Prudence Jones
Studio Director + Design and Creative Director, Fjord
Prue has spent her 25+ year career in creative leadership positions across the advertising, design, and digital industries. Her current role sees her heading up the Melbourne studio of global design firm Fjord, part of Accenture Interactive, the world’s largest digital agency.
Prue is a national director on the board of AGDA (the Australian Graphic Design Association), is a sometime co-host of Australia’s most popular design podcast, AusDesign Radio, and as a champion of creative women everywhere, conceived a conversational platform for women (and men) of the global industry, launching last International Women’s Day at nniwd.nevernotcreative.org.
A sought-after juror for local and global creative award programs, she’s also a passionate public speaker about the impact of new technologies in the design space and how they’ll shape the way we interact with governments, systems, services, products, and each other in the future.
Career & Background
What inspired you to do what you are doing now?
I was always drawn to creative expression and conceptualisation and it’s sustained me throughout my entire career. I suspect there is no other industry that changes with the frequency that the creative industries do, probably because they are so closely tied to culture and technology. As both of those things evolve, we are compelled to evolve with them – learning new skills, software and how brands strive to endure in a changing world.
Your favourite food for thought
Books
Helpful for all women whether at a crossroads or not:
Not Just Lucky – Jamila Rizvi
Works Well WIth Others – Ross McCammon
The Advantage
Podcasts / Thought Leaders
Cindy Gallop
Anything Ira Glass does
I’ve really been enjoying feminist Florence Given’s new podcast ‘Exactly!’
What drives and inspires you
What are your core values?
- Fun
- Respect
- Success
Who is your biggest inspiration and why?
Without a doubt, Cindy Gallop. She fights hard for equity for women in the creative industries and is such an innovator. She is real and tells it like it is, calling out the sexism and ageism rife in our industries. Depressingly, I find so much of what she says relevant.
You as a Mentor
Why have you decided to become a mentor?
I love the idea of helping women do whatever it is that lights them on fire.
What are the top 5 skills or qualities you bring to mentoring?
- Direct
- Knowledgeable
- Non-judgemental
- Open
- Passionate
Ready to be a part of Assisterhood as a Mentee?
We are now up and running in QLD and VIC – and we’re only just getting started! Let’s shoot for the stars – together!