Category: Studio

Three pieces of tech every company should consider using

Technology has the potential to be your best friend. It can certainly help you grow your business and bring in more revenue, which you can then reinvest and enjoy greater profits with.

There are so many different types of technology out there that you can use to help improve how your business works. The questions you have to ask yourself is what tech will benefit you as depending on what your offering is, different tech will help you in different ways. In a lot of cases you can use AI (which is arguably one of the most important pieces of tech out there at the moment). If you need to take the stress out of board governance, you could use an application to support you and sales teams certainly benefit from using a CRM system.

If you are looking to grow your business, below is our guide on three pieces of tech every company should consider using. Keep on reading to learn more and see if you could implement one of our suggestions.

Image via Pexels

AI

You have to start with AI at the moment. AI has become a major talking point for businesses and the general public, due to the vast capabilities it has. There isn’t much AI can’t do, meaning it can help you in pretty much all areas of your business. The challenge is choosing the right AI tools which produce the best results for the areas you want to use it. For example, if you are into photography, you can use AI in Photoshop to help with your editing process, whereas if you are in web design, you could use Claude to help with your coding.

Project Management Software

If you run a business that takes on lots of projects, then you have to use a project management software to help keep your projects on track. Project management software helps teams organise tasks, collaborate efficiently and ensure projects are completed on time. They can be used on your laptop, your tablets and mobile devices, meaning you are always kept in the loop of what’s going on at any time. By using a project management software you can also help reduce confusion as all the information on the project is in one place.

CRM System

CRM systems are a must for any sales team or business that speaks to customers regularly. A CRM allows you to store and manage customer information in one central place, making it easier to track interactions, follow up with leads and build stronger relationships with clients. Just like a project management system, it can be used on your phone, tablet or laptop and they are fairly affordable, so in a way, budget can’t be an excuse. If you want to grow your business a CRM is a must.

What tech do you currently use which has helped you grow the most? Is there any tech which you are planning on using in the future which hasn’t been released yet? What would you recommend to people trying to start a new business? Let us know in the comment box below. We look forward to hearing from you.

March 26, 2026
Studio Visit: Ex Industria Argentina

Carolina Fernández is the founder of Ex Industria Argentina, a letterpress business in the Abasto neighbourhood in Buenos Aires. Carolina’s studio and workshop are located in her home, a 1930s building that she shares with her painter husband. Our contributing photographer, Andrea Fernández, visited Ex Industria Argentina on her last trip to Buenos Aires and interviewed Carolina about her love for letterpress, the equipment she uses and how her space influences her work.

www.facebook.com/ex-industria-argentina

Photos & Interview by Andrea Fernández.

What is the concept behind Ex Industria Argentina?

From the first day, my goal was to bring back an appreciation for the traditional technique of typography printing or letterpress, the composition using wood or metal types, the impression the type leaves on paper, the time and the dedication the process requires. The name of the project echoes this idea: a way of working that has been left behind, which I’m trying to highlight by bringing a touch of design to.

What is your creative background in and how did you get involved with letterpress?

I was a product designer at a paper house producing lots of different kinds of paper goods. We would make paper by hand on a paper mill and had a workshop specialising in bookbinding and serigraphy, an art gallery and a typography printing studio. It was here that I deeply connected with the art and design world, and got close to printing.

What was the space before you transformed it into your studio & home? How was the renovation process?

The house dates back to the 1930s and is both mine and my husband’s studios, as well as our home. He is a visual artist and did the remodelling of the space to originally house his big art pieces. My studio is on the middle floor, which used to be the open air sun terrace.

Tell us about the equipment and machinery you use and its history.

I print using two antique letterpress machines, known as Minerva’s. They are both from German origin but I don’t have the specific details about them. The smallest one is a Hogenforst that dates back to the 1920s. I bought it from a printer in the San Telmo neighbourhood that used it to print religious cards. I also have a bigger one that is more sturdy and strong.

What do you enjoy the most about working in this space? Does it have a direct impact on your work?

My favourite aspect of my workspace is that it is also my home, which means I have an immense flexibility on my work hours and incorporating it into my daily routines. I love the light I get in this space, infiltrating through the ceiling and reflecting off the tin walls. I feel very connected with the outside world; if it’s overcast my studio is grey, if the sun comes out the space just shines.

July 6, 2017
CreativeMornings/Edinburgh: Gerry Farrell

Gerry Farrell, former Creative Director at the Leith agency in Edinburgh and founder of Gerry Farrell INK spoke at CreativeMornings Edinburgh last month on the topic of ‘Ugly’. During his talk, Gerry shared some of the highs and lows of his creative career and challenged us to used his F.L.I.P philosophy when faced with a difficult situation. Feeling Less Immediately Pessimistic (F.L.I.P) is about understanding that every crises has different outcomes and consciously deciding “not to turn things ugly”.

Gerry believes that not being pessimistic can be a solution to creative problem solving and supports his theory with examples from his career in advertising. His talk was full of great advice for anyone working in the creative industries – from dealing with feedback, difficult briefs or unhappy clients – the decision is ours whether things going to work out or not. It’s easy to be cynical and work with the first idea that comes to our head but we need to study what’s out there and challenge it in order to produce better creative work.

