“I’m a Store Designer at M&S and I look after Architecture, Format & Blueprint. That means I’m responsible for how new or modernized M&S stores look, how they’re laid out and how the space is used, including the design for all the walls, floors, ceilings and lighting. It really is my dream job, but my design education and career path are anything but standard!
I studied architecture at the University in Aberdeen for six years, which I loved, but came out thinking, “I don’t know what I want to do, but I do know that I don’t want to be an architect!”. I had a Saturday job at M&S while I was at university and decided to work full time there until I worked out what I wanted to do… and 30 years later I’m still here!
The Aberdeen store team were very talented and I learned great visual merchandising (VM) skills from them, like how to dress a mannequin, arrange a window, follow fashion trends or colour-block a department. I also gained a lot of classic retail knowledge and skills around shopping habits, sightlines, creating impact and merchandising.
This led to a promotion to Deputy VM Manager. I was now looking after four stores and had an amazing team in each. I discovered that I enjoyed inspiring and motivating people, and I was good at it too.
Next was a promotion to a larger store in Glasgow. M&S supported me to relocate away from my home city, and I loved the larger teams and bigger challenges. Braehead was a new, high-profile store, and again I was blessed with an incredibly talented and creative team. I decided it was time for me to start looking for promotion to a salaried manager position. I was rewarded with an amazing Senior VM Manager role in the Edinburgh region, looking after a number of stores including Edinburgh and the Gyle.
Then, there was a chance meeting with Nayna Macintosh, Director of Store Environment. Edinburgh store was having a complex modernisation, and my store manager was struggling to understand the plans. So, I used my architecture training and some old cardboard sale signs to build a simple model to explain what was happening… he loved it and called me to meet the director, Nayna Macintosh. One week after that meeting I was told that they would like me to take a new job in the head office store planning team.
As a Store Designer I now create the designs that the store planners follow. I’ve been in this role for 15 years and have mostly looked after architectural design and planning policy, as well as flooring, lightingand signage. I’ve been heavily involved in the M&S Store Renewal design from the very beginning, and it’s exciting to still be refining the design and rolling it out to our stores.
I’ve had the chance to open shops all over the world, working with our international partners. I’m very proudthat I’m helping to define how M&S looks now and into the future.”
