SoLo Craft Fair catches up with Ed Povey from South London based design studio Place in Print. We find out how Place in Print has become the successful business it is today, and Ed shares some great pointers on how to start your own company.
Tell us a little about what you do.
Place in Print is a design studio and online retailer, specialising in locally-themed art prints, homeware, clothing and cards. Since founding the company in 2013, we’ve worked hard to bring our customers affordable and appealing products which celebrate the places in which we live. As well as designing in-house, we with some of the UK’s leading talent in order to create a selection of the finest place-related products for the home.
What inspired you to start your business?
For a few years after university I had been working as an urban designer, designing public spaces. After a while I left and started picking up some freelance work. It was around that time that a friend and I had an idea to create a few illustrations that depicted landmarks in a few different South London areas. We tested the water at a market in South London. From day one, our work went down really well with the public. Over the next 6 months or so, what started out as an experiment turned into a full time job, and it hasn’t stopped since!
How long have you been running your creative business?
I first started the business in 2012, but Place in Print was officially formed in 2013. I have been working on it more or less full-time since then!
What advice would you give to someone trying to start their own creative business?
One thing you learn pretty quickly when you start your own creative business is that it is very difficult to stay motivated and productive when you are on your own. If at all possible, it is a good idea to work with other people, either business partners or collaborators. At Place in Print, I try to work with other designers as much as possible to broaden the styles of design that we offer, but also to keep me sane! If I was starting up my business again today, I would probably try to take a desk in a shared workspace so that I had a network of other creative-types around me to bounce ideas off and work with.
Which small company do you admire and why?
I’m a big fan of a Joanna Ham’s company HAM. Her design’s are so simple and playful, they have a fantastically broad appeal. Everything about the brand is focussed and stylish, and I’m a particular fan of their Instagram profile as an example of how a social media profile can complement products.
As your company is purely based on places, where is your favourite place and why?
Good question! It has got to be the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill. Being just up the road from my studio, I get to visit quite a lot, and it is a regular lunchtime walk with the studio hound. The Gardens offer an amazing view over London, and the museum itself is filled with an amazing collection of oddities. The Horniman Walrus is the subject of one of my most popular prints, and is a good representation of what my business is about. Anyone that didn’t know of the walrus would be wondering why on earth anyone would want a random picture of one on their wall, but once you know its story, and have seen it in person, you can’t help but love it!
Please tell us how can someone find your company online:
The Place in Print website is the best place to get hold of any of our products. http://www.placeinprint.com. For the social media savvy; you can also follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram - @placeinprint.
