Podcast Summary: "We look for clients confident in the unknown"

Podcast: Daring Creativity. Daring Forever.
Host: Radim Malinic
Guest: Luke Woodhouse, Executive Creative Director at Ragged Edge
Date: December 11, 2025
Episode: Bonus 26

Episode Overview

This bonus episode dives into the creative mindset and brand philosophy of Ragged Edge, a leading London-based branding studio known for category-defining work. Host Radim Malinic uncovers key insights from his earlier interview with the studio’s Executive Creative Director, Luke Woodhouse. The discussion centers on navigating discomfort in creative processes, cultivating client relationships that thrive in uncertainty, managing egos in creative teams, and the power (and peril) of a brand’s public positioning.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discomfort as a Signal of Distinctiveness

• Discomfort is not a bug – it’s a feature.
  Luke reframes the unease often felt in bold branding work, particularly by clients, as evidence of pushing boundaries and achieving true distinctiveness.

  • Quote – Luke Woodhouse [00:50]:
    “Different is new and new is unfamiliar. Unfamiliar is uncomfortable and that's a really good thing... The challenge is to remember the purpose, remember the job that this brand needs to do.”

• Client discomfort is a creative diagnostic tool.
  Radim reflects on how “uncomfortable” reactions can derail creativity when clients revert to safer, more familiar ideas. Instead, he argues for guiding stakeholders to embrace this discomfort as a marker of genuine innovation.

  • Quote – Radim Malinic [01:22]:
    “Discomfort isn't a bug, it's a feature... It signals you've created something genuinely distinctive.”

• Personal analogy:
  Radim likens unfamiliar branding concepts to hearing a challenging album for the first time: initial confusion or discomfort often gives way to appreciation after time and repeated exposure.

2. Finding & Fostering Clients Comfortable in the Unknown

• Building trust through real relationships.
  Luke emphasizes that truly transformative work with clients requires building trust and courage together, often best achieved in real-life meetings.

  • Quote – Luke Woodhouse [04:30]:
    “When you want to sort of travel across these unknown territories with people, you sort of have to have that relationship... Trust each other that we're all pushing for the best of the work.”

• Process over product:
  The creative journey involves helping clients see that discomfort and uncertainty are natural—and necessary—parts of making bold decisions.

  • Quote – Radim Malinic [05:07]:
    “It's more about a process of showing people that the unknown and uncomfortable and unfamiliar is a part of the process.”

• Self-selecting partnerships:
  Ragged Edge’s clients are often those already willing to invest in bold futures—not just in design, but in direction.

3. Managing Egos & Creative Subjectivity

• The concept is the creative director.
  Luke shares a philosophy that helps sideline personal egos: let the strength of the idea itself guide decision making, not individual preferences or positions.

  • Quote – Luke Woodhouse [06:15]:
    “All we care about is really trying to do what's right for the idea. We try and say that the concept is the creative director... It's not about personal opinion, it's not about you.”

• Ego as motivator, not a roadblock.
  Radim acknowledges that a healthy ego is part of being a creative, likening personalities to a strikers on a football pitch—but stresses that teamwork and alignment toward the end goal is essential.

  • Quote – Radim Malinic [06:48]:
    “Ego is a sense of identity, because creative people want to be seen and heard as a part of the process ... But the team can only win when everyone pulls in the same direction.”

4. Brand Positioning & Evolving Industry Language

• ‘Change Makers’ positioning – a double-edged sword.
  Ragged Edge once repositioned itself around serving “change makers”—a stance which attracted like-minded clients but eventually became an industry buzzword, prompting a further evolution.

  • Quote – Luke Woodhouse [08:36]:
    “We put out this really strong point of view... That worked incredibly well for us because it meant that clients became sort of self-selecting ... But after a period of time, everyone else seems to sort of came to a similar conclusion, which meant that we had to look for a way to stand out again.”

• From ‘change makers’ to ‘never be the same again’.
  The need to stay ahead pushed Ragged Edge into a new phase, summed up by their current philosophy:

  • “Never be the same again” signals a commitment to transformative work, not just for clients, but for their own evolving practice.

  • Quote – Radim Malinic [09:44]:
    “The words that now stand at the top of their website—never be the same again—really stand for where they’re going with the whole ethos and idea of Ragged Edge 3.0... daring not to be the same again because it's their commitment to their own practice and it's the commitment to our industry and to their clients.”

Memorable Quotes & Timestamps

• Luke Woodhouse [00:50]:
  “Different is new and new is unfamiliar. Unfamiliar is uncomfortable and that's a really good thing.”

• Radim Malinic [01:22]:
  “Discomfort isn't a bug, it's a feature... It signals you've created something genuinely distinctive.”

• Luke Woodhouse [04:30]:
  “Trust each other that we're all pushing for the best of the work... Being confident in the unknown just sort of means like trusting the process and knowing that we'll get through it together.”

• Luke Woodhouse [06:15]:
  “The concept is the creative director. It's not about personal opinion, it's not about you. It's about pushing to communicate the idea in the strongest way possible.”

• Radim Malinic [06:48]:
  “Ego is a sense of identity ... But the team can only win when everyone plays together, when everyone pulls in the same direction.”

• Luke Woodhouse [08:36]:
  “It meant that clients became sort of self-selecting, meaning that people who shared that mindset... And after a period of time, everyone else seems to sort of seemingly came to a similar conclusion, which meant that we had to look for a way to stand out again.”

• Radim Malinic [09:44]:
  “Never be the same again—really stands for where they are going with the whole ethos ... it's their commitment to their own practice and ... to their clients.”

Notable Moments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Highlight | |-----------|------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:50 | Discomfort as a signpost for creative distinction | | 04:30 | Building client trust to journey through the unknown | | 06:15 | The concept guiding creative decision-making, not egos | | 08:36 | Brand positioning and the shift from ‘change makers’ | | 09:44 | The thinking and process behind Ragged Edge’s new rebrand |

Takeaways

• Discomfort and the unfamiliar are key signals that truly original creative work is happening—they should be embraced, not feared.
• Great creative partnerships are built on trust and a willingness to navigate the unknown together.
• Organizational ego needs to be channeled: the guiding principle should always be “what’s right for the idea” rather than individual preferences.
• Powerful brand positioning attracts aligned clients, but maintaining differentiation requires continual evolution.

Final Thoughts

Radim’s conversation with Luke Woodhouse provides practical wisdom for creatives, teams, and clients aiming to do courageous, transformative work. The message is clear: dare to embrace the uncomfortable, put trust in the process, and never be afraid to evolve. Ragged Edge’s journey mirrors this philosophy, making them a benchmark for bold branding in the industry.