Introducing the collective: 

Richard

Slade Design founder and namesake, cycling enthusiast, Alan Fletcher super fan, philanthropist and current Mayor of St Neots – Richard is all of this rolled into one. A man of many talents. Here’s a little introduction, in his own words:

Interview

Where are you based?

I am based in the beautiful Cambridgeshire town of St Neots. The town was made famous in the 19th century by a resident who grew to be over 8ft tall. He was called James Toller, or the Eynesbury Giant.

In a nutshell, what’s your creative experience, skill set and responsibilities?

I studied graphic design at both college and university and when I graduated stayed in the creative industry, firstly working in private sector publishing with a national newspaper group where the deadlines and routines were so consistent that I developed the ability to work efficiently at speed. Secondly, I joined the public sector and worked across Whitehall with various departments and agencies. The studio that I managed dealt with vast budgets, stakeholders and reproduction quantities and this is where I honed my skill for quality and attention to detail (when you work on stuff that gets printed in the millions it’s vital every word is perfect). When I left government, I went into teaching graphic design for post 16 to graduates, this was alongside starting my own company that works across private, public and third sectors for clients all over the country.

Who’s your creative hero?

My creative hero is British graphic designer Alan Fletcher whose career spanned 50 years and included co-founding various agencies including Pentagram in 1992. To quote Alan “Design is not a thing you do. It’s a way of life.” The simplicity and humour in his work is inspirational and a reminder that what we produce always has to be founded in clever ideas.

What’s your creative point of view (pov)?

My creative point of view is always from the end user (resident, visitor, reader, participant, client, owner etc). I ask who will use this and how and step into the shoes of a human doing human stuff.

What’s your favourite project to date?

Choosing one project as a favourite is tough as I love all the work produced by the team. We work with amazing clients and so my favourite bit is the mutual respect between us and client. They have trust and confidence in our abilities and likewise we respect that they are specialists in their sector.

What do you love to do when you’re not designing?

When I’m not being a designer (which is never as it’s a way of life) I volunteer my time for various civic, community and charitable organisations. When I left university in the 1990s I started volunteering my time to help a local charity. I’ve added many organisations to that list since but what remains the same is my motivation to make the world a better place.

What would you be if you weren’t a designer?

If I wasn’t a designer I’d be a pro-cyclist. I got my first racing bike at the age of 14 and was always out and challenging myself to get further and further from home. When I passed my driving test I didn’t get back on a bike until I was in my 40s and I regret giving up a bicycle.