Espion Magazine Issue #001
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Transcript of Espion Magazine Issue #001
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ne Issue #001
Summer 2012
FEATURINGHow light affects designers
Creative workspaces in DorsetGoing freelance
And more!
Welcome to the first issue of Espion Magazine
In this issue, we bring everything you need to know to start and run a successfull
design business. First up, we showcase a number of creative work spaces in the
Dorset area - it just goes to show that you can build a fantastic client base and
produce inspirational work in no time at all. Most exclusively, we meet the experts
and explore the extra mile on their studio lifestyle.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
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STAYING IN THE LOOPGoing freelance can be daunting. Will you find enough work? Will
you get lonely? Will you end up back in an office? Garrick Webster
talks to freelancing creatives about how they make it work.
Quitting your office job and becoming
self-employed can be one of the most
liberating experiences you’ll ever
have. No more tiresome commute.
Goodbye nine-to-five (or ten-til-ten in
the design industry). Back-stabbing co-
workers and overbearing management
will become things of the past.
Even before you’ve packed up your
desk, however, other worrying home
truths might come to light. You’ll need
to find some steady clients to pay the
bills. When you hit a creative block, or
you need a reality check, who will you
bounce your ideas off? Things might get
lonely if the telephone doesn’t ring. And
you might actually start to miss chirpy
Jerry, the mouthy guy who was always
for a laugh. But fear not. All you need is
a little discipline, the right approach, and
a touch of innovation.
Staying in the loop with contacts
and the industry at large is among
the biggest worries for prospective
freelancers. The first thing to do is to
make sure that the industry knows
you’re there, and how extensively
you pursue this is up to you. These
days, most freelancers turn to the
internet first. Networking sites such as
Facebook and MySpace offer facilities
that will help you stay in touch with like-
minded creatives, and there are plenty
of design forums and blogs to keep an
eye on for extra sources of information..
Rob Walmsley and Graham Sykes
founded Teacake Design a year ago
when they left university. They work
together from the corner of Rob’s
bedroom at his house in Manchester,
and an IKEA desk with two computers
on it is, essentially, Teacake Design.
However, they run a blog on their site,
which generates international work.
“We have managed to discuss our work
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go in for long chats with people. I like
email - you can be quick, blunt and to
the point, which is ideal for me. I have
MySpace and Facebook pages too,
but I’m going to take them down. I just
don’t have the time to do all that stuff! If
you have your own site it’s enough.”
Efforts to stay in the loop with the
industry, clients and other designers
can extend much further than using
the internet. Anna Wray founded
Lo-fiCreative with some like-minded
creatives in Cambridge. She works
from home, and found it useful to join a
local business network. Bigger design
with people as far away as China and
Australia,” says Walmsley. “People we
work with are rarely in the same place
so it is easier to stay in contact via the
internet. Right now we’re working with
an artist in Italy, and have also been to
work in Holland after communicating by
email and writing on our blog.”
Ian Swift, aka Swifty, has been working
from home for nearly a decade, and
currently runs his design business
from his shed. For him, having a
good website was critical. “Email and
YouSendIt are my main channels of
communication,” he says. “I don’t really
agencies in cities are also part of the
group, and she’s found it to be a great
source of clients. “It’s called Cambridge
Network and it costs £100 to join each
year. The good thing about it is that
it has hundreds of Cambridge-based
companies as members, and provides
regular networking evenings and
business events, plus a service where I
can post any news on the website,”.
You might even consider advertising
your services in a magazine or on a
website that covers a field in which you
work. Brooklyn-based illustrator Tara
McPherson has had success with this
approach. On top of client work, she
sells posters and prints of her work,
and used to make other merchandise
such as snow globes, button sets and
more. She has advertised her items in
magazines and for her posters she took
out a banner advert on
www.gigposters.com. The sales came
in, but art directors also picked up on
her promos and got in touch with work.
There will come a time when you have
to meet clients face to face, and that
can be nerve-racking if you work from
home. The Quick Guide to Working
from Home by Hugh Williams (£6.99,
Lawpack Publishing) is full of general
business advice on the subject, and
provides some useful insights into the
process of having clients visit you at
home. If they’re likely to have to step
over your boots, avoid your dog and sit
in the corner of your bedroom studio,
this is probably not a good idea. But
if you can pull it off, inviting your client
to a meeting in a tidy front room and
offering them a drink can help them
relax and get to know you better. A
stronger working relationship might
result in the long run.
Alternatively, you can opt for lunch,
a coffee shop or even a pub. But
for some clients, a more inventive
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Land Securities - Past, Present, Future
Designed by Teacake Design for a very green conference in London. This project explored the issues involved with
large scale urban development.
approach might be called for, perhaps
one that takes advantage of more
interesting local attractions. “A
typographer we met once told us
that he had day passes for a number
of local attractions, and that he
would take his clients to the zoo or
a museum. The office doesn’t just
have to be contained in the home
all of the time,” says Graham Sykes
Attracting clients and working with
them on a regular basis is one of
the ongoing challenges for the self-
employed, but it can be a lonely life.
Isolation is something experienced
by many people who work from
home. “I would go crazy when
I worked at home and I lived by
myself,” says McPherson. “I was a long
walk away from the subway, so I would
have my groceries delivered because it
was far to walk carrying them without
hurting my back. It could be three days
and the only person I’d see would be
the UPS guy. It’s tough, and you can
often feel like ‘Wah! I need to get out!’”
To combat this problem, some people
like the sharpness of Twitter. Others
keep in touch with friends throughout
the day using instant messenging.
Many designers recommend you
go one step further. Invite visitors
and show them your work. Go to
galleries and museums. If your brain
is fried, take in a matinee movie -
you’re your own boss now, after all.
The glory of having a home studio is
that, like all the people we’ve spoken
to here, you can fill the area with
things you like and it won’t bother
anybody else. The walls are yours
for your posters. The bookshelf can
house all your art and design books,
as well as anything else you choose
as decoration. If you want to spray-
paint the ceiling, it’s your shout.
For many, daily inspiration begins
with a web trawl. Illustrator Tom
Bagshaw allocates time for this: “I tend
to put aside a set amount of time each
morning to trawl through some of my
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Bo Concept - Office showroom
Working from home requires organisation, discipline and the right surroundings. For more information, please visit
www.boconcept.co.uk
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favourites, looking at blogs, photography, art, design, fashion
and toys. Anything that inspires me visually gets bookmarked
or saved for later reference. But if I don’t set a specific amount
of time, it’s very easy to waste a lot of time surfing!” Discipline
is a critical thing in home-working. We’re often warned of
the dangers of daytime television, that trips to the fridge will
increase, or that family or housemates will infringe on your
time. For many, however, it’s a case of all work and no play.
