I got to visit a couple of design studios when I was in the UK - DixonBaxi, Brinksworth, ustwo. What struck me about them wasn't the work on screens but the spaces themselves.
They all looked like a controlled explosion - built to spark creation.
I left feeling more inspired than I had in months. And I realized: these spaces understood something most organisations miss about how creativity actually works.
A peek into DixonBaxi design/branding studio
Decks to host parties in the Brinksworth studio
Ground floor at Brinksworth studio
Brinksworth studio
The first thing you notice when entering the studios; is the chaos - Books on philosophy stacked next to product catalogues. DJ decks built for parties. Objects with no purpose except that someone liked them.
The random objects, the music, the unfinished sketches left on tables; none of it was efficient. But efficiency isn't the point. Creativity needs slack, physical and mental space to think sideways, to make unexpected connections, to fail without consequence.
Every corner felt like an invitation to make something; the spaces encouraged doing and creating. These studios had personality. Music flowed from a shared playlist curated by the designers themselves. Unfinished sketches and experiments stayed on tables rather than hidden in drawers. Coffee tables displayed books filled with their own work.
The space encouraged doing without the fear of outcomes. An atmosphere that celebrated curiosity.
It gave me the feeling that whoever worked there was passionate and stupid enough to explore the craziest of ideas and try out the wildest of things, it wasn’t about ROI.
Not sure what this is doing in a graphic design studio but it’s there.