Product of the week
(For a summary, click here.)
John Eischeid: Have you noticed a recent slowdown in the demand for junior creatives?
James Higgs: I wouldn’t say I’ve seen a categorical slowdown across the board, it really depends on the sector. Locally, yes, there’s definitely been a dip in general creative roles, especially in graphic design and content creation. But in areas like UI and UX, demand still seems fairly steady.
That said, it’s not just about roles being cut, it feels like fewer opportunities are being created in the first place. A lot of studios are leaning more on senior staff, who are increasingly using AI to fill gaps. And on a practical level, I get it, we’re in unprecedented times and that’s often the cheaper and faster route.
But here’s where we have to be careful: senior creatives know what to ask of AI because they’ve had years of experience and, crucially, mentorship. They’ve been guided, challenged and shaped by those who came before. If you’re just entering the industry now and that support system doesn’t exist, if you don’t know the right questions to ask, or even where to begin, then how do you grow?
So while opportunities have always been tough to come by in this industry, I do think AI risks making it even harder for juniors. And even if we’re not in a position to hire them, I think we as senior creatives have a responsibility to find other ways to support them.
JE: You wrote that senior creatives have a responsibility. Can you give some detail on what you think that responsibility is?
JH: I think that responsibility shows up in a lot of ways, creatively, professionally and emotionally. As senior creatives, we’re not just there to sign things off or give final approvals. We’re there to help guide and shape the next generation. That means showing someone where they went wrong, but also how to put it right. It’s teaching the things that often go unspoken, from how to work with clients, to where to find inspiration, to which keyboard shortcuts speed up your process.
It’s also about building confidence. Helping someone see their own potential, even when they can’t. That kind of development can’t be downloaded or auto-generated, it comes from experience, emotion and human connection.
JE: You allude to the lack of mentorship as setting up creative industries for collapse. How do you see that happening?
JH: I do think we could be setting ourselves up for collapse, not in an instant, dramatic sense, but through a gradual erosion of what makes the creative industry strong in the first place.
Without mentorship, we risk losing the depth, nuance and critical thinking that comes from being guided and challenged by those with more experience. And if we don’t pass it on, it doesn’t take long before it’s lost, and that changes everything.
We might still call it a creative industry, but it could look and feel completely different. New entrants might miss out on the knowledge, processes and instincts that previous generations were given, not out of neglect, but because no one was around to offer it. That could dilute the whole concept of creativity and make it harder to push boundaries or even know where those boundaries are.
And while AI has its place, over-reliance on it, especially without the creative judgement that comes from experience, can lead to work that’s faster but flatter. If we don’t create space for juniors to learn and grow, not just to use the tools but to understand why and when to use them, then we risk reducing creativity to output.
None of this is guaranteed. But if we’re not mindful and proactive, I do think it’s a very real possibility.
JE: It’s clear that you have had mentors in your profession, and Phil Thomas was one. What did he teach you that AI could not? What did you do for him that AI could not?
I think mentors come in all forms, not just in creative roles. Phil isn’t a designer, but he taught me a huge amount about the creative industry and how to navigate it responsibly. Things like how to conduct yourself in a meeting, how to listen first instead of reacting, how to pause when a client disagrees with your work rather than jumping to defend it. That sort of emotional discipline and leadership comes from experience. AI can’t do that.
I was also given a sense of belonging by Phil. That’s something I talk about a lot in brand workshops too, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Beyond the basics, one of the things we all need is a sense of community. When you’re new to a role, having someone senior make you feel like you belong, that you’re in the right place, with a future ahead of you – that can change everything.
As for what I gave him that AI never could, perspective. Phil and I are very different people. We often came at things from opposite viewpoints, and that led to healthy discussions that helped us both grow. We challenged each other, brought different angles and ended up with better, more well-rounded outcomes. That kind of creative tension is invaluable, and you just don’t get it from a machine that’s built to agree with you.
JE: What skills do you think mentoring can impart that other kinds of training can not?
JH: Mentoring goes beyond skills, it’s about mindset. You can learn how to use software or follow a process through formal training, but mentoring gives you context, nuance and confidence. It teaches you how to navigate ambiguity, how to handle feedback, how to think critically and ask the right questions.
It’s also where a lot of the emotional intelligence side of creative work comes from, learning how to present ideas, how to read a room, how to stand your ground when it matters or step back when it doesn’t. Those things aren’t in the manual, but they’re the difference between someone who’s technically good and someone who can lead a project or a team.
On top of that, mentoring gives you a sense of place. You learn what good looks like, what to aim for and how to develop your own voice. That kind of development doesn’t come from tutorials or templates, it comes from conversation, feedback and trust.
