Inside Out – Eva’s Story: From Client-Side to Agency Life

When client-side experience meets agency ambition

For over seventeen years, I sat on the client side of the table. I wrote the briefings, guarded the brand, balanced internal priorities, and tried to turn big ideas into reality. Often across multiple departments, tight budgets, and shifting timelines.

Now I’m on the agency side at Total Design. Different chair, different rhythm, but in many ways, the same game. Only now, I get to help clients with their challenges and goals from the other side. And that client-side experience? It turns out to be my biggest asset.

Bridging ambition and reality

Anyone who’s worked in-house knows: there’s a big difference between a bold idea and a doable one. I remember seeing beautifully disruptive agency concepts, only to think, “this is brilliant… but it’s never going to happen.” Not because of a lack of ambition, but because of internal realities: teams with different priorities, changing budgets, or just a simple lack of buy-in.

That’s where Total Design makes a real difference. We’re not just idea people. We’re builders, makers, and systems thinkers. We combine strategy, creativity, and technology in one team.
So we can think big, but also deliver smart. From brand platforms to digital tools, from identity to experience, we don’t hand off ideas and hope for the best. We build the whole thing, end to end.It’s how we make sure our work doesn’t just live in decks, but lives out in the world.

Pace meets purpose

The shift to agency life felt like going from walking the beach to running the highlands. Everything moves faster. You switch between sectors, stakeholders, and briefings at lightning pace. That could be chaotic, but at Total Design, there’s structure within the speed. Because of our integrated approach, we move fast without losing focus.

And my client-side background helps, too. When you’re used to looking beyond the rebranding or campaign (but to business goals, internal politics, customer realities) you don’t just chase the next deadline. You think longer-term. We help clients build the kind of brand systems that create consistency, clarity, and momentum. We don’t do “one and done.” We do “what’s next?” “How can we help you further?”

True collaboration, not just delivery

At TD, we work with clients, not just for them. That sounds like a cliché until you experience it. We co-create brand strategies with leadership teams. We involve HR, sales, and customer service in the creative process. We help organizations activate their brands from the inside out.

Because we’ve learned that brands only truly come alive when people across the organization feel ownership. That’s why we don’t just bring in design, we bring in change. Whether we’re shaping a visual identity, building a design system, or creating an internal activation plan, we make sure the work lands and lasts. That way, we’re not just seen as “the agency.” We become a partner in crime. A sounding board. Sometimes even the missing link between brand and business.

Bringing ideas to life (and bringing people with you)

One thing that shifted for me in this new role: influence without control. On the client side, I often had the final say. Now, I help guide the decision, but the choice lies with the client. That used to feel like a loss in the beginning. But actually, it’s a gain. Because when we do it right, the work becomes a shared victory. We don’t just sell an idea , we shape it together. We help clients see not just what could be done, but why it matters, how it works, and who it’s for. That’s when the magic happens. When creativity meets context. When the idea gets made and makes a difference.

The sweet spot

So to sum it up…the shift to agency side wasn’t a break with my past. It was a continuation, with a broader lens and better tools. At TD, I get to bring together everything I’ve learned, from brand thinking, business logic and stakeholder empathy. And more importantly, plug it into a team that’s built to deliver. Strategically. Creatively. Technologically.
That’s what makes it so exciting. It’s not just about creating beautiful work. It’s about creating work that works. For the business, the team, and the people it’s meant to reach.
And if it surprises everyone along the way, you know you’re doing a good job.

That’s why we say: Surprise yourself.