Rhiannon Jones

Rhiannon Jones - She/Her

Creative Director, Warner Music

Rhiannon Jones is an experienced Merchandise & Graphic designer based in London with over 12 years experience in the fields of touring, e-commerce, retail and brand partnerships. Rhiannon specialises in editorial design and typography and has produced merchandise and creative solutions for some of the world’s biggest bands.

Please tell us about your career

My job is all the best parts of being a creative and a problem solver. I look after creative for bands and artists' merchandise across tours, retail and e-comm stores. Every day is different, every band is different and there is no better feeling than seeing a fan at a gig buying a piece of merch that I've worked on!

My brother told me about a design internship he’d seen on Facebook for Warner Music and encouraged me to apply. I was very dismissive about whether I would be ‘good enough’ but managed to land a 3-month internship which followed into a full-time job. When I was promoted to Creative Director, I had an extremely overwhelming sense of pride, like I’d ‘made it’. Despite how challenging those hard times are being neurodivergent, it was totally worth pushing on!

As with most jobs, it's always go go go! But now and then, I will get a little pocket of time to reflect - and honestly I’m incredibly proud of myself, to see how much I’ve grown over my career, the achievements, the experiences I’ve had, the wonderful people I’ve worked with and who have supported me. For me, it proves that it’s ok not to be academic, that you can find a job you love, that is fulfilling, and that being Neurodivergent isn’t the negative narrative it once was when I was growing up, it’s what sets you above the rest!

How has being Neurodivergent shaped the direction of your career?

I have phonological developmental dyslexia which has led me to put personal systems and processes into my everyday work life to overcome the difficulties. Each step in my career development has felt a little harder than normal but totally worth it to see how far I’ve grown ‘despite’ facing those challenges.

Do you feel that your job/industry is a good fit for an ND woman?

Absolutely! It was only fairly recently I became more aware of how well-fitted my role is for being Neurodivergent. I’ve found great systems and tricks to dealing with work-life which has brought out the best of my skills within the role. My job is all the best parts of being creative, a problem solver, and thinking differently to others for an industry full of creatives! I'm encouraged to be different, think differently, and push the boundaries of creativity while carving out time for learning and growth in my own career development.

What advice would you give to another Neurodivergent woman navigating their way through life?

Taking the difficulties as a positive challenge to problem solve. Failing is ok, pick up your pride and try again! Reaching out for support and help with those colleagues around you especially if there is something they can implement to help support you. Strong work ethic and being kind. Use your different way of thinking as a superpower!