“No fancy greeting area.� A guide for emerging practitioners in the field of creative endeavour.
Introduction
“No fancy greeting area” is a guide for the emerging practitioner, the graduate, the wet behind the ears, full of drive and desire to change the world designer. Cash-strapped, between interships and freelancing, it’s time to go at it alone your thinking. well, this guide aims to inform and inspire you to do just that. This is a guide to developing a creative space, that has both form and function, that can work for you and for the people that work with you. It covers everything from balancing informal and formal areas to top money saving tips and advice from some of the world’s key designers and influencers in our field of graphic design. There is a strong social enterprise aspect to our guide as it has been developed with the intention of making the difficult process of starting up a new studio easier. Good luck.
Publishing, Editing and Art direction James Pollock Siena Clarke Sophie Higgins Tom Hobbs
Follow us We created this publication with the sole aim and desire for it to act as a vital tool in setting up a creative space. We would love to see how this publication has helped and inspired you, so please feel free to get in contact. twitter.com/nofancygreeting facebook.com/nofancygreeting tumblr.com/nofancygreetingarea
Typography Klinic slab by Joe Prince Lost type co-op
Please ask us before reporducing any part of this book. Views expressed are those of No fancy greeting and those of respective contributors
Contents Interviews
Layout Open plan design - an insight into why open plan has its benifits. Community feeling- There is nothing better than studio banter.
Michael Bierut - Pentagram
Guy Field - Studio Moross
Formal spaces - Clients will have somewhere to talk business, you too.
Interviews section one Ambiance
Jason Smith - Fiasco Design
Richard Bailey - Dalton Maag
Lighting - Natural light? or Artificial light? that is the question. Sound - We all love our itunes and spotify playlists, but are they right. Heating - Is it me or is it super warm in here? yeah its just you mate.
Interviews section two Spencer Buck - Taxi studio
Helpful tips and advice Interviews section three A special Thank you.
Our space evolved organically,as needed, by its inhabitants. Milton Glaser.
Contributors
Spencer Buck, Taxi studio -
Jason Smith, Fiasco design -
Founder and creative director of Taxi studio
Co-founder of Fiasco design in Bristol,
based in Bristol’s Clifton, specialising in
specialising in branding, web design,
brand identity and packaging design.
illustration, animation and print.
Michael Bierut, Pentagram NYC -
Richard Bailey, Dalton Maag -
Partner at Pentagram NYC he is one of the
Senior corporate service manager for Dalton
World’s most critically acclaimed designers,
Maag. A multi disciplined firm that focus
educators and influencers of today.
mainly on typeface design.
Anthony Hyam, Teapot Creative -
Guy field, Studio Moross -
A design agency based in Somerset, they
A junior designer at Studio Moross, the
offer a wide range of services including
creation of Kate Moross in the heart of
Brand and Graphic design, and Web design.
London.
Sidonie Warren & Kyle Clarke, Something Good Bristol - Kyle & Sid, set thier studio up together in the heart of bristol. They are fluent in branding, web, print.
Dan Grozonka, Brond Dan founded Brond in 2006 with his wife, Angela. Their studio is on the bottom of Whiteladies Road in Bristol.
Tom Maurice, SunHouse Creative -
Debbie Taylor, Hello Charlie -
Tom is the founder and creative director of
Marketing director of Hello Charlie, a Bristol
the growing branding company SunHouse,
based motion graphics studio.
based in Bath.
“Our creativity is often determined by how actively engaged and focused we are. Sometimes our focus is dictated by the constraints, or rules, we apply to it. The more we focus, the more we create.�
Entering into the creative industry is not an
make a difference, as to what processes
easy thing to do in such a saturated market.
you can follow to try to generate new ideas.
But there are few things you can do to make
Once we have a lot of knowledge, we need to
the process a lot easier. Constructing the
spend time making connections between it
ideal environment to foster creativity should
all—this is where creativity comes in.
be an absolute basic. So we must ask ourselves… What makes us creative? And how can we nurture this. There’s so much going on in the brain when we are being creative that science is still trying to pin down exactly how it all works. But what we think we do know, is which three parts of the brain work together to help
Creativity is the act of turning new and imaginative ideas into reality. Creativity is characterised by the ability to perceive the world in new ways, to find hidden patterns, to make connections between seemingly unrelated phenomena, and to generate solutions. - Linda Naiman
us create and come up with new ideas: Many articles have thrown around The Attentional Control Network helps us
suggestions about creativity and how to help
focus on a particular task. It’s the one that
you come up with new ideas. Things such
we activate when we need to concentrate on
as putting yourself in challenging situations,
complicated problems or pay attention to a
criticising your own ideas and being open to
task like reading or listening to a talk.
having lots of (bad) ideas in order to find just a few great ones.
