WeAreTheCity talk supporting employees, company initiatives & encouraging women into senior roles with Taxi Studio

Taxi Studio, Image of an open plan office with signs saying 'If we build it, they will come'

Taxi Studio is an independent design business home to a collective of global talent doing what they love – without unnecessary hierarchy – for over 20 years.

They’ve worked with top clients such as Carlsberg to create high-profile consumer led campaigns which include the Costa-Coffee special Christmas product launch, and Never Too Young for Bowel Cancer.

In this piece, WeAreTheCity talks to Taxi Studio about supporting employees, company initiatives that help development within careers and encouraging women into senior roles.

Katie Scotland

In-house Coach, Taxi Studio
Katie is a professional career and leadership coach and has a wealth of experience gleaned from working with and coaching creative teams at the highest level. She provides  individual coaching to everyone at Taxi Studio, ensuring the team are happy in their roles and motivated to be the best they can be – from developing individual confidence through to defining leadership styles. 

Taxi Studio is a collective of talent, playing to their strengths and doing what they love. Everyone is empowered and supported to grow, and fairly rewarded based on their contribution to the business.

“My experience at Taxi Studio is that every person is treated as an individual and can use their strengths as a platform to rise.  That requires flexibility and commitment from the business, and lots of support to help people grow and shine. 

By breaking away from a more hierarchical, traditional structure, people have been able to build their own path and focus on what they love and are best at.  

People are responsible for gathering their own feedback from around the business.  Not only is that really empowering and builds a very honest and supportive environment, it helps people to be really clear on their strengths and how they make the biggest impact.

One of the most beneficial things that we have found is that our team has benefited from having a one-to-one support network that they can regularly check in with.

Everyone has a dedicated Taxi mentor, access to career coaching, and is supported by their Head of Team to create quarterly development goals.  This has given them a sense of autonomy and ownership to take charge of their careers and build a role at Taxi that works for them.”

Natalie Matti-Brown

Client Director, Taxi Studio

Natalie heads up the Client Team and is a member of the studio’s Leadership Team. With 13 years of experience in design and digital communications, she has extensive global category and media experience in FMCG, Automotive, Tourism, and Wellbeing, for clients, including; Nissan, Danone, and The Clorox Company. Natalie leads two of the studio’s pillar clients, The Coca-Cola Company and Mars Wrigley, and has been pivotal in driving growth opportunities in North America, LATAM, South Asia, and Eastern Europe.

Natalie talks to us about how the offer of genuinely flexible working upon returning from maternity leave was just what she needed to be at the top of her game in a crucial commercial senior leadership role.

“I’ve worked at Taxi for over five years and was unsure about how I would be able to return to the agency world following my maternity leave. Taxi Studio has been incredibly flexible and has worked with me to ensure I was well prepared to return. With access to our coach (discussing how to manage my own and Taxi’s expectations) and ensure that the hours I worked upon my return would work for me, the team, and my home life.

“I believe part of the success Taxi Studio has had is focusing on our team’s individual strengths and ensuring they have the right environment to thrive. Personally, this means that I’ve had the opportunity to focus on leading and driving the team and agency to our bigger business goals and initiatives.”

Tilly Scott

Designer, Taxi Studio

With an eye for originality and a passion for packaging, Tilly has worked for a range of FMCG brands in her 3 and a half years’ experience – her portfolio highlights include names like Batiste and Bart. Matilda loves working with handmade typography and illustration, finding fresh and unique ways to bring a brand’s vision to reality.

Joining a new company can be a daunting experience for anyone, regardless of what stage of their career they’re at.

The quality of the onboarding process and the general company environment during the first few months can often make the difference between how well someone settles into their new role.

Tilly recounted how coaching support has been invaluable in helping provide her with clear goals and a sense of direction to develop her career at Taxi Studio.

“I joined Taxi as a designer around three months ago in the hope of learning, growing and challenging myself in my career, and so far, it’s delivering on all points.

“One of the things I’ve found amazingly helpful in this is the coaching support provided through Katie Scotland. Every three weeks, we’ve discussed where I’m at and what I want from my career. These meetings are entirely confidential, so we can talk as freely as we wish. In this catch-up, Katie helps me dissect and further understand my goals and what I can do to achieve them.

“We’re also actively encouraged to give and request feedback from our colleagues to aid our progression and have catch-ups with our Design Leads and Creative Directors. Everyone in the team is super supportive, and it’s a lovely collaborative environment to be in!”

Olivia Beresford-Evans

Designer & Culture Ambassador, Taxi Studio

Liv heads up a hybrid role at Taxi Studio as a Designer and Culture Ambassador. A strategic problem solver and meticulous creative, Liv approaches every design job with the same rigour and responsibility. She is equally passionate about positively impacting our people and our culture, so she has made spreading joy her mission alongside providing additional support for our team.

As social animals, we are all products of our surroundings.

It stands to reason that we are more likely to be at our creative best and flourish over the long term if we are in a positive environment supported by a modern approach to doing things. Taxi Studio has supported a hybrid model of working since before it became mainstream and focused on creating a place of work that its staff want to come to.

Liv spoke about how she has felt empowered to take personal ownership on helping create a positive working environment to help employees thrive in.

“Over my time at Taxi, I wanted to positively impact the people and culture and develop as a designer. This has occurred through organising fun events and workshops, inspiring young talent, hunting for interns and generally trying to spread joy throughout the team with a big toothy smile.

“In a post-Covid studio, with a back-to-full-strength team and a new London studio, spreading joy became my mission and, as we all know, is needed now more than ever, so I wanted to make this a permanent part of my role.

“The combination of planting a seed for this change, coaching sessions, strong support from team members, and demonstrating my impact over the last few years. I have finally secured a full eight hours a week to achieve my mission – let’s see how this goes!”

About the author

Alison is the Digital Content Editor for WeAreTheCity. She has a BA Honours degree in Journalism and History from the University of Portsmouth. She has previously worked in the marketing sector and in a copywriting role. Alison’s other passions and hobbies include writing, blogging and travelling.
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