designcommunity Archives | &Something Studio

July 22, 2026

How design can strengthen communities

It’s something I’ve spoken about before, but it’s been on my mind again recently.

For all the talent we have across our creative industries, many of us still work in isolation. It can be too easy to spend your days wrapped up in client work, leaving very little time to speak to other creatives. And I think that’s particularly true outside of the larger cities.

Places like Manchester, London and Bristol seem to have creative communities woven into the fabric of the city. There are regular events, talks, exhibitions and meet-ups where people naturally cross paths. Elsewhere, those opportunities can be much harder to find.

I think we’re missing something. Because while we often think of design as solving problems, one of its greatest strengths is its ability to bring people together.

Why community matters

A thriving creative community often, I think, grows because people have places to meet, opportunities to collaborate and reasons to start conversations. And that’s vital, because it’s those conversations that could lead to new projects, a different perspective or simply the knowledge that you’re not the only person facing the challenges of running a creative business.

As creatives, we often spend so much time building brands for others that we forget how important it is to build connections for ourselves.

The creative industries have always thrived on collaboration. Designers, illustrators, photographers, copywriters, makers and artists all bring different perspectives to the table, and it’s often where those perspectives overlap that the most interesting ideas emerge. And that’s why local events are so important. They can create shared experiences and give us a reason to leave our desks, step away from our screens, and spend time with people who understand the industry we’re part of.

Some of the most valuable conversations I’ve had didn’t happen in boardrooms or formal meetings. They’ve happened over coffee with people I’d never met before. Many of those conversations have gone on to become projects, collaborations or ideas I wouldn't have reached on my own.

It’s encouraging, then, to see more initiatives beginning to appear that are trying to nurture exactly this kind of local creative community. That Design Thing is one example of an event that aims to bring designers, makers and creative thinkers together, not simply to showcase work, but to encourage conversations and help build a stronger network of people who might otherwise never meet. It’s a small step, perhaps, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Ultimately, stronger creative communities benefit everyone.

The wider impact

Events like this can have huge benefits, not only for the design community, where we can gain support, inspiration, and opportunities for collaboration, but also for local businesses, which can gain access to a wider network of creative talent. Local areas benefit from fresh ideas, cultural activity and increased visibility for the creative sector.

Perhaps most importantly, people begin to feel that they’re part of something bigger than their own business.

Community isn’t built overnight. It develops through consistency, shared experiences, and people who are willing to create opportunities for others.

Good design has always been about solving problems. Maybe one of the problems worth solving is how we create stronger creative communities.

Because when creative people come together, good things usually happen.

What do you think? Have you found a local creative community where you are, or is it something your area is still missing? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

July 14, 2026

Creative careers rarely go to plan – and that’s normal.

Recently, I’ve been talking to both my sons about their futures. The eldest has recently finished his university course in Illustration and is feeling let down, frustrated and unsure which direction to go next. My younger son is about to begin his university career, and seeing what his brother is facing, he is understandably feeling a little unsure about how things will go.

Chatting with both of them and navigating all of this as a parent is hard, and it’s brought back some of the doubts and feelings I had at the start of my career. It got me thinking about the pressure that gets put on young people to have everything figured out before they’ve even started.

When I was 18, I couldn’t have told you what lay ahead for me. I didn’t know what path my education would set me on. I couldn’t have foreseen that I would be doing another degree in my forties. And I certainly couldn’t have predicted that my company partnership would break down and lead me to set up my own studio.

When we’re at school, most of us have this idea of the future as a simple, straight line: school, university, first job, dream job. In reality, especially in creative industries, it's rarely that simple.

In my experience, there are so many curveballs that life tends to throw our way – many of them our own creation, some totally out of our control. Things have a habit of jumping up when we least expect them to, completely changing our trajectory. But when we’re young and think we know how our life is going to go, it’s pretty hard to imagine that.

Uncertainty after education is normal.

The advice I wish I’d been given after leaving university (or school, for that matter) is this: You don’t have to have everything figured out. You don’t need to have a solid plan for what you want to do with the rest of your life. It’s absolutely fine not to have all the answers right from the start.

