13 Thirteen Design
Can you tell us about 13 Thirteen Design…
13 Thirteen Design is the umbrella under which I carry out all my design work and through which I offer all my print services.
What’s your background and how has that influenced the work your company does?
Design had always been my preference from an early age, and ultimately went on to be my plan and path. After school, I gained my degree in Product Design & Innovation at Strathclyde University. I enjoyed various aspects of the course, namely the design based classes as well as the hands on workshop stuff. Basically anything creative would keep my attention and I’d enjoy.
I also have a strong sporting background that continues through to the current day. The outdoors influence a lot of what I do and getting into the mountains helps me reset and keep the creative juices flowing. After leaving University I undertook a diverse range of jobs: managing a skatepark; working in an ice cream store in Whistler (Canada); retail work for All Saints etc but all the while grew my understanding and experience in design, particularly focusing on the Adobe Creative suite that ultimately led to my first Graphic Design role at P4P Creative. Moving on from there I then worked at printing.com for a couple of years where I honed my design for print skills, which of course can be a bit of a black art and that’s certainly something I’ve brought through to my own business.
What are the services / products you offer?
13 Thirteen Design can be separated into 3 main sections: graphic design, web design and print services.
The graphic design encompasses anything from branding and logo design through to marketing material creation for both digital and print. Web design really does what it says on the tin. This is a slightly newer string to my bow but building visually appealing websites that are fully responsive and have the end user’s experience in mind is something I enjoy and can generate value for businesses both old and new.
Lastly, I offer an entire range of printing services. This week for instance I’ve printed a few sets of nice business cards with varying finishes; a few thousand restaurant menus; 4,000 56 page A4 brochures that were matt laminated and perfect bound; a range of outdoor vinyl banners; and some community newsletters! So, I really do offer printing across the spectrum. This includes all shapes and sizes in: digital printing (generally on shorter runs); large scale litho printing; exhibition stands; outdoor and rigid media; and product printing.
Can you share some insight into how you ensure you stay creatively stimulated?
I think there are a large number of readily available ways to keep yourself stimulated these days. I follow a number of other designers on Instagram and am also a member of a couple of graphic design groups on Facebook that are excellent, so social media certainly plays a part. That said, I don’t think these aspects alone can provide you with all the stimulation you need to be well rounded in your approach to designing for a broad spectrum of sectors, as I do. I touched upon it earlier, but I believe that inspiration comes from all around you in every aspect of life…I think travel, getting outside your every day bubble and experiencing as much as possible is vital. The outdoors and varying my setting are massively important to me.
What is the single biggest challenge of running an independent design agency?
Time. It’s a bit of a juggling act assigning time to the many aspects of the business you have to cover. A typical day for me would include writing proposals, costing print jobs, invoicing for work done, working on roughly 4 design jobs and the associated dialog with clients, and lunch…with any luck!
How does being in a building like The Whisky Bond and in a city like Glasgow support your work?
I’ve been in TWB since officially lighting the fuse on 13 Thirteen Design, back in May, and I thoroughly enjoy being here. The place has a great vibe and there are a lot of interesting companies of all sorts and sizes, as well as a good flow of events going on. It definitely has a lot more soul and intrigue than your average working space.
I could talk about the advantages of Glasgow as a city for a lot longer than is intended by this question, but I won’t! What I will say is that with regard to size, culture, entertainment and creativity you’d struggle to find a city in the UK that trumps this place. I have had itchy feet for a long time, keen to move and live elsewhere for a while but there is a magnetism that Glasgow holds and exudes that keeps me very happily planted.
What advice would you give to anyone thinking of starting out on their own?
Do it!
If you think it’s going to be right for you then it most likely is. As anyone in this situation will tell you, it’s not easy by any means, however, the rewards are exponentially greater than working ‘for the man’ so to speak. It’s exciting and if you get prepared, are conscious of your timing and fully commit, then it will be worth it!