JE: You’ve also mentioned AI-free time. This seems to be a logical extension of unplugging for social media, screen-free schools, etc. What kind of a response in the industry have you gotten about this idea?
JH: Honestly, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, and I think that’s because most creatives want to challenge themselves. They want to push their thinking, refine their skills and be the best version of themselves. And deep down, they know that the harder path often leads to the most growth.
AI is incredible, but it also makes things a bit too easy at times. So when you take it away, even temporarily, you’re forced to think differently. You have to rely on your own instincts, references and creativity. And that’s a muscle worth keeping strong.
That’s what these AI-free time sessions are about. It’s not anti-tech, it’s just about creating space to exercise the parts of your creativity that don’t get used when the machine is doing the heavy lifting. It’s uncomfortable at times, but that’s the point. That’s where the growth happens.
JE: Name one time when you felt like you and your team had done something creatively or had one collaborative stroke of genius. Was there a time when you just felt like, “Yes! We nailed it!”
JH: We’ve been lucky to have a few of those moments in our studio, even in the relatively short time we’ve been going. One that really stands out involved a client who was struggling with an ageing workforce. It wasn’t immediately obvious, but after we ran surveys and really got under the skin of their organisation, we uncovered that a huge challenge for them was attracting younger talent, especially as many of their long-standing team members were nearing retirement.
When it came to the rebrand, we didn’t just focus on visuals or tone, we designed something that would instill pride internally, but also position them in a way that would resonate with younger generations. The result was a brand that not only looked the part, but actually worked, they saw increased interest from younger applicants shortly after launch. That was a real win for them, and for us.
What made it even more powerful was the collaborative nature of it. We held a full-day workshop with the client, where we didn’t just present ideas, we explored them together. We pushed, challenged and built on each other’s thinking. And as a team, we always try to go one level deeper: not just “how do we make this brand better,” but “how do we help this business compete in a different space entirely?”
Sometimes, it’s not about getting to the top of the ladder, it’s about building a new ladder altogether. That kind of thinking comes from open collaboration, curiosity and trust on both sides.
JE: You also do some design and illustration for charity work. That’s clearly not something an AI would have any motivation to do – it has no motivation at all. Can you talk about what the charity work means to you and whether or not it impacts your professional work, and vice versa? Do they inform each other? Are they complementary?
JH: A big part of why we started Rev.01 Studio wasn’t just to produce good creative work, it was to create a platform that could do good. We’ve always seen creativity as a vehicle for positive impact, and I genuinely believe that every business has the potential to build that into its model.
As a branding studio, we’re often involved right at the start of a company’s journey, when values are being defined and decisions are still fluid. That gives us a chance to influence not just how a brand looks, but what it stands for. So whether that’s supporting charities, embedding environmental values or helping sectors like education and healthcare communicate better, we see that as a responsibility, not just a nice-to-have.
In terms of the charity work specifically, yes, we’re absolutely motivated by it. It’s fulfilling. It makes us feel good. And when you feel fulfilled, you show up better in every part of your work. It also brings balance. On the days when the commercial side of creativity gets stressful or demanding, knowing we’re also creating value for something bigger than ourselves helps to keep us grounded.
So yes, I’d say the two absolutely inform each other. The charity work reminds us why we do what we do. And that shows up in the way we approach every project, with heart, purpose and a long view on what success can really mean.
JE: For background, can you name a few projects that you’re particularly proud of? Why?
JH: One that really stands out is a rebrand we led for SocialChain, a well-known and respected social media agency based in Manchester, originally founded by Steven Bartlett. This was right at the very beginning of our journey as a small studio, so to be asked to come in and lead such a high-profile project was equal parts exciting and daunting.
We were tasked with rebranding the agency as it transitioned into a new phase under different ownership, essentially repositioning it as a sister brand to its existing group, Brave Bison. It was a huge, multi-layered project that spanned everything from brand identity and website design to podcast visuals and internal documentation. And all of it had to speak to a team of marketers and creatives who knew the space inside out.
What made it even more rewarding was the collaboration. I worked closely with their creative director, someone I learned a lot from during the project. Even though we were technically on different sides of the table, that exchange of knowledge and perspective really stuck with me. It reinforced something I believe strongly: that mentorship doesn’t always come from formal roles. Sometimes it happens organically, just through working alongside people who challenge you in the right way.
The best moment came a few weeks ago at a marketing convention, where I saw our work for SocialChain proudly displayed across their set. Seeing it out in the world, being used confidently and successfully, that was a real “we did it” moment.
It wasn’t just a big win for us as a studio, it was a reminder of what small teams can achieve when they’re trusted, and when collaboration is built on openness, skill and shared ambition.