McPherson worked from home for years before moving to her
own studio in Brooklyn. She recently realised that she hadn’t
taken a holiday in years. “I’ve just returned from Tokyo,” she
says. “It’s the first real holiday I’ve had in a long time. The
beauty of it all was so inspiring. There are so many aspects
of culture and artwork; I’m just absorbing it all and taking it all
in. It’s great because I have two art shows that I need to start
painting for that will take place around October and January,
so it will feed that.”
One of the problems McPherson encountered when working
in a studio apartment was the proximity to her work. If
you work where you sleep, you’ll wake up looking at your
workspace. For some, this leads to guilt - a feeling that you
should be working. Separating your work from your personal
space is an important discipline for designers, but most
importantly freelancers. Alex Bellinger runs the website
www.smallbizpod.co.uk, which gives advice to home-workers
in all fields. “The biggest issue is not having a finite end point
to the day and letting work infiltrate your free time,” he says.
“Rather than achieving a work-life balance, you can end up
focused entirely on work.
While this may be important as you build your business and
reputation, it’s not sustainable. Make weekends sacrosanct.
Do not routinely work beyond 7pm.” Rob Walmsley at
Teacake Design doesn’t work in a fancy and posh living
room but works from his bedroom. He separates work from
domestic life by going for a walk each morning. He leaves via
the front door, goes around the block, and enters the house
via the back door. For him, people working at home shouldn’t
miss the whole point of the exercise: “Just because you
work at home you don’t have to spend all day in front of the
computer,” he says. “We make it a flexible routine. At the end
of the day, that’s the whole point.”
IF YOU WORK WHERE YOU SLEEP, YOU’LL WAKE UP LOOKING AT YOUR WORKSPACE
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EXPRESS YOUR PERSONALITY WITH LIGHTINGThe exclusive guide of how to use light in your creative workspace
SELECT A DESK LAMP THAT
MATCHES THE REST OF THE ROOM’S
DECOR. IT WILL MAKE IT MUCH
MORE ATTRACTIVE IN TERMS OF A
CONSISTENT FEEL TO THE DECOR
Your home office should reflect who
you are and what interests you - both
professionally and personally. With
today’s huge array of lighting fixtures and
designs, office lighting can help you do
just that! Whether you want a look that
is conservative, conventional, modish,
modern, ‘hi-tech’ or any other - there is
sure to be a lighting solution for you!
Most rooms have overhead lights already,
but when you are preparing your home
office, you want to make sure that the
lights that you have are adequate for your
needs. Many overhead lights can be too
florescent and harsh, or too dim and not
good for detailed work. While it is good
to have an overhead light source that can
be used if need be, in most cases you will
need an additional source closer to your
work surface.
Desk or table lamps are perfect for any
work space. If you do a lot of paperwork
or computer work, it is best to have a
light that is bright enough to illuminate
your work area, but that does not cast a
glare on your paper or computer screen.
The lamp should also fit comfortably on
the desk without taking up too much
space. A lamp that is too large can cut
into valuable desk real estate and make
it difficult to find room to work. Likewise,
the lamp should be large enough to
provide the necessary light.
For example, if your desk is positioned
in the living room, try to find a lamp that
fits with the living room’s decor. It will
make it much more attractive in terms of a
consistent feel to the decor. There are a
lot of shade options, as well. As with the
size of the lamp itself, the shade should
be proportionate to the base and the desk
itself. Be sure that the shade does not
stick out so far that it interferes with your
workspace. Backlighting If you do a lot
of detailed beadwork, drawing or design
sketches, a backlit desk or table can be
a huge help. Simply install some light
bars under the frosted glass surface to
provide yourself with a well-lit area. After
spending hours working on small details,
you will appreciate the extra lighting and
how it helps alleviate eyestrain. Choosing
the correct lighting for your workspace
not only makes the area more attractive,
but it also gives you the light that you
need to work comfortably. One of the
most common stressors when working at
home is the eyestrain that develops from
improper lighting. Be sure to protect your
eyes and give yourself the tools that you
need to successfully complete your work.
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MAKEThe last few years have been a dramatic change in the magazine
industry. Some areas have been a rebirth of creativity making
publications stand out through design and image. Making
Magazines 2012 event came and went in a blur of adrenaline
and excitement. Full thanks to follow but a quick shout for
all the speakers for giving their time, to everyone at St Bride
for their help, and to the sell-out crowd. There’s something
special that happens when you get a room full of magazine
makers in a room together, and Friday was no exception.
Not only was this event described as an “inspiring day” by Steve
Fenn and Tom Pollard (Studio 8), St. Bride also opened their
letterpress workshop, allowing the audience to experience a
demonstration of a printing process. Gill Hudson, The Readers
Digest editor and Jeremy Leslie discussed how to adapt for
producing content for the apple tablet. “Very impressive,
everything looks fantastic without a worry about paper stock”
she says. An interesting point she put forward was the benefits
of being digital; advertising for example: you’re now able to view
PDFs and by clicking on a piece of clothing, you will be directed
to an external source where a user is able to purchase the item.
Where as Cathy Olmedellas; founder of children’s book: “Anorak”
argues that craft is not dead. She quotes at a talk at the Arts Institute
in Bournemouth on Tuesday 20th March: “You enjoy it more when a
publication is crafted – you can smell it, feel it. I will never go digital,
I hate PDFs”. An interesting opinion where as other designers such
as Andrew Diprose (Wired) sees digital formats as excitement
for the industry – things move, and videos are easily uploaded.
Danny Miller; founder and director of Little White Lies magazine.
Previously launched the publication as his final major project back
in university: 7 years ago, which uses inspirational illustrations as
opposed to photographs for content. Miller describes how difficult
it was to obtain celebrity images, so a key solution was to illustrate
the practitioners. Little White Lies now contributes to student
competitions. One in particular is D&AD – giving students a one
off opportunity to design a front cover for the next issue of LWL.
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Make Magazines 2012
Simon Esterson speaks about Twen magazine;
layouts being bold and compromising
MAGSEditorial by Tom Berne (www.bernecreative.co.uk)
Photography by Phil Sayer (www.philipsayerpartnership.com)
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Make Magazines 2012
German designer Christoph Niemann speaks about
his influences and styles of humorous illustrations.
Make Magazines 2012
Open questions asked to speakers by the audience.
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Creative
In Dorset
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CREATEFUL, BOURNEMOUTH
A small dedicated team based in
Bournemouth who love to design, create
and innovate for all things digital on the
web and for mobile. They are a friendly and
approachable team who love what they
do and are always on hand to help their
clients. When taking on a project, Createful
work side by side with clients not only to
provide a project solution, be it a website or
a mobile application; but also to help them
understand the needs of their business.
An interview with:
Kris Bennet
Creative Director
THE MOST TREASURED FOR LUNCHTIME ACTIVITIES
What magazines do you read?
KB: Dot net mag, Apple ... Apple mags, Science magazines,
otherwise not a lot really.
How important is the physical environment you work in?
KB: Ah yeah, very important yeah. You need to feel comfortable
where you work. Make it fun, keep it relaxed and as a team,
create an energetic environment.
