People first
London-based Richard Stevens, Founder and Creative Director of forpeople, is leading a powerful design revolution.
The best designs don’t shout. Instead they whisper, deliberately emphasising the role of the user and not the glory of the designer. Perhaps that’s why Richard Stevens has been a success, quietly leading his London-based design firm forpeople to international success.
He spoke to id during his recent visit to Dubai to promote his new creations for Herman Miller, Keyn – the first group of Herman Miller chairs to be entirely conceived and developed outside the USA.
Stevens caught the attention of the brand after years of working for the world’s top-tier companies, focusing on the quality of his work rather than on becoming a ‘star designer’. The result has been projects for British Airways, Alfred Dunhill, The Boeing Company, BMW, The Coca-Cola Company, Cunard, Ford Motor Company, Fujitsu, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Panasonic, Tata and Yamaha – and one of his proudest achievements: Herman Miller. As Creative Director of British Airways, he has helped secure the airline the position of No.1 UK Superbrand for the past three years running.
“I first gained attention as chief designer at ingeni, Ford Motor Company’s global design centre, where I led advanced automotive design programmes for the company’s [then] premier automotive brands including Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo. After a short time as design director at global branding agency Fitch, I founded forpeople in 2004 – with just four people. The firm has grown to over one hundred people today,” Stevens explains.
The company’s design philosophy signals its commitment to larger principles regarding quality of life and elevating the standard of living. “We encourage our designers to think as people, not to think as designers,” says Stevens. “That’s because we believe that most designers are often guilty of getting so embroiled in the process of delivering design that they often lose sight of the reason they are being asked to help solve problems for people.
“We are not gurus, theorists or design superstars; simply a group of
people who share open minds, commercial understanding and an absolute commitment to craftsmanship.”
His beliefs about devotion to a people-first design made the MENA region’s projects particularly impressive. “There are so many innovation projects happening in the region currently, but as a transportation designer I think that Hyperloop One has got to be the one to watch, for obvious reasons. What inspires me about the region is how progressive it is. There seem to be no blockers to innovation and the opportunity to pioneer, which attracts the world’s creative leaders,” he says.
Stevens’ entrance into design started with his family. “My father and grandfather were both architects, and members of my family were fine artists in the UK. So, I was immersed in the creative world and got taught how to draw ‘properly’ at a pretty early age,” he explains.
“On top of that, a few things led me in to design – and the first was my amazing design teacher at school. He recognised a talent in me and pushed it. Secondly, my fine-art teacher brought in a Sunday newspaper article on the Royal College of Art Vehicle Design course, back in 1984. From that moment on I wanted to go to the Royal College and become a car designer.” Designing the Future Stevens’ connection between design, family and education may account for his emphasis on design ethics and insightful views on the future of the workplace and design in the 21st Century.
“Design is about doing the right thing for the right reasons. It isn’t about decoration. It’s about striving to anticipate the best answer to a real customer need, in a way that works for business and the world around us,” says Stevens.
He is clear about the field’s present challenges. “As a leading British design company employing talent from around the UK, Europe and around the world we are all trying to predict what Brexit will actually mean in 2017 and beyond (let alone the impact of Trump!). However, it’s a great opportunity for businesses like ours to lead the way and show the world just how much creativity we can offer,” he firmly states.
As for the future: “It lies in forpeople continuing to develop broad and deep relationships, and in ensuring that all our work starts with how people feel, think and do. Design is not an abstract exercise. It has to be for the people who use it. It ends with improving people’s lives – because if design isn’t for people, what’s it for?”
“Design is about doing the right thing for the right reasons. It isn’t about decoration. It’s about striving to anticipate the best answer to a real customer need, in a way that works for business and the world around us.” - Richard Stevens