Who the hell is Beth Key?

Get to know some of the brilliant minds behind our work; this series is all about sharing the personalities that make DixonBaxi who we are. From the professional to the personal, nothing is off limits here. We caught up with Beth about growing up in Yorkshire, getting shit done and what it’s like to be an account manager at DixonBaxi. This is what she had to say:

Who are you and what do you do?
Ey up, I’m Beth. I’m an account manager at DB, and I connect our team of creative geniuses with the world’s bravest brands.

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What’s your story?
I grew up in Yorkshire and stuck around to study a degree in marketing and advertising. I specialised in arts marketing and branding (which comes in handy) and my final project was a big piece of work on the local arts economy in the North, which inspired me to work in the creative industry.

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After graduating, I ditched the peace in Yorkshire for the pace in London, landing a job at a huge media and advertising agency. I was catapulted into a completely different lifestyle where the imposter syndrome was real. Fast forward a few years, and I finally made a move into the beautiful world of design and branding.

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What are you working on right now?
This year our team has grown, meaning we have a new set of perspectives and ambitions. As a result, the way we work and collaborate has evolved and is better than ever, so I’m currently working on making sure our clients, and the rest of the world, know this. Outside of the studio, I’m working my way through the handbook: Fifteen Thousand Useful Phrases by Grenville Kleiser – so you’ll hear me speaking in old fashioned English phrases from now on.

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“[Good design] just works–whether that’s visually, or in the way we physically interact with it. I love it when you see something and you get that feeling of satisfaction that makes you go ‘oooh, nice’.”

Describe your working style in 3 words.
Get shit done. I love to find efficiencies in my work and tick things off the list.

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Tell us about some of your interests. What are you into?
I tend to go through intense periods of interest, so right now I’m obsessed with the colour orange and putting capers in everything. Outside of these phases, I love music I can jump around to, films without a plot, creating average mixed media art and putting the world to rights.

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Do you think design can change the world? How?
I think if you asked this to someone outside of the design industry, they might roll their eyes, but when you break down the idea of it, it’s super interesting. The scale of design is so vast, from things that are simply beautiful to look at, to complex, problem-solving systems that we couldn’t live without. So yes, I think it can, in everyday ways people might not realise.

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If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
More empathy and understanding of people’s differences.

What’s the last song you listened to?
The Fool – Moderat.

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Why do you do what you do? What motivates you?
I’m motivated by doing things that scare me a little. I love to push myself out of my comfort zone and I consider everything a learning opportunity. I do what I do because it’s my job to do exactly that. Every day we inspire brands to do things that make them uncomfortable.

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What’s your definition of good design?
It just works–whether that’s visually, or in the way we physically interact with it. I love it when you see something and you get that feeling of satisfaction that makes you go ‘oooh, nice’.