The power of a poster

AML was looking for a designer. And where better to look than among the crowds thronging St John Street for Clerkenwell Design Week? Chris Walker on the power of a poster.

It was the first day of Clerkenwell Design Week. The sun shone, hipsters and design grandees sauntered past AML, intent on finding the latest concept car, the perfect Airpress or grooviest office chair.

Meanwhile, inside AML, an equally serious search was under way – for another talented digital, conceptual designer to join our growing team. Then; an IDEA! Why not just ask all the designers in the street outside?

So what digital, virtual, cyber, interactive, mobile-responsive communication concept did we reach for? That’s right, cardboard. A poster on the agency wall cheekily asking the passing throng, ‘Seen any designers around here?’

And weirdly, it actually worked. Of course we tweeted it as well; and before long we had several enquiries about the role of digital designer. None of them, ironically, from digital media.

The old-school poster worked a treat. After two talented but not-quite-right designers popped in, we struck gold. Leo had been in London a few weeks and was looking for the right place to use her digital design experience.

We saw her website, loved her work and before you could say “nice idea, but how would it work as a poster?” she was hired.