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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01 || Espion Magazine

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

01

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


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


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


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.


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.


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

01


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.


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


JR: The Macs have got everything on it!


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

47

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



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.


Campbell Rowley

The waiting lounge

Campbell Rowley

A designers work space.

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02

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


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.


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.


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.



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!


Salad Creative

Inhouse poster

www.saladcreative.com

01

32


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


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


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.


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.


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.


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


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.


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.



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


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.


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.



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.


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



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.



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.


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.



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


and lots of deadlines coming out,

simple things go out the window, like

cleaning your desk, but we do try.



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,



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


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.



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.


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



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.



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.


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.


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.


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


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.


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.



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.


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.


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

58


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.


LP: Yeah, good music only please.


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.


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


LP: It would obviously have to be the MacBook Pro. Couldn’t

really imagine what life would be like without it (as a designer).


LP: Taylor your studio space to your personality and if you

don’t like it, change your personality.


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


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


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

Subscribe to Espion

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www.espionmagazine.co.uk

Creative Director

Tom Berne

Senior Designer

Tom Berne

Editorial

The Drum

Computer Arts

Creative Boom

Marketing Director

Tom Berne

Photography

Phillip Sayer, Josh Ogden

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