Nuttall
Meet the Designer - Timothy Parkes, Design Project Manager
West Midlands born and raised, Timothy Parkes studied Product Design at the University of Wolverhampton before building his career across the region. Now living near Dudley, he brings wide industry experience to his role at Nuttall.
As Design Project Manager, he bridges creativity, technical thinking and commercial reality, shaping design concepts into deliverable solutions. In this interview, he reflects on his journey into retail concept design and the value of strong concept thinking.
Background and career journey
Q. Tell us a bit about your background and how you found your way into retail concept design.
Timothy: I graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Product Design and began my career as a Design Engineer with a consultancy working with ITAB. I went on to hold roles in hospitality, rail and bespoke manufacturing, including delivering projects for Claridge’s London.
International visits to China and Poland inspecting hardware for John Lewis and Waitrose expanded my understanding of global manufacturing, and I later moved into more technical, project-led roles with full cradle-to-grave responsibility, including designing train interiors for Siemens trains in the US.
Q. What drew you to this kind of work in the first place?
Timothy: I’ve always been interested in the smaller details of our everyday surroundings. We often walk through spaces without thinking about what it took to bring them together. Every environment starts with a single product, then all of its smaller components.
That curiosity has always driven me. Now, when I walk into a space, I find myself thinking about internal fixings, welds and joints, asking, “How would I have done that?”
Defining the role at Nuttall
Q. When you joined, this role didn’t exist at Nuttall. What’s changed in how Nuttall delivers for its clients now?
Timothy: We’ve streamlined the design process, expanding the role to cover creative and technical design, graphics and animation.
Previously, models were technically accurate but not as visually engaging. Clients want to see the outcome, not just the detail.
Introducing SketchUp and D5 Render has made our visuals more realistic and responsive, allowing live adjustments during meetings and giving clients a clearer understanding of how their space will look and function.
Q. What’s been your biggest challenge so far?
Timothy: It’s been balancing the needs of multiple departments with a single visual deliverable. Concept visuals must contain enough detail for client approval, but not so much that the first response is a lot of revisions.
If approved, those same visuals are then used by Estimating and the Drawing Office, both of whom require increasing levels of detail.
So capturing the right level of information for everyone is key, especially when working to short deadlines. Quick turnaround is critical, but clarity cannot really be compromised.
Q. How has the role evolved since you started, and where do you see it heading?
Timothy: The role has evolved rapidly, and so much so that we’re expanding the team.
It now extends beyond concept design to include graphics, video and AI integration, helping us improve both response time and the quality of our deliverables.
Experience in these additional skills is valuable, but design-for-manufacturing expertise remains our top priority.
Q. What is the process from first brief through to delivery?
Timothy: Once I receive or gather a brief, I develop concept visuals. After approval, the design is costed and quoted. Once approved commercially, the information moves to the Drawing Office for manufacturing drawings. After manufacture and palletisation, the product is shipped to the customer. It’s a full cradle-to-grave process.
The Creative Concept Centre and collaboration
Q. What happens when concept and manufacturing thinking work together from day one?
Timothy: Understanding the language of the factory floor is essential. The team there is highly experienced and capable, so collaborating properly with them is beneficial to all.
We are working to involve manufacturing partners earlier, sharing not only technical drawings but visuals too, so they understand the intended outcome.
A good example is the Hotel Chocolat “Wall of Chocolate” concept for a flagship store. The brief was broad and primarily metalwork with illuminated components. I felt there was an opportunity to improve the customer interaction aspect while maintaining the design intent.
The concept was designed with manufacturing and assembly in mind. Once rendered with accurate materials and lighting, it was extremely well received, even though we had refined elements of the original brief.
Q. How does that change conversations with clients?
Timothy: When clients see concept visuals that closely match the prototype, confidence increases immediately.
With Hotel Chocolat, we conducted a walkthrough of the prototype on a video call. The client was genuinely surprised by how closely it matched the visuals. That dramatically streamlined approvals.
Clear, realistic concepts reduce ambiguity, they build confidence and they shorten decision-making cycles.
Commercial impact and creative thinking
Q. Where does your creative inspiration come from?
Timothy: Inspiration comes from everywhere. Design publications, exhibitions, visiting new brands and environments.
Sometimes even from understanding limitations, particularly budget. If the cost is tight, knowledge of manufacturing processes allows you to be creative through value engineering.
In terms of a tangible example, Louis Vuitton’s building façades are a great showcase of bold retail design. I would like to translate that kind of ambition into a mainstream retail environment.
Q. Does strong concept development reduce risk?
Timothy: Absolutely. On large projects, there are often many stakeholders involved. A clear, high-quality concept ensures everyone understands what they are investing in.
Poor concepts create discrepancies between design and reality, which can cause delays or rework. A strong visual concept is instantly understood and reduces risk throughout the process.
Q. What makes a space feel right, rather than just look good?
Timothy: A space feels right when it’s effortless. When the thinking has been done behind the scenes and the customer can intuitively navigate and interact.
At university, my dissertation explored the link between marketing and product influence, including subliminal cues. So I feel that I am always thinking about how design can influence behaviour subconsciously.
Spaces like Selfridges’ fourth floor in Birmingham (I recommend a visit) show how materiality, curvature and atmosphere can draw people in. That’s powerful.
Projects in practice
Q. Is there a project you’ve particularly enjoyed working on?
Timothy: I’m currently working on a full-scale interior for a Premier League football club. It’s a very open brief, so a project with fewer restrictions than usual, which is refreshing.
That freedom brings its own challenges. Sometimes constraints spark creativity, but here I’ve had to immerse myself in the mindset of a fan to understand what would resonate.
Interior design isn’t traditionally the focus of product designers, so it’s been a valuable learning curve.
Personal perspective
Q. What do you enjoy most about what you do?
Timothy: I enjoy seeing the final product installed and knowing it started with an idea. When the design is fully functional and open to the public, it makes the long hours worthwhile. That satisfaction drives every project.
Q. What does a perfect day off look like?
Timothy: A day away from screens. Time in the countryside, fresh air, good coffee and good food. I think that balance is important for both wellbeing and creativity.
Q. Any hidden talents?
Timothy: During lockdown, I began producing hand-drawn pet portraits. It started as something to fill time and quickly grew into commissioned work across the country. I even set up an Instagram account for it. Eventually it became difficult to balance alongside work, but it was a rewarding creative outlet.
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