Do you have a music policy in your studio?
KB: Yep, we have an iPod dock there, we play Spotify premium
so yeah it’s very much a vibrant workspace I imagine.
Describe your best bit of furniture in the studio? Does it
have personality?
KB: Probably my chair [laughs], why? Just because it’s comfy
and it’s my own chair. No, being sat at a desk over 6 hours a day,
you need a chair that you relate to as an individual.
Would the term ‘messy’ be described within your
creative workspace?
KB: Fortunately disruptive [laughs]
And does this change nearer to deadlines at all?
KB: No, not particularly, we try and keep it clean and overly nice,
but I wouldn’t say it’s messy.
What’s the most treasured and well used piece of
equipment in your studio?
KB: Ok, I must say the Macbook, iPad and iPhone. All Apple!
Actually, correction: the XBOX. Definitely the most treasured for
lunchtime activities ... if we’re on schedule with projects.
Finally, have you got a tip for studio success?
KB: I think it’s about what people surround themselves with.
Having a fun, vibrant, open forum really is beneficial for feedback
discussions, you know, don’t be afraid to try anything, take risks!
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CANDY BLACK DESIGN, POOLE
Born from a mutual love and appreciation
for flair in design, Graphic Designer Jason
Rubino and Interior Designer Katie Culley
joined forces to create Candy Black. A
boutique studio focussing on bringing the
latest design concepts to their clients in
all fields of graphic, creative direction and
interior design.
An interview with:
Jason Rubino
Director
BLACNDY
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Firstly, where does your name come from?
JR: My fiancée and I settled down in the new workspace trying
to think of names for the business. We had a whole list of things.
I was sat on the train one day and ‘Candy Black’ came into to my
head. It reflects a fun, and vibrant character but also balanced
with sleekness and professionalism. It is also a name that is
unique with a bit of an edge.
What magazines do you read?
JR: Jeez … Monocle, Wallpaper, I-D, Icon...that’ll be it really.
Huck magazine, surf/skate magazines, that kind of stuff. More
blogs than anything else…
Do you surf yourself?
JR: I don’t, I skate sometimes and ride my fixie, it’s something
we’re interested in though because of the surf shop project
we’re doing at the moment (www.wearecoast.com) and I like the
lifestyle of skate/surf/beach, that kind of thing.
How important is the physical environment you work in?
JR: I think it’s probably one of the most important things
because it’s an expression of what you’re trying to do, to both
colleagues and clients, it kind of reflects the work that you do
and aspire to do.
Candy Black Design
Negative film of the creative studio
www.candyblackdesign.com
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Do you have a music policy in your studio?
JR: Spotify and I make the playlists [laughs]. The music genres
range…sometimes it goes from classical to hip-hop, to rock and
indie. Anything, depending on what I’m working on.
Describe your best bit of furniture in your studio? Does it
have personality?
JR: This is actually my favourite piece of furniture, the chair I’m
sitting on. It’s not the prettiest one, but it’s the most comfortable.
Other than that, I don’t know, my fiancée likes buying the
classics. They’re nice to look at, but this is my favourite one
because I spend the most time in this one.
Would the term ‘messy’ be described within your
workspace?
JR: At the moment, yes! Generally, it would be very clean and
tidy, everything else in this workspace, except the desk needs to
be in its place.
What is the most treasured and well used piece of
equipment in your studio?
JR: The Macs have got everything on it!
Finally, have you got a tip for studio success?
JR: Friendliness and the ability to compromise. That’s it.
IT’S AN
EXPRESSION OF
WHAT YOU’RE
TRYING
TO DO
BLACNDY
IT’S AN
EXPRESSION OF
WHAT YOU’RE
TRYING
TO DO
THE MAC’S
GOT EVERYTHING
ON ITMACCAND
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K O D A K
400VC-3
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K O D A K
400VC-3
45
K O D A K
400VC-3
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K O D A K
400VC-3
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K O D A K
400VC-3
CAND CAMPBELL ROWLEY, BOURNEMOUTH
A design, branding and photographic
agency committed to producing innovative,
creative work of the highest quality. They
work across a wide range of disciplines
including brand creation and positioning,
new media, publications, promotional
materials, interior and exterior installations,
exhibitions, packaging, and advertising.
An interview with:
Grant Rowley
Director
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What magazines do you read?
GR: Oh blimey…broad range. I’ll start with
the Saturday Telegraph magazine and The
Sunday Times magazine which we get
in the studio; Creative Review and then
things like New Level Photography, and
we’ve got the British Journal Photography.
We were big consumers of Grafik. Grafik
is gone now unfortunately, but we’ve got
quite a big stock archive so basically
what we’re trying to do here is not just to
collect design magazines, but try to get a
broader range of stuff that we like. I would
say though probably over the past 2
years, we read more online blogs than we
actually read physical magazines.
How important is the physical
environment you work in?
GR: Massively important because I think
it’s almost like if it isn’t important, then
people wouldn’t look after their homes.
And it is important because you spend
probably as much time at work, probably
more time during the week then you do
in your own home. So, given at people
are under pressure, they have a lot of
work to do, what you want to do is create
an environment in which they do things
as nicely as possible. My thoughts have
always been, when I bought this space
it was a pub and I wanted to create an
open, clean, enjoyable, friendly, all those
kinds of clichés, but yeah I think physical
environment is really important. One can
be inspired within his surrounding.
A short history on your studio?
GR: It was originally a Victorian Bank and
then became the headquarters of a motor
racing team in the 50’s. Then it became a
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series of bars, but I bought it when it was
a pub. Since then, I redecorated it to add
a bit of personality to the studio.
Do you have a music policy in your
studio? How does it affect the way
the team works?
GR: As loud as possible [laughs]. No, we
don’t have a music policy. There’s a radio,
some people listen to stuff when they get
their heads down; you know placing their
headphones in.
Describe your best bit of furniture
in your studio? Would you say it has
some kind of personality?
GR: Yeah, the Pieff sofa I think probably.
Really good, classic piece of 1960s British
furniture design. Pieff were a really big
company, they use purely rubber on the
base. Hence why we have three of them,
so that would be my favourite piece I
think. It’s so comfortable.
Would the term ‘messy’ be described
within your workspace?
GR: I think that organised chaos would
probably describe it quite nicely, but we
do try to keep it as tidy as possible.
Does this vary coming to a specific
deadline for a project?
GR: It goes in waves because we are a
photographic studio as well, when the
shoots are on; it could look like hell’s
broken loose. We are completely open
plan, and when people come in, I want
them to see ‘This is what happens, and
this is how it happens’. For instance,
we have just done the branding for Arts
Bournemouth and we’ve had the logo
made in neon sign. So that’s been on the
studio lit up and people have been coming
in and they can see it happening, that’s
how it should be, nothing’s hidden, you
can see it. We love what we do and it’s like
anything, if you’re proud of what you do,
then you have the right to show it off.