I read a lot of content from other creators and speak to many in person, and I can tell you that it’s extremely rare for anyone to follow their goals in a straight line. You will have deviations, obstacles and changes of heart along the way. Humans evolve, and situations change. And that’s all perfectly normal.

Graphic design is one of those professions where a degree isn’t the destination. It’s a really useful thing to get you started, yes, but I tend to think of it as a springboard rather than the be-all and end-all. You will continue learning throughout your career as the industry evolves, technology updates, and styles change. Your education is simply the backbone to all of that. It gives you the understanding behind it, but it can’t replace real-life experience. Some designers stay on the formal education route for years, and others have a rudimentary understanding and a decent set of exam results, yet still thrive in their industry.

I guess what I’m getting at is that there are so many ways to get to where you want to be. None of them is right or wrong. Follow your own path, and remember to allow for some flexibility.

Whether you're leaving school, starting university, graduating, or considering a change in direction, remember that very few careers follow a perfectly planned route.

The important thing isn't having all the answers today. It's staying curious, gaining experience, and being open to opportunities you might not even know exist yet.

Some of the best creative careers begin with a simple willingness to try something new.

October 27, 2025

Ways to stay connected

Many designers find that they don’t have the luxury of a local community; yet, online, we can seek each other out, collaborate, and learn.

January 11, 2025

Team Up with Experts

I’m my own worst enemy. I have this strong will to handle everything myself instead of bringing in experts, even if it takes me twice as long. I suppose that’s a trait of being a business owner. We get so used to wearing all the hats that we forget that it’s perfectly acceptable to take one off sometimes and give it to someone who can do the job better.

I’ve stayed self-sufficient by default. In the beginning, it’s not a choice for most of us – we simply don’t have the resources available, so we hustle and do everything ourselves to get by. But then, it becomes more habitual, and the idea of delegating parts of my projects to others feels kind of worrying.

It’s a nerve-wracking process—pulling people in from the outside only to discover that they don’t live up to the standard I need.

In fact, I’ve had experiences where, rather than being impressed by what someone else contributed, I ended up wishing I had done the work myself. There’s nothing worse than seeing someone else’s work on your project and thinking you could have done a better job. The frustration of working with people who miss the mark can be real. But I’ve learned something important along the way: when you find the right people whose work pushes you to up your game, that’s when the magic happens.

Finding a Network of Experts

When you’re thinking about how to find people to handle tasks for you, it can be easy to fall into the trap of ‘who’s cheapest?’. I think that’s the first mistake many people make, and then we wonder why we get those feelings of ‘I should’ve done it myself’ and isolate ourselves in an effort to do it solo. Instead, it’s about surrounding yourself with a reliable network of experts. These are people you can trust to handle specific tasks, not just to free up your time but to actually improve the quality of the project.

In creative projects, pulling in experts in their respective fields allows you to focus on what you do best. When you delegate the right tasks to the right people, you’re allowing specialists to shine, and that lifts the entire project.

Of course, the challenge is finding those people with the same “it’s all about the work” mentality as you. You don’t just need someone who’s technically proficient (or cheap); you need someone who brings value, understands the vision, is passionate about the project, and has the drive to go the extra mile.

Building Trust Through Relationships

It’s not about hiring the first person who appears in your search results or the most affordable option. The best collaborations come from relationships you’ve built over time. That’s why it’s important to start connecting with experts well before you need their services. Building a list of trustworthy professionals whose work ethic and skill you trust and relate with yourself.

Building these relationships takes time, and it requires openness. You have to be willing to learn from others. Sometimes, someone’s approach might differ from yours, and instead of feeling threatened, it’s better to see that as an opportunity to grow. It’s inspiring to work with creatives who challenge you—who produce work that makes you think, “I need to step up my game.” When you find people who raise the bar, it doesn’t just improve the project; it elevates your own skill set.

Elevate the Work, Not Your Ego

At the end of the day, bringing in experts is not about proving you can’t do something yourself. It’s about creating something that wouldn’t be possible if you tried to do it alone. As a graphic designer, I know how easy it is to get caught up in the idea of “going solo.” But when you surround yourself with the right people, the work improves, your skills improve, and the final result is far beyond what you could have achieved on your own.

