Meet the Designers – Dominic Dugan

Get to know the creatives behind the UK’s award-winning office design company.

We transform working lives. But there’s no way we could do it without the creative vision of our design teams. In our Meet the Designers series, we’re giving you a personal introduction to six of our designers: Cheré, David, Sean, Laurence, Kasia and Dominic.

We sat down with Design Director Dominic Dugan, to get to know more about what makes him tick. Here are some of his answers:

He goes on to explain, “I don’t think enough designers listen. It might look great, but doesn’t function. Get the basics right… usually you can identify them if you shut up. A project’s success is only ever as good as a client’s involvement.”

As for delivery?

“Stick to your word, work as a team, meet deadlines, collaborate and deliver your promise.”

Q: At what moment did you know you wanted to be a designer?
A: “After understanding my Dad [architect] got paid for drawing pictures!”

Q: What is your favourite thing to design?
A: “The more I think about design, the more I think it’s about people. What we do is all about attracting and retaining talent. And it’s a huge challenge. We are really interested in business challenges – something that supports movement, something that enables.”

Q: What is something that no one would guess about you?
A: “My personality is quite light-hearted. I am massively organised inside. I actually put myself under a lot of pressure yet have a relaxed façade, luckily, which hides the perfectionist in me.”

Q: Where is your favourite place in the world?
A: “North Devon beach in the winter with the family so that not many are there!… Oh, and with a longboard ;-)”

Q: What are you learning right now?
A: “I, for the first time, feel officially responsible for people. I’m 39 now and I reckon as early as 24 I was a mentor for some people, and I think that role just sticks with you. It’s only become official in the last year or so for me. And it’s scaring me a little bit, I’ve surprised myself by how much I like it.”

Q: Tell us about what is on your desk.
A: “I don’t have a permanent desk but I do have a hot box as I like moving around my team. All it has in it is mobile tech which I don’t use to its full potential. It also has eye drops, moisturiser, toothbrush and paste.”