Meet Jushna Begum, Design Manager at Skew
Jushna studied Fashion Design with Business at the University of Brighton before working at forecasting agencies and gaining membership to the ICA (International Colour Authority). Her career highlights include her promotion to design manager, bringing together her two loves of design and psychology, and using her coaching skills to grow the design team from fresh-faced interns to seasoned senior designers. When she’s not bringing projects in on time and on budget you’ll find her buying and selling vintage clothes and accessories.
You’re now Skew’s Design Manager but you started out in design. What attracted you to career in the creative industries?
Anyone that knows me knows that design was one of two subjects I was split between; psychology and art. I had to choose between foundation art or a Psychology degree. There was a deadline to hand in my application and I went with design. Twenty years later I’m in the creative industries. Most of what I do is working with people, it’s what I really enjoy.
What was it that brought you to Skew?
I did trend forecasting at different companies. The Bureaux, Dai Rees Milliner, Emma Cook’s label and Sense Worldwide. What I really liked about Skew was that there was a real mix of all the different things I love doing. Forecasting, a bit of the trend side, creative and delivery, everything I enjoyed. I think that’s what all of the designers come to Skew for. We have lots of different disciplines.
They’re all London firms but you didn’t start out in the city.
Home is where I was born - Bangladesh, from a part called Sylhet. It is very beautiful, peaceful, amazing food, lovely people. I lived in the countryside with animals and fields and a lake for swimming. It was warm all the time.
What it like being design manager at Skew?
It’s about getting things done. Getting work into the studio, making sure the clients are happy, the team is happy and it everything is running smoothly.
Where we have the best relationships with clients is when it’s totally open and collaborative. Like, ‘we’re in it together, we’re here to help you, let us support you’. We know what we’re doing. Brands trust our opinion, trust our judgement, they trust our team to guide them through. The best relationships are built on mutually listening, then the creative and the project is always strong.
Why should a client work with Skew?
We’re not an agency full of big egos. It’s your brand, we want the best for it. I know Kiran ( Skew’s financial controller ) isn’t always happy about his but we go above and beyond without always being asked for it. We want the client to be proud to show our work off to the wider market. We want them to say ‘yeh, we worked with Skew and look at what a great job they did for us’.
What would you say to someone that was thinking about working for Skew?
If you want to grow and be on a steep learning curve from the first minute you arrive then come to Skew. Because that’s the best way to develop your skills. Experienced team members need to be prepared to have a diverse skill set. Graduates tell us they learn more from Skew in a few months than they did in years at Uni.