By trusting the right experts, you’re not delegating—you’re elevating the entire creative process. And ultimately, isn’t that what great work is all about?

June 13, 2024

From here to…

Things to think on as a design graduate

Starting a career in design can be both exciting and daunting. In truth, even those of us who have been here for a long time find it tough going sometimes—things are always evolving, and new trends and tech mean that we always have to stay ahead of the curve.

At this time of year, I often get messages from new graduates asking for advice. What should I do next? Where do I start? How do I stand out fresh from uni? These are not easy questions to answer because every designer is different, and my path is not the same one as you might want to choose.

That said, though, there is some great advice that I’ve picked up along the way – some of which I still look on to this day when I feel like I’ve lost direction or just need inspiration to get going when things are slow.

Here are some key pieces of advice (that I wish I’d known) for design graduates entering the field:

Build your portfolio

Your portfolio is your most important project. Rather than treat it like a catalogue of everything you’ve ever worked on, focus on quality over quantity. Showcase your best work. It’s better to have fewer, well-executed projects than a load of mediocre ones.

Make it attractive and cohesive, showcasing your narrative through the work that you’ve done. Be personable rather than presenting just another portfolio. No jargon.

Build your connections

Reach out to as many people in your field as you can, both online and offline. Attend industry events, join design communities, and connect with professionals on social platforms. Networking can open doors to job opportunities, collaborations, and mentorship. Every connection counts.

Share your work consistently on social platforms. Engage with industry professionals and people who might help you. Amplify your narrative and expand your network.

Get out and go to events. Turn up. Create connections everywhere you go.

Find a Mentor

Having a mentor can provide guidance, feedback, and industry insights that are invaluable at the start of your career. Find someone willing to offer sound advice and constructive criticism when you need it.

Learn to be resilient and persistent

The design field is competitive, and rejection is part of the process. Stay persistent and keep refining your craft. It’s not easy, but don’t fall into negative outlooks. Nothing great is ever easy, so expect to have to put the work in – it will be worth it.

Get practical experience

Look for paid internships or freelance work. These experiences can provide practical knowledge and make your resumé more attractive to potential employers.

Try to work on real-world projects; this can be a significant portfolio booster. Don't work for free.

Stay focussed, keep learning

Try to avoid ‘scattergun’ tactics. Instead, use your energy and time wisely and remain focused on one or two things instead of burning yourself out trying to do everything.

Design is a rapidly evolving field. Stay updated with the latest tools, technologies, and trends. And invest some time in continuous learning. Online courses, workshops, and design communities can be valuable resources.

Use any downtime you have to create new things to show in your portfolio and on social media. Anything you can do to stay fresh and visible will go a long way toward building your reputation and keeping your portfolio interesting to potential employers.

Look after yourself

This might be my most important piece of advice, yet one that is overlooked by all of us – maintaining your mental well-being is the single best thing you can do for yourself at any point in your career.

Make time to step back from things once in a while and do something for yourself and only yourself. When you’re relaxed and mentally positive, it shows through everything you do, and you are much more likely to enjoy your experience, whether that’s job searching, freelancing, or building your design career in-house.

Don’t take rejection personally

It’s a harsh truth that a proportion of the people that you reach out to won’t respond. It’s not you; people are busy. They might not have the time to respond right away (or at all), you might not be a good match, or they might pin the message to respond to at a later date – I’ve had people come back to me after several months, so don’t lose hope.

If you’ve approached someone who you really want to work with, don’t be afraid to follow up after a week or so. You won’t annoy them – it’s just a reminder. If they still don’t respond after you’ve followed up once or twice, then perhaps they simply can’t offer what you’re looking for. It’s not personal – move on to the next thing.

Starting your career in design requires a balance of creative skills, professionalism, and the ability to continuously learn and adapt. Embrace the journey, stay curious, and keep pushing your creative boundaries.

April 5, 2024

Career paths: how do you qualify?

