5 Minutes with… Jess Leonard
Design director at Iris, Jess Leonard is more than a designer. Working as part of an integrated agency means she conceptualises and executes creative projects across a wide range of disciplines.
Over the last 15 years, she’s worked with both local and international clients such as adidas, Samsung, Jack Daniels, Starbucks, Kit Kat, Volkswagen and Formula 1. She’s designed and developed visual solutions for start-ups and globally established brands, and created work that spans both ATL and BTL for print, packaging, digital, social and environmental design, as well as holistic brand ecosystems.
For every new project, she tries to embed her love of human-centred design. As an empathetic thinker, Jess takes a huge amount of pride in creating work that fosters meaningful brand connections. As a leader, she’s also passionate about creating an environment where her team feels safe to try new things and have fun while crafting.
In the busiest week of Jess’ career, as she finalises the agency’s work on Samsung’s 'Flip Park' skatepark full of immersive tech, LBB’s Alex Reeves gets to know her.
LBB> What was your upbringing like and do you think there were signs back then about what you'd end up doing?
Jess> I’m from a small seaside town in Australia so there wasn’t a lot around in terms of cultural inspiration. But my mum made a big effort to take me to the city for art exhibitions and shows. She owns a picture framing shop and art gallery, so I’ve always been around art and creative people. I loved painting and making things as a kid, I guess I knew I wanted to be creative, I just didn’t know how exactly that would manifest.
Because I didn’t really know what I wanted to do I did an ‘all things design’ degree which covered fashion, architecture, furniture and finally graphics, which is the one I chose to specialise in after the first year. There was a digital artist I studied, Julien Pacaud, and it was his work that really ignited it for me. He’s a collage artist who creates stories and worlds from disparate images and graphics - which I guess is kind of what I do now. Actually, the first degree I was accepted into was an archaeology and palaeontology course. I always wonder where I’d be if I’d gone down that path.
LBB> What were the most important moments in realising what kind of designer you'd like to be?
Jess> I still don’t think I know what type of designer I want to be. I enjoy too many parts of it, I wouldn’t want to be only ever one thing. Iris calls me a conceptual designer, which is something inherent in a lot of different design disciplines. I guess that’s the only title I feel completely comfortable in, so maybe that’s the type of designer I am. Working at so many different types of agencies has definitely given me a much more rounded set of experiences and I’ve learnt new skills at each of them for that reason. There are moments when campaigns have launched, and you see your work come to fruition. Those moments are always self-affirming. And there are the amazing people you get to work with along the way who facilitate those moments too. Moments of comradery or challenges designed to push you.
LBB> What lessons do you wish you'd learnt earlier and why?
Jess> I wish someone had told me just because you’re not in sync with a creative director or leader doesn’t mean you’re not good at your job. One of the most challenging roles I’ve ever had was one where the CD and I just didn’t agree creatively. I stepped back and because of that I lost my way. In the end he didn’t believe in me and I didn’t believe in myself either. I didn’t think I was capable of being the designer I wanted to be, or at least not a very good one. But after working with so many different people and creative leaders, I now know you’re not going to agree with everyone. There are always many different approaches or solutions. And work that is created through the exploration, thought and commitment of many different opinions and approaches is always the strongest and most robust.
LBB> Before you ended up in it, how did you view advertising and the design role in making it?
Jess> I’ll be honest, advertising was never my dream career path. Globally, I think it’s had a bad reputation for staff treatment - shows like ‘Mad Men’ possibly don’t help this. There was a lot that came out over the last few years with the Me Too movement, and I’m sure, like a lot of industries, there’s still more to come. But also, advertising isn’t, really, widely regarded for design as a craft. Wow, really selling it here! On the flip side, I havealways thought of advertising as a bit of a melting pot for creativity; teams thrown together with tight timings and big(ish) budgets and different disciplines working together towards a common goal.
LBB> How did that view change once you were in advertising?
Jess> Now I’m in advertising, it’s still all the things I thought it was but I kind of love it. I really enjoy the pressure, the different approaches and opinions, the diversity of briefs, the people you meet, the business challenges we solve, for my part visually. It always feels like you’re doing something different. I really enjoy the sociology that gets applied in advertising. That’s fascinating. Also, the people! Yes, it’s sometimes long hours but the people you get to work with along the way make it worth doing. There are so many different specialisms in advertising, so many skills. Working alongside each of them is the very best part of the job.
LBB> What are you most proud of in your career and why?
Jess> Maybe it sounds trite but… the team I work with, really. And then the work, which really falls into two camps. The work that maybe wasn’t the best because of challenges but which we all worked together on to get over the line. And in those moments, you’re proud of the grit and determination. I worked on this great project ‘Adidas Olympics’ in 2019 that never lived due to the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Games. But it was an incredible experience, and I learnt a lot. Then there’s the work you love, the jobs that make you proud of your craft. Original Source ‘Force of Nature’ was a campaign that I really got to disappear into for hours and the finished result was beautifully polished. Jack Daniels ‘Ready to Go’ and Wacom ‘Flow State’ are all beautiful craft pieces I’m very proud to have been a part of.
LBB> What recent work at Iris have you been particularly satisfied to play a part in?
Jess> We’ve just this week wrapped the most intensive project I’ve ever worked on, Samsung’s ‘Flip Park’. We had five weeks in the team to design and produce a bespoke skatepark build with immersive tech experiences. It was a wild ride of tight deadlines and large-scale output, but seeing people lining up outside with their skateboards and running to get into the park was quite an incredible moment. Again, the team behind that really became your family, the collective power behind these jobs is quite something. It’s special to see it finally out in the world.
LBB> Advertising sits in the context of culture. Tell us about a part of culture that you're excited about right now.
Jess> There are two things really and they’re both pretty obvious. First is that undeniable feeling of standing at the edge of the AI bubble and just waiting to see how it shifts and changes the industry. There hasn’t been anything that’s felt like it would have this scale of impact since the internet came into people’s homes. I’m incredibly excited to see what it’s capable of and I hope, as an industry, we’re able to adapt fast enough, learning to work with it instead of fighting against it. It’s adapt or die, in my opinion.
The second is the demand that exists now for honesty from brands. Audiences don’t suffer fools and they call it out ruthlessly and publicly, which means that genuine authenticity is more important than ever. That’s very exciting and a big new challenge for an industry so deeply embedded in first impressions. As an advertiser and a consumer, it’s something we’ve needed to be held accountable for, for a long time. Definitely welcoming the challenge.
