Kinnersley Kent Design has, at 21 years old, the key to the designer door. Its projects have varied from designing an automotive showroom for Mercedes-Benz to creating a new retail concept for Jaeger London to most recently working on a department store onboard P&O Ferries’ new ships, the Spirit of Britain and the Spirit of France.
What have been your highlights?
I first met Mick [Kent] at university. We were both studying for our MAs at Central School of Art & Design in London. Mick’s MA was in product design, mine in industrial design. Ironically we both found salvation in retail design! The rest, as they say, is history. Opening our office in Dubai in 2009 was a highlight. There we can better serve our existing clients on the ground and expand our creative hub beyond Dubai to the wider Middle Eastern region. Another highlight was promoting Paul McElroy to become our third partner in the business in 2005.
What’s changed most?
Over the past 20 years design companies with the ability to adapt and innovate have survived and thrived in this ever-changing industry. It is exciting to be a part of the evolution. The most obvious is that the internet changed everything. Before the internet came along, purchasing decisions and the way we shopped were simple. You now no longer need to visit a bricks-and-mortar store in order to make a purchase, though there is still a big place for bricks-and-mortar stores in the world. For Jaeger London, for example, it’s all about the shopper experience, service and convenience.
What are your plans/hopes for the rest of 2011?
We are building our own brand from the inside out. We’re investing in our people, resources, processes and systems to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of our industry. We’re also refurbishing all of our brand touch points: from our office and studio environments to our website and tone of voice. Innovation is very much in Kinnersley Kent’s thinking. Going forward, we will always aim to remain a medium-sized design business, small enough to retain our boutique culture as this is what is most important to our clients, but big enough to be profitable.
What is there to celebrate in the A & D sector in 2011?
Worldwide, the retail industry is emerging from a difficult time. Although opportunities have decreased with a more cautious stance by clients, they aren’t nonexistent. Specific opportunities do exist for retail and leisure design. For example, our London studio is working on some exciting projects that include new concepts for House of Fraser, the Tower of London and American Express. Good ideas, well implemented, can overcome most challenges we face. Kinnersley Kent Design has always been, and will always be, a passionate ambassador for great British Design.