Photos by: Eoin Carey
Video by: Future Positive Studio

March 5, 2015
Enrich and Endure

Enrich and Endure is a new Irish linen and wool homeware company started by creative brother and sister duo Lorcan and Sarah Quinn from County Down, Northern Ireland. Growing up in the centre of what was once the beating heart of the Irish linen industry, Sarah and Lorcan revive their region’s heritage while simultaneously pushing it towards an entirely new direction. We spoke to Sarah to find out more about the brand.

Photos courtesy of Enrich and Endure.

Please tell us about your background. How did Enrich & Endure come about?

Sarah: I have always been creative and driven towards design. I studied art at Manchester University but found my enthusiasm somewhat suppressed, it was there that I realised I didn’t really know what I wanted to do as a career. So I did what most confused creatives do in their early twenties and went travelling – learning new skills along the way. I firstly worked for an interior designer for two years in Northern Ireland before moving to New Zealand where I worked for an interior designer and stylist. It was during my time in New Zealand that I realised what I wanted to do – create a community of like-minded creative people to reinvent Irish products in a fresh and unique way.

I decided to return home just 13 months ago. Lorcan who had taken a career break and had also went off travelling came to visit me in New Zealand 6 months previous. We came up with a plan and decided to return to the nest in October 2013 and get cracking. Lorcan is from a business background so we decided to combine both our skills and passions and work together to develop our own company. It has taken about a year to get off the ground which has proven very hard work but extremely satisfying when we launched our website just 7 months ago.

Who’s responsible for what in your team?

Sarah: Lorcan works on all things business, social and marketing, he is in charge of making it all happen. I’m in charge of all things creative, design and production and writing our blog – also a self-confessed post-it-note queen.

You mentioned that your town used to be the beating heart of the Irish linen industry. Did you see a lot of local support for your idea?

Sarah: Yes, the local support has been absolutely fantastic! Just this week we attended a civic reception with the town mayor and members of the local press. The support beyond our town across the rest of Ireland has been fantastic also. The product offering and overall concept has been extremely well received, people are really keen to see a young dynamic company working with traditional industries.

How do you make sure your products are innovative and cerated with respect to the Irish linen heritage at the same time?

We take traditional patterns and respectfully redesign them by introducing vibrant colours and creative yarn blends, like weaving linen and wool together.

The brand launched earlier this year – what are your plans for the nearest future?

Sarah: We have grand plans for the future! The short term plan is build off the platform we have and expand our collections to offer even more colourways. In the medium to long term we plan on introducing other Irish made products into the offering to push further towards our goal of becoming an all round lifestyle brand. The goal of the company is to offer products that both “Enrich” and “Endure” – this ethos is what we always focus on delivering!

www.enrichandendure.com

October 20, 2014
Naranjo Etxeberria Studio

Miguel Naranjo and Diego Etxeberria are the founders of Spanish design studio Naranjo Etxeberria. Based in Madrid, Miguel and Diego work in different fields – ranging from art direction to branding – and are responsible for Cookbook, a magazine inviting a new artist in each issue to curate a selection of recommendations in music, literature, cinema and art.

To find out more about this creative duo, we visited their studio in Madrid and asked them a few questions. Read their answers below the images.

Photos by Iciar J. Carrasco

www.naranjoetxeberria.com

Please tell us about your background. What did you guys do before Naranjo Etxeberria?

Miguel: I was born in Madrid 30 year ago and studied graphic design at “Escuela de arte Nº 10”. I worked in different advertising agencies and design studios for over 7 years. Two years ago I started a personal editorial project called Cookbook Magazine, which won a Laus Award in 2013.

Diego: I was born in San Sebastian 28 years ago. I studied Creative Advertising in Bilbao and worked in couple of advertising agencies in Madrid over the past 4 years. I’ve also published a magazine with some of my disposable camera pictures and have been involved in several photography exhibitions.

How did you meet and what made you found your design studio?

Diego: We meet in a Kebab takeaway. I was working in an advertising agency with Manu Ridocci and we meet with a friend of him to grab something to eat. That friend was Miguel. After that, he came to work with us in the same agency and we started working together on different projects. After working for 2 years in that place, we decided to start our own studio.

We both have different visions that help us cover projects in a more global way – it is a mix between our past experience and what we want to do at the studio.

Is it easy to run a creative business in Spain at the moment? What has been the hardest part?

Miguel & Diego: It is never the perfect moment to run a creative business like this, but if you want to do it, the earlier you start with it, the better. We think that there are lots of thing to do, create and share currently in Spain… but we still have a lot to learn about being entrepreneurs. That’s our new job: learning how to sell our work and find new clients all the time. Having said that, we are very excited with this new beginning.

You’ve worked with many clients and on many projects so far. Please tell us about a project that is special for you.

Miguel & Diego: We are so lucky because since the first day, we have been able to work with amazing clients like Vincent Moon, Absolut Vodka, Nowness, Curador Magazine, La Vermutería, Good2b, Sobremesa taller, Cookbook Magazine…

A special project would be “Cuadernos de su padre y de su madre” (Notebooks of their father and mother). It is a project made by us at the studio. We make handmade notebooks and each one is unique and different from the others. Nowadays everything is on the internet and everything is ephemeral. That’s why real things have more value and why we like to make objects, thing that you can touch and use.

What does the future hold for Naranjo Etxeberria?

The future is changing all the time. Last week we didn’t even know that in less than a month, we were going to be teaching Visual Communication at IED . It is a new challenge because it is our first time, but we can’t wait to do it. Also, we are going to be teaching about naming and visual identity, a couple of thing we love to work on.

October 2, 2014