An interview with Martin Child,

Creative Head at House Marketing

Martin studied Graphics and Reprographics at Plymouth College of Art before attending a 2-year HD course at Taunton College of Arts and Technology.

His first position was at Keith Ellis Advertising, followed by a stint at an international communications agency, Mot Juste and then to Foundation Design before joining House Marketing.

I hear you are one of House Marketing’s longest serving employees?

I am, for my sins! It was exciting ‘to get in on the ground floor’ when property marketing was being revolutionised. The technology has advanced enormously though it still has to rely on a person’s inherent skills.

What has been your ’15 minutes of fame’ to date?

It was a bit longer than 15 minutes! On New Year’s Eve at the turn of the Millennium I was DJ to a party crowd of over 4,000 people. I was a regular fixture in the Brixton area of south London, I’ve played at the Fridge, Club 414 and the Brixton Academy – heady days!

What is your main passion outside the office?

In some ways I’m still a big kid as I like computer games – mostly adventure and strategy games that use the grey matter. I also love Japanese animations as they really stretch the imagination with their bizarre storylines, it’s something that western filmmakers don’t really grasp. I’m planning a trip to Japan in the not so distant future too. 

Which part of your job do you enjoy the most?

Being creative, of course it’s the design process that I enjoy the most. It’s often a matter of problem solving, you know what you have to do and you have a brief to work to and often time constraints, so it can be challenging. It’s more difficult when we don’t get a proper brief, the client isn’t sure what he wants until he sees something, then that helps him to form a judgement.

Explain your process when designing a new logo

It’s not easy to express in words but it’s a mixture of design, creative thinking and application. A logo is so important as it’s a company’s first point of contact with its public and there should be a subliminal connection. It’s just one part of the branding process but it’s always the centrepiece.

Tell us what you do during a typical day at work?

No two days are the same, but that’s part of the fun and why I feel lucky doing my job. Most of my time is spent in the studio on branding or brochures, signage or web sites. I attend client meetings and presentations and on occasion I might direct a photoshoot or do something equally glamorous! The biggest buzz is when we’ve spent lot of time and energy pitching to a new client and win the job.

Read our Latest News