Tell us a bit about your work and how you became a Graphic Designer

I’m a design director at Design Bridge, based in Clerkenwell, London, and have been there ever since leaving art school back in 2006. The part of design that really gets me sparky, is when you get that charm of an idea into your work – I’m writing this the week that Milton Glazer has sadly passed, a graphic design hero of many. Originality is so important in design - everything we do must tell a compelling story to make it believable – he always accomplished that. Day to day, before the upheaval of being in Lockdown due to COVID and working from home, I’m spent flitting around the studio working together with different teams throughout the business and finding ways to creatively tell stories with the work that we do in the branding and packaging world. All the time with my grey scruffy hound Jarvis in tow (when he wants to, of course!)

Tell us about Jarvis and how he came into your life.

I have never had a pet when growing up (apart from a goldfish but that doesn’t count... right?) but have always always wanted a dog. It got to a point, where I noticed a handful of company’s were allowing members of staff to bring their shadows to work with them, so I got to work straight away - and it all started with a drunken email on Christmas Eve to Graham, one of Design Bridge founders. This then escalated to gathering examples of where dogs in the workplace was beneficial, and putting my idea to the board. Excitingly, it was agreed (along with some precautions) that I could in fact, fulfil my dream and get a dog, and take him into work with me.

My partner Chris and I knew he needed to be scruffy, and with the right temperament of course - lazier the better. Jarvis fitted the bill pretty perfectly. We picked him up at 14 weeks old, so obviously there was a LOT of hard work in the beginning - lots of training (and lots of ignoring on his part...) all hindered when he broke his knee at 6 months halting recall training. Having a puppy is hard work… but it does pay off in the end.

How does your Jarvis fit into your general working day?

We both travel to work on the train, and sometimes tube. It’s amazing how London commuters warm to having a dog on their carriage - gone are the ‘avoiding eye contact’ clichés - people literally make a beeline for him just for an ear scrub. Jarvis obviously obliges willingly. Once at work you can usually find him upside down on his big yellow bean bag or lying right in the way in the middle of the studio floor. I lose him now and again as he has his special friends he goes and says hi to... such a funny hound - he’s pretty independent - get this dog an Oyster card and he’ll see himself home when he’s had enough of the day, I’m certain.

When you’re not working where do you like to hang out with the dog?

Chris and I have always enjoyed the outside world but having Jarv forces us to go off more than ever. Locally, we’re lucky enough to have Alexandra Palace on our doorsteps, or Highgate and Queens woods for super hot days as it’s nice and shady. Further afield, we like to trek up the big mountains of the Lake District, dig around the beaches of North Norfolk, and wander the flats of the fens – the more terrains the better!

What essentials do you always have on you when heading out for a dog walk, and what do you carry them in?

I actually hate carrying things, so we keep it minimal. Chris has the poo bags, and I have the least dusty treats that I have found stuffed in my pockets! Sometimes we take a (very) squeaky ball with us (and fight over whos carrying it) Jarv was sooo not interested in anything like that until one day he turned into a real dog and loves to chase it.

What adventures do you have planned with Jarvis for later this year?

This time last year we headed up to Scotland with friends and travelled the west coast in campervans. We couldn’t get over how beautiful it was, so returning to discover more of the islands is certainly on the list. A bothy, big beaches and big skies is where we will be.

You can follow Hayley and Jarvis's adventures together on Jarvis's Instagram Page