Creative Report: Responses

After sending emails to multiple designer whose work I admire and who have sent up on their won both Benjamin Craven and Hungry Sandwich Club got back to me with some very helpful pieces of advice, giving me a lot to consider and think about. Furthermore upon receiving these response I think personally I would benefit from industry experience before setting up on my own as I don't have a distinct style yet and an unsure about the area of design I want to go into which are all things needed when setting up on your own.

Benjamin Craven:

What was it like setting up your own practice after leaving university, was there anything your where concern about when setting up on your own?

First of all I didn’t set up straight away, I moved to London and worked a 9-5 job at a supplier. I would do my personal work after work hours and put extra time in. This meant I could live and have money while doing my own thing. (Didn’t have the biggest social life) I would balance out freelance work along with my 9-5 this meant I was building an online profile on social media etc.

What has been the hardest part of setting up one your own?

The hardest part for me was probably money, getting enough money in to live off. When I left London I had no job, (still don’t haha) I moved back home for a bit and really concentrated on creating new work.

Clients started emailing me about projects etc... this sounds really jammy but things just fell into place. Don’t get me wrong I was living broke for a while!!! 

I kind of like it though. 

Motivates you more and more! 

Ohhh and also,work out your day rate! £250 a day is a good starting point, then work your way up. 

Do you think your distinct style has helped you stand out and build a client base?

Certainly, there are a few other artists with a similar aesthetic but it’s still very bold and unique. Being funky and colourful has helped me - Instagram is massively imported also... people want to see busy colourful things! Most of my work comes from

Insta.

Why did you choose to set up on your own rather than going into industry first?

I set up on my own because I was sick of someone else telling me what to do, then getting paid pennies!!! I wanted freedom!!! I’m really self driven and being stuck in front of a computer for hours on end in an office was killing me, it’s very mind numbing! - hense why I started to better myself and do my personal work after a 9-5. 

Also working for yourself is super fun and cool but it’s probably 100% more stressful - I quite like that and the pressure! Makes me work better haha. Also it’s super fun receiving emails for new projects!Done minute I could be doing interiors and the next could be designing a wine bottle! I love it haha

Hungry Sandwich Club:

Why did you both choose to set up on your own, was there a specific event that made you want to go out on your own?

We chose to set up because we enjoyed working together and wanted to continue to make cool stuff after we graduated, simple as that really.

There wasn't really a specific event that made us want to go out on our own but we just loved the thought of giving it a go and seeing what we could make of it. 

How did you find the first year of running your own studio, was it difficult to finds clients?

First year was pretty tricky, we didn't earn loads of money especially compared to our friends on the course who wen't out and got full time jobs.

Clients come in time, if you put out good work they'll come. We found a niche in the Leeds market doing character focused animation so that really helped. 

Do you think working in industry before setting up on your own would off helped you in the first year of running your own studio? 

We both did loads of placements in the last two years of uni which helped us gain a little bit of knowledge.

We didn't pretend we knew it all so lots of other design studios were happy to teach us everything we know today. 

We're keen to not stop learning either, always listen to advice from those who've been around a while :) 

What has been the hardest part of running the Hungary Sandwich Club?

It can get pretty hectic and stressful when you’re trying to be a creative but also run a studio and with multiple employees. Dealing with everything can be pretty tough. 

What advice would you give someone considering setting up on their own straight out on University?

Make sure you have a niche! If you don't, you'll be competing against people who've been in the industry for a long time. 

Go to as many design events as you can, each person you meet could be a potential client. 

Make sure you've had a taste of it beforehand. Have you done a placement? Is freelancing right for you? 

And lastly make sure you're your own worst boss, you've got to be strict with yourself and make sure you're in work everyday and putting in 100%.