Oliver Maltby
Executive Creative Director at Interbrand, New York
Oliver Maltby has 16 years experience of working at some of the most creative agencies across the world. He helps clients grow by delivering creative and strategic design systems that clearly express the aims of their business. He currently serves as Executive Creative Director at Interbrand, New York.
He has been consistently recognized by a host of creative awards in numerous categories. With more than fifty national and international awards that include six D&AD Pencils (Yellow, Graphite and four Wooden Pencils), two Cannes Gold Lions (and a Bronze Lion), Clio Gold, New York Festivals Gold and Silver’s. And two Design Week Bulbs (and a few more ‘in book’) amongst other bits of metal and acrylic. (Full Bio)
Your first job was as a Designer at The Chase in Manchester. You would later move up the ranks and become Creative Director. Can you tell me about your journey to landing your first job?
I attended University at a small arts college called Bretton Hall, in Wakefield. At the end of our course, we had an industry external examiner (who checks work and sets our grades) called Ben Casey, who our tutors told us ran a great design agency in Manchester (the Chase) which was known for ideas driven work. I finished my course pretty green, thinking I wanted to do advertising. I went to London and got offered a job in an agency as a Junior Typographer, but I knew I wanted to create ideas, so when Ben offered me a job at the Chase my tutor advised me to take it. It was a great decision, I loved the company, Ben is still like a father to me, and I made some life long friends working there.
In June 2012 you became a Creative Director at Interbrand in Melbourne Australia. What was it like to move from London to Melbourne and what was it about Interbrand that made you want to move?
I had run a small but incredibly creative team of people. We’d managed to remain profitable in a recession, and win more creative awards than any other company in the world over a three year period. It was a massive achievement for us, but because of the financial climate we weren’t allowed to hire any new people which was frustrating. Also, two friends (from the Chase) moved to Interbrand, Sydney a few years before and where creating the same ideas driven work — but at scale, which really appealed to me. I was given an amazing opportunity to live in Australia, so it felt like an easy choice.
In October 2016 you moved to America and became the Executive Creative Director at Interbrand, New York. What made you want to move to New York and how has the culture of New York affected you as a Designer?
After three years in Australia, my wife and I moved back to the UK to have children. After the incredible experience of living abroad, London felt too familiar (like going back in time). Interbrand were gracious and wanted to keep me in the network, and when New York came up as a possibility it was hard to decline so we moved again.
New York is an incredible city. We’re less than a year in but we really feel at home here. It has all of the culture and diversity of London, but there’s so much here to explore. I love it. Has it affected me as a designer? Yes and no. Yes, it’s inspiring, and there are new and varied experiences everywhere I go. Conversely, I would say the corporate work we get here is more conservative than Europe so I’m still getting to grips with how and when to push.
When someone is applying to work for you at Interbrand, what are you looking for?
Two things. Obviously a great portfolio (see next question), but more importantly is personality.
We work very long hours with each other, and I have to get a sense the person I’m sitting with is driven, inspiring, humble and fun to be around.
“Don’t hire the portfolio, hire the person.” — My old boss, Ben.
What makes for a great portfolio?
Everyone has different ideas of what makes a great folio. For me, it’s beautifully simple ideas. I think styling is easy enough — although there are specialists — but original thinking that communicates is challenging.
A Chase mantra was: we’re communicators, not decorators.
When reviewing portfolios, what are some of the things you are hoping to see and what are some things that might disqualify/prove the candidate is not fit for the job?
I like applied reductive thought. Something so simple you wonder why you didn’t do it. I love that feeling of jealousy and pride when somebody creates something you wish you had. In general, most folios I look at take a few seconds to work out if there is something there. The tells are Good: clean, simple and leads with the work. Bad: Over stylized, fashionable, content without substance — feels like you’ve seen it all before on Pintrest.
What’s the most useful piece of feedback you’ve ever received?
The best ideas can be said in a 10 second call, or drawn on a single Post-it.
What are you currently reading/watching/listening to that inspires your work?
I’ve always loved sculpture, but the older I get the more I like architecture. Check out the Tadao Ando Benassi Museum or anything by John Pawson. The latest watch would be ‘The Defiant Ones’ on HBO. It’s an incredible documentary about Dr Dre and Jimmy Irvine. Beautifully edited, great content and a real insight into two creative visionaries who’ve changed the world a couple of times. I’d also encourage everyone to read the news. It’s important you know what’s going on, and then — more importantly, how to — connect the dots with how it applies to the design problem you are aiming to solve.
What advice could you give to someone who just graduated college and is new to the design world, but does not know where to begin?
Find something you’re passionate about and go for it. This is an attractive industry with lots of people wanting to be in design jobs, so you have to be hungry to do well in it. Talent is great, but talent and a strong work ethic is better. Find some work that inspires you, find out who did it and reach out to them. Aim high.
I feel that a lot of my peers are focused on inspiration and not execution. Why are so many young designers focused on becoming inspired, yet are not focused on the work itself?
Being inspired is nothing without a result. People find all kinds of ways of avoiding the hard bit, which is creating something new. If you ape somebody else’s work, it will only take you so far.
The purpose of this podcast is to bridge the gap between entry-level designers and the industries best practitioners. I also want to point out that they fail along the way. Do you have any stories? Can you share your most embarrassing story?
Oh, I fail all of the time. I’m not sure about embarrassing, but I take projects personally and I hate losing. So, as long as you can honestly say you did everything in your powers to make something work, it’s hard to say you failed. The most embarrassing times are when I have to wing it. Like giving a talk to AIGA last year on my first day of work in America. I was asked to step in at the last minute with somebody else’s talk topic. Plus, it was meant to be an all woman panel! It was uncomfortable, but I got through it.
Over the course of your career, what has been your favorite moment?
Working with incredibly talented friends is the best thing by far. But, as a project it has to be the Sydney Opera House rebrand in 2015. Moments in life like that are incredibly rare. It’s a true global icon, and I think we did it justice by creating an sculptural identity thats authentic to the building.
We created everything from a world first 3D typeface, digital experiences and new products. Our recommendation of using fashion designer Dion Lee to create the sculptural uniforms is now also being taken on. It was one of those moments when branding has been truly adopted throughout the whole organization.
View full case study here.
What has been the most challenging?
Changing from a Designer to a Manager. They are totally different skills, and I’m still learning both.
Do you have anything you’d say to your younger self when you were starting out?
I would say don’t rush, enjoy the freedom and lack of responsibility when you are young. However, I wouldn’t have listed to myself. I’m ok with how my careers gone so far.
Who has influenced your work the most along the way?
All people I have worked with. Ben Casey — Incredibly bright, humble and entrepreneurial. He’s set up a design firm, that also does architecture and feature film making. Damian Borchock — razor sharp and never afraid to challenge clients, and push designers. And my two big partners in crime Mike Rigby and Chris MacClean who started our careers together as Junior Designers, and now we’ve moved around the world together for the work we love. First Manchester, then Australia and now we’re all here in New York. I’m lucky, we all challenge each other in a very positive way.
What makes a great mentor?
Vulnerability, patience and time.
Finally, what are you currently focusing on?
Raising the creative profile of Interbrand in America. I would argue we’re known here mainly for strategy, which isn’t an accurate reflection of what we actually produce. We have an incredible array of talents within our walls.
View more of Oliver’s exceptional work here.
