Interviste con Matteo Ruisi

I have started working in the advertising industry back in 2003, and after 11 years working for advertising agencies in Milan, I moved to London and I started working as Brand and Creative Lead for several fintech startups. I am currently Creative Lead at the Bank of England and freelance Creative Director for clients such as Yahoo, Leo Burnett Group, Tesco, Moneybox, BT Mobile and others.

My passion for design and communications was born while I was working in a supermarket after the high school, when I was still deciding what to study. I was surrounded by colours, shapes, advertising and typography for 8 hours a day, and I started thinking to get an education in that industry. At the time money was very tight, and I decided to keep on working to afford the stellar fee of an art direction degree to follow my dream. Currently I am focussing on using design and communications to engage people in the economy of the country.

• Research - understanding the context, the competitors, the trends in the industry, analysing all the possible aspects is fundamental to put the basis for a successful design work• Sketch and design - I mainly focus on the ideas, I like that my works aren’t just well designed but they have to be based on a solid creative strategy• Test - because testing shaves the opinions and rewards the efficiency

I like the Eureka effect, I really love when I finally solve a design problem.

I play guitar, I am a good cook (I’ve also been a contestant at Masterchef Italy!), I wrote a humorous book and I write songs. I think I can say that creativity is a huge part of my life.

I am building a clear path for my design career, that is focussed on shaping the way the financial companies and institutions communicate. When I started working with banks in the 2000s I was really frustrated I couldn’t bring any new ideas or any different approach both to design and communication, the banks were really traditional when coming to communicate something. Nowadays banks and financial companies are really opened to change the old rules, and there is room to test, improve and create meaningful pieces of communication.

My advice is to work as hard as possible, especially during the first years, designing every day for hours to understand what you like, what you don’t and what you are able to do really well, to be able to narrow down the possible career paths and start specializing during the next years.

There are plenty of valuable tips online about design, but something that might be missing or not enough explored is the personal branding. I've seen many CVs and portfolios in my career and it is incredible to see how many good designers design beautiful but weak CVs. There are a few rules that are worth it to mention: 1. Focus on your career goals - I don’t get why some designers with 15 years of experience have in their CV the very first experience explained in details. My suggestion is to leave the room for the most relevant and recent works, the ones that shape you as a designer. 2. Don’t be humble - A friend of mine, a really successful designer, asked me to review his CV and one of my first questions was: “have you ever won an award or have you been featured somewhere?” He immediately said no, but after making him think about it he came up with 10 recognitions among awards and featured projects.

As Creative Lead I manage the tasks among designers and I ensure the quality of the ideas and the output.

I usually look for visual inspirations online and from other designers, but I always want my ideas and creative strategies to be unique.

Talking about brand design, a good design is based on a solid strategy, is developed around a strong and unique idea, and the output is consistent and beautiful.

My works are ready when I think they are communicating the right thing in the right way, when the story is completed and I can just add details.

I’ve done two works I am particularly proud of, that are two brand identities I created for early stage fin-tech startups in the UK that are currently among the most successful companies in the industry. I spent months on those works, I’ve tested them and I got a very positive feedback since the beginning, and now it is great to see them having success and getting more and more clients.

I don’t have a design guru that I’m following, but there are many talented designers around to learn from

My culture surely influences my design and it can’t be otherwise. I am Italian and I am working in the UK, sometimes I say, do or design things that have a completely different meaning in their culture. I remember that one client told me that a logo I’ve designed was similar to the logo of a fictional company he’s seen in a British TV series back in the 90s. How could I possibly know that!

I like to have fun at work, I enjoy making jokes and I usually don’t take everything too seriously. I need to have kind and approachable people around, and what I really hate is working in an aggressive environment. A rude or offensive approach creates stress and doesn’t allow people to focus on the right things.

What I constantly do is try to engage the people I’m working with, organising in-house speeches, workshops, and personal meetings, to listen to what they have to say and give them the best possible impartial advice I can.

A’ Design Award was a great experience from the Gala Night, to the intensive PR campaign they did. Thanks to this award I’ve seen my work featured in different countries and I met designers I couldn’t meet otherwise. Thanks to this award, my work is now more popular than before and being the designer of the day is something I am really proud of.

I was 18 years old when applied a design criteria to my job for the first time, and I was working for a supermarket as a clerk. noticed that expired food was piled in a shopping trolley and it required a lot of digging to find the items to return to each company. I then took a roll container trolley and created a few shelves. Over the shelves, I placed discarded fruit baskets and stuck a carton sign with a cut out logo of each brand glued on them.

I think my natural instinct of organising stuff visually and a bit of OCD has brought me to become a designer, and in my career this aspect has grown and grown, until I embraced brand design as my core job.

I usually work in-house and as a freelancer

Quoting David Ogilvy, design is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.

Brand design is definitely my favourite. It's a mix of creativity, organisation, holistic vision, and communication.

