Designing Brand Experience + Commercial Design for Good with Jos Harrison — DT101 E94

Jos Harrison is the global head of brand experience and design at Reckitt. We talk about brand experience design and commercial design for good.

Listen to learn about:

>> Brand building
>> Finding ways for companies to do good in a way that builds brand
>> Learning design
>> Omnichannel communication and its effect on brand building
>> Design's role in creating a better future

Our Guest

Jos is obsessed with bringing brands closer to people — in all the ways (big and small) that improve lives, making people happier and healthier.

Jos designs experiences for people, communities and societies — never for 'consumers' — and in doing so, he tries to fulfill my responsibility to our planet: protecting and nurturing it in any way I can.

Show Highlights

[01:04] Jos talks about Reckitt, building toolkits and frameworks, and the clients they work with.
[03:01] Jos' early background as an industrial and product designer.
[03:21] A stint in marketing and commercial interior design.
[03:50] Moving into branding, working at Cadbury Schweppes, and experience marketing.
[05:14] Starting at Reckitt and diving into OTC healthcare and hygiene branding.
[05:40] Finding his place in innovation and brand building.
[06:18] Jos talks about the more challenging moments of his career journey.
[07:00] Blind spots and education gaps that arise when you're a student.
[10:02] Ways Jos is working to close those gaps in his own team and the teams he works with.
[10:11] How humans learn best.
[11:56] Design doesn't lend itself well to formal training.
[12:14] Designers learn most when directly involved in solving problems.
[12:28] Jos' team makeup.
[14:31] Things Jos wishes designers understood better.
[16:48] Mapping is a great way to pinpoint gaps in knowledge and experience.
[17:34] Exploring the concept of purpose with Reckitt's clients.
[17:56] Clarifying purpose starts with going back to the beginning of the brand.
[18:40] People now expect corporations to make positive effects on the world in some way.
[20:59] Jos offers an example using the Lysol brand.
[24:03] A fascinating look into the many micro-interactions that, over time, build a brand.
[25:32] Easier to build a brand in the past.
[26:06] Jos talks about how the industry is different now.
[25:24] The omnichannel experience and how it's made brand building more complex.
[27:39] Creating customer cohorts.
[28:26] The experience map tool.
[29:35] Why it's important to understand your customer's attitudes and behavior.
[31:08] Why storytelling is so important in design.
[34:22] Designers create for someone else.
[35:16] People are Jos' greatest resource for learning.
[36:54] Why Jos recommends organizations partner with creatives.
[39:27] Jos' final thoughts about our need for more empathy, and design's role in fostering more empathy in society.

Links:

Jos on LinkedIn
Reckitt
Five minutes with Jos Harrison
Q&A with Jos Harrison of RB
How to nail your brand's purpose
Get them talking – why designing for advocacy is crucial for FMCG brands

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Humble Design Leadership + Design Agency and Experience Design Evolution with Aleksandra Melnikova — DT101 E33
Learning Design + Designing for How People Learn with Julie Dirksen — DT101 E42
Employee Experience by Design: How to Create an Effective EX for Competitive Advantage with Belinda Gannaway — DT101 E75