Shed Sessions: Silvie Grant

The only right way to start this interview is with you sharing a funny story. You usually have at least two amusing personal anecdotes per day; what’s the latest?

My Dutch and English have now merged into a completely separate language. So far it includes “I’ve bitten myself in the foot,” “Don’t fight it until you bite it,” and updates about eating herring. I’m not sure anyone understands it yet, but I like to keep the team informed and slightly confused.

What does your day-to-day as a Designer look like?

No two days are really the same. Some days I get to focus on one large design job, other days I'm moving between ten smaller jobs and answering questions in between. There is lots of problem-solving involved, and often the first job is challenging the brief and asking the right questions, rather than just making something look nice. We want the work to be right for the client, not just follow a trend or take the easy option. And when a job changes halfway through, which it sometimes does, we adapt and go again.

What’s your favourite type of job to work on?

I am basically the Shed's self-appointed Christmas elf. Give me sparkles, festive colours and an excuse to make something feel a bit magical. From the beginning of October, I slowly start injecting some Mariah into the Spotify playlist. You can't just throw her in at full volume on 1 October though. She has to be carefully defrosted while I slowly warm my colleagues up to the festive spirit. That's fair, right?

Can you share some highlights from your time as a part of the Potting Shed team?

There are too many after all this time! One of the best things is working with brands I first worked on when I joined in January 2017, seeing them go through rebrands and still working with them in 2026. That's pretty special, and it shows the relationship and trust between our clients and Potting Shed too. Whether it is a single-page text document or a huge campaign, we all genuinely want the same thing: for our clients to thrive. I've also been trusted to grow into my role, try loads of new things and now carry on as part of the team from the Netherlands, which feels like quite a big highlight too.

You can only watch 5 movies for the rest of your life, which ones are you choosing?

Jurassic Park, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Donnie Darko, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Gremlins. Most fantasy or sci-fi movies work for me, so I think this is a fairly balanced diet. I immediately regret not choosing the other films in each series, but these are the cruel rules Scarlett has made for me.

Recently, you began working remotely after your relocation to the Netherlands. What’s been the best thing about returning to your home country?

Being close to my family again is the main thing. After almost ten years in Guernsey, it still feels a bit strange that I can just get in the car (or hop on my bicycle) and see them without booking flights. The shopping, cycle paths and IMAX cinema aren’t hurting either. I also forgot how nice it is to speak Dutch everywhere and not have to explain what I mean when I use a very Dutch expression in English. I do really miss working in the office with my colleagues, but I can visit and bring back Stroopwafels each time.

If you could live inside the brain of another Shed member for a week, who would you pick and why?

Tom, just to see what happens in his head when six people ask him six completely different questions at the same time. I imagine it like an air traffic control tower: ten conversations, six deadlines, three small fires and Tom somehow still sounding calm and knowing where everything is. I'd like to find out whether it really is that organised in there, or whether he is just extremely good at making the rest of us believe it is.

What do you value most about Potting Shed?

We properly work as a team and support each other when it is needed. Everyone is trusted to take ownership of their own work, but you never feel like you have to solve everything alone. There is a lot of freedom to say what you think and approach problems in your own way. We don't just accept the first or easiest answer. We challenge the brief, ask questions and keep pulling the work apart until it feels right. I also love the variety, I’m still regularly doing and learning something new.

Anyone who knows you knows that you love to find a good bargain. What would you consider to be your best bargain of all time?

This is impossible because my best bargain is always the one I found most recently. I get a ridiculous amount of satisfaction from finding the exact same thing somewhere else for half the price. The money saved is almost secondary at this point. It is about winning. Give me enough time and I will find a better bargain.