I BOUGHT IT WHEN IT WAS
A PUB
What is the most treasured and well
used piece of equipment in your
inspirational workspace?
GR: Um, probably the kettle haha yeah
making a lot of tea. So, as a single piece
of kit, that is probably the most well used
but probably the integrated workstation
that we’ve got. We had that bespoke
built by a company in Germany, and this
basically means everything’s together,
all the cabling goes through, so yeah in
functionality that’s great!
Finally, have you got a tip for studio
success for our readers?
GR: Make sure you work with people that
you really like and respect and that works
both ways. You should be enjoying your
work and if your not enjoying your work,
then it isn’t going to be any good.
27 || Espion Magazine
Campbell Rowley
The waiting lounge
Campbell Rowley
A designers work space.
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SALAD CREATIVE, POOLE
Salad, although they’re officially a design
and marketing agency, They think
of themselves as visual magicians and
agony aunts for businesses with relationship
issues. Whether those issues be branding,
print, packaging, websites or anything
else you can think of, they approach every
project with enthusiasm,
determination and ruthlessly
high expectations.
An interview with:
Andy Russell
Head of design
What magazines do you read?
AR: Jesus that’s a question…what magazines do I read? Well,
we’ll go with the magazines we have in the studio, we’ve got
Creative Review, Eye Magazine and we did have Design Week,
but we’ve unsubscribed to that because they’re online only
now. The other one that we’ve got which is now unsubscribed
to is Grafik Magazine. And I personally occasionally buy
Monocle Magazine. Other than that in terms of leisure mags,
outside of work…um I either buy Empire Magazine; which is the
film publication or Men’s Health. They’re the only other two that
I really read.
How important is the physical environment you work in?
AR: My surroundings? Massively important! Because, well
it’s where I spend most of my time…here…90% of the day
and therefore it has to be an interesting environment and a
comfortable environment, whether you are a surfer, whether
you are in the creative industry, it has to be somewhere you are
comfortable with. So yeah, massively important!
Do you have a music policy in the studio?
AR: Well, other than Dan who is our music fiddler, we don’t
have a policy as such; we listen to music we like. On our Friday
afternoon, we either have an ‘old music Friday’ which is where
everyone nominates a track that has to be over 2 years old. Or
we do ‘new music Friday’ which is where we have to find music
that is not older than a year old and none of us have heard
before. So that’s probably our only policy. That, and it doesn’t
get too loud to p**s off people downstairs [laughs].
Describe your best bit of furniture in this studio? Does it
have personality?
AR: Best bit of furniture in the studio…Er…my favourite bit of
furniture in the studio is probably that plant chest. Just because
it’s old, with rust, and it’s kind of got a bit of character about it.
Yeah… but I don’t know what the best piece of furniture is. It’s
always good to have a good chair; your back needs support
along with your neck. Other than that I wouldn’t know.
Would the term ‘messy’ be described within your
creative environment?
AR: Um, it’s lived-in. I wouldn’t say messy but kind of lived-in.
Everywhere has its place but it’s not so tiny where you feel
you can’t work in here or eat your lunch. So yeah, it’s lived-in.
That’s a good way to put it.
What is the most treasured and well used piece of
equipment in your studio?
AR: Um, probably the Macs to be fair. I mean if we didn’t
have those, we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs quite as easily.
We’ll have to go back to pen and paper, which coming from a
generation of computers, I would struggle with. So yeah, using
your computer is your resource for your emails, it could be a
source of inspiration, and it gets the job done. I would say that
would be the most valuable thing in here. You can never go
wrong with a good stereo, a telephone; that’s always handy so
when computers don’t work, the telephones sometimes do.
That, and your mobile. Other than that, the kettle!
31 || Espion Magazine
Salad Creative
Inhouse poster
www.saladcreative.com
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Finally, have you got a tip for studio success?
AR: Um I guess, well it’s an important environment, don’t
prioritise the nice coffee table or the first ball table over
other necessities. A cool working environment is good
to have, but it’s also got to be practical. So a studio
has got to have somewhere where people can actually
work. And work with lots of different environments and
circumstances. When it has to be quiet, it has to be
quiet, when it needs to be professional, it can to be
professional. So yeah, I would say don’t prioritise all the
‘singing and dancing, and look at me’ studios
over a practical studio.
Salad Creative
A studio with personality
02
33 || Espion Magazine
RED WHITE CREATIVE, BOURNEMOUTH
An energetic and diverse group
of creative professionals based in
Bournemouth on the south coast of
England. Their creative design agency
offers design concepts, product design,
web design, videography, photography,
printing, online marketing and
much more.
An interview with:
Ozan Kulaksiz & Onur Guvenc
Directors
What magazines do you read?
OK: I’m a photographer so I read Professional Photographers
and other photography magazines.
OG: As a product designer, I enjoy to read Wallpaper generally.
There are more, but I frequently surf online and read blogs,
events, keep up to date with new design stuff, pixilations, not
too much magazines though, generally all on the Internet.
How important is the physical environment you work in?
OK: It’s very important where you work so if it’s cleaned as
opposed to messy, then you would feel more refreshed and
probably work better. So this is what we’re trying to do here,
keep it clean and tidy so it’s more refreshing; as you can see,
the studio is all white, so the environment is extremely important
for us, it embraces the ways us creatives think.
Do you have a music policy in your studio?
OG: Music policy [laughs], I like to listen to Jazz, afternoon
is likely to be a bit of rock. Because having painted the walls
all in white, it kind of helps you develop new ideas. Also, the
personality of the studio impacts your ways of working. You feel
more relaxed with Jazz so yeah that’s very important for me.
34
Red White Creative
The meeting room and photography studio
www.redwhitecreative.co.uk
01
OK: Jazz in the morning, rock in the afternoon...so if you’re
tired in the afternoon, a bit of rock will bring you back into the
appropriate frame of mind.
Describe your best bit of furniture in your studio? Does it
have personality?
OG: I would say it would be our sofas and chairs. Have a look
at our sofa we have in the photography studio. It’s comfortable,
and amazing to look at.
OK: When we opened this studio, we tried to make everything
in white so it was quite hard to find white floor, white tables
and other furniture in that colour, so it may not have too much
personality, but it’s all-important for us and all reflects how we
work. We like to think there’s a reason for everything.
Is there a reason why you chose white as a colour
scheme, as opposed to blue or red?
OK: It’s nothing to do with our name; Red White. You can see
there’s no red colour here, even though we are using orange as
a secondary colour. But white represents new, clean, and fresh
ideas. The meaning of colour here is important for us.
OG: I agree. If there is no colour and if you are an agency, it’s
like a white page, it’s a blank surface that allows us to start from
fresh ideas. For me, white isn’t a colour, for instance red, green
or brown can sometimes make you feel hungry, but white, it’s a
start to idea generation.
Would the term ‘messy’ be described within your
creative workspace?