The Imagination Network as you might have
But there are certain factors in your working
guessed, is used for things like imagining
environment which you can take control of to
future scenarios and remembering things that
foster these creative ideas and connections.
happened in the past. This network helps
Environmental factors like noise levels,
us to construct mental images when we’re
temperature, space and lighting can make a
engaged in these activities.
big difference to how creative we are. Here’s what the research says about setting up your
The Attentional Flexibility Network has the
studio for optimising levels for creativity.
important role of monitoring what’s going on
We also took advise from existing successful
around us, as well as inside our brains, and
design studios, to see how they function
switching between the Imagination Network
within their work environment.
and Attentional Control. Understanding how important making connections are to aiding creativity should
Erum quos quo voles ellique assitae pero incil mo tesenimus et asit imodige ndicatius as nis vel ium facea arit fugia que eum, intore rem laut ut perum dolesequis ipsae volorro dempore icipicaecepe officiam, asimi, expel ium re officilis estempo rendelis et offici ipsamet rem nobis que magnis sim ut libus. Aquis nobit que laborehendam ent es rem harum fuga. It omnit quam quo volorestor arit, optiuntia velitae erecumquas voluptat et volecae. Itatio. Omnita con expligendi to bearum isquatur apid eaquid ex eosam, officias aceperchil iuntur, oditis cus quam, ut arume re sunt pratia alia autatem. Et volupta eicatqu aeprem faccum fuga. Fero dolum as a eium des eveniscia pra pe voluptur? Erro offic tectasi con re velibus sam dolupta mendipsam ut officia santus aceptas peliquati dolesti berionsecab inullan dellate maximi, aut idicatet eicte plandae volupid isciur sequiate volorum quaspiciam aut issit restes aut volorro commodi dolorem quatium ere, officidebis aliquia quam faceperum rerepudi venis num cus res net, ium harcid qui ut lant pedi quaest inte min pre et is et, ape omnis dem landernatem re, ut hilitatat vollor atio quissum repelib erferrum apic totae pe volupta tiatur sum a velesed ut qui cume sit eaqui dit eicias cuptass iniment essunte perorrovid mollaborrum
Layout.
Open plan design Community Formal spaces
12 Layout
Open Plan design From research, studio visits and our own experience as designers we have concluded that there is some real value in open plan studios/desk areas. Other than things like increased oxygen flow around a space, lack of walls offer the team a chance to interact with each other over small design issues, proofreading, idea generation in moments of difficulty etc. The studio work better as a whole, integrating ideas and elements from sharing their work with each other. Different studios have various ways of provoking this however, like the person choosing
the music for each day will change, again making a bit of variety within the space and creating conversation within the workforce.
Studios have various ways of creating a community within their workforce. Some places have a tea rota so that everyone is forced to speak to everyone else, some bring their own mugs or photographs of their family or friends in, or some have been known to allow cats, dogs, small pets into the office to bring a more homely and relaxed vibe. Another function of having a dog in the studio is that each lunchtime someone/a group would be forced to walk the dog and get fresh air, again stimulating more endorphins within the brain, and from that more creativity!
Community
14 Layout
Formal space The need, in some people’s minds, for a formal/meeting space within a studio is sometimes overrated. Studios are creative hubs and places where ideas are made, so the idea of installing a more ‘board room’ type area within this is in its self odd. Studios that we have visited have got around the idea of not having somewhere to meet clients by finding a smart, well designed bar to take clients to, having meetings at their headquarters/offices to make them feel more at home within the partnership, meeting in public spaces (depending on the project, obviously), restaurants etc. and that has seemed to work well for these more established studios. The only vital thing for a space of this nature is that everyone present should feel comfortable, it does not need to be held within your studio space.
