Paula Williams

In the interview, Paula Williams, Tim Platt and Mark Chaudoir, three friends and former colleagues at BBC Television Graphics Department and Red Bee Media, reminisce about the changes they had witnessed in the motion graphics industry. Looking back, they now realised how incredibly lucky they had been to have worked at a time which was a golden age for designers in Presentation motion graphics.

Paula Williams graduated from the University of Portsmouth, having studied Design and Media Communications BA (Hons). She gained an internship on graduation and then a Junior Designer position in the BBC’s Presentation Graphics Department, before becoming a Designer and finally a Design Director at the rebranded BBC MediaArc and BBC Broadcast. In 2005, after the BBC had decided to dispense with an in-house Graphic Design Department, Paula moved to Red Bee Media, which had just won a 10-year contract to fulfil all BBC’s graphic design requirements, alongside their commercial business. She left in 2010, together with Tim Platt, to set up their own agency Wonder Creative.

Paula had been involved for many years with both Ravensbourne University and The London College of Communication UAL as a visiting industry practitioner. After gaining her PGCert teaching diploma she became in 2020 a Senior Lecturer at Ravensbourne University on the Advertising and Brand Design course. Paula is currently researching for a book which seeks to augment the archive, alongside contemporary motion graphics practice.

During her extensive career as a designer she has worked with many global brands including Canal+, ITV, Renault, Discovery, Univision, UKTV and the BBC. Her work has been recognised and awarded by D&AD, The Royal Television Society, Design Week, BAFTA, Promax BDA, New York Festivals, and Marketing Effectiveness - Laus. She is a regular mentor and judge for related industry awards.