Studio Culture at the Design Museum

Unit Editions hosted the second Design Museum Takeover of the season, and University of Lincoln student Tasha Nuttall added some coverage on her blog:

"They talked about the tough task of choosing a studio name and Tony gave a great test which can help you to decide – if you can answer the phone ‘Hello, (insert studio name here)’ and not sound ridiculous, it’s a winner. Calling your studio 'Gorgeous' would definitely bring a smile to your client's face!

"They also spoke about how to keep clients coming through the door by undertaking self initiated briefs, giving the advice: 'If you make what you want to make, that's what people will pay you to make.'"

On that second point, definitely. Jonathan Mak is a fine example of someone being asked to do good work on the back of a self-initiated project.

It reminds me of a quote from this talk.

"If you do good work for good clients, it will lead to more good work for other good clients. If you do bad work for bad clients, it will lead to more bad work for other bad clients."
— Michael Bierut

So if you're not working on the kind of project you want people to hire you for, start today. Create something for your ideal client. Show what you're capable of and you'll attract that kind of work.

Related, from the archives, is a quick look inside the Studio Culture book.