OK: Not messy at all, we are quite tidy. As you can see, there
are a few pieces of paper lying around here but usually we clean
it regularly. So we try and keep it as tidy as possible.
OG: We try to be organised too. When we come in the studio in
the mornings and if we left it messy, it’s not a great start to the
day, but having a clean environment sets you off for the day.
Does this change when you are coming close to a
deadline or are you quite organised?
OK: I’m quite messy when I work, well, especially when I do
photography; product photography to be precise. Lights and
cables everywhere but when we finish, we clean everything. It’s
like a rule.
Finally, what is the most treasured and well used piece of
equipment in your studio?
OG: At the end of the day, we are a creative agency, what we
do is here and so the main stuff is the Macs.
35 || Espion Magazine
ORBITAL DESIGN, BOURNEMOUTH
Orbital is a creative marketing
communications, graphic design and
web site design agency. Helping to
promote and sell client products and
services through original and creative
ideas informed by experience in
marketing, brand communications and
web design.
An interview with:
Justin Smith & Helen Pegler
Director and Creative Director
1964 LAM
1964 LAM38
Orbital Design
Designer workspace
www.orbital.co.uk
01
like that, so I wouldn’t know [laughs].
But I keep an eye out you know, on
my iPad, I have a load of freebee,
downloadable bloggy type magazines
that you can use on flip book and stuff
like that, so I flick through those, just
soaking in what’s going on I guess. But
as far as reading anything, no I only
read extremely boring stuff. Oh and
scootering magazines, I have an interest
with Lambrettas.
HP: I flick through rather than read …
Wallpaper, Creative Review, then more
like Interior design magazines.
How important is the physical
environment you work in?
JS: I’d say it’s very important. As you
can see, we have a shabby chic look;
made in Boscombe, which is interesting
[laughs] but it’s cheap basically. It’s a
nice place, got a lot of air, got a lot of
space. We’ve certainly got more room
than we need. I think it’s tidy but untidy
if you know what I mean. If there’s a
client that comes in, the studio will
look at it’s best, but most of our clients
are London based or abroad, so they
don’t tend to come in, but yeah I think
it’s very important. That’s why we have
no pictures on the walls. I think that if
you have pictures on the walls, you are
set. Once you have images on walls,
they tend to stay there forever. We have
What magazines do you read?
JS: I probably only read one regularly
and that’s New Scientist Magazine.
Yeah, that’s the only regular magazine
that I read. I read an awful amount of
stuff online, but they’re not regular or
magazine based really or anything like
that. Mostly blogs, articles and videos
and things like that. I have an interest in
one might call the religion and non-
religion culture walls, I read a lot about
that which is quite entertaining. But
yeah, I have an interest mainly in history
and science more than design stuff. It’s
funny but I don’t think design has really
changed in the last 10 years, but then
again I don’t read Design week and stuff
a fairly clean and open environment,
which makes it a bit more sparky to
walk in. People say why don’t you stick
some of your best pieces on the wall?
Well no, because you look at the same
thing and I think you get stuck to the
same style.
HP: Yes, very important. As Justin
says, it depends what day you come
in. However, I would quite like pictures
on the walls, and that’s where I think
myself and Justin differ. .
Do you have a music policy in your
studio? How does it affect the way
the team works?
JS: Legally we do not play the radio,
do we? But really, I think we need a
music policy because the music is
pretty vile if you ask me. We did have
a time where people brought their own
CD’s in, but Linslie kept bringing in Def
Leppard albums and it started getting
a bit heavy so we decided against that.
It’s a nightmare you see. I like radio 4,
because I’m like that; boring. Yes, radio
4 or radio 6. We started listening to that
and it was actually quite good. But I
don’t know why we switched now, we
turned it off.
HP: I wouldn’t call it a policy. We went
through a phase where we listened to
different radio stations and then CDs;
yet at the moment we’re just on radio.
To be honest, I’m so focused on my
work that it’s just in the background so
its irrelevant for me.
Describe your best bit of furniture
in this studio?
JS: 1964 Lambretta. Defiantly the
best piece of furniture because it has
a seat and it doesn’t move much often
[laughs]. It’ll be featuring in a lot of
photographs. But actually, what is the
best piece of furniture? My chair…or
my Lambretta.
HP: Definitely the Lambretta. Full of
inspiration and has its own personality.
Would the term ‘messy’ be
described within your workspace?
JS: Linslie’s desk is horribly messy.
Mine Is reasonably tidy, but I think
where it’s messy is the unseen bits.
If you look under people’s desks,
if you look at the state of the wires
underneath there and then our under
stairs cupboard, it’s a f**king mess, I’m
telling you. I’ve recently taken a lot of
admin stuff, so my brains getting a bit
more untidy like.
HP: Yes! I would say the mess is quite
constant to be honest. Some members
of staff have a nice, clear workspace
that reflects their excellent working
methods. But to be honest we all do a
good job.
What is the most treasured and
well used piece of equipment in
your inspirational workspace?
JS: The server is probably the most
treasured and well used definitely
because without it, we’d be dead. It’s
backed up constantly. We’re not very
loyal with our Macs to be perfectly
honest. If it dies, we’ll just get rid of it
and get a new one, but the server, we
really need to look after it, that’s the
main thing. I don’t think there’s anything
else. Saying that, we’ve collected the
5 iMacs there, they’re not used but
they are quite treasured - they’re the
first kind of IMAC’s and about 10, 12
years old. The other things we’ve got
treasured is just things, nick nacks for
instance that Eiffel Tower there built out
of forks for a restaurant in Paris.
HP: Most defiantly the server, but the
MAC’s get updated quite a lot, so they
come and go.
Finally, have you got a tip for studio
success for our readers?
JS: This is a funny one this one isn’t
it. It’s quite difficult because what you
find is there are two different kinds
of agencies. There are agencies that
charge a lot and do an awful lot of
their own marketing and quite often
don’t particularly do a good job. Then
there are companies like ours where
we charge a fair bit of money, we do a
good job and we look after our clients
to almost an insane degree, you know
going that extra mile, very regularly
without blinking. It costs us money
but in some ways, it’s better to spend
that money to look after clients and
get recommendations then to spend
lots of money on your own marketing
to pick up new clients, do you know
what I mean? So, I think our marketing
budget goes into looking after clients.
That’s why we’ve had clients for 12-13
years and get an awful amount of
recommendations. So yeah, look after
your clients. As we say, keep your
enemies close [laughs].
HP: It’s one of those ones that you
need time to think about.
39 || Espion Magazine
THE SERVER IS PROBABLY THE MOST TREASURED & WELL USED
SIDED CUBE, BOURNEMOUTH
3 sided cube are based in a new office in
Bournemouth. They feel that it’s the little
details which make the big difference.
Whatever they’re doing, whether it’s building
a website or mobile app, the team gains
so much more satisfaction from producing
1 quality piece of work than 2 average
ones. 3 sided cube feel that their attention
to detail, extra quirks and slightly worrying
need to be spot on gives them the flare that
sets them aside from the rest.
