Meet: Simon Elliott
- Written byEleanor Harvey
- Published date 24 February 2025
Share story
Simon Elliott is the co-founder of multi-award winning design consultancy Rose. Founded in 1999, they’ve worked with some incredibly well-known institutions, including the rebranding of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts), designing stamps for the Royal Mail and collaborating with Turner-prize winning artist Mark Wallinger.
As a reflection of their incredible achievements, Rose has recently been inducted into the Graphis Masters in New York, a global sign of creative excellence in Design, Advertising, Photography and Illustration Art.
Simon graduated from Chelsea College of Arts in 1992 with a BA (Hons) in Graphic Design (now BA (Hons) Graphic Design Communication). He spoke to us about his touching memories of Chelsea, his career highlights and shared his advice for any new graphic designers.
You graduated from BA (Hons) Graphic Design at Chelsea College of Arts in 1992. What drew you to Graphic Design?
I didn't know that the things I’d been fascinated with since I was a boy (logos, typography, posters and book covers) had a name until I was in art school. I did a foundation year before my degree and loved the diagnostic nature of doing a bit of everything: from life-drawing, to painting and printmaking, to photography, illustration and typography. But the part of the course I loved the most, was graphic design.
What did you enjoy most about studying Graphic Design?
I loved the myriad of different ways in which you could solve communication problems. The incredible array of typefaces, styles of illustration and photography, tools and techniques were so diverse and eclectic; the creative possibilities seemed endless.
What was a highlight of your time at Chelsea?
I met my wife (who was studying Interior Design) in my final year. In August 2024, we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary.
You co-founded award-winning design consultancy, Rose, 25 years ago. Can you tell us about a few highlights from your career so far?
I feel very fortunate to have worked for several world renowned companies before setting up my own business - Pentagram, Faber & Faber, Carré Noir in Paris, and Carroll Dempsey and Thirkell (CDT) - all of which were memorable, formative experiences which shaped my career path.
As Rose, I feel equally blessed to have worked with some amazing people (my business partner, the various generations of our team, our clients, and the many collaborators we've partnered with for more than a quarter of a century now).
We've rebranded some of Britain's most renowned and cherished institutions including BAFTA, Bletchley Park, ENO (English National Opera), D&AD, The Old Vic and The Royal Parks. We’ve collaborated with Turner Prize winning artist Mark Wallinger on the creation of Labyrinth – which involved 272 unique artworks across the entire London Underground network.
We’ve also designed over 100 stamps for the Royal Mail, helped transform 100s of businesses around the world, and won more than 200 international creative awards for the privilege.
How do you approach each new project?
In short, we simplify the complicated, from the initial brief to the final delivery. Which is a lot harder than it sounds, as it takes a phenomenal amount of effort to create something that looks and feels effortless. It involves researching and developing our thinking until that breakthrough moment on a project when an idea emerges that you know is right, and that your client can believe in to meet their objectives. This is followed by the creative journey it takes to breathe life into that idea, and the craft required to do justice to it.
Congratulations, Rose was recently inducted into the Graphis Masters in New York. How does it feel to be recognised by such an esteemed organisation?
It was a huge honour to be invited onto such an exclusive and revered list of design luminaries, many of whom (like Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Josef Müller-Brockman, Alan Fletcher, Milton Glaser and Massimo and Lella Vignelli) have been amongst my design heroes since I was at Chelsea. I don't define my career by awards or accolades, but it's immensely flattering, humbling and validating to have been honoured like this by one of the oldest, and most respected publishers, curators, and chroniclers of creative excellence in the world.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in their graphic design career?
Ask yourself why you want to be a designer. Not because I'd want to put anyone off the idea - it can be beautiful, but because it can also be brutal too. It's a highly competitive occupation where you're pitted against friends and rivals a lot of the time, and so rejection is a part of any designer's life (as even the greatest in the industry will attest). As a result, you need to learn not to take it personally, and grow a thick skin, as every day is different and comes with a different set of challenges. It's a rollercoaster for sure, but if you learn from each experience to help inform the next (for better or worse) and stick with it, it's an amazing journey. I still feel very fortunate to be doing a job I love.
Connect
- Website: rosedesign.co.uk
- Instagram: @rosedesignuk
- Linkedin: Rose Design UK
- X (Twitter): @rosedesignuk