A few questions : Michael Bierut Pentagram. our office in New York occupies a four-story
sizes. There are three conference rooms and
building facing a park. It is 100 years old
a lunchroom that can be reconfigured. All
and was built as a bank. Before we moved
the open space (as well as the tradition of
in it was a dress shop and then (briefly) a
communal lunches three days a week) all
nightclub.
are meant to help everyone both collaborate and, more importantly, enjoy each others’
It has a very idiosyncratic layout with
company.
multiple interlocking levels and that, more than anything else, determined how we use
There is no fancy greeting area for clients. We
the space.
feel strongly that anyone walking in the front door should immediately see that this is a
There are no private offices. The eight partners
place where work is getting done.
of the firm sit at adjacent desks between the first and second floors. Designers for four
None of the partners like having meetings that
of the teams sit on those two floors. The
involve a lot of Post-It Notes, so there are few
designers on the other four teams sit on the
spaces that encourage this kind of thing.
fourth floor. All designers sit in an open plan arrangement
The biggest change since we moved in 20
at communal desks. We use the third floor as
years ago is size. We were 30 people then. We
our lunchroom and for meetings of various
are nearly 100 now.
A few questions : Guy Field Studio Moross Where did you get inspiration for your
Has the space evolved much since you
studio layout and aesthetic?
moved in?
I guess it’s just like anything else aesthetic,
Yes in the sense that we have more people
you have a certain taste as well as a
and more thing - so there’s lots more work
knowledge from your personal experience of
areas and we’ve been rearranging where
what makes a functional studio!
we sit. It’s good to have certain kind of
Also, all designers love a nice framed print!
designers together so they can work off each other more easily.
How is the studio arranged? Private rooms/communal desks?
Is there any differences about the things
We’re actually about to change our studio, as
that happen in your studio, as opposed to
we’ve totally outgrown it, but it’s arranged
what you’ve seen in others ?
communally - we all have our individual
I’m not sure, we’re all quite young so I guess
spaces but the room & table is shared.
maybe we’re a little more lively. We also
I think it’s important to be able to see each
have 4 dogs here some days!
others screens as well as discuss what’s going on with ease.
How would you arrange/stage a client meeting in your studio? - Or does it
What was your top priority when
depend on the client?
designing this space?
It depends on the type of meeting, we
Functional large desk spaces, with access
sometimes want to show something on our
to each other as well as what we need. We
screen or present something, then it makes
actually designed our current space as a 3D
sense to bring them to the studio, but our
mock-up before buying all the furniture to
space is quite small and chaotic so if there’s
fit the room.
a lot of people and it’s more formal then we
Then we want it to look nice!
will meet in the nice bar next door.
Ambiance. Lighting Sound Heating
Light, sound, heating and décor are of
There are arguments for painting all the walls
utmost importance to a studio. When
white and being very minimalist, however
considering that people will be working
in the cold winters (but not inside, because
either on a range of disciplines from hand
you’ll be heating your studio!) the white bleak
drawn sketches, computers to 3D modelling
walls are not going to inspire, but depress.
it is crucial to find a matrix these that work
Adding splashes of colour around the
together at the same time as fostering as
walls cannot be overlooked. Go for the chic
much creativity as possible.
colourful beanbag look if you’re aiming for
Décor in general can be worked a number of
a more chilled, easy out vibe. But there are
ways, it is true. To decide on this you must
other ways of doing it.
chose/know if you will be a ‘messy desk’
Use your imagination if minimalist isn’t good
environment, or a ‘tidy desk’. Picking one
for you. A number of studios now are making
or the other may swing how you decorate/
‘fantasy rooms’ similar to Google’s famous
arrange the space. Various things have been
offices worldwide, with out of proportion
recommended to us if the mess and ideas are
furniture, golfing greens in the middle (see
going to be kept on the walls – static paper,
TAXI studio), or even themed rooms made to
on computers – Pinterest, on desks – in
feel like hunting lodges!
paper form, in meeting rooms – whiteboards
These are just a few thoughts to help you
or neatly tucked away in shelving units and
along, but ultimately how you decorate
sketchbooks.
depends on the people within your studio.
20 Ambiance
When it comes to lighting, keeping the
The research found that dim lighting helps
lights adjusted to a lower setting can be
us to feel less constrained and free to explore
beneficial for generating creative ideas,
and take risks. Two of the studies tested
though you might want to make it brighter
this feeling in particular, and found that
when you need to focus at a later stages of
“darkness elicits a feeling of being free from
your work. Research published in the Journal
constraints and triggers a risky, explorative
of Environmental Psychology looked at the
processing style.� So when you’re gearing
difference in creativity levels in brightly-lit
up for a brainstorming session, try turning
and dimly-lit environments over six studies.
down the lights before you get started.