An interview with:
Duncan Cook
Director
3
43 || Espion Magazine
What magazines do you read?
DC: Not a huge amount to be honest.
Most of my content is digital. I don’t
read a huge amount of magazines.
So everything I consume is digital you
know, blogs, things from twitter, and
posts from Facebook. That kind of stuff.
How important is the physical
environment you work in?
DC: Very. I think that if you’re employing
creative people, creative talent; they
love design. You know, it’s not just
necessary creative talent, but they love
design. They love how things are. You
spend how much time in an office? Why
would you want to sit in a place that’s
kind of boring, grey and dull? You want
to sit somewhere that’s inspiring and
fun to come in and feels like home, it’s
massively, massively important. And
also it’s an opportunity to attract talent.
You know people make decisions not
just based on you know, the simple
things like finances, but they make
decisions on a whole bunch of things
and I think office space is one of them,
for sure.
How would you describe your music
policy in the studio?
DC: We don’t like headphones
because headphones are a killer for
office atmosphere. The guys put their
headphones on every so often when
44
they need to zone out. But basically,
anyone can play anything, whenever
they want. We use Sound Drop and
Spotify and we share out with loads of
people, but pretty much what anyone
wants to listen to, we listen to.
Describe your best bit of furniture
in your studio?
DC: Well I wouldn’t say it’s one piece
of furniture, I love these desks just
because they’re custom made by a
friend’s brother. You know, if we went
to a shop and bought them, they
wouldn’t do what we needed to do.
They’re not a styled piece of anything
like that, they’re just solid pieces…
they’re nice. One of the big things we
want to organise in this kind of format,
which is 2 by 1. Most desk spaces
aren’t 2 by 1 so you’ll have the big
space in the middle or something like
that. So, it allowed us to set the ratios
meaning we can have it in that format,
which is good.
Would the term ‘messy’ be
described within your workspace?
DC: Yes [laughs] mainly on my desk,
and probably Dan’s desk. I think when
you are more busy, you spend less
time…mess is always just a personality
thing, how you live and how important
you see mess, but yeah I would
suggest when you have lots of projects
01
3 Sided Cube
Office space with green astroturf
www.3sidedcube.com
45 || Espion Magazine
and lots of deadlines coming out,
simple things go out the window, like
cleaning your desk, but we do try.
What is the most treasured and
well used piece of equipment in
your studio?
DC: It’s got to be our Macs. We haven’t
got a huge amount of equipment you
know, we’re a digital agency so it’s just
our computers.
Say we went back a few
generations when Macs and
computers didn’t exist, how do you
think your company would be able
to generate business?
DC: We would be out of business.
We specialise in mobiles, websites,
we do web applications, we don’t
touch anything that’s not digital. If a
client rang in and enquired about a
print project, we would try and refer to
another company,
Finally, have you got a tip for studio
success for our readers?
DC: It’s a big question; I think its just
people bringing in the right people.
You’re only as good as the people in
there and the quality of your work is
only good as the talent. So, if you focus
everything around there, how can you
get that talent, how do you keep that
talent, how do you find that talent, how
do you keep them motivated? Because
all your work just streams from that. If
your focus is on building a really nice
office, and that’s all you’re focused on,
then you’re screwed. It’s the people in
the office that are mostly important.
3 Sided Cube
Creative enviornment
3 Sided Cube
A designer in action
02
03
WE DON’T TOUCH ANYTHING THAT’S NOT DIGITAL
RED WEB, BOURNEMOUTH
An award winning digital agency
specialising in website design and
build, who are situated in the centre of
Bournemouth town. Delivering creative and
technical ideas based on the down to earth
principle of achieving the client’s objectives.
Always. With highly effective and efficient
project and account management to ensure
Red Web are on brief, on brand, on budget
and on time... every time.
An interview with:
David Burton
Head of innovation
48
What magazines do you read?
DB: Erm, magazines we get at work
would be New Media Age, Computer
Arts…it’s a bit shit isn’t it? A bit entry
level but there’s Interaction magazine,
which is quite cool. And personally, I
like to read fly-fishing magazines and
we’ve just a subscription to 3D artists
magazine because we are building our
3D printer.
How important is the physical
environment you work in?
DB: Very important. I’ll show you
around upstairs after this, but upstairs
in our studio, it’s kind of our engine
room. So that’s where a lot of the stuff
is built but down here in the innovation
lab, we try to make it as different as
possible. So when we’re down here
having creative brainstorm, having
to break down projects, people are
shocked into…they feel it’s different,
so they act differently. So you can say
different things, you can argue with
whomever you want, no matter how
senior they are. You can kind of behave
differently and environment is key to
behaviour in this industry I think.
Behind you, there is a fantastic
piece of wall art. How do you think
people act or focus differently
within a colourful surrounding?
DB: I think upstairs is plain although
we’re working on it. I don’t think it’s
about colour, we have some horrible
stools, which look good but you can
only sit on them for a couple of minutes
before your bum goes to sleep. So that
means, meetings only last 10 minutes
long. Now, round the way here, we
have sofas and white boards which
is where we work with clients and it’s
very different if you work with them
there as opposed to a meeting room,
because a meeting room is more
formal. And this space is more of the
workshop, kind of working together so
you work with the clients and they feel
like they’ve helped make the decisions.
Sometimes we have meetings in the
car park, or we have meetings on the
beach just to jolt people and to not
necessary do something like they’ve
done before.
How would you describe your
music policy in your studio?
DB: The difficulty with the music
policy is A) you need licences to play
music, even radio. Spotify is illegal
to play in an office environment, it’s
against the terms and conditions of
Spotify. But I’m sure everyone you’ve
interviewed will play Spotify though.
The difficulty is and you’ll probably
see this upstairs is that, big open plan
studio, if you have music at one end,
at some point it becomes too quite to
hear properly and too loud to ignore.
The other thing with big open studios
01
Red Web
The thinking lounge
www.redweb.com
YOU CAN ARGUE WITH WHOMEVER
YOU WANT, NO MATTER HOW SENIOR
THEY ARE. YOU CAN KIND OF BEHAVE
DIFFERENTLY AND ENVIRONMENT IS
KEY TO BEHAVIOUR
is deciding what to play, so we did
decide to build a system there, a box
called Radio HQ. We built a system
with one of our content management
systems where anyone can log in and
make a half hour playlist. And then
those half hour playlists are scheduled,
so every minute of the day there’s
music that someone’s chosen. And
then occasionally, every week or so,
we have a theme day and competitive
playlists. It’s quite difficult to make
exactly 30-minute playlists so we fill in
the space with people recording their
own adverts, promo’s and stings.
Describe your best bit of furniture
in this studio?