There are so many ways to get a career in design, but it doesn’t necessarily follow that you just need the formal qualifications to be a good designer. It’s absolutely possible to be good at design without any qualifications at all. Like with everything, everyone learns differently, and I think it’s important to find the right path for you, whether that’s traditional or not.

With this in mind, I wanted to explore how graphic designers can start a career – whether they choose university or not.

Embrace Your Creativity and Passion

I’ve often tried to explain to people that the bottom line is that you just need to be a good designer. It doesn’t matter what official qualifications you have or what other jobs you’ve had—if you’ve got a passion and willingness to learn, great, and if you’ve got ‘that thing’ too, you’re already halfway there.

Many successful designers have started their careers simply because they love to create. It just starts with that spark and grows from there.

Take time to explore your creativity, experiment, put ideas on paper, and try something different. The more you immerse yourself in the creative process, the more you refine your skills and develop a unique style.

Build a Strong Portfolio

Let me share how often I’ve been asked for evidence of my formal qualifications. None. Most people don’t care about that—instead, they’re looking for something to show I can do the right job for them.

Your portfolio is your resume. It showcases your skills, style, and creativity to potential clients. The key is to showcase your best work, the kind of work you love, and give potential clients an idea of how you could do the same for them.

Like me, most designers nowadays have an online portfolio on their website, making it easy for people to see what they’re about. If your client projects are scant or you’re just starting out, I’ve seen plenty of designers use personal projects to great effect. I did something similar with my book TenYrsLater and am still doing it with a new set of projects underway.

Network and Collaborate

Something I always advocate is getting to know other designers. There’s often this belief that creative people must carefully guard their circle, for fear of their ideas and work being stolen. That rarely is the case, and in fact, I think it’s important to network and collaborate with other designers. Sharing ideas and supporting others has huge benefits and works wonders for your mental health during tough times.

If you work alone, as many creatives do, just having a few trusted peers to call on for guidance is always helpful. Don’t think of them as competitors but as a support network.

Embrace Continuous Learning

Graphic design is constantly evolving, with new trends, technologies, and techniques emerging all the time. To stay relevant, we must embrace lifelong learning. Whether mastering new software, checking out design trends, or honing our skills in specific areas, always seek knowledge and improvement.

If you find online resources, workshops, webinars, or even formal courses beneficial, take advantage of them. Stay curious, adaptable, and willing to step out of your comfort zone to grow as a designer.

Remember, your journey as a graphic designer should be unique; don’t be afraid to break the rules.

February 3, 2023

Into 2023…

…the year of change

My last post inspired me to talk more about my goals and plans for &Something going into 2023. In truth, it's easier to give advice than to follow it – and that's something I'll try to focus on much more this year.

You see, for a while now, I've felt like I've hit a plateau in my design business. While I recognise that I've worked on some amazing projects over the past few years, I also need to step up and allow the business to move forward somehow. I've outgrown the current model, but I've been trying to figure out the next logical evolution for a long time.

I've got myself stuck in a cycle of taking jobs that I feel comfortable with, the kind that I like and know. It's a dangerous place where my mind is telling me, "It pays the bills; you need this." It's where I feel safe, but it doesn't always excite me.

It wasn't until I spoke to a designer friend about my thoughts that I realised that this feeling of stagnation ran so deep. I started questioning myself, and then I sat down with him and asked him what he thought I should do about it. That meeting was a game-changer. A giant neon lightbulb flashed on, and I felt optimistic for the first time in ages. And now, I have a plan.

The story so far

I live and work in a fairly small, well-established market town on the English-Welsh border. I've mentioned in several of my posts before that it can be challenging to have a creative agency in a place like this because it's not a city, it's not near London, and there are very few, if any, large corporate businesses here.

Despite the issues, though, I like the sense of community here. And I enjoy the opportunity to work so closely with the businesses that thrive here. Many of the businesses I've worked with over the years have become friends, and I've been able to get involved in all sorts of things that I wouldn't necessarily have done anywhere else.

For a small town, it is diverse. There are a lot of little boutique businesses, as well as the better-known high-street brands, and so I've been lucky that I've got to work with some interesting people.

