Despite some of the doom and gloom surrounding the design industry, every week brings news of another new studio opening for business.<\/p>\n
The creative work is only one part of it \u2013 founders need to grapple with business models, management and personnel issues, and sometimes, as Allies Creative Studios shared recently<\/a>, sniping and backbiting from other agencies.<\/p>\n We wanted to understand what the landscape looks like for new studios, the challenges they\u2019re facing, and the ways in which they are positioning their offer, given how many studios are going for a finite amount of client work.<\/p>\n So we asked them \u2013 Lee Weaver who founded OneMay<\/a> in 2022, Brett Goldhawk, who founded DesignHawk<\/a> in 2023, Dominic Davidson-Merritt, who founded Studio Puzzle<\/a> in 2024, Natasha Peskin, who founded Boring<\/a> earlier this year, and Natalie Prout, who launched Mischief Maker<\/a> with Vini Vieria just last month.<\/p>\n Lee Weaver:<\/strong> For us, hiring has definitely been a big challenge, more so from the point of view of knowing when to. We\u2019ve been keen to maximise opportunities to grow, but also want to do it sustainably.<\/p>\n It\u2019s led to us as founders being a little overworked at times, which has been a challenge. But it feels like a sacrifice that\u2019s worth it, rather than hiring too early and then having to reverse the decision.<\/p>\n And then the spinning of plates! It\u2019s difficult at times to juggle the work, the admin, the team, networking, nurturing client relationships, updating the website, posting on LinkedIn etc etc<\/p>\n Transitioning from an employee to a studio founder is a big step, but a super rewarding one!<\/p>\n Brett Goldhawk:<\/strong> The first is, and always will be, about overcoming fear. It took many years to take the leap. As a managing director at an agency during COVID, and miraculously keeping them afloat, it gave me the confidence to know you can conquer anything if you put your mind to it \u2013 (and a realisation that there\u2019s no rush to reach your goals.<\/p>\n The second is a little more pragmatic and that\u2019s all things money \u2013 revenue, cashflow, projects, new business pipelines, accountancy. Understanding that when you remove all the passion, collaboration, client-focus, creativity and innovation, it\u2019s a business and that business needs your total focus every single day.<\/p>\n Dominic Davidson-Merritt:<\/strong> Planning. Being so new and small means we love the ability to be flexible in our process \u2013 to benefit clients, the work, and us personally.<\/p>\n However that is a double-edged sword in terms of planning ahead. Without lots of different work streams running at one time we do suddenly find ourselves with \u2018nothing to do\u2019 as projects shift around.<\/p>\n So we always try to make that time just as valuable by working on the business, planning case studies, or taking some time away from our desks. We knew that starting an agency in these weird times was probably going to be a slow-burn, and we\u2019d rather do it carefully and on our own terms, than burn out.<\/p>\n Natasha Peskin:<\/strong> Maintaining momentum. Launching Boring was really exciting and because its positioning was quite provocative, it did a good job of getting attention, one that I rode for a good couple of months.<\/p>\n But once the initial interest was over I was aware that I became yet another \u201cnew agency\u201d contributing to the constant noise. I have so many ideas for PR, LinkedIn content and creative projects but between client work, and after school parenting, it does feel like an albatross around my neck. I have found it hard to find any time (or headspace) to feed the algorithm and keep Boring visible.<\/p>\n Ultimately, in lieu of being able to churn out viral content three times a week, our work will need to speak for itself but I worry it\u2019s not enough these days.<\/p>\n Natalie Prout<\/strong>: It\u2019s what we\u2019d imagine is the classic agency start-up dilemma: splitting time between doing the work and building the business.<\/p>\n We\u2019re trying to design a different kind of studio \u2013 new pricing, new processes, new standards \u2013 whilst simultaneously holding ourselves to the same high bar creatively as the industry heavyweights. It\u2019s a lot, but that\u2019s the gig!<\/p>\n Lee Weaver:<\/strong> We have a simple mantra, do great work and be great to work with. We place huge emphasis on the latter part. Being responsive, genuinely helpful and invested in our clients\u2019 success. It doesn\u2019t sound like rocket science, but we know that our clients really appreciate that about us.<\/p>\n Brett Goldhawk:<\/strong> While many of the larger studios are rebranding to expand their offer and are busy introducing jazzy new slogans and complicated messages we simply care about brands selling more stuff.<\/p>\n It\u2019s not about no-nonsense, it\u2019s quite the opposite, we obsess over all things \u2018supermarket\u2019 and love the hustle and bustle of the weekly shop. So, we focus on strategic and creative projects that gets people to put brands in their basket.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why we specialise in packaging design, shopper marketing and customer sell-ins. That\u2019s quite a simple message to land with our clients.<\/p>\n Dominic Davidson-Merritt:<\/strong> I think it\u2019s been creative value. It doesn\u2019t sound very sexy does it?<\/p>\n But as we work with SMEs, that don\u2019t have multi-million pound budgets, we are able to bring our international backgrounds, big-agency experience, and an equal-level of creativity to their projects at a fraction of the cost \u2013 compared to the big agencies that we\u2019re not competing against \u2013 yet!<\/p>\n So while businesses are looking at their budgets more closely than ever, I truly believe that a small studio like us can have a winning hand to play.