The Design Leadership Series - John Barratt

Design Lessons Learned September 2, 1pm EDT John Barratt, President and CEO, Teague The design industry has a love/hate relationship with longevity; it’s likely the most hated, and most revered concept in our current cultural landscape. We love most what is temporary, what is considered “now,” yet at the same time, we respect those few things that somehow manage to escape inevitable extinction in the context of our ever-evolving world. During a time when businesses are folding by the dozens, it stands to reason that longevity—the ability to survive and prosper over time—would become a “now” kind of commodity. Join John Barratt, Teague president and CEO, as he shares insights from great design lessons learned: how to design with the times, how to sell without selling out, how to give without giving up, and how to stay on top once you’ve hit rock bottom. Founded just a few short years before the Great Depression, Teague, now in its 83rd year of business and in the midst of its 15th recession, has learned a thing or two about the design business and what it takes to keep on keepin’ on. John Barratt, President and CEO, Teague As the President and CEO of Teague, John Barratt is responsible for positioning the company for future success and building upon Teague's rich heritage. Barratt has guided Teague in building and strengthening partnerships with some of the world's leading brands. The result of these collaborative partnerships is design work that has been recognized with a growing roster of international design awards. Barratt spent five years at Philips, holding leading positions in their Hong Kong, Eindhoven, and New York Studios. In his final role, as Strategic Design Manager, Barratt's focus was two-fold: to establish and implement a coherent brand language across Philips' ranges of telecommunication products; and to initiate, mentor, and implement a future-focused Ideation Process for the burgeoning mobile phone market. Barratt's global experience and both operational and strategic roles at Philips Design facilitated his move to Teague in 1999; he also credits his work at Philips with the discovery of his true passion—building, leading and inspiring great teams to achieve extraordinary results. DMI