Studio Wood
In conversation with James Wood, founder of Studio Wood.
Hi James! Can you give us an introduction to Studio Wood?
Sure thing, we’re an award-winning team of designers based in Bournemouth who work with like-minded clients such as Chilly’s, Beryl, and Elvie to create intelligent and meaningful products that make a positive impact on their industry.
How has the studio evolved since you began in 2015?
I actually freelanced for a few years around London from 2013 onwards but 2015 marked the time I rented my first studio in Brixton. I never wanted to grow the studio in London so worked with a few trusted freelancers before moving to Bournemouth in 2017. Since then we’ve grown to a team of six but our values and approach are very much the same as when we started. My origins in design lean more into the creative/visual side of design but our growth now enables us to cover a larger spectrum of product development including research, strategy, packaging, mechanical engineering, and UX/UI.
How would you define the aesthetic of the studio’s work?
We do tend to take the aesthetic output of our work quite seriously, mainly because it links heavily to our morals. We’ve always pursued sustainability in all our work so naturally, we consider this in our visual output too. We create designs which are timeless, it’s all too easy to get caught up in trends and the pursuit of ‘newness’, but those emotional responses to an object can quickly change to being negative once the trend has served its time.
We also strongly believe that by being simplistic and timeless there is also the benefit that the designs become gender-neutral, as inclusivity is also very important to us. We find our aesthetic principles have a very strong parity to Scandinavian design, with a few of our designers having spent time working in Sweden and Denmark.
What lessons and insights from your career did you bring with you when crafting the studio?
I worked as an employee in design for one year before going freelance so I’d say most of my insights come from before I studied and my childhood. No one in my family did creative work, had been to university, or had been self-employed. I also worked in IT for a few years before going to university, which I despised. The ‘careers’ of those close to me when I grew up and my own time working in IT have given me a deep understanding of how lucky we are to be designers. We get to think creatively, solve problems and create the objects of our collective future. Our job is like playing with Lego on an adult scale, and that privilege is never lost on me.
How did you approach building your team? What stands out to you when hiring?
I am proud to have attracted and built a diverse team of designers here at Studio Wood. Some of the qualities they have and what we look out for when hiring are below, alongside a good sense of humour.
Aesthetic alignment
Moral alignment
Holistically minded
Problem solver
No ego
What led to your decision to base the studio in Bournemouth?
The majority of our industry is in London and I’ve never been a person that draws energy from a city, more likely anxiety. Being in Bournemouth allows us to all have great access to nature, which we think supports our sustainable focus, mental health and maintains a great
work-life balance.
I grew up working class, so it’s really important to me that design can be more accessible for those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The average first-time buyer deposit in London is over £130k now, so the field based there makes it completely inaccessible for the lower classes outside of London. Now Bournemouth certainly isn’t cheap! But it’s no London.
And to quote the great Dominic Toretto, ‘family’ did play a part.
What’s next for Studio Wood?
We are aiming to become B-Corp in 2023 which will be a milestone for us. We aim to continue to grow organically and sustainably working with clients who share the same core design principles and vision to create products that are timeless, useful, and responsible. Growth feels attainable that way.
The diversity of our team is really important to us and crucial to design objects that are truly inclusive. We are proud to have an equal gender mix amongst the Studio Wood team (our field is 88% male) and want to continue to support women in design through events such as women + innovation and other design-focused grass root events in the future.
Website → studiowood.co.uk
Instagram → @studio_wood_uk