Lighting
Ambiance
21
Natural lighting? or artificial lighting? Brightness levels aren’t the only factor to take into consideration. Many studies have examined the effects of natural vs. artificial lighting;
“Compared to the afternoon, people who had DL (Daylight) were significantly more alert at the beginning of the evening, and subjects who were exposed to AL (Artificial light) were significantly sleepier at the end of the evening.” Not only does poor lighting affect how alert we can be, but it can really disturb our mood. Our cortisol levels drop significantly under artificial or poor lighting conditions. That means that we’ll be more stressed, and have less ability to stabilise our energy levels
22 Ambiance
Sound
Studies have shown that a small amount of sound infiltrating through a space, drowning out the background silence, can make our minds more efficient. Around 70-90 decibels is the recommended amount, however some prefer more and some less. So get a sound system, place speakers tactically around your studio and play some music. Whether it’s wordless, rap or jazzy lounge music it will do some good.
“We play music all day every day, and rotate who is the DJ, so we get a fairly eclectic range of music. Sometimes we can see a physical difference in the work produced depending on the music style played which is quite interesting!�
24 Ambiance
Temperature
Although you are a new studio, with not all the funding in the world, consider the importance of heating and what it does to the body and mind. Nobody, without exception, will be as productive or inspired when they’re cold as when the air around them is of a normal temperature. Plan for heating costs within your first budget and get everybody ‘warmed up’!
“The temperature in the office is generally set between 20-22 degrees Celsius. This makes for a comfortable working temperature meaning no distraction is made from feeling cold or warm.”
A few questions : Jason Smith Fiasco design Where did you get inspiration for your
Has the space evolved much since you
studio layout and aesthetic?
moved in?
We had to work out what was best for us
Well we knocked through into another
in terms of our working needs and then
studio to gain the 2nd room. That was a
layout/look/feel came afterwards.
pretty big move. We also have more of us
Group discussions on our working
here at Fiasco, so we have more computers
environment helped, we also got inspiration
and desks.
from Pinterest and some other blogs. But most of the inspiration came from our own
Is there any differences about the things
design preferences really.
that happen in your studio, as opposed to what you’ve seen in others ?
How is the studio arranged? Private
We probably work later than other studios.
rooms/communal desks? We have 2 rooms that are joined, the large
How would you arrange/stage a client
open plan room has all of our desks and
meeting in your studio? - Or does it
work areas in. And the other has a big
depend on the client?
meeting table in it which we also use when
If it’s an initial meeting, we would use the
we need to break away from our desk. We
board rooms in our basement, if it was a
also have an awesome roof terrace and
client we had already had an initial meeting
a communal lounge and kitchen in the
with, we would have the meeting in our
basement.
studio meeting room. ( Which is a lot more of a relaxed space. )
What was your top priority when designing this space? To produce a creative working environment that everybody could be happy in.
A few questions : Richard Bailey Dalton Maag Where did you get inspiration for your
are given adequate space and light
studio look/layout/feel?
to perform their roles optimally and
It was very much a case of form following
comfortably.
function. The priority was giving the designers enough individual desk space
Has the space evolved much since you
and circulation space in quite simple
moved in?
surroundings, while still maintaining
Very much. We were 14 FTE’s when we
a ‘team’ feel to their desk areas/zones.
took occupation - we’re now 46, so we
Accordingly, the workspace is quite basic
have considerably more furniture, storage,
and open, whereas our communal areas
seating etc. The kitchen area has also had a
(kitchen/diner/meeting suite) are somewhat
revamp - where it was once little more than
more interesting.
a tea-point, it is now a large refectory style kitchen-diner with prep areas and reheating
How is the studio arranged? Private
facilities etc.
rooms/communal desks? All desking is open-plan, including senior
Is there any differences about the things
management and the Directors. Each FTE
that happen in your studio, as opposed to
has a dedicated personal desk. Departments
others ?
are bunched together in clusters. We then
I’m not really sure to be honest. I don’t really
have a large kitchen-diner with seating for
have a great deal of insight into the facility
around 30, separated from the workspace
management at other font studios.
via glass security doors. We have 3 dedicated meeting rooms (seating 8, 12, 40+),
How would you arrange/stage a client
and a breakout room for informal meetings.
meeting in your studio? - Or does it depend on the client?
