The Importance Of Studio Projects

Rob Coke reveals why self-initiated work is essential for design teams to thrive.

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The constant deadlines of agency life can make it hard to look beyond client projects. But to make real progress, agencies and internal design teams must find time for less urgent work. Studio projects fall into that category – we all think they’re a good idea but they’re hard to fit in around pressing demands.

Creative people need freedom to experiment, find new ways to solve problems and relieve the pressures of commercial work. Here, we’ll explore how studio projects tick all these boxes. If you run them properly, they can benefit your team, your clients and your agency.

FEEL-GOOD THINKING

We all want to feel our work makes a meaningful impact. Believing your organisation does some good creates a sense of pride. While making a difference to a client’s business creates satisfaction, studio projects can offer the chance to do something even more meaningful.

That was the thinking behind ‘A Positive Platform’ – a week-long sprint exploring how social platforms could encourage more responsible use, through intelligent and intuitive design tools. Prompted by negative news reports covering social media’s impact on young people’s mental health, the brief was relevant and motivating. As a result, the project team felt attachment to the cause and a real sense of pride in the work.

SHARED KNOW-HOW