London, Jul 1st, 2021

The agency helps companies become trusted parts of people’s lives by creating products, services, and brands that people love. Huge is known for finding new ways to harmonize the things clients need with what users really want.

Fura Johannesdottir is the Global Chief Design Officer at Huge, working from London. In an interview with TIA, she described her career path, which took her from studying in Iceland to the UK at Huge.

She explained the agency’s strategy to manage cultural diversity and went through some of her favorite projects at Huge.

To kick things off please can you describe to us a little bit about your city and why it is a great place to work?

This is a tough one since I identify with so many different places across the globe, as my city/country such as New York, Reykjavik, Iceland, London. I love all of the cities, all in different ways.

What I love the most about London, where I currently live, is that it feels in some ways like you live both in a city and a small town. London has a lovely balance of neighborhoods with local stores, local produce, a distinct feel while people who live here also have access to the big city living with the big museums, for example. London is also extremely green, which is one of the key assets that I love about it – there are so many great parks to visit, too.

A must do experience in London is to go to the local markets. My favorite markets are Broadway Market in East London and Columbia Street Flower Market.

You were raised in Iceland, can you tell us how you started your career in digital?

When I was growing up, I dreamed about becoming an architect. My plan was to apply to a school in Copenhagen, but I missed the deadline – I was having too much fun living there. I ended up studying psychology at the University in Iceland. About half way through school, I started to realize that this wasn’t for me, it was a bit too scientific, dry and formalized. I finished my education, because I like to finish what I start.

Then I applied for a job at an advertising agency towards the end of my education, to see what would happen. It was a job I didn’t really want, but at the time my thinking was to get my foot in the door. I didn’t land the gig, but they offered me another job at a digital agency that they had recently founded. I took that job, it was a tiny company where I was both a program manager and the user flow expert – back then (2000) it was one job.

We can say that I entered the digital industry by accident. A few years later (2003), I packed my bags and moved to NYC – to get an MFA degree in Design & Technology at Parsons School of Design. It was one of the best decisions that I ever made. That is when things really took off for me.

Could you explain to us briefly what’s your role as a global Chief Design Officer?

My Global CDO at Huge is to inspire others to do the best work of their lives at the agency. It is about creating an environment where talent can thrive. As leaders in the industry, we need to set the standards, show excellence and encourage people to push boundaries. We need to guide young Talent on their journey, empower them to lead but be there to catch them if things go a bit off the rails. We need to set a vision for where the world is going and the role of companies, like Huge, in it. That is the core of it. It is about creating an environment where talent can thrive because that’s when you create the best work.

I also believe that leaders need to be in the work itself, be hands on both in client work and on pitches. Collaborate with the teams and make sure that we deliver excellence.

How do you manage different cultural diversity throughout the 13 offices?

At Huge we have made our diversity numbers and goals public with our “Staying Accountable” commitment. In our commitment, we are asking the industry and our talent to hold us accountable to provide transparent updates on our actions and our data. One action is that we have put an extra focus on diversity in our recruitment policy, making sure that we always meet a diverse group of candidates. This is something we have applied globally.

We also need to make sure that we are creating an internal environment that celebrates diversity and gives people a voice within the agency. We have six affinity groups that operate globally. They are empowered to work independently, have their own meetings, events and meet-ups. We encourage an open dialogue at Huge. We want honesty and transparency to be front and center.

This year, we kicked off “Huge Schools” again, which is a program specifically designed to upskill young talent from different backgrounds so that they can enter the creative industry. We re-ignited the program in Oakland, CA and our goal is to run the program globally.

At Huge, we want our teams to represent the world that we live in, that is important to us which is why we have been focusing on this for the past few years.

What attributes do you want people to associate Huge with, and how do you align business decisions with your values every day?

We are an innovative, leading global experience agency that gives a s***. We are a people lead company that loves making things that people love. This means that we are taking a holistic look at the work, making sure that it is driving towards a better world. That is what I personally want us to be known for.

Every experience has an emotional component. What is your approach to design positive emotions to keep users happy and engaged?

As an industry, we need to have a deep understanding of both what the brand stands for, and what motivates and drives people. What is important for experiences is that consumers are unique to the brand, as an agency we need to help it stand out and create meaningful connections with people. That’s where the emotional part comes in.

Also, if you unlock the unique and meaningful (+useful) idea and message, people will keep coming back to brands. Perhaps because they can’t get this anywhere else or they buy into the brand ethos – which is becoming more and more important). In today’s landscape, authenticity is becoming more and more important. Don’t greenwash, don’t pinkwash – just stay true to who you are. People will see straight through anything that’s not real.

Of all the recent projects your agency has produced, which one are you most proud of?

This is a tough one, we have done so many great things and some of them I can’t even talk about. I love the “Full Transparency” by Verizon, which has been performing nicely at the awards shows. It’s a solution that sets new standards for corporate communication by using blockchain technology to set a permanent record of news, showing where it originated from and tracking changes. It’s getting a lot of recognition across the globe, as a product that is setting new standards for truth and transparency in media – a topic that has become more and more important these days.

With shopper behavior changing, what impact do you believe machine learning and big data will have on the world of creative production?

I hope that we will be using machine learning in a smart way as something that will help us overcome bias in design. I’m not worried that machine learning and AI will replace design. I believe that a lot of the basics could potentially be automated, allowing us, as designers, to focus our efforts on designing the things that make the product stand out, differentiate and truly create meaningful connections between brands and people. I believe that it becomes a part of the toolset that we can use to make design better.

Is there an area of design you’ve yet to tackle but would like to?

How can we use design to help create more sustainable businesses and solutions? This is a topic that I’m very interested in and would like to learn.

What’s the next skill you plan on learning?

Sustainability + Brands

Which artist(s) do you find inspiring and why?

Bill Viola – he can evoke very strong emotional reactions through his art. I totally love what he has done in terms of mixing media and experimenting with big installations that truly make you feel!

Do you have a message for young women considering a career in digital?

Don’t be afraid to be bold in your work and try different things. Take a bit of risk – both in your work and how you push yourself forward in your career. It is good to stand out in a good way.

Is it better to be good and on time or perfect and late with your work?

I don’t think there is one answer to this question, it really depends on the context. I would hope that we can create a work environment for our creative talent where we don’t need to make this compromise. Sadly, it is too common that we have to, which makes you land in “good and on time” and often that’s not good enough.

If you could travel back in time and give yourself one piece of career advice, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid of being yourself. It took me a while to find my voice, I was trying to fit in instead of being comfortable with just being me.

Can you name a fun-fact people would be surprised to learn about you?

I’m partly raised at a farm so I’m an expert at assisting ewes at lambing…

Thanks Fura!

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