But the downside is that it's difficult to break out of this community. No one gets to hear much about a small studio like mine in places like Birmingham, Manchester, or London. That's where the bigger places are, and there are much bigger fish in their pools.

So my bread-and-butter tends to come from the businesses around my location, and they are predominately looking for branding projects such as logo design and websites. And while I enjoy getting involved in those, it's hard to find stuff that stretches my wings.

Getting good advice

Those already following me might remember that I changed my business name last year. Looking back, that was another sign that I was craving something more. I'd already started to recognise that I needed to evolve, and this was the one thing I could control – by rebranding.

I also knew that I couldn't make any serious changes on my own. I've always tried to maintain relationships with other designers, but asking for help? That's a whole different ballgame, isn't it? Though I knew that's exactly what I'd have to do if I wanted to make changes. I needed help deciding how to use my marketing knowledge to promote my own business growth. So I took a deep breath, and I reached out to someone I knew and trusted – more so, who I admired – and had already achieved some of the growth I wanted for my own business.

He was good enough to listen to my woes and willing to advise me on how he'd approached things from the start. He talked me through the obstacles and how to push through them. The most important advice was to be patient. Marketing, the way he'd described it, is a long game. Things aren't going to happen today or next week. Probably not even next month. But you have to remain consistent, and, in time, you will get results.

Patience and consistency. That's the hard part, isn't it?

Moving forward

There's a lot of noise online about knowing your audience and niching and all that stuff. Yes, I recognise that marketing has changed – it's no longer about the hard sell (which is great because I dread that) and more about being where your ideal client is and giving consistent value. It's all about building community and sharing. I know all that – but how do you do it?

My first task is to find the right platform. My focus will be LinkedIn because I already have a following, and I realise that the type of people I want to connect with are there, too.

The next challenge is to make more effort to interact…

This part I've always found hard – posting valuable content. I'll put more effort into sharing my work, views, and vision about the things I'm interested in. For example, I'd love to be involved in larger projects – not just on paper or screen but actual places, environments and exhibitions, etc., and more or the enjoyably challenging jobs that came in last year.

I already have experience on a smaller scale that I can talk about. Perhaps I haven't pushed those projects enough? How much is too much?

This is a reminder to myself – but I hope you can find value in it too. Now I have this roadmap to follow; I'm hoping that I can maintain it:

Keep things simple by using one central platform.
Connect with the right people.
Be useful with my content – post stuff that lets people learn about what I do and who I am.
Build community – make an effort to talk to people, like and share.

What about you? Can you add anything to this? I'd love to hear about your experiences (and pick up more tips).

July 22, 2022

Collaboration and Community

If you’ve been reading my content for some time, you might have read my previous posts about Collaboration and Community, my thoughts on the benefits of having a design community and my efforts to put together a local design hub. These subjects have come to mind again recently for several reasons.

Firstly, I don’t know about you, but this summer feels like the first one in a long time where people – both creators and businesses – have begun to emerge from the fog of lockdown and are thinking more positively about moving forward. I think we’re all pretty exhausted by the isolation that covid brought and are beginning to seek out new connections. To me, the idea of fresh collaborations and community events feels pretty exciting.

And on that note, I and some others who I completed my recent MA with have come together to exhibit at the London Design Festival, which is taking place in September. Our group, in itself, has become a ‘hub’ where we have spent time bringing ideas and experiences together. They are one of the reasons why I have come to recognise the importance and huge benefits that having like-minded people around you can have.

I’ve always maintained that outside of cities, the opportunities to attend design events are very few and far between. In my area of Shrewsbury, there are many creative businesses – not just designers, but photographers, writers, filmmakers, and so on – but very little in the way of community. If you walk around my town, you can find several design agencies, but none of us knows much about the other. We never seek each other out, which is a real shame. Rather than see how we can collaborate or help each other out, we tend to close our doors for fear of ‘the competition’ getting in and finding out our secrets.

Perhaps that’s what sets big agencies in big cities like London or Manchester apart – they don’t think of each other as competition, in that sense. Instead, they are willing to not only come together to celebrate great design but invite other people in to celebrate with them, too.

