We're thrilled to announce Zoe Newman has joined PENSON as Associate.
Zoe will be helping in the expansion of our Studio as our projects, ideas and clients continue to evolve. Using her extensive Hospitality experience, Zoe will help lead PENSON's Hospitality and Retail projects. She’ll be helping to create and deliver the world’s best accommodation experiences in the coolest locations, internationally.
Shown in the photo on the left-hand side, Zoe has been enjoying her first few months at PENSON, so we sat down to ask her a few questions about the role and how she's been settling in so far...
Q. In the past you’ve focused on luxury residential design, but what are you most interested to get to grips with at PENSON?
A. Over recent years I’ve been used to producing beautiful very neat interior design with very generous budgets, so I’m loving learning about the crazy different design style of PENSON.
Each of PENSON’s projects is unique and the budget never seems to be a barrier so I’m looking forward to letting my imagination run wild. It’s about pushing the limits of design and experiential design – thinking outside the box!
Q. Can you tell us what you've started working on?
A. The two key projects I’m working on have very challenging briefs which is exciting. Although they’re completely different projects with different clients and in different sectors of design they somehow intertwine. In short, we’re reinventing the retail experience and reinventing the hospitality experience! I think it just goes to show how PENSON’s sense of fun and their ‘made for life’ design thread runs through everything they do.
Q. Where do you get inspiration from for your ideas?
A. I guess most of the time I start by exploring the site/location and if something catches my imagination, I’ll roll with it. I find it easier to grab hold of one idea and branch off from that...sometimes you can get bogged down with too many ideas that you don’t know what direction to go in!
Q. What are you enjoying most about PENSON?
A. The creative thinking process...I’m involved in several projects where we need to completely rethink the approach to the design...we’re digging deep to come up with something NEW! I’m definitely learning new ways of approaching design which has been really interesting.
Q. What have you been up to in your first couple of months with PENSON? Professionally and socially?
A. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to travel with PENSON. I’ve visited several European cities including a visit to Seville which was a first for me - it was just as lovely as I’d heard! I’ve also had the opportunity to extend my research beyond the office and visit some cool new experiences. One that I’d really recommend is ‘Otherworld’ in London. It’s an immersive interactive VR experience based in Haggerston...it’s true virtual reality paradise!
Q. What's most surprised you about PENSON?
A. Speed! PENSON uses some very productive techniques for producing great work, creatively, on budget, on time and efficiently!
Watch out for our team Weekend Agenda this month where we introduce a PENSON team member and their weekend game plan.