DB: No [laughs]. We don’t go for very
posh, fancy furniture. We don’t think
our studio would win any beauty
competitions. It’s not about showing
off, some of the brochures in the
studios are lovely and it’s all a bit of
a beauty competition with shiny new
Macs. For us, the studio is a working
environment for people to do their
best and for us get excellence out
of them; it’s not about aesthetic and
beauty pageant. So I think our best
bits of furniture are things that kind of
help us work better, so for me I think it
has to be the sofa behind me [laughs].
I got the desktop there, the laptop,
table, and I kind of do different things
in different places and it gives me
headspace. It’s like a physical space,
so if I’m reading magazines, news
feeds, kind of thinking research space,
I’ll probably sit on the sofa. If I’m doing
more admin and communication work,
I’ll sit there, and if I’m working on ideas,
I’ll work on the laptop in the coffee
shop. I find that it’s an environment
thing; different spaces fore different
bits of work helps me focus better
Would the term ‘messy’ be
described within your workspace?
DB: At the minute yeah [laughs]. I
think it is a bit messy at the minute
but it’s controlled mess. I think that a
lot of people in our creative field think
they need to be messy and get the
messy reputation but I think it’s not
necessarily the case here. Because
my job title is head of innovation, that’s
about getting things made, coming up
with ideas and then getting them ideas
made, making them happen. And I
think efficiency and getting the work
done is about organisation. So yeah,
bits around here may seem messy but
it’s actually quite organised.
What is the most treasured and
well used piece of equipment in
your studio?
DB: Probably my sketchbook.
I’d rather leave my Mac than my
sketchbook. I think the speed, ease
of use, small, battery never runs out.
Yeah, it’s more personal.
Finally, have you got a tip for
studio success?
DB: [Long pause]…Just keep it fun I
think. Get as much space as you can.
I like having lots of space. When we’ve
had our studio crowded, it’s been really
difficult to talk to people and you feel
you’ve interrupted people when you’re
talking across desks. If we could start
from scratch, I’d have my office by the
kitchen so I could interact more with
people. Yeah, get as much space as
you can and keep it fun.
51 || Espion Magazine
Red Web
Discussing ideas on a creative wall
02
BRIGHT BLUE DAY, POOLE
A creative agency delivering award winning
integrated communications. By fusing data
and consuming insight to tell stories, and
delivering innovative brand experiences that
reach across channel, media and device.
The team believes successful brands
exceed expectations by delivering little
shots of brilliance every day. That means
engaging with people in their everyday lives
– at home, at work, on the move.
An interview with:
Liam Forrest
Creative Director
Do you read magazines?
LF: Yes, primarily Creative Review - it’s good for a general
overview of what is going on the industry - we also get
Marketing Week and Campaign and also subscribe to a number
of periodicals - such as the Directory. The role of magazines has
changed over the years as everything is available, pretty much
instantly, digitally through either websites or social channels such
as Twitter which is a great resource for finding out the latest in
our industry (if you follow the right people!). Networking is crucial
in this business.
How important is the physical environment you work in?
LF: Very, we are still primarily studio based and do spend an
awful lot of time at work so the physical environment has to be
right. Ours is bright and airy with loads of breakout spaces for
quiet time and brainstorming/idea generation.
Do you have a music policy in your studio?
LF: We don’t have a music policy - people bring in personal
iPods and can listen to them while working.
54
Bright Blue Day
A team of creatives in action
01
Describe your best bit of furniture in the studio? Does it
have personality?
LF: I don’t think there is a “best bit of furniture”. Most of the team
are more attached to their tech pieces and, as everyone has their
own Mac, I would say that these are the best bits of “furniture” in
the department.
Would the term ‘messy’ be described within your
creative workspace?
LF: As we are all individuals the workspaces in the Creative
department vary in levels of messiness. Personally my
workspace varies between tidy and something that resembles a
teenagers bedroom - this is usually in proportion to how busy I
am, if I am very busy then it tends to be messier.
What is the most treasured and well used piece of
equipment in your studio?
LF: My MacBook Pro and the current layout pad I am using and
we all value our brains - we keep them nourished,
fed and inspired.
Finally, have you got a tip for studio success?
LF: Keep it relaxed but professional - we are very lucky to work
in the industry we do and people should enjoy
coming to work - we are not accountants and I believe that
the workspace should reflect this - the environment should be
creative with breakout rooms and areas for teams to work in
when required.
55 || Espion Magazine
KEEP IT RELAXED BUT
PROFESSIONAL - WE ARE
VERY LUCKY TO WORK IN
THE INDUSTRY WE DO AND
PEOPLE SHOULD ENJOY
COMING TO WORK.
Bright Blue Day
A team of creatives in action
Bright Blue Day
A mysterious gallery
02
03
56
57 || Espion Magazine
58
What magazines do you read?
LP: I read quite a few to be fair, Computer Arts Magazines,
Creative Review, How and Art Box, also love a bit of New
Scientist. That’s about it.
How important is the physical environment you
work in?
LP: Yeah, it’s pretty important. I find that being in my
workspace enables me to work a lot more efficiently. Being a
creative, you need inspiration around you.
Do you have a music policy in your studio?
LP: Yeah, good music only please.
Describe your best bit of furniture in the studio? Does it
have personality?
LP: It would have to be my desk. Built with my bare hands
in the early hours of the morning, this desk has done me no
wrong. Put together temporarily to enable me to have an
effective workspace until the funds were there to buy a new
one. However, this desk grew on me. A little rough around the
edges and still with no coat of paint it still does a brilliant job.
Would the term ‘messy’ be described within your
creative workspace?
LP: Well during projects it can definitely get pretty messy
(constructive mess as I like to call it), but once a project is
DOT-ONE DESIGN, BOURNEMOUTH
An energetic and diverse group
of creative professionals based in
Bournemouth on the south coast of
England. Their creative design agency
offers design concepts, product design,
web design, videography, photography,
printing, online marketing and
much more.
An interview with:
Luke Patton
Creative Director
complete everything goes back to where is belongs. Definitely
not a fan of mess, especially black fluff on cream carpets.
What’s the most treasured and well used piece of
equipment in your studio?
LP: It would obviously have to be the MacBook Pro. Couldn’t
really imagine what life would be like without it (as a designer).
Finally, have you got a tip for studio success?
LP: Taylor your studio space to your personality and if you
don’t like it, change your personality.
59 || Espion Magazine
TAYLOR YOUR STUDIO
SPACE TO YOUR
PERSONALITY AND IF YOU
DON’T LIKE IT, CHANGE
YOUR PERSONALITY.02
Dot-One Design
Photograph of letter press blocks and graphic markers
60
The Espion team have organised a Twitter competition, which
enabled design students, and free lancers to participate in for
the chance of winning 4 hours of surfing lessons next month!
The prize brought pure excitement for our followers as summer
approaches. Furthermore as promised, the winner of this issue’s
competition is featured in our first issue, as you can see above.
Finally, we would like to say a big thank you to all the designers
that participated. The Espion team are currently analysing and
sorting out future events for issue #2. Please tweet us of any
ideas or prizes you’d like to win!
