How I Got Here: Jim Stoddart

Jim Stoddart, art director at Penguin Press since 2001, talks about an early switch from architecture to graphic design, where he finds inspiration, and the importance of patience and empathy in design. This article is part of our series focusing on designers working in-house.

 

Over the past 17 years, Jim Stoddart has been responsible for design within Penguin Press and has designed and art directed several distinctive and hugely popular imprints, from Penguin Classics and Penguin Modern Classics, to Particular Books and the Allen Lane imprint. He also worked as creative director on the redesign of Penguin Modern Poets and on the relaunch of Pelican Books, an innovative project that saw books brought out simultaneously in print and online.

Stoddart has a job many graphic designers would die for: here he talks through his journey to Penguin, what projects he is most proud of, and how he juggles work with family life.