Our Speaker Spotlight sets the stage to get to know our speakers on a more personal level and connect them with our growing community. Read the mini-interview below!
A bit about Nevil
Nevil has over 30 years of experience working with the creative industry; starting life as a photographer, moving into web / digital design, helping brands develop there online presence, as well as online ad and social media campaigns and most recently Immersive technology.
How did you start out in your career?
Largely by accident, When I first moved to London in 1985 the design industry didn’t really exist – certainly nothing like it is today. At the time I was really in to going clubbing and hanging out with a lot of music and fashion people who used to run the clubs – London in the 80’s was like that back then. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do as a career at the time but felt it had to be something creative. Then one birthday my girlfriend at the time bought me a camera and I really took to photography. I learnt photoshop and desktop publishing to make some extra money while trying to make a living as a photographer.
What are the signs of success in your field?
I always think success is a difficult thing to define as it can be very fluid. As a freelancer / contractor it feels like you’re only as good as your last role but you gain experience from each one. I think If you’re working as a creative and making enough money to pay your bills then that’s pretty successful. I also think if you are respected by your peers then that’s pretty successful too.
What is the best and worst thing about your job role?
There’s always going to be a lot of energy around working in the creative industry which attracts a lot of interesting and colourful characters which I like, And I do like the exciting dynamic nature of the industry.
Freelancing can be difficult, it’s often a case of feast or famine so you have to be very self-motivated and self-managed which doesn’t suit everyone. There’s something wrong about being sat at a desk on a computer for many hours at time.
What can you advise someone just starting out in your industry to be successful?
I think the way recruitment works these days is changing fast. It’s probably common sense but the first thing I’d do is build up a portfolio of your work, whether it be an online portfolio, printed or a showreel, as long you can clearly articulate your thinking behind the work. Its a good Idea to work collaboratively on a project with someone in a similar position as yourself but from a different discipline, such as a designer working along side a copywriter, so as to simulate how you’d work in a team in an office / work environment.
It’s also a good idea to build up industry contacts via linked In and other social media. Cold calling and “cold emailing” is a great way to building up an understanding of the industry – so do a lot of company research and remember to brush up on your “evaluator speech”.
Always keep your skill set relavent and push your soft skills.
How do you switch off?
To be honest I probably have too many hobbies. I’ve always been big into running and training, to date I’ve competed in 15 marathons, 5 Ironman events and 2 ultra marathons. I’m never happier than when running across Hampstead health and swimming in the ponds. I’ve been meditating for over 35 years now, what overall effect that has had on me I honestly don’t know but I’m sure its been a benefit. I’m a big music fan, music has a great ability to change your mood.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I have very few regrets, I would probably tell my younger self to spend a bit more time working on experimental / conceptual projects, that can feel difficult to do when you have the pressure of bills to pay etc but its essential for growth and personal development. I did read somewhere that a designer or a design agency should spend at lease 40% of their time on experimental work.
What is next for you?
Career-wise; I’m really excited to see how immersive tech is likely to pan out, I’m not particularly into gaming but the convergence of Immersive tech and AI is likely to affect almost every sector so I’m sure we will see big changes in the future – it will great to be part of that. I’ve never really worked in 3D much in the past so that’s really exciting for me. As someone who has worked in the creative industry pre-internet I feel incredibly lucky to have seen all the changes first hand, yet there’s still so much more to come.
On a personal level, I’d love to do another Ironman and my 2nd grandchild is due next month which is a real blessing, super exciting.
If you could do anything now, what would you do? Why?
I would’ve loved to have been an architect (in the physical world) I really like the idea of designing / building something very tangible and real like a building, I can imagine it would feel very rewarding. There is two architects in my extended family.
I would also have loved to have worked in the music industry some how as it is one of my great passions.
What are your top 5 predictions in your industry for the next 5 years?
There is so much going on right now in tech development that it’s really hard to predict exactly how things will look in 5 years time – certainly there will be a bigger demand for 3D and 3D content. Here’s a number of trends worth checking out;
1, Due to the launch Quest 3 and Apple vision pro headsets there seems to be a notable move into Mixed Reality….content producers such as Tripp are currently developing their products for the mixed reality space. Also an increase in wearable AR glasses.
2, More big businesses such a Siemens and Lufthansa are using VR for internal employee experiences such and onboarding and training so headsets are much more likely to become more visible around the office / places of work and will likey push branding experience in VR.
3, The increase in AI use is likely to increase the demand for greater wireless connectivity, VR will benefit from greater speeds by reducing latency and improving overall user experience.
4, Apple have enhanced the 3D photography features of its Apple Vision Pro with the v2 upgrade, and with the growing popularity of the Insta 360 X4 camera and increased use of “digital twins” I think it will be interesting to see the growth of 3D and 360 Photography.
5, The next five years will see more OOH immersive experiences, such as Frameless Art Gallery in London, and experimental landmarks such as the Sphere Las Vegas and Al Wasl in Expo City, Dubai.
How did you find the TBI speaking experience?
Great experience, I found it very rewarding to put together my thoughts and experiences on the industry as the technology moves into a new era, hopefully it with help others gain a little more insight. Thanks so much for asking me.
You can watch Nevil’s talk here.
Thank you to all our wonderful speakers for taking part and contributing your knowledge to the community!