With the rise in conversations around ‘working mums’, we wondered, why don’t we call fathers ‘working dads’? As we strive for equal parenting, Dads are picking up more of the mental, emotional and physical load of raising children. Juggling being hands-on both at home and in the studio. All with less parental leave, less support and less opportunity to share how they’re coping. Our two guests are fathers of children, teenagers and creative teams, Ali Ozden (Universal Favourite) & Jamie Ellul...
Jul 09, 2025•56 min•Season 3Ep. 3
It is a fact that multicultural teams outperform homogeneous ones. But roughly 9% of the design industry is made up of people in minority groups, whereas the wider workforce is 17%. And that’s not factoring in how many of those are in junior positions. So why are we taking so long to catch up? Our guests in this episode think there’s too much talk, and not enough action. So join us, Andy Khatouli & Priyjah Paramasivam as we ask them – How they’re perceived in studios and whether they feel th...
Jul 02, 2025•44 min•Season 3Ep. 2
80% of our listeners are only just managing financially. The creative industry has taken a pummelling over the past few years. From an unstable economy, unpredictable politics, a rise in the cost of living and staffing costs… It’s harder than ever to make money as a creative business. But how are the ‘big’ studios really doing? From their LinkedIn feeds, all seems well – but we wanted to ask them about the reality of their accounts. In this episode, Cashflow & Creativity, we speak to studio ...
Jun 25, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 1
We're back with Season Three. Debating and debunking all the biggest secrets in the creative industry. Joined by leaders from all the best design and advertising agencies, we'll be talking about the issues usually kept under NDA – and hearing from our listeners with anonymous stories, to really hear what's going on in our studios. Tune in every Wednesday. – The NDA Podcast is created by Lucky Dip. Hosted by Katie Cadwell & produced by Hatty Wytton. Edited by James from Be Heard. Original mus...
Jun 23, 2025•1 min
Join your host & producer, Katie Cadwell & Hatty Wytton, as they reflect on Season 2. With a whole host of new listener stories and opinions, we look back on all the great conversations from the past 10 episodes – and talk about what’s next. Huge thanks to all our guests and contributors. ————— Comments from: Pearse O’Halloran / @pearseohalloran Mirella Arapian / @mek.studio Mike Andrews / @mandrews.studio Victoria Mackintosh Algy Batten / @algybatten Sonia Uznadze /@sonia.uz Emile Chen ...
Sep 11, 2024•45 min•Season 2Ep. 11
83% of NDA followers have pitched for a project. Widely debated and often condemned, pitching for creative work is still rife. In an economic climate that gives clients more power than ever, we’re seeing a steady return to speculative work to win projects. We want to get to the bottom of it, talking to Leo Porto & Felipe Rocha (Porto Rocha), who have publicly declared their anti-pitching stance, and Toby Wilkinson (AUFI), who is privy to more studio pitch decks than most, working closely wit...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Who has the best ideas – humans or robots? The topic on everyone’s feeds. AI is snowballing faster than anyone can keep up with, with billions of dollars being invested, new models appearing everyday, and a plethora of opinions to boot. But, how does this relate to the creative industry? Some are embracing it, others fear it, and some feel underwhelmed by it. In today’s episode, we want to understand its role in our process. Joined by our guests Pip Bingemann (Co-founder of springboards.ai) &...
Jul 31, 2024•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 9
Is the agency model as we know it dying out? Big office spaces, permanent teams, mandatory in-person working, rigid processes and hierarchies — all symbols of the traditional creative studios that have been pillars of the industry for decades. But the pandemic accelerated the rise of the small agency. Those working in a nimble way, remote from anywhere in the world, with bespoke freelance teams built for each project. So, which one is better? Together with Ayo Fagbemi (Explorers Club) & Andy...
Jul 24, 2024•57 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In today’s episode, we’re tackling one of the industry taboos – ageing. Joined by two creatives proudly in ‘mid-life’, Michael Johnson (Johnson Banks) & Jane Evans (Visible Inc.) we’re asking all the questions no one else dares. Hearing the statistics on age diversity in the industry, it’s obvious there are empty seats where older creatives should be. To figure out why that is, we discuss how ageing is perceived. And how these outdated views of ageing are impacting our agency diversity. We t...
