Audio recording of Julie Barrie (b. 1943), Jennifer Thomas (b. 1963), Massimo Grimaldi (b. 1960), Daniel Gates (b. 1981).
The interview covers the educational and work experience backgrounds of the interviewees before they came to David Lock Associates, their reasons for being attracted to work there, memories of their first impressions and job interviews. JT particularly remembers that although impressed by the friendliness of staff, she thought she needed to raise her game professionally because of the quality of the work that was being produced. All praise the support they were given and that you are encouraged to be creative and try new ways of doing things.
There is a lot of talk about the 3 training trips, to Coombe in Devon, France and Italy, how they came to be arranged and the bonding together that people got from attending them and the new energy for work that was generated. The practice of ‘churning’ and its benefits for staff development is discussed. The interviewees also try to define what makes a ‘David Lock Associates person’- summarised best perhaps as – ‘they do work very, very hard but they do socialise a lot as well. But I think it probably is the ethics of working hard – you want to actually produce something that’s the best that you can and second best won’t do’. There is also discussion about whether the character of the company will change when David Lock retires and someone comments that, although others share David’s ethos, his way of doing things is unique, so things will change, but hopefully not too much.
The concept of ‘place-making is mentioned and the interviewees are asked what kind of places they are trying to make.
DG talks about changes in technology in his job and the importance of keeping up to date with software updates because of the labour saving that this can represent. MG makes the point that new Graphic Design recruits cannot necessarily draw freehand and so cannot contribute to meetings by making instant freehand sketches.
Interviewees talk about the core values of the David Lock Associates approach, focussing on the emphasis on quality and having belief in everything you’ve drawn, but also the fact that they have to compromise between their own ideas, those of the clients and those of local authorities.
Finally interviewees are asked what keeps them at David Lock Associates, and the replies include words and phrases like ‘allows you to be creative’, support’, everybody’s willing you on’, there’s no blame culture’.
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