Asa Rodger
Brand Designer, Creative Director, Art Director, Designer
In their own words
Measure twice, cut once.
Your work is going to go for review as a brand new junior employee: it's probably not going straight out the door. So try hard to first become a 'safe pair of hands', then you can build from there.
The love for creative was still there, but the pressure wasn't in the same way.
The biggest takeaway for me is to be crystal clear upfront about setting the boundaries, defining the Scope of Work, and ensuring agreements are locked in before starting the work.
If the client asks for a discount or cheaper rates, I typically reply by saying I can offer a 5% discount for day-rate bookings longer than a month, and 10% for day-rate bookings over three months.
I focus more on the pillars of energy for me. It's the basic stuff that helps me keep up – sleep, diet, water, movement, company.
In Scotland, especially further north, the light is SO short. So I've started striving for the daylight a bit more proactively. I've been swatting up about light: circadian rhythms, cortisol, melatonin; how it all works together.
So I started taking a big hour-long walk after lunch to get the light. Then I'd work an hour later at night, 5-6pm, when it's dark anyway.
Articles & interviews
- Monzo’s Creative Leaders Discuss Design-Driven Growth Into the Mainstream
Tom May compiles six pieces of community advice for junior creatives during their first month in a role. Contributors stress reliability, asking questions, having real-life conversations, defending design decisions, networking and managing imposter syndrome; the article argues that these lessons also apply to senior creatives.
- 6 hard lessons creatives only learn when things go wrong
Written by Tom May for Creative Boom, this article gathers insights from several creative professionals about the lessons learned from failure. Through candid stories of health crises, failed collaborations, and embarrassing mistakes, the piece explores how setbacks can lead to growth, resilience, and better creative judgment. Each contributor shares a personal experience that reshaped their approach to work and life.
- "Guide to Setting Fair Freelance Rates and Earning What You Deserve"
Creative Boom’s article by Tom May offers practical advice for freelancers on how to set their rates confidently and sustainably. Drawing on insights from artists, designers, and copywriters, it covers strategies like factoring in all costs, asking for budgets upfront, defining minimum rates, and valuing work appropriately. The piece encourages freelancers to treat pricing as a business decision and to maintain boundaries with clients.