It’s prominent on the web page for the London Design Festival: “(London Design Festival serves) to create an annual event that would promote the city’s creativity, drawing in the country’s greatest thinkers, practitioners, retailers and educators to deliver an unmissable celebration of design.”

I think these events shouldn’t just be left to the cities; there is no reason why small towns can’t create their own, smaller-scale hubs and events all around the country. Why shouldn’t designers in smaller communities celebrate their talent and dedication?

An idea that I’ve begun to resurrect, The Shrewsbury Design Festival, is a project I had been working on before covid stopped us all in our tracks. It started as a way to bring together creativity in and around Shrewsbury so that we can be found more easily within the community, form collaborations, share ideas, and bring local networks into the spotlight.

I don’t want this to sound too much like a promotional piece – it would be nice if what I’m doing here might inspire other design agencies to consider creating their own hubs and communities. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could have small pockets of designers who felt comfortable collaborating on work projects, meeting with each other to share ideas and experiences, building each other up and offering support? Imagine that…

Maybe you’re reading this and thinking, yes! I’d love for that to be how designers work. Or perhaps you live close to my own hub here in Shrewsbury and want to get involved in my project. Whether for inspiration or to join in, you can sign up at sydf.uk or follow our socials: Twitter or Instagram.

January 7, 2020

The Benefits of a Design Community

I wanted to talk about a subject that I touched upon in a couple of earlier articles, where I write about why I went back into education to complete my design MA, and then about being a designer working within a smaller community. I’ve been thinking a lot about my own working location, a small-ish market and college town, and how perhaps larger places have a much closer design community.

Shrewsbury, where I live and work is quite a unique, and in some respects, vibrant town. It comes with a lot of history, and is also a great hub for businesses.

What surprised me, though, is when I began to look around at my own industry, there really isn’t much of a community at all. It’s not for lack of designers or design agencies in the town – if you know where to look, there are some very successful designers here. But they seem to be quite isolated; hidden away from view. Seemingly keeping to ourselves, not through lack of interest, but more because we don’t go out of our way to know about each other. There is simply no interaction between us.

The discovery led me to look around, at other places, and how they have come together to collaborate and communicate, creating a ‘hub’ for their design communities. I looked at some of the most successful ones – the Graphic Design Festival Scotland, and closer by the Birmingham Design Festival. These designers seem to not only willingly collaborate, but celebrate doing so. They come together for events such as these – perhaps because, rather than see each other as competition, they see the value in working together on occasion, in pulling together to learn from one another, and creating their own ‘hub’ in their own communities.

The positives of design communities

There are many positives that can come from being part of a close design community – and creating local festivals and exhibitions to celebrate and collaborate. Of course, it does have the obvious benefit of showing off our work in order to give publicity to our individual studios – but I think it does much more than that.

Being so isolated, in many ways, can be such a negative. For starters, by working in such close quarters, you lose that sense of the world around you – you become self-absorbed in your own work. And yes, you might argue that we are all part of the ‘online’ community, but is that really the same thing? Is there really any substitute to getting to know what’s going on in the immediate community, what’s happening in your own industry, in your own town?

The opportunity to bounce ideas with each other, to learn for each other’s experiences, to come together to work on bigger projects, can only help us to thrive as designers.

Being part of such events as the ones mentioned above can be such a positive experience, a moral booster, and give us a sense of where we are going, as an industry collective. There’s such a lot we could learn from each other.

Can we create our own communities?

This is where I am right now. This is the big question I’m asking – how can I facilitate putting together something in my own community which can bring together other designers?

I’m looking at other local events – there are regular, and successful events for other creatives in my town. There are exhibitions for local artists, both traditional and modern, festivals for writers and comic book artists, amongst others. So there is scope – and some really great venues in which to host such things.

I’d be interested to learn how other places do it – perhaps you have even been where I am, and have seen the opportunity in your own town or city. If you have, maybe you could give me the benefit of your experience. Tell me how you did it, what obstacles stood in your way. Were you successful?

Shrewsbury, I think, would be the perfect place to host a festival for graphic designers – and I’m hoping that in the future, I can facilitate that. I can see a huge benefit in raising the industry profile in the town and surroundings.