International Women’s Day: Yasmin’s journey

As part of our International Women’s Day celebrations, we’re celebrating the stories of some of the amazing women we work with at Amber. We started our series with our Senior Business Analyst, Charlotte Beard, and explored her career and amazing commitment to volunteering.

In this blog, we get a chance to catch up with our Brand and Design Manger, Yasmin O’Dowd, to talk through her creative journey within the design industry, and how Amber’s brand has developed over time. She also shares with us her advice for women in the design industry.

Yasmin’s story

My career in design started with a love of drawing. As a teenager, I dreamt of becoming a character designer, so I went to art college with that goal in mind. It wasn’t until university, while studying animation, that I realised my true passion was in graphic design.  My first role as an Illustrator and Animator at a design agency was a turning point. I quickly realised how animation and illustration could work alongside graphic design, and it sparked my passion for branding design.
 
I now have 13 years of design experience, some of which was through three other design agencies, each helping me refine my skills. For the last 6½ years, I have been working at Amber, which has brought its own set of challenges – branding isn’t always the priority in this sector.
 
But I’ve relished the chance to shape Amber’s visual identity and make what we do more engaging and approachable.
 
I joined Amber as a Graphic Designer, and after a year, I was promoted to Brand and Design Manager. When I first came on board, Amber was in a phase of rapid growth, and I could see the potential for shaping a more unified and polished brand identity. My focus was to ensure that Amber didn’t just look like a small company, especially as we worked with some major brands. I wanted our visual identity to reflect the level of professionalism and innovation we bring to our clients.
 
It’s about ensuring we stay true to our values while presenting ourselves as a dynamic and forward-thinking company in the energy space.
Amber’s brand has evolved significantly over the years, aligning with both our services and core values. When I joined, the brand was still finding its identity, and as we grew, particularly with our focus on Net Zero services and B Corp certification, our visual identity matured to reflect that shift. The current brand feels like the right fit for who we are today, though there’s always room to refine and push it further.
 
One of my proudest achievements is the recent brand evolution alongside the launch of our new website, really capturing the essence of Amber.

Yasmin’s IWD tip

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give, it’s to keep pushing forward, even when things get tough. The design industry can be competitive, but resilience is key. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes along the way. Mistakes are part of the learning process, and it’s
through those missteps that you’ll find new solutions and grow stronger.

Even if a new technique doesn’t fit your current role, experimenting helps keep your creative thinking fresh and expands your skillset. There will be times when you doubt yourself, but it’s those moments of challenge that help you grow and become a stronger.

Also, keep in mind that it can be difficult to switch off a creative mind at the end of your working day. I found that it’s important to find other creative outlets in your free time to have some fun.