Another Creative Bloq article with tips on setting up.
Thinking about setting out on your own? Then check out these essential nuggets of advice on how to start a studio – from those who’ve made it.
Happy in your underpaid, under-appreciated design job? Thought not. Well you could always follow our tips to get a promotion - but you'd still be implementing someone else's ideas and marching to the beat of someone else's drum. So why not strike out on your own? Fortune, as they say, favours the bold.
For those creatives who are less experienced in the business side of things, it can be a huge challenge. That’s why we’ve contacted a pro selection of designers who have made it - and are responsible for starting some of the most successful studios around - to bring you some expert tips on to how to start a studio.
Want to know more? Check out our Design Studio Handbook, which covers everything you need to know to start and run a successful design business.
01. You need to be ambitious...
"Don’t bother starting a studio if you don’t have the intention of being the best." Adam Jenns, founder and managing director of Mainframe, challenges you to succeed with any other attitude. "Few people ever get there," he adds. "But if you don’t start out with that intention you’ll get lost in a sea of one-man bands with novel company names."
02. ...but don't get carried away
It’s very tempting to believe your own hype, and design is certainly a business that demands a little esprit de corps. But that’s not a sound footing on which to start a studio, says Russell Townsend, managing director of Clusta. "Firstly, don’t kid yourself, and secondly never kid the people that make your studio work - your clients, staff, suppliers, bank manager and the tax man. They make your world go round."
03. There's nothing to be scared of
When you start a design studio, essentials like renting out work space and hiring new people are big financial commitments, and they’re always terrifying in advance. For Nick Nettleton, director of Loft Digital, these are psychological barriers – you just have to take the plunge. "Once you’re on the other side, you wonder what all the fuss was about," he says.
04. Be prepared to take some risks
Following on from the last point, remember that logic and restraint are not always your best friends: they can lead to piecemeal decisions and compromise. “If you don’t take risks, you’ll stay a one-man band forever,” says Adam Jenns, founder and managing director Mainframe. “I rented a big studio very early on in Mainframe’s life, and it seemed to fill itself.”
05. Choose the right location
Location is king, ask any estate agent. So check out the area you’re thinking of setting up in thoroughly. "How accessible are the nearest supply shops? What about banks and nice pubs to meet clients? Is there parking?" asks Aurelia Lange. And finally, how accessible are your premises? Is it 24/7? If not, how will you manage all those late nights?
06. Start your studio in summer
Thinking about heating bills, illustrator and designer Aurelia Lange, founder Aurelia Lange, has some practical advice: "Setting up in the summer will give you a head start," she laughs. Also, research all your expenses thoroughly – public liability, insurance, rates and such: "Business Link is a great resource for advice on this."
07. Search on foot
Searching the internet for studio space might have the advantage of speed, but you won’t be getting there via the internet superhighway. It’s best to get out and walk around until you find somewhere you like. "This is a much better way to get a feel for an area, and you can also find some hidden gems that don’t appear on larger estate agent websites," says Bob Gray, design director of Red&Grey Design.
08. Quirky charm vs modern convenience
"Think carefully about what you want from your office space," warns Josie Harold, managing director of Dirty Design. "The quirky older building that feels really individual and is cheaper than more traditional office space might seem perfect, but trust me, with no double-glazing the heating bills won’t be. And if you buy flatpack desks from IKEA, plan in three days to build them."
09. Find some natural light
Everyone wants a fancy studio with a hot tub and pool table, but do you really need it? There are larger priorities, says Russell Townsend, managing director at Clusta. "Make sure you have a suitable environment with good natural light and good security, and that it’s somewhere you are happy to spend a lot of time in – because you will."
10. Make it a home from home
You’ll be spending quite a bit of time in your studio, so make it your own. "You should create an environment that you want to spend time in," says Aurelia Lange. "Invest in some good speakers, a comfortable sofa, a kettle and some chocolate biscuits."
11. Don't splurge on furniture...
"When you start a studio, designer furniture is not a priority," says Bob Gray, design director at Red&Grey Design. "Our tables and chairs all came from a skip outside a major telephone company that was rebranding. If we were starting out now, we would look out for liquidation sales and office closures."
12. ... but a big table is useful
Communal spaces offer many opportunities to pool your talents and bounce ideas around, so it makes sense to capitalise on this when you start a studio, rather than just giving fate a free hand. Nat Hunter, D&AD executive committee member, reveals his office must-have: "A big table for everyone to eat lunch together."
13. Plan how you'll use the space
When you start a studio, think about how you would like your space to work for you long term, and what works best for the business. You might want to work in an open-plan space all together with music, laughter and fun. "However, you need to think how that will work when you’ve got phone calls to make or you’re trying to write a brief – or have clients in," says Josie Harold, managing director of Dirty Design.
14. Design a decent filing system
Without a decent system to help you find older files – real as well as digital – you are simply increasing your workload. Glenn Garriock, creative director at Atelier 1A, is big on filing systems for exactly this reason: "Having a methodical filing system will spare you a lot of rummaging around," he reasons. "You never know when one of your older files or documents could come in handy to sort out a misunderstanding, or help you with your final billing."
15. Set regular back ups from the start
"Back everything up," advises Glenn Garriock, creative director at Atelier 1A. This doesn’t have to be expensive – you can pick up a one-terrabyte external hard drive for less then £100 these days, on which you can create a bootable carbon copy of your main hard drive. "Couple this with an online back-up service, such as Backblaze or CrashPlan, and you should be sorted."
16. Buy the best kit you can afford...
It’s true that you get what you pay for, and since a designer’s main tool is his or her computer, it pays to get the best you can afford when you start a studio. "As a freelancer, I’m always on my MacBook Pro, which I find sufficient - even for artworking," says Tom Skipp. "And I have also recently subscribed to the iPhone generation, which means that I can respond to people immediately. It’s essential to appear available at all times for clients."
17. ... but don't overshoot on specs
These days the specs on mid-level machines are generally fine for all but the most demanding of design applications. "So try and make sure that you are very sensible about software and, in particular, hardware," says managing director at Clusta, Russell Townsend. "Assess what you really need. Video and moving images are far more demanding than design for print."
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