JUNO TALKS with Felix May
Felix joined us as a university graduate and left as a senior who, by the end, could do it all. In his talk, he shares his journey – how his understanding of design evolved along the way. About the role of technology in branding, and the future role of agencies.
Felix May is Director of Digital Consulting at the branding and design agency Peter Schmidt Group. From 2011 to 2019, he was part of JUNO.
At what stage of your life were you with us?
I had just finished studying graphic design at the University of Applied Sciences in Hanover and wanted to move to Hamburg. Not necessarily into advertising – I was more drawn to design-focused work. I was looking for a role with lasting impact. I liked your strategic, design-driven approach. So in 2011, I joined you as an intern – and after eight years, I moved on as a highly experienced senior.
What was important to you back then?
The connection between strategy and brand, the complete process within a small team – that was exactly my thing. I wanted to understand how a project works from start to finish. I loved experimenting, taking the time to question concepts, or trying out technologies like AR, which were still in their infancy. I still vividly remember those sessions on the windowsill, where we thoroughly discussed projects.
You were very reflective from the start and wanted to understand things thoroughly. In design, the grid was always important to you in the beginning.
At first, I was very formal – everything had to be logically justifiable. Then I learned that clients often see something completely different in designs than I do. Pure logic doesn’t always help there. It was very valuable for me to experience the different perspectives of three managing directors at JUNO, each with a distinct role. One argued from the brand’s point of view, another from design, and the third from the creative idea. In a small team where you take on a lot of responsibility and present to clients, you learn to find a solution for every challenge.
How do you think about design today?
I used to want pure, aesthetic high-end design. Today, I see design much more freely. Good design, for me, is timeless. It emerges from the project itself, not from trends. At the same time, a lot is changing – more animation, more noise in the daily media clutter – and yes, AI is also an exciting driver. I see both worlds: applied and experimental.
But you still argue from the brand perspective in your projects?
Yes. However, brands today operate across many touchpoints. They need more flexibility than ever – the brand must be able to express itself at varying volumes without losing its identity. Sometimes, though, you also have to consciously leave certain paths to move the brand forward.
What does that mean?
Today, as a Digital Consultant, I tend to think in technological concepts, develop AI products, and bring brands into scalable setups. For example, in the form of generative visual languages that clients can work with themselves. And that for different channels or campaign goals. At the same time, we also focus on the brand experiences of tomorrow: What happens in immersive worlds? How do brand avatars behave?
What changes does this bring?
With AI, you can create things much more precisely today – for example, defining lighting moods in visual language. Clients can, for instance, specify: “Our brand always looks like 10 a.m.” That’s new: you can define and automate atmosphere. We strive to reflect the brand experience everywhere – not just at a single touchpoint, but across social media, motion graphics, 3D, and websites. This level of quality wasn’t possible three years ago. My job is to implement exactly these setups for our clients – setups that actually work.
Has your way of working changed because of this?
Yes, today we work much more iteratively. We build prototypes and test quickly. I don’t want to spend ten days on a concept – I’d rather see something tomorrow that we can evaluate and further develop.
What drives your team?
Working for large international brands and the opportunity to experiment. They want to create, not just execute. We give them space, but also responsibility.
What’s next for our industry?
The future lies in brand-consistent ecosystems that are boundless. This requires tools that can be used centrally – from images to text, from templates to video. Branding agencies will continue to define brands but will be able to execute less and less manually. Tech companies like Adobe and Meta will take over agency business models, especially when it comes to rollout. Agencies need to position themselves smartly and deliver top-quality work to remain relevant in the future.
So there will still be smaller brand agencies?
Yes – when I see you, I’m not worried at all! The big players won’t be able or willing to deal with every small detail and niche. The brand as an attitude, as an experience – that requires people. And for that, there will always be agencies.