The Espion team (@EspionMag)
WINNER ISSUE #1 (@HarrisonMBlake)
SET UP YOUR OWN
DESIGN STUDIO
Starting a design business doesn’t mean it has to be a leap in the dark. Many have done it before you and can offer advice to light the way.
Chances are you’ve thought about
setting up your own studio. From a
corner of a bedsit to a sleek shared
designer pad in trendy Hoxton, it’s a
dream many share. Now, for more and
more creatives that dream is becoming
a reality, as technology breaks down the
distinction between the corporate
big boys and those working from
a more modest studio. As graphic
designer and recent winner of the
prestigious ‘Creative Future Award’
Zak Kyes says: “Now that everybody
has a laptop it’s possible to never
leave your studio, or to always bring
it with you. And email makes your
location irrelevant, so everything is
possible.” With just a bit of hard work,
good research and the basic tools
of the trade, you could be joining
thousands already working successfully
from their own studio spaces.
Before deciding on a suitable location,
consider the basics: what you need to
get your studio up and running. Think
seriously about whether you want a
PC or a Mac before parting with money
for what is possibly your single biggest
investment. PCs can be cheaper to buy,
easier to build and repair, and you’ll find
thousands of deals on the high street
and online. However, precious work
time can be eaten up by combating
computer viruses, spyware, adware and
avoiding identity theft.
Apple Macs are prevalent in the creative
community - they look great and their
intuitive and stable operating system
means that they’re good performers. On
the downside, they can be expensive,
and when good Macs go bad they can
be costly to get fixed. As for software,
consider what you actually need, not
what would be ideal. Older versions of
popular applications can be found cheaper
and can be an effective way of getting
discounted upgrades at a later date. Most
manufacturers offer 30- day-trial software,
which is a great way to seek out possible
cheaper alternatives.
Getting an internet connection and
maintaining an online portfolio are vital
if you want your business to prosper.
Net4now is an excellent source of user
feedback when deciding on an ISP and
website host. The days of dial-up are over,
so look for a broadband deal that reflects
your likely usage. Buying a domain
name and web space can be daunting,
and personal recommendations are a
good place to start. Check the small
print before signing up to a deal,
because annoying banner or pop-
up ads and bandwidth limitations aren’t
ideal if you’re trying to look professional.
Turn over
62
63 || Espion Magazine
Building your own website is easier than
ever and the chances are you already
know somebody who’s done just that.
Ask around - some might be willing to
help for a small fee. A good free invisible
web counter, such as www.statcounter.
com, will give you valuable information
about visitors to your site and the
effectiveness of any client mail-outs you
might manage to send out.
A golden rule is to always back up your
important files, artwork, accounts, and
contacts, ideally on to an external hard
drive, or burn them to CD or DVD. Get
into the habit of doing this regularly. A
laptop will give you portability but is more
costly and has limited upgradeability.
Consider a USB memory stick or MP3
player you can pop in your pocket to
transfer and store work in progress.
Digital cameras continue to fall in price
as megapixels rise; get one, because
they’re a great way of sourcing images
without having to rely on Google or
costly photo libraries. Also get a Wacom
tablet if you’re serious about starting
your studio: the Graphire4 range has
a budget price but performs perfectly
well, while the Intuos3 range adds pro
features and shortcuts that will enhance
your workflow significantly.
STAY CONNECTED
01
Dot-One Design
Photograph of important equipment
a designer must have.
64
Your next consideration is where to
base your studio. Home is the obvious
option, with relatively low running costs
and no rush hour unless there’s a queue
for the bathroom. Jonathan Hitchen,
Head of Department at Liverpool
School of Art & Design, has already
seen a trend among his students for
working from home: “We have already
noted the increasing trend for students
to create work at home using their own
equipment. Laptops and memory sticks
make it very easy for students to bring
work from their home studio into college
for better quality output.”
While working from home may seem a
cost effective way of running a studio,
it’s vital to make a clear distinction
between home and work - avoiding
all those daily distractions is a must.
Illustrator Lorna Brown works out of the
North London home she shares with her
professional photographer husband.
Lorna produces delicate, detailed
watercolour illustrations drawn from life
and inspired by nature. “Working from
home, I have to be pretty strict with
myself and keep to my routine: up at
7am, work by 9am. Without these times
to give my day structure I’d be too easily
distracted by all things domestic.
Health and safety issues are paramount,
even if you are your studio’s only
employee. Award-winning illustrator
Nishant Choksi offers some practical
advice: “It’s important to designate a
permanent, separate and comfortable
workspace, not, for example, your
kitchen table! You can then surround
yourself with things that you find inspiring
as well as the practical things such as
bookshelves for reference materials.”
Nishant continues: “Illustrators tend
to spend a long time sitting and so
it’s important to get a good chair that
supports the back - it’s well worth
the investment. In my first year, I was
working from an old dining table chair
and developed a bad back and repetitive
strain injury in my hand. I also invested in
a matching ergonomic desk and sought
advice on the correct sitting information
from a local doctor.”
An organised workspace is key to
working efficiently, especially from
home. If everything takes minutes rather
than seconds to find then you’re wasting
valuable creative time. Sarah Howell,
another successful illustrator, agrees. “I
work from a home studio, which is so
great - the positives definitely outweigh
the negatives.
The next step on from working in a
shared studio is to consider forming a
collective. Black Convoy, Peepshow
and BWB have all enjoyed success
working as teams. BWB’s Rob Hare
sees the benefits of forming a collective;
“Primarily, collectives are such a good
idea because they bring a group of
creative ideas to one canvas. We are
all more than adequate with design
solutions individually, but collectively we
like to think of ourselves as a stronger
unit.” His colleague Kev Speck agrees:
“It can be a lonely experience freelancing
on your own, so meeting up and working
with like-minded people once or twice
a week is a great way to stay sharp.”
BWB’s Matt Campbell adds: “I feel just
having people around you who you know
and work well with is a bonus. There
have been a lot of times where one of
us was lacking maybe a little inspiration
and needed input from someone else -
that’s not really something you can do
on your own!”
Liverpool-based design team Black and
Ginger eventually set up a dedicated
studio of its own, as Matt Wardle
explains: “We started off under the stairs,
quite literally a broom cupboard, but
bigger clients meant better presentation.
BUSINESS BASICS RELAXING SPACES CREATIVE SET-UP
Illustrators tend to spend a long time sitting and so it’s important to get a good chair that supports the back -
it’s well worth the investment.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
65 || Espion Magazine
Typography
Helvitica Neue
Steelfish
ChunkFive
Printing
Dayfold Print
www.dayfoldprint.com
The Digital Bureau
www.be-printed.co.uk
CXL Digital
www.cxldigital.com
Paper
Supplied by Elliot Baxter
www.ebbpaper.co.uk
Front and Back cover
Candy Black Design
Director: Jason Rubino
www.candyblackdesign.com
Inside cover
Candy Black studio
Orbital design studio
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