Jul 17, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 7
This week, we want to understand what it’s like for juniors entering the creative industry. We’re asking who’s responsible for their success, and if we might be failing them. We talk to DINES (STUDIO BLUP) & Ellen Ling (LINGO) about whether the expectations we’re placing on our newest creatives are unrealistic. Can we really expect them to be multi-disciplined? What about having side hustles, or knowing what their creative passions are? Job role descriptions seem to be asking for all that an...
Jul 10, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 6
For the first time, NDA is coming to you live from Birmingham Design Festival. Host Katie Cadwell sits down with Christopher Doyle (CD&Co) and Elise Santangelo-Rous to demystify culture in creative agencies. Alongside the BDF audience, they explore how culture shapes the intangible yet essential energy within a studio, influencing everything from employee satisfaction to client relationships. We put them on the stage, and on the spot. We discuss if it’s possible to cultivate culture when it’...
Jun 26, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In today’s episode, we’re diving into the harsh realities that new parents, especially mothers, face in the creative industry. From announcing your pregnancy to the daunting return post-baby and beyond — what effect does parenthood have on your career, your creativity, and how you navigate your professional life? Guests Rachel Allison, Founder of Axe + Saw, and Laura Randall, Creative Director, share their personal experiences of motherhood. Telling candid stories about how their careers have ch...
Jun 19, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this episode, we’re tackling the epidemic of copying in the creative industry. Whether you’re the copied or the copier, originality is a constant battle for creatives. We’re exploring the emotional and practical impacts of being ripped off. Malika Favre, globally renowned French artist, is arguably one of the most copied creatives of the past decade. She shares her journey from anger to legal action, and how it has impacted her business. Lifting the lid on what it looks like (and can cost) to...
Jun 12, 2024•59 min•Season 2Ep. 3
This week, we’re going in-house. Asking whether there’s a stigma attached to moving client-side. And more importantly, if it’s deserved. Joined by industry experts Emma Sexton, founder of Inside Out, and Kieran Mistry, Head of Design at YouTube, we unpack what in-house creativity really looks like. Covering everything from work/life balance and stakeholder management to creative freedom and career progression. We hear from listeners who have witnessed negative perceptions of in-house from the in...
Jun 05, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In the first episode of the new season, we dive straight into the deep end. We’re talking about how we choose our clients. Join us and our guests Johanna Roca (Accept & Proceed) & Pedro Messias (OMSE) as we unpack ethical dilemmas, personal morals, and the realities of running a business alongside them. We confront some tough questions: How do we feel about industries like oil, gambling, politics or religion? Do ‘good’ clients even exist? Does B-corp mean anything? How much privilege do ...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 1
We're back with Season Two. The NDA Podcast debates contentious topics the creative industry has been keeping under waiver for years. It’s a space for unfiltered conversations about the biggest issues creatives face today. A space to challenge opinions, disagree & learn with no fears of being cancelled. Season Two tackles everything from free pitching to the stigma of going in-house, and features some of the biggest and best creatives that the industry has got. And new to this season, we’ll ...
May 22, 2024•2 min
This week, we're looking back on season one of NDA. Sharing all the opinions and stories from our listeners on each episode, and chatting about what season two has in store. The DICE Charter – www.getdice.co.uk – Hosted & created by Katie Cadwell Edited by James from Be Heard Original music 'Theme From NDA' by Jamie Ellul & Toby McLaren Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 26, 2022•25 min•Season 1Ep. 11
The topic that everyone has an opinion on — creative awards. One of the most contentious conversations in the industry, you either love them or hate them. Which is exactly where our guests stand this week. We’re asking those who’ve won them, lost them, judged them and scorned them some of the questions we all want answered. How can you judge something so subjective? Are the projects real? Are judges biased towards the studios & clients? Is it just a money-making exercise? How does it impact ...
Oct 19, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Every agency website says “We’re an inclusive studio” but are they? Beyond the buzzwords, how does that play out for those working there? What are they doing day-to-day to action the claim? Because it’s not a simple one. Especially when what’s inclusive to one person, isn’t to another. So is it even possible to build a studio that doesn’t exclude anyone in it? This week, we’re trying to define inclusivity. Asking what it means to each guest, how it affects client relationships, the red tape and ...
