What are your responsibilities as a designer at Made Thought?
The name Made Thought is quite a literal translation of what we do – half of my role is thinking. From project to project the work varies a lot as no project is ever the same. What I love about Made Thought is that whatever the project, there needs to be a solid idea – it starts with Thought.

Do you run any self-initiated projects alongside your job?
I run a magazine Ladybeard, with some friends. It’s a bit of a nightmare trying to fit it in around work, but as a young designer just starting out it was a really great outlet. At the beginning, more often than not you aren’t doing the most fulfilling work – it’s great to have something that you do outside of work that is completely yours.

Can you tell us a bit about how Ladybeard came about?
It began as a reaction to women’s magazines. We felt frustrated by the type of content aimed at women, so we wanted to do something ourselves. However, I wouldn't really say it's specifically a women’s magazine now.

We work in themed issues, and always aim to offer different perspectives and voices in each. The landscape is really changing, and there are a lot of amazing magazines out there – there's a really nice sense of everyone being in it together, working towards enriching mainstream media.

What are your hopes for Ladybeard’s future?
We don’t really have a plan! It’s always been something we do alongside work because we’re passionate about it. We just want to keep going and see where it takes us.

What would your advice be to others juggling both a personal project and full-time role?
Definitely don’t try and do everything. From experience, I definitely think it's better to focus and streamline what you're trying to do. We always get over-excited in the commissioning stage, and then end up having to cut things as we don't have room.

How did you come to work with Made Thought?
I have actually wanted to work here since I was about 16. I emailed the studio and met with the design directors, then the next week met the founders. I couldn’t say what it was that made them want to hire me, but I remember Paul saying he could tell that I’d be a good fit.

How relevant or helpful has your degree been to your work?
I’m not sure my degree prepared me for life after university but it definitely instilled in me a work ethic and process that I think has stayed with me after leaving. It taught me to think.

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This interview is part of a series of articles profiling design studio Made Thought. See the In the Studio With interview here.

Made Thought is a close collaborator of our brand partner G . F Smith, which has supported Lecture in Progress since the beginning. You can discover more at gfsmith.com.