Small is beautiful, big is beautiful, but it’s all about the art of weaving. Glenn Tutssel told us how multi-disciplined teams will shape the future.

Glenn Tutssel is executive creative director of the Brand Union – a WPP company that employs 500 people worldwide in 21 local offices and which works with some of the biggest brands on the planet. It has created identities for the likes of American Express, Absolut and Bank of America and has helped global organisations like Unilever and Diageo innovate and grow.

So where does Glenn think the design industry is headed in 2010? He headlined his talk ‘Small is beautiful’ and told Breakfasters that they had the benefits of balance, less overheads and control – ‘if you don’t want to take on a job, you don’t have to’, he said. Most importantly they had the opportunity to collaborate with other people.

But as the story of his career unfolded Glenn revealed that he thinks big is beautiful, too. He left college in the 70’s and worked with the likes of Michael Peters before setting up his own agency with 27 people. He was later tempted by WPP and the chance to work with global brands. “It opened the door to a network of international clients – we were getting projects that were out of this world. Selling to WPP was the best thing I ever did.

Showing examples of his work with Diageo and the Johnnie Walker brand – a company which began life as a single shop and tea blenders in 19th century Scotland and which now sells 130 million bottles a year in almost every country, he told the audience he has made ‘luxury premium’ his niche because it is the kind of work he likes.

“Whether you are big or small there is no right or wrong. It depends on the type of client you want to work for. Clients look at the business and have a perception about what you do. They won’t come to us for a small job. They think we are too big, too expensive. Clients gravitate to smaller companies for smaller jobs.”

Where Glenn is emphatic is on the style of working the future will demand. He points to the Bauhaus movement of the 1920’s saying that its legacy was different, skill-based designers working together. “Designers who can deliver the big idea, beautifully crafted with multi-disciplined problem solving are the future.” Calling them ‘Renaissance people’, he’s confident design leadership will be Britain’s legacy to the economic upturn.

What’s more, our multi-disciplined, successful designers will practice the ‘art of weaving’. By this he means alternating intuitively with others to deliver a virtuoso performance. He uses the Rolling Stones to illustrate his philosophy – they are skilled performers who know every musical part and who understand each other so well they can switch from lead to rhythm guitar mid-performance without speaking a word.

“Our industry needs more of the modern art of weaving creativity together, based on sound craft skills.” He adds that he’s a fan of the sketch and says clients are more impressed by a quick pencil drawing that solves the problem than 50 boards that don’t.

“The big idea sells,” he says. “The execution will increasingly be done in India, China, South America or even Russia under our direction.”
And his advice to Breakfasters? Admitting that 25 employees is a good size for an agency because ‘you do the best work and have the most fun’, he lets slip that being small has an appeal, too. “Don’t employ people,” he counsels, “use networks.”