Studio Culture Now

Title: Studio Culture Now: Advice and guidance for designers in a changing world
 [Unit 45]
Editor: Mark Sinclair
Design: Julia
Introduction: Adrian Shaughnessy

Studio Culture Now is the essential guide to setting up, running and developing a design studio. It offers bang up-to-date advice and guidance for designers working in a world of rapid change.
 First published at the end of 2020, the book sold out quickly and is now available in a second printing.

In 2009, Unit Editions published its first book, Studio Culture: The secret life of the graphic design studio. Now, thanks to the generosity of over 800 Kickstarter backers and a successful funding campaign, we are able to publish a follow-up.

The book

Studio Culture Now features in-depth interviews with a host of leading design studios. The interviewees share their experiences, insights, fears and joys, and reveal how they deal with the fundamentals and aspirations of studio life.

Candid and generous, these extensive Q&As form a blueprint for anyone planning a studio practice, or anyone struggling with maintaining one.

Topics covered include: getting jobs, working with clients, balancing creativity with profitability, accounting, hiring, promotion, wellbeing, and much more. The interviews, mostly conducted in the past few months, also reveal how studios are adapting to the changes brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

Featured studios include:

Atelier Dyakova, Champions Design, Civilization, Design by Toko, DIA, ÉricandMarie, Formist, Google Design, GUNMAD / Or Type, Hansje van Halem, Helmo, Hey Studio, Hubertus Design, Jade Purple Brown, Julia, Morcos Key, My Name is Wendy, Neubau, Office of Craig, OK-RM, Parámetro Studio, Peepshow, ps.2, Regular Practice, Sara De Bondt studio, Sarah Boris Studio, Studio Rejane Dal Bello, Vrints-Kolsteren, WeShouldDoItAll, YesYesNo.

An extensive ‘Studio Intelligence’ section provides a checklist covering vital topics such as the benefits and pitfalls of remote working, space sharing, professional help and social media policies.

There is also input from two design world experts: Sophie Thomas on sustainability and Matt Alagiah (It’s Nice That) on self-promotion — plus expert advice on studio finances and accounting from Avi Josephs; and artist and designer Eric Schrijver on the basics of copyright.