Oct 12, 2022•57 min•Season 1Ep. 9
On average, 1 in 7 people are neurodiverse. In the creative industry, that number jumps to 1 in 5. If we all take a look around our studios, there could be a lot more divergent thinking than we realise. In this week’s episode, we try to unpick what it’s like to be an ND creative and what ND actually is. We discuss all the obstacles neurodiverse people face in our industry. Having to fit into different ways of working, challenging studio environments, attention spans and how those things deterior...
Oct 05, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Female leadership is on everyone’s radar, as the industry works to reverse the sad statistics of the gender split at the top. While we should be celebrating the women who’ve made it there, not many people are asking, how did you manage it? With all the barriers and biases in the way, how did you tackle them? Especially in environments that aren’t set up for women to succeed. In this week’s episode, we hypothesise that the changing of the tide might not be because the industry is creating space f...
Sep 28, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 7
The dirty topic of money. A conversation held in hushed tones in the staff kitchen. Tentatively approached around the pub table. Awkwardly brought up in a final interview. The creative industry has long had a money problem. But why is it so difficult to discuss? Today’s episode lifts the lid on salary secrecy, debating the pros & cons of transparency, and interrogating why we’re all so tight-lipped about our finances. Cat How, Founder of How&How shares how salary transparency works in th...
Sep 14, 2022•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 6
Not many of us can relate to being in university during a pandemic. But we will all meet those who can, as a new generation of epidemic trained academics enter the industry. Creative courses are known for their collaboration, the osmosis of ideas, and use of amazing facilities…. Experiences the 2020 – ’22 graduates missed out on. In this episode, we’re hearing from both sides of the desk. Neeraj Kainth, 2021 BCU graduate, talks about lockdown fatigue affecting his projects and a year’s worth of ...
Sep 07, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Good managers and bad managers. We’ve all had them. And do we all become them? In today’s episode, we’re going to be discussing progression in the creative industries, and the realities of updating your LinkedIn status. After years spent learning a craft, creatives are promoted into roles where they’re taken off the tools and dropped into resourcing meetings. A leap that doesn’t suit everyone — are there other ways to move up the ladder? Are we all suffering at the hands of those pushed into man...
Aug 31, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 4
“I can’t believe they paid for that” “That kerning burns my eyes” “Seen this a million times” “Wouldn’t touch this project with a barge pole” Scrolling to the bottom of the page to see the comments is some people’s guilty pleasure — but if it’s your work they’re commenting on, it becomes a more sinister read. What’s the purpose of this echo chamber? Should we be stepping in when comments turn personal? Are we making the work better, or damaging the designers behind it? These are just some of the...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Just 12% of the creative industry is from a working-class background. Did this statistic happen by accident? Or is there more we can do to diversify our studios? Discussing parental privilege, accent mocking, social embarrassment, regionality importance and so much more – this episode highlights some of the barriers to working-class creatives trying to crack the industry, and those already working within it. Relaying lived experience is Verity Wheatley, a Senior Designer who faced some post-grad...
Aug 17, 2022•53 min•Season 1Ep. 2
When did it become normal to set a brief for an interview? Why are agencies ashamed to admit they do it? How much work is too much work? And should it be free? This week, we're discussing Interview Tasks and the effect they're having on hiring in the creative industry. We'll be hearing from Nikky Lyle who is a Creative Recruiter, and hear all the inside info on what these tasks look like and who is setting them. Fauzima Fazilat Rafiq tells us about her relatively positive experience doing one as...
Aug 10, 2022•44 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Welcome to The NDA Podcast. The creative podcast that's here to challenge topics the industry has been keeping under waiver for years. Unfiltered conversations, without the fear of being cancelled. Bringing creatives of different levels, different backgrounds and very different opinions together. To debate the contentious issues we only dare discuss in our DMs. This season, we'll be exploring topics like Salary Secrecy, Design Commentary, Working Class Barriers and so many more. With over 25 gue...
Aug 06, 2022•1 min
