Why Coworking Spaces are Busine erapy for Designers

Why Coworking Spaces are Business Therapy for Designers Posted on: July 8, 2014 /

Categories: Current Events

When it comes to coworking spaces for graphic designers, even the downsides

are upsides. Isn't it wonderful when self-serving impulses turn out to actually boost productivity-

e.g., petting office dogs, taking longer lunch breaks, and indulging in second-breakfasts?

Such is the rationale behind coworking spaces: cooperative, pay-by-the-day workplace

options that are serving key roles in the business plans of freelance designers not just in

terms of office space, but in profitability, networking, and savvy advice.

What to Look for in a Design Space: Flexibility, Flexibility, Flexibility If there's one consistency in startups, it's inconsistency-to such a degree that coworking

doubles as the Goldilocks option for best cases and worst cases alike.

Raking in six times what you expected in your first year-or six times less? Outcomes on

either end are among the greatest reasons to consider coworking in lieu of restrictive

lease terms (or cubicles). Want to add another desk or cut your hours from five days a

week down to two? These are options far beyond the bounds of typical leasing, but the

bread-and-butter of coworking arrangements.

Add the fact that either way you're paying only for your share (and not for utilities during

hours you're not there-or, more accurately, for utilities at all), and the prospect for

apportioned budgeting only sweetens further.

Public Spaces, Paired Motives, and Other People's Clients The flexibility to match commitment to demand is nice; having a community through

which to increase demand, nicer.

Collaboration among coworking tenants is really a win, win, win situation; the odds of

finding a complementary freelancer (e.g., coder, writer, photographer) to pair with as a

designer are great, and both parties stand to benefit from the increase in reach, scope, and

input. Meanwhile, the client gains the convenience of having two vendors in one space-

plus any boons in cohesiveness and efficiency that arise from having three-way

communication.

The only potential downside, says Christina Hilliard of Richmond, VA design shop

Campfire and Co., is relinquishing your control over shared, open aesthetics-but that,

too, has an upside:

Designers have a tendency to want to have complete control over their space, which just

isn't really an option in a coworking situation. That said, our business grew much more

quickly because we are in such a public space. People are able to see our process and how

we work with one another and our clients, as opposed to us hiding out in our homes. 2

You Say Happy Hour, I Say Business Therapy Of course, networking within coworking spaces has its motives aside from just profit.

Many coworking outfits maintain active calendars of guest speakers, workshops, and

community mentoring sessions (with the latter occasionally masked as rooftop happy

hours).

Fraternizing with freelancers and entrepreneurs is a real advantage when running your

own business. The more time a designer can spend designing, and not managing finances

or unraveling legalese, the better-so it helps to have people nearby who've gone through

parallel struggles and taken great notes.

Our studio members have become our business support system, explains Hilliard's

graphic design partner Lauren Stewart. It's so helpful to have a group of people

experiencing the same things and sharing tips and tricks. They are there with you in your

challenges and can really celebrate in your triumphs.

Conference Rooms Versus Coffee Shops Finally, there's the prospect of enjoying not just space to work, but space to meet.

Accustomed to meeting your clients in coffee shops-and apologizing when there aren't

available seats? Sounds like a problem that coworking spaces can solve.

Plus, they usually provide coffee for free.

Matt Siegel covers the marriage of design, branding, and entrepreneurship for Graphic Stock

.

Christina Hilliard and Lauren Stewart are the cofounders of Campfire and Co., an

interior and graphic design studio based out of Richmond, Virginia's Marvin Lang

Building (which Lauren helped design).

Tags: designers, media, product, productivity, stock media, stock video, Video Blocks, VideoBlocks, web

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