Doug Main, Creative Director at The Bigger Boat: “I’m still a big advocate of pen and paper”

Sometimes, an interview comes along that makes us stop in our tracks. This is just such an interview: Doug Main, Creative Director at integrated marketing agency The Bigger Boat, shares 30 years’ worth of wisdom in a handful of minutes. He covers everything from the impact of the internet to the role of the iPad, but perhaps most of all puts generative AI into proper context.

“Technology is only going to expand further, and embracing this change is key,” he explains. After all, he’s seen this change several times in his career. “This means understanding where human skills are better placed, and where AI and automation might genuinely add value.”

For example, Doug and his colleagues do you use generative AI tools. He describes Midjourney as “a game-changer for us”, especially when it comes to new ideas (and creating images that would otherwise be impossible). But ultimately an AI tool isn’t going to come up with the “hook” that brings a campaign together. We humans still have some advantages.

What Doug doesn’t mention in this interview is his portfolio of work. He’s worked with brands like PlayStation, BAFTA, M&S and Cartier. And despite launching The Bigger Boat with Co-Founder in the middle of a recession, back in 2010, it has now grown to a 32-strong team.

With The Bigger Boat’s focus on digital media, we’re delighted that Doug was willing to share his time and insights in this second interview of our Pixels series. All you need to do now is sit back and take notes. But with a pen or stylus in your hand, if you don’t mind.

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When thinking of your creative process, at what point does technology come in? What role does it play in different stages, from concept to final design?

Technology is leveraged throughout the entire design process, but not relied upon exclusively. When we’re sourcing inspiration – whether that’s gathering ideas to inform initial design concepts, brushing up on the latest trends and aesthetic styles, or getting a feel for our client’s industries – we’ll use a range of platforms from Pinterest to Behance. In fact, sometimes, we’re even searching for ideas of what not to do, so we can steer away from a certain direction. 

When we start to map out these ideas, we’ll sketch them freeform on paper first. It often feels more pacey and creative this way. But when it comes to experimenting with and showcasing our designs, that’s when technology truly comes into play.

Using Procreate on an iPad, we’re able to refine and iterate ideas without having to start over – streamlining the process, and allowing us to polish concepts when new thoughts are fresh. Digital sketches are also much more flexible and adaptable, able to be resized and edited according to the relevant format, and can be directly imported into various other creative apps. 

Like many designers, any realisation work will be done using the Adobe suite – or Figma if we’re working on web design – and we’ll use PowerPoint or similar for presenting, if required. 

So, whether you’re collaborating with remote team members or looking to drive efficiencies, technology makes design work easier. Ultimately though, combining traditional paper methods with modern technology offers that ‘sweet spot’.

How has technology changed the way you collaborate at work? And in your view, has it improved or worsened navigating creative differences with clients or team members? 

Technology has transformed the way we collaborate at work, for better and for worse. In one sense, it has made day-to-day processes more flexible and seamless, especially because it enables greater flexibility and freedom when it comes to remote working. Who’d have thought ten years ago we’d be joining virtual meetings from the comfort of our own homes, or collaborating with colleagues halfway across the country, if not the world? 

At the same time, it can hinder the more spontaneous, impromptu conversations that often lead to greater development opportunities and spark more creative breakthroughs. People often avoid spur-of-the-moment conversations, because they can feel inconvenient or disruptive. And for junior colleagues in particular, picking the brains of someone more senior can feel overwhelming in and amongst these technological shifts. When I see people using Slack when they are sitting next to each other, it makes me shiver! Personal collaboration is what makes working together so meaningful.

Whether you schedule a quickfire brainstorm or knuckle down for a full day of bouncing ideas back and forth, it’s important to still bring creatives together in the same room. This is often where the magic happens, and I’m yet to find a technological substitution for that. 

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Generative AI art has taken the graphic design space by storm – what are your views on the use of tools like Stable Diffusion, Leonardo, Midjourney and others?