What was your top priority when
We have a dedicated meeting suite on the
designing this space?
floor below ours where a majority of our
As per question 1 - ensuring the employees
client interactions occur.
Insider tips. What to and what not to do. (if possible)
Costs. If you have a choice of the time of year to begin renting studio space or an office of some kind try to aim for around Easter time or after that, as starting up in the summer months means avoiding heating bills as one of your first costs!
Changes. Try to separate areas of the studio with temporary or portable divides, so that if the workforce numbers grow or the needs of the studio change you can manoeuvre and evolve the space more than if the walls were solid.
Utalise. Don’t be ashamed to use any contacts in the industry or previous clients you might have worked with as help or a basis for your studio, they know you and will be the ones most willing to help with your new venture.
Website. Start the website and actual business (not studio) while you’re still employed, if you were previously employed and not fresh out of university. You will not be able to live without money for long (at all) and it may be a while before you make decent profits. This is a good way to keep some money in your pocket.
Slow. If business is slow or starting up still do some self initiated work about something you’re concerned with or passionate about. This is underestimated in the business world, and can bring in big clients who may work in the same field as your project.
Numbers. Maths may not have been your strong point at school, but knowing your numbers is crucial for start-ups. Make sure you know where the money is coming in and what the costs are of your studio, so that you can be prepared for any shortcomings in advance and have a back up plan or more business waiting on the side.
Know your weaknesses. Know your weaknesses. Do what you do best within your team/studio and outsource the rest; whether its printing, binding or even accounting, do not waste your time on creating something that is not the best. Outsourcing is very common and not something so be sniffed at when you’re buried under mountains or new work.
They wont come to you. (often) Companies will not always come to you. Find a company/charity/product that tickles your fancy and write to them or send them samples of your work saying ‘hi, we’re StudioA and we feel strongly about your product. We’d love to do some design for you in the future.’ You never know what may happen!
Believe in yourself and your studio! That is the last tip, as without this you’ll go nowhere.
A few questions : Spencer Buck Taxi studio Where did you get inspiration for your
Has the space evolved much since you
studio look/layout/feel?
moved in?
Inspiration came from what was available,
The space has evolved lots, things have been
the space is by no means ideal, it was what
moved, re structured, to make sure there
we stumbled upon about 10 years ago and
was enough room to work in, and equaly as
we purchased it around 5 years ago.
important, be able to conduct business.
How is the studio arranged? Private
How would you arrange/stage a client
rooms/communal desks?
meeting in your studio? - Or does it
The studio is all open plan, we strongly
depend on the client?
believe in a creative community style of
We often go to clients, they often come to us,
working. The space is not the biggest but
Nadia our p.a books the clients to come and
with an ever growing team of designers, a
visit. We are working hard to try and update
prospective new premises is being looked
our website, to give both the client and
for, so we can aid our abilty to grow. The
prospective employees a taste of what it is
space is currently a little resticting due to it’s
like to work with Taxi, through videos etc.
smaller size, but the location is great, Clifton is great, but Clifton is small, so the space is
What tone did you want to create in your
the compromise.
studio and why? It was 100% about creating the mojo - the
What was your top priority when
mentality of keeping everyone happy and
designing this space?
involved in everything, (very much like a
Making sure everyone fits without
family). We recognise that sometimes it can
compromising the vibe. We didn’t want to
become labourous, but we want people to
make it feel like a sweat shop.
continue to love what they are doing, and at the end of the day, desigining is fun. We work hard, we play hard. It is critical to keep everyone happy.
With Thanks to.. Anthony Hyam at Teapot Creative Dan Grzonka at Brond Debbie Taylor at Hello Charlie Guy Field at Studio Moross Jason Smith at Fiasco Design Kyle Clarke and Sidonie Warren at Something Good Studio Michael Bierut at Pentagram Milton Glaser at Studio Glaser Nadia Dunn at Taxi Studio Richard Bailey at Dalton Maag Studio Spencer Buck at Taxi Studio Tom Maurice at SunHouse Creative
Without the valuable input that these people took time out of their day to provide to us, we would not have been able to make our mission a success.