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The Start… is back!

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Date 2025-03-11

So, where to begin?

Calling all makers, coders, dreamers, storytellers, doodlers, filmmakers, problem solvers and off-the-wallers…

We’re looking for bold, hands-on creative types to come on board and help us deliver the kind of ambitious thinking and creativity that wows our clients and wins awards. If you’re a curious cultural sponge who is full of ideas and passionate about design, we want to hear from you.

A little bit about us

Design Bridge and Partners is an award-winning global brand design agency, that’s part of the WPP group. With 900 creative minds across 16 studios worldwide, we design brands that motivate and move; pulling people towards them with an irresistible force that compels and connects. Taking organisations from where they are, to where they want to be.

Alongside our expertise in Branding, our specialised Gaming & Entertainment, Sustainability and Industrial Design practices help clients to benefit their business, people, and planet. Globally, our clients include NASA Artemis, Unilever, Coca-Cola, Diageo, Mastercard, Intel, HSBC, Tencent, Twitch, Heineken, Reckitt and the BBC.

Design Bridge and Partners is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, physical abilities, gender identities, sexual identities or economic background. We believe in creating a dynamic work environment that values diversity and inclusion and strives to recruit a diverse slate of candidates to help us achieve that goal.

We believe in nurturing bright young talent from the ground-up, and giving a platform to the fresh thinking and unique perspectives of junior creative voices. That’s why we’re so excited to relaunch our graduate program, The Start, providing an opportunity for those voices to be heard, and enter the creative industry.

From beers to banking, condoms to gaming, and cars to the stars – we work on a huge variety of businesses and brands. No day is ever quite the same – and we’re inviting you to be a part of our world!

What are you waiting for?

You can find out all the details in our briefing document here, along with submission requirements.

Once you’re clear on the task, swipe down on our brief ‘Brandomiser’ to generate your bespoke 3-part brief!

When you are ready to submit, head on over to our Jobs page here to enter your work.

If you have any questions about the brief or submission process, please get in touch with Holly Nicholas

You’ve made it this far… let’s get started.

Got a burning question?

Please see our FAQs below.

Can I apply while I am still studying?

Yes, but only if you are in your final year of study. ‘The Start’ is designed to set people up for a full-time career at the end of it, so if you are about to graduate and looking to enter the creative industries then this one is for you. If you’re in the middle of a degree, or looking for a temporary placement, then you’d be better to wait for your application in your final year.

Do I need to have a degree to apply?

Not at all – if you’ve got talent, ambition and are at the start of your career in the design industry – show us what you got! It’s true Designers often go to design school, but this is not a requirement. Equally our Client Leaders and Strategists teams have come from all sorts of backgrounds too – we’ve got scientists, psychologists, economists, you name it! If you’ve got a keen eye for design, show us what you can bring to the pathway you choose.

Is ‘The Start’ available for International applicants?

‘The Start’ is based in our London Studio so we can only accept applications from people who have the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we can’t support any visa sponsorship at this time.

Can applicants be remote, or do you have to be in London?

We want to build a culture of working, and winning, together. There is such value in physical collaboration together in our Studio – not only for the work, but also for our culture and sense of community and belonging. Our approach is about positive purpose, using in-person time for the true benefits it brings, whist also recognizing the importance of flexibility, and respecting the individual needs of our people. That’s why at DBP we want everyone to be in a minimum of 3 days a week spread over Monday to Friday, taking into account what works best for the work you’re doing, the team you’re working with, and of course, yourself.

When will decisions on the position be made?

We aim to review applications in early June 2025, and a judging will be held in June/July 2025. Once our top three winners have been chosen we would like the winning placements to take place in August 2025.

Do I have to submit a presentation?

No, it’s completely up to you how you want to present your response to the brief. It could be a film, a written piece or something more creative – we want to be inspired, so show us how you do that best! A presentation is also fine, of course! Just keep an eye on the page counts.

How can I stand out?

We want to be inspired so start with a great idea – something we’ve not seen before, something we wish we had thought of – and then take us on a journey through your storytelling. Make sure to pay close attention to the judgement criteria in the briefing document when putting your response together as this will give you a good idea of what the judges will be looking for.

Beyond your response to the brief, tell us something beyond your work. We’re deeply invested and interested our people, so we want to know you beyond your skills, too. What are you passionate about? Climate change? Women’s rights? Upcycling? Going to space? Raising llamas? Tell us.

Can we enter as a pair?

Yes, you can enter as a pair. However, if your entry is successful then you’ll be assessed individually for the placement and future role opportunity.

Would you prefer to mock-ups, or are sketches enough, to show the idea?

Having a great idea is really important for this brief and we love seeing sketches, especially when it shows us how your brain works and how you arrived at your solutions. But we also want to see how you articulate your idea through execution and crafting, so think about the best way to demonstrate these skills in your response. You’ll find our judgement criteria in the briefing document.

If you had to pick, what’s more important: the craft or the idea?

Both are important. In great work, it is difficult for one to exist without the other. But if we really had to pick… the idea. Crafting skills can be learnt and honed but starting with a really great idea to grab our judges’ attention.

What design fields are you hiring for?

We’re always on the lookout for great talent and our Studio is made up of a mix of creatives across 2D design, 3D design, motion graphics, animation, CGI, communications and beyond so we’re open to different interpretations of the creative brief – show us your skills! Check out the interview with 3 of our fantastic designers in the briefing document to get a taste of what a day in the life might look like in our studio.

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