Midjourney has been a game-changer for us – we use it all the time to help us bring more unique and nuanced ideas to life. In the past, we might have used drawings and mood boards to communicate a creative concept for a campaign. With generative AI tools, we’re now able to produce a solution that a client can more easily understand, in a much shorter space of time.

We have used it throughout a range of campaigns in the final artwork stages when we didn’t have an alternative because sometimes, our out-of-the-box ideas don’t even exist. For example, we once needed an image of a dog watching TV in 70s retro clothing (don’t ask!).

Still, while it’s useful for communicating creative concepts, I’m not entirely comfortable using it for final artwork unless it’s essential. As designers, it’s still up to us to do the legwork – nailing the concept, briefing it thoughtfully, and refining the final output. AI just delivers the final product. But it just doesn’t feel right.

We’re not alone in this thought. We have had a number of clients who have specifically asked us not to use AI. One brief even included creating an alien landscape – not exactly something you can snap a photograph of.

With the rise of AI and automation in design, how do you see the role of a graphic designer evolving in the next few years?

While technology has expanded the graphic design toolkit, the way designers think is so complex that our role can’t be replaced – at least, not right now. I’m yet to see a generative AI tool that can create a cute idea or cool typographic pun, or be the ‘hook’ that holds a campaign together. Through keen attention to detail, and by getting under the skin of our clients, it’s sentient thought that brings the ‘big ideas’ to life. We just have different tools that help us realise them quicker, and in a more intelligent way. So, if we’re talking about the narrative that AI is here to replace jobs, I don’t believe that’s the case.

This isn’t to say our roles won’t pivot over the coming months and years. Technology is only going to expand further, and embracing this change is key. This means understanding where human skills are better placed, and where AI and automation might genuinely add value. Take Midjourney, for example, which represents a shift in our role from just creators of content to curators of ideas. While we don’t rely on AI to provide the final artwork, unless it’s essential, it can often make the conceptualisation process far more digestible from a client’s perspective.

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Over the course of your career, what is one technological shift you’ve witnessed in graphic design that really stuck with you?

I’m old, so I’d probably say the internet. It might not seem as revolutionary now, in comparison to AI and other advanced technology. However, having such a vast amount of resources, information and inspiration to hand was a game changer. As well as broadening horizons for the creative industry, it opened a whole new world of collaboration, allowing a global network of designers to connect and freely exchange ideas, without the limitations of geographical barriers. And, of course, these opportunities have only continued to expand ever since.

However, it’s not without its downfalls. With such an endless catalogue of ideas available, it can feel challenging to come up with something truly original these days. A quick scroll through Pinterest or a search on Google, and you’ll often find hundreds of ideas similar to the one you thought had just perfectly nailed a brief. In a way, I think this presents a productive challenge in itself. Designers now need to think, and work, even harder to stand out and create something different. The design process might take longer – from sifting through what’s already out there to bouncing ideas back and forth with colleagues – but the payoff is more rewarding when you finally crack it. 

In what ways has the accessibility of design software democratised the field of graphic design, and what challenges or opportunities has this created?

It’s so much easier for aspiring designers to enter the industry nowadays because design software is so accessible – whether that’s conceptualising logos for brands, mocking up product packaging, or creating assets for social media. In many ways, this is a good thing – not only encouraging a wider range of voices and perspectives but leading to greater diversity overall.

The challenge is that so many of these emerging ‘designers’ either can’t draw well, or jump straight onto a Mac and let the technology do all the legwork. Being able to work a Mac doesn’t make you a designer. Understanding the design principles and techniques that spark genuine creativity is what it’s all about. From composition to typography to colour theory, this foundational knowledge is what leads to well-conceived and thoughtfully executed results that stand out. Even the most advanced software can only take you so far. 

I’m old school, which means I’m still a big advocate of pen and paper. Being able to sketch out ideas – even if it’s a digital version using a stylus and an iPad – is a fundamental part of the design process. Unfortunately, it’s something I see less and less these days.