We spoke to Paul Jenkins, the Founder and Creative Director of Triple Double. As a basketball fanatic from his early years, Paul struggled through the traditional schooling system, told he would ‘fail’ if he decided to go to college to study design instead of doing A-Levels. “There must be a better way to engage young people in education creatively,” he asked himself, before making it his mission to do just that.

This led him to study at London College of Communication with the goal to take advantage of various placement and real world industry experience on offer – exploring internships across London, Berlin and Tokyo with the likes of Pentagram and Wieden & Kennedy for clients such as Nike and Google. Through the following years, Paul would go on to hold various design and creative positions across in-house and agency roles, focusing more on youth, cultural and sports brands while supporting local community and education projects, before launching Triple Double in 2015. Intrigued? Read on to learn more about Paul and his inspiring business.

What is Triple Double?

Triple Double is a creative studio that unleashes how youth engage in sport and education, using the power of design and creativity to transform their lives. Helping a wide variety of organisations including NGBs, brands, communities, schools, charities and youth groups, collectively reach this common goal.

We listen, understand and learn what the next generation wants, working directly with youth to give them real world commercial opportunities. This co-creation approach and passion for accountability to youth has led us to become a trusted partner of brands and organisations including UK Active, Design Museum, London Youth Games, Red Bull and Women in Sport.

 

Triple Double have also just launched Intergalactic Athletes, a new creative education resource quite literally out of this world! A free resource with an immersive space themed story and project experience for young people, combining their visual, analytical and written skills. Young people can take part individually or Intergalactic Athletes can be delivered in curriculum, for extra curricular enrichment or for after schools clubs – simple to use classroom resources are included. All submissions receive a bespoke digital certificate and are featured in the online space-themed gallery.

You were on our free scale-up programme, Innovating for Growth. How did that help you?

Taking part in Innovating for Growth added skills and confidence to my existing business journey – providing me a wider view of the elements that were already working really well, and the areas that needed improvement, both short and long term.

The opportunity to meet and work with specialist business facilitators, who could objectively support my goals and ambitions for the business, was second to none, with a few in particular who I know I could now reach out again to if I need to, to bounce around future ideas or queries.

What’s the best piece of business advice you have been given?

Focus on the essential, and strip out the noise to make the most progress.

Where are you most likely to be found in/at?

Basketball court / talking about basketball / watching basketball/ I've been a player, fan and fanatic since I was 7. That’s where the company name comes from. Triple Double means when a player scores double digits in three stat categories – 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, for example. 

Has there been a book that impacted you?

Two actually: Essentialism by Greg McKeown and Start With Why by Simon Sinek (I'd save these from a burning building!)

 

If you are a teacher and you want to find out more about this free creative educational resource, Intergalactic Athletes, sign up for Triple Double’s webinar here.