Meet Beccy, our founder
Not met Beccy before? Fear not. Here’s some quick fire questions that caught her off guard…
If you could have dinner with any four people, who would they be and why?
Phoebe Waller-Bridge because she’s full of wit, Sean Walsh because he’s hilarious, Olivia Colman for her quirkiness and Jo Wiley because she’d take care of the music!
Have you always been creative?
Yes! As soon as I could hold a pencil in my hand I was drawing and painting. I did Art at A-level, studied Graphic Design at The University of Leeds and now have over 16 years in the design industry! I’ve always been interested in all forms of creativity whether it be architecture, fine art, fashion, photography or illustration.
What’s the best piece of business advice you have for anyone thinking about starting up.
Believe in yourself. You’ll meet a whole host of different people throughout your life; some good for you, some not so much! Don’t listen to the bad eggs, trust your gut and get stuck in. If you do what you believe consistently for long enough, people will start to notice.
What would you be doing if you weren’t doing branding + design?
Oooh that’s a tough one! When I was younger I wanted to be a vet or an architect, but something must have swayed me towards design! I think now I’d be an artist or primary school teacher. Opening your own cafe looks fun too so I’d definitely consider that!
Who are your dream clients?
Ooooh, there are so many! As long as I get that ‘feel good’ feeling about what an organisation is doing, I’m happy! If a clients’ work benefits people, communities or planet then sign me up. Definitely other B-Corps too because then I know I’m working with like-minded businesses who want to use business as a force for good. I’d love to rebrand a museum or design a kids learning pack for schools. Brand identity projects are obivously at the top of my list as I just love creating something from scratch. Packaging for a healthy food product would also be amazing.
What’s the worst business advice you’ve ever been given?
I’m not sure I’ve actually ever been given any really bad advice. I’ve certainly observed questionable practice e.g. missing business opportunities, egos getting in the way, one-way communication. I think it’s so much harder to put into practice all the business theory though, you’ve got to be really on it and self-aware.
What and who inspires you?
Seeing a really great piece of creative by another agency works for me! It spurs me on and makes me want to achieve more and get better at what I do. I’d also say the creative community in Teesside really inspires me. I’ve met some brilliant people over the past few years through Ladies, Wine & Design Boro and continue to do so. I also don’t think you can beat getting out and about, whether it be visiting a new art gallery, seeing a film or trying a new fitness class to feel energised. I’m also a fan of design magazines and blogs such as idN, Creative Boom and Dieline.
Does being creative run in the family?
Not my immediate family but my mum’s cousin is a successful interior designer in London. I’ve never met him but would love to swap notes some time! My dad’s dad could sketch pretty well apparently. I never saw any drawings myself, but my mum says he was pretty good at it!
What were you like at school?
“Conscientious” according to pretty much every school report! I worked hard at school; I wanted good grades so I could get into university. I was prepared to put in the elbow grease when it came to my GCSEs and my A-levels especially. That ‘conscientious’ streak waned a little once I got to university (so much fun stuff to do apart from work!) but nevertheless I graduated from the beautiful University of Leeds with a 2:1 in Graphic Design, and here I am today!
Where do you see yourself professionally in five years time?
I’ll be here on Teesside still, creating amazing brands for amazing organisations, companies and causes. I think it’s realistic to think that by then we’ll have been in our own office space for a while too. I think that’s every designer’s dream, to have their own physical studio. By five years our team will have expanded too. Logically the next step for us will probably be to hire a designer, but we’re a little way off that just yet. I’m happy for the business to grow organically and naturally and see what happens! Safe to say I am very excited about the future though - I can’t wait to see who we’ll be working with!