As of 2022, my favourite brand design is from Spotify, designed by one of the best branding agencies in the world, Collins. The way that they have reinvented the market through a purely visual approach is remarkable

The first thing I designed was a logo for a resort in Umbria, Italy. I spent days on sketches and I loved the result: an oak leaf shaped as a B and as the number 3, because the name was Borgo 3 Querce (Three Oaks Borough)

I love Adobe Illustrator, I can't live without it, but I always start designing with paper 250gr, a B pencil and a Paper Mate Flair M.

I think it just happens. There are certain days that I wake up and I surprise myself with ideas of any kind

My focus is analysis and research. I then turn what I've learnt into a design strategy

I'm relaxed but extremely focussed

I wasn't sure I wanted to disclose it, but here you go - I feel emotional and almost tearful.

Good design is something you look at with a sense of curiosity, something that speak to you even if there are no words to read.

Creative thinking, proportions, aesthetics.

Accessibility has become one of my top priorities

Design is becoming more and more human-centric and less self-centred.

Inspiration comes from the in-depth study of the subject. There are plenty of stories a designer can tell when they have a thorough understanding of their subject

Pondered, simple, sharp

I'm living in London, a great city to meet people from all over the world.

It's hard to tell. Sometimes a good bond can put an average designer in the position of creating the best work of their life.

Every item in a home is a design item, even the home itself.

Team up with as many people as you can before others do it. Bring people onboard and let them feel a part of the process.

In the Bank of England Visual Identity, I focused on making complex, technical information visually accessible without oversimplifying it. Key principles included clarity, hierarchy, and a strong sense of consistency. I used simple, modern design elements to make the data approachable while maintaining the institution's credibility. By prioritizing legibility and using intuitive design choices, I ensured the identity resonated with a broad audience, from industry professionals to the general public, while preserving the institution’s authority and professionalism.

The inclusion of a dyslexia-friendly typeface and an inclusive Britannia seal in the Bank of England Visual Identity was driven by the desire to enhance accessibility and reflect the institution’s commitment to openness. The typeface was chosen to improve readability for a wider audience, including those with dyslexia, while the Britannia seal was redesigned to represent inclusivity, emphasizing unity and the bank’s connection to the diverse public it serves. These choices align with the Bank's goal of being more approachable, transparent, and responsive to all individuals, regardless of background or ability.

Remote collaboration during the pandemic played a key role in shaping the Bank of England Visual Identity. By working entirely online, I was able to engage with a wide range of staff across different departments. This facilitated their input, especially in designing charts and ensuring accessibility, which enriched the design process and helped make the final identity both relevant and inclusive. The collaborative approach was integral to creating a design that truly represented the Bank's values and mission.

The Bank of England Visual Identity draws from the historical elements of banknotes by using colors that echo the legacy of British currency. These colors were updated to fit a more contemporary aesthetic while maintaining the institution's gravitas. The result is a design that honors the bank’s long-standing history while enhancing readability and digital accessibility. By retaining the connection to banknotes, the design reinforces the bank's identity while embracing modern needs.

Consulting with accessibility charities was crucial in shaping the Bank of England Visual Identity. Their input highlighted the need for clear, legible charts and technical communications. We focused on simplifying data presentation, using high-contrast colors, clearer fonts, and more intuitive layouts to enhance readability. This ensured the design was not only visually appealing but also accessible to a broader audience, reflecting the bank's commitment to inclusivity.

The development of the one-size-fits-all chart template for the Bank of England involved balancing technical precision with public comprehension. We streamlined chart structures for consistency and clarity, ensuring data accuracy while making them more approachable. The design incorporated easy-to-read fonts, color contrasts for visibility, and intuitive layouts, helping to present complex data in a way that was both precise and accessible to a broad audience. This approach ensured clarity for technical users while being approachable for the general public.

In developing the Bank of England Visual Identity, I involved staff at various stages of the process to ensure their input shaped the design in a way that resonated with employees, including those without a design background. This approach was crucial for creating a system that balanced technical outputs with public communications. By incorporating staff feedback, we tailored the design to reflect the institution's culture while maintaining consistency and accessibility across all platforms.

The comprehensive online brand portal for the Bank of England Visual Identity serves as a central resource, providing staff and designers with easy access to brand guidelines, templates, and assets. This tool helps ensure design coherence across various applications by offering clear instructions and visual examples, making it easier to adhere to consistent branding practices and maintain the integrity of the identity across different platforms and media.

I envision the Bank of England Visual Identity setting a precedent for financial institutions by demonstrating how accessible design can effectively communicate complex information. Its focus on clarity, inclusivity, and usability can inspire other institutions to prioritize transparency and user-centered design in their communications. The design system encourages a broader industry shift toward making financial information more accessible to diverse audiences, ultimately enhancing engagement and trust.

A key lesson from the Bank of England Visual Identity project is the importance of balancing tradition with modernity. It’s essential to create designs that respect an institution’s legacy while embracing contemporary accessibility and communication needs. Also, involving diverse stakeholders throughout the process ensures the design resonates across departments and with the broader public, creating a system that works across various applications and remains coherent over time.