Meet the team - Darren Wilson, Creative Director

Find out about our Creative Director, Darren Wilson.

Tell us a bit about your professional background and how you ended up at Pogo Studio.

Ok well I’ve been doing this for a long time; I’ve got 27 years experience in design work, having graduated in 1993. I was working in traditional branding and graphic design until the late 90s, then I saw the potential of digital and the first dotcom boom, so built my first website in 1997.

I worked with Neil Francis, our Chairman, on an NHS project – we have known each other for about 15 years - and Neil came to me about his son (who had actually done work experience with me back in the day) and said that his son and his pal had come up with an idea, and would I come on board? The four of us kind of jammed it out for a while, and then they started a business and I worked part time for them alongside my last job.

Eventually I came over to work at Pogo full time and we’ve all been pals ever since.

It’s a bit like being in a band. Or a marriage – one or the other.

What’s the best thing about working for Pogo?

Having complete creative freedom over a project and autonomy over innovation. Great clients and a knowledgeable, experienced team.

What’s the most difficult thing about working for Pogo?

Coding. But don’t say that *laughs*. I would say meeting the challenges in creative and innovative ways is the most difficult - but that’s also the best thing about it too.

You have a magic wand which will transport you anywhere in the world (no covid restrictions apply) – where are you going?

Anywhere? I would go to Iceland. Not the supermarket – the country. I went there with my son a couple of years back and it was brilliant, so I want to go back. Failing that Berlin or Amsterdam – some big European city.  

Complete this sentence: Working in digital is…

…great fun.

You’re at the Pogo Christmas do. What’s your party trick?

I can do that thing where you make your thumb come off?? I also play in lots of bands, I have done for years – with no success at all! 27 years I’ve been playing almost continuously.

I’ve been in one covers band, but the rest is all my own stuff. I play bass, piano, keyboard, drums, a tiny bit of guitar but I’m really bad at it. I do all the artwork for the covers and all the videos for our work, and I have full creative control over how it all looks.

One small mistake you made in the past, which haunts you to this day…

Ohhh – there are a few! I remember one, we used to get proofs made in the print industry back in the day. A proof used to be about 400 quid, so they were really expensive. I forgot to tick a box on a form and we ended up having to spend about 3 grand on proofs for a project! Digital’s much better, it’s a lot easier to correct mistakes online. That’s the one that’s always stuck with me.

What’s on your bedside table right now?

Nothing. Oh, there’s a lamp. I don’t read books – no pictures in them.

Finally: office budgie – yes or no?

No. It’d be tweeting all the time, and none of us would want to clean it out. And birds shouldn't be caged, they should be free.