Molly Park on Papier, growth mindset, and entrepreneurship
Nov 15, 2023
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Molly Park, Papier's Chief Product Officer, talks about blending creativity and commerce, Papier's creative process, consumer trends for millennial women, art education, growth mindset, and pursuing big dreams. The conversation covers T leadership model, emotional design, salary transparency, and redefining stationery for modern consumers.
Design process at Papier starts with understanding consumer emotions and trends for impactful creations.
Molly Park advocates for a growth mindset in creative leadership, emphasizing setting ambitious goals and persistence.
Deep dives
Understanding the Consumer and Design Process at Papier
At Papier, the design process starts with understanding consumer trends and emotions. They analyze qualitative data to create key emotional purchase drivers. Designs are then created to address specific consumer needs and emotions, such as anxiety and overwhelm. The process takes about three to four months for each collection and involves collaboration among different design disciplines to create impactful and meaningful products.
Navigating the Intersection of Creativity and Commerciality
Molly Park emphasizes the importance of bringing creativity and commercial acumen together. She adopts a T leadership model where designers understand their craft deeply and also grasp other business functions for informed creative decision-making. By understanding consumer trends and emotions, Papier ensures that their designs align with consumer needs while also commercially validating their value.
The Power of Growth Mindset and Self-Awareness in Creative Leadership
Molly Park advocates for a growth mindset in creative leadership. She encourages setting ambitious goals, breaking them down into achievable steps, and being persistent in pursuing one's dreams. Understanding one's strengths and weaknesses, being self-aware, and challenging oneself to grow and learn are essential qualities for successful creative leadership.
Navigating Conversations About Money and Advocating for Design Value
In discussing conversations about money, Molly Park highlights cultural differences in openness about salaries and emphasizes the need for greater transparency in the UK creative industry. She advises creatives to understand the language of business to advocate for the value of design effectively. By aligning design impact with commercial metrics, creatives can educate clients on the value of design services and influence a positive change in the industry.
Molly Park is Papier’s Chief Product Officer, having joined the brand three years ago, after a brilliant industry career with roles at Cath Kidston, Designers Guild, and Oliver Bonas. Molly is also a freelance creative director at her own Parc Studio.
In our conversation, we discuss how to bring creativity and commercial acumen together and Molly explains her T leadership model. She also reveals Papier’s creative process, and we discuss the forthcoming consumer trends, with Papier’s target audience in mind – millennial women. Molly also shares her thoughts on art education, and growth mindset and offers practical advice for pursuing big dreams and goals.
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Podcast music and production: James Greenfield
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