievable expertise working for VICE – I virtually didn’t transfer again to the UK!
Favorite music style?
I really DJ myself and I’m actually into home/disco/techno/world music.
Try my combine right here – Shamaya Twain – No Kisses at Midnight
What’s your most memorable DJ set?
I lived in Iceland for some time, the place I held my very own rave in an outdated salted fish manufacturing unit. I acquired to e-book and showcase a load of feminine DJs which was such a pleasure – I’m so impressed by them.
Favorite e-book?
Ghosts by Dolly Alderton
High TV present suggestion?
Succession
Any extra uncommon expertise or hobbies?
I’m into DIY, biking and cocktail making
Favorite place on the planet?
Peru, the humanities and crafts there are lovely!
What are you wanting ahead to?
Dancing in sweaty crowds with no care on the planet.
Meet Amy
Amy is a designer and illustrator who joined Octopus in 2019, and whose designs have change into an integral a part of the Octopus ‘look’.
Samsam: How would you describe your position?
Amy: My position within the Design workforce is actually broad and I get to do a little bit of all the pieces. I principally give attention to illustration for on-line and ‘out of house’ adverts (like billboards), social media, or for our UX. I used to be initially employed to develop Octopus’ illustrative ‘look’, as that hadn’t actually been pinned down but.
One factor for positive – my position is rarely boring. I are inclined to have a distinct challenge week to week which could embrace inner designs for Octopus or our companions, whether or not that be content material for social media, billboards or merchandise. Sometimes, I additionally work on particular consciousness tasks, like designing the illustrations and posters for our Black Historical past Month Journal.
Samsam: Do you could have an artwork background?
My mother used to create high quality artwork, which is what first impressed me to pursue a inventive profession. I did a BA in Illustration, and I used to be fortunate sufficient to get this job instantly after graduating. Monica employed me and I believe she simply knew I used to be moldable, and didn’t have some company model identification imposed on me so I used to be free to be inventive and progressive.
Samsam: What initially drew you to Octopus?
Amy: I used to be actually selective with the roles I utilized to…
I didn’t like the concept of working in an excellent company surroundings. I used to be drawn to the Octopus job because it was clear that it wouldn’t be a really inflexible surroundings and I’d be given numerous autonomy, belief and assist to get issues completed.
I’m additionally actually all for environmentalism and sustainability which was a giant draw.
Samsam: What’s being part of the Design Group like?
There’s a actually nice, non-hierarchical dynamic and no person hesitates to ask one another for assist or recommendation, so we get to be very collaborative.
Plus, I really feel actually fortunate to have Monica as my supervisor. She’s at all times encouraging me to strive new issues and discover inventive ideas she thinks I’d take pleasure in.
The workforce is generally made up of ladies which is a really totally different expertise to my College which was very male dominated. Being one of many few ladies at all times made me really feel like I wanted to overcompensate with my work, so it’s been good not having to really feel that means anymore.
Samsam: What are some expertise you’ve been in a position to develop?
Amy: Once I joined, I had solely ever used Photoshop and since becoming a member of Octopus I’ve change into proficient at utilizing Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Sketch. As time’s gone on I’ve completed quite a lot of UX and helped construct web sites. I’ve additionally completed fairly a couple of large campaigns just like the Arsenal partnership, which has been actually thrilling.
Samsam: What challenge are you proudest of?
Amy: Because of the pandemic and lockdown quite a lot of corporations have modified their advertising and marketing strategy as a result of it’s clearly fairly insensitive to be promoting when circumstances are so tough for therefore many individuals. Nonetheless, we had already purchased some advert house and did not wish to pull out of the dedication – we do all our ad-buying in-house and have an awesome relationship with the individuals who personal the house. So, we determined to create one thing cheery, vibrant and optimistic for individuals to take a look at and luxuriate in, with out promoting something. I’m actually happy with the piece I created and I hope it elicited a sense of hopefulness and nostalgia throughout a tough time.
Samsam: Are there any cool tasks you’re engaged on outdoors of your traditional position?
Amy: Once I get an opportunity I do prefer to tackle freelance tasks, and I’ve completed fairly a little bit of political and satirical artwork on-line. Largely I give attention to ladies’s rights, and the trans and homosexual group. I’ve additionally helped make designs for the ‘Bloody Good Interval’ charity which tackles interval poverty.
Samsam: Do you could have any recommendation for any individual who would possibly wish to work in Design and Illustration?
Amy: In case you’re something like me, simply do not overthink it. There’s tons to be taught which could be intimidating, however simply know that it takes time and expertise and that’s okay.
I didn’t be part of Octopus wielding quite a lot of expertise however I had numerous assist and learnt over time so don’t fear an excessive amount of about what you don’t know, and give attention to what you’ll be able to be taught.
So long as you could have a robust work ethic, a optimistic and energetic perspective you can be high quality.
Additionally Skillshare is unbelievable!
Fast Qs
Most memorable day at Octopus?
The day Boris Johnson was coming to the workplace, a tour across the workplace was deliberate and we wished to brighten up the workplace partitions a bit of. I acquired a final minute name and got here to the workplace at 2pm on Sunday and labored nonstop on whiteboard illustrations to get it completed, which was fairly loopy.
Favorite TV Present?
Gray’s Anatomy
Favorite tune
Spanish Saharah – Foals
Favorite Album
Favorite Worst Nightmare – Arctic Monkeys
Favorite Greg story?
Effectively, he as soon as handed me a complete watermelon to eat as a snack.
The very best gig you could have even been to?
Slipknot
Your favorite metropolis?
San Francisco as a result of it’s actually cultural and inventive.
Your favorite journey?
I really like travelling by myself and I did an unbelievable 3 month solo journey from San Francisco to Boston once I was 17.
Skip again to learn extra about every Octo-designer…
Pete
Inventive Director and Octopus Co-founder
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