<\/p>\n Natasha Peskin:<\/strong> We\u2019re a branding agency that transforms the world\u2019s dullest industries \u2013 the darkest corners of B2B that probably causes internal teams to groan, but we find utterly fascinating. Think logistics, insurance, manufacturing, raw materials \u2013 the kind of businesses that keep the world turning.<\/p>\n I bring together talent who\u2019ve spent their careers building or redefining some of the world\u2019s best-known consumer brands, and turn their attention to businesses that need it most.<\/p>\n Natalie Prout:<\/strong> We\u2019re a strategic-creative partnership, built to deliver both the thinking and the craft. It\u2019s not strategy first, then design \u2013 we make together, from start to finish. That\u2019s how we protect the integrity of the idea and make sure it lands with impact.<\/p>\n Lee Weaver:<\/strong> Founding the studio! I first worked with my co-founder 15 years before we started OneMay. We always said we would start a studio and wish we had taken the jump sooner. It\u2019s challenging, but the most exciting and rewarding few years of my life so far.<\/p>\n Brett Goldhawk<\/strong>: Less of a decision and more of a mindset shift. DesignHawk lives by a philosophy that we do things with a smile on our face. That may sound simple and easy to implement but it genuinely takes time to embed that outlook into every facet of the business. I wish I\u2019d taken this approach for the previous 25+ years in the industry \u2013 it would have made for a much happier ride!<\/p>\n Dominic Davidson-Merritt:<\/strong> \u201cHiring\u201d my wife as the client\/new business director. It wasn\u2019t our original plan, but the need quickly became obvious in terms of a more complete offer \u2013 something that we didn\u2019t see a lot of other really small studios doing.<\/p>\n It fills out our experience from just creative to include client services, new business, and working client-side.<\/p>\n This way we are understanding our clients better and able to help them more. Not to mention the internal benefits of running projects more efficiently, and sharing the day to day running of the studio.<\/p>\n Natasha Peskin:<\/strong> Find a co-founder. This is my second time running an agency \u2013 the first time round I had two co-founders. With Boring, I felt so strongly about what it should be and how I wanted to grow it that I decided to build it alone.<\/p>\n Six months in, I realise I may have been shortsighted. As a result I\u2019m now looking to build a very small network of incredible partners who are invested in growing the business, but still ensure I retain the control I need to build the dream I have in mind.<\/p>\n Natalie Prout:<\/strong> Protecting the value of our craft by partnering with clients who are deadly serious about bringing bold ideas to life. Saying no to briefs is so hard. But backing your vision is a call only you can make.<\/p>\n Lee Weaver:<\/strong> Free pitching has been a big part of our growth, allowing us to win projects that we maybe otherwise wouldn\u2019t have due to being a new agency.<\/p>\n That being said, we are very selective about the pitches we enter, usually only when we\u2019ve been invited, rather than open tenders. This relies on creating relationships, but we feel gives us a much better chance of success.<\/p>\n I totally see the arguments against free pitching. But for us, as a small studio, who don\u2019t have clients banging our door down every day, it feels like taking a bet on ourselves, and as long as we\u2019re selective about the pitches we choose, it\u2019s one we\u2019re happy to take. So far, we\u2019ve won around 75% of the pitches we\u2019ve entered, which has doubled our year-on-year revenue.<\/p>\n Brett Goldhawk:<\/strong> We absolutely do not free pitch, and I\u2019m quite vocal that as an industry we do ourselves a massive disservice with little advocacy for change.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll never eradicate the problem; like ants in a death spiral we\u2019ll eventually all die from exhaustion.<\/p>\n Dominic Davidson-Merritt:<\/strong> We\u2019ve agreed not to take on any free pitches, as our size would just make it impossibly disruptive and incredibly risky financially.<\/p>\n From an ethical point of view, we also believe that creativity and its commercial application is a service that should be paid for like any other.<\/p>\n That said, ask me again when we are quiet with nothing on and you might get a different answer.<\/p>\n Natasha Peskin:<\/strong> We\u2019ve been fortunate so far not to have to, as we aren\u2019t competing for huge agency briefs.<\/p>\n Recently I chose to invest money in delivering a couple of proposals, because I felt it was worth the potential payday, but I paid all contributors their full rate.<\/p>\n Importantly I made the decision to invest because it wasn\u2019t competitive \u2013 we certainly don\u2019t have the resources, time or cushioning to pitch against other agencies. It\u2019s hugely exploitative, not to mention extremely stressful for all.<\/p>\n Natalie Prout:<\/strong> No-one wants to pitch for free. It\u2019s exploitative and a real problem. However, as a start-up, it\u2019s sometimes the only way to be considered for a brilliant opportunity. So we do it sparingly.<\/p>\n Our pitch rule is to show we\u2019re capable of doing the work and being great partners, but we try not to actually do the project in the pitch. Show enough spark to open the door, but save the magic for when it counts \u2013 and frankly, ensure we get paid for it.<\/p>\nWhat are the biggest challenges you\u2019ve found starting a studio?<\/h5>\n
What is your point of difference compared to other studios?<\/h5>\n
What is one decision you wish you\u2019d made earlier?<\/h5>\n
What is your approach to free pitching?<\/h5>\n