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A cottage industry boom

Posted in Design, Creative August 30th, 2007 by admin

Take one huge multinational agency with client service costs approaching 30 per cent, staffing and logistical costs taking a further 50 per cent chunk out of the pie and then still further fees as they hire in bespoke creatives and you can see that working from a home studio is quite obviously a good way to go for heavy-weight and specialist creatives.

This allows more freedom in both terms of output and also billing. What brings me to this point is, as an illustrator, I work on many multinational brands for agencies worldwide. Not from a flashy office block in the city, but in a miners cottage ‘up north’. Working this way means overheads are very low, there is an instant response time, with the added bonus of freeing up about four hours a day of commuting time and being in a position to invest in the latest equipment and research solutions quickly and efficiently.

Another added bonus is that agencies understand the design process inside out so there is no client contact - just dealing with like minded people which again speeds up the process, which in turn creates a better and stronger result.

Is this the future then? Smaller, directly linked hubs of creativity that can react quickly to the latest trend changes and also create their own facets and known “signature” style? A collective that directly services the larger agencies and keeps them on top of their game in terms of original styles and ideas?

It would seem so.

Even though staff training is very important within the infrastructure of most advertising related companies, it raises the question: can creativity be taught or is it something you are born with? If it can be taught then why do so many agencies rely on a core crew of creatives internally - who call upon the services of a trusted set of external practitioners?

This is happening across all of the medias, ranging from film story boards through to typography, from filming through to digital illustration. Its a good time to be freelance if you prove your worth and are surrounded by other people of the same calibre within their own designated skill set.

The only problem in working remotely is trying to keep it this way and not to end up becoming an agency in your own right!

Neil duerden
www.neilduerden.co.uk