Stupendous Studio

How does the local culture of where you live affect your design work and getting clients?

Our Studio is currently based in London, and this has a massive influence on our work. It is a city with many facets, cultures and characters. We feel that it is more global than local, a bit like a mini version of the world where all sorts of individuals and cultures converge.

London is at the forefront of design, and we are surrounded by the latest trends and creative experimentation from people with different cultural backgrounds. This array of thinking and perspectives allows us to be more aware of varying needs from other parts of the world. In fact, Stupendous Studio is formed by different nationalities that came together in London.

In this global world, the possibilities of collaborating with clients have broadened significantly — many of our projects are based outside of London. The internet has allowed us to work remotely with clients that share our studio views from all over the world. New technologies mean we can have meetings, pitch ideas and work on other parts of the design process remotely. But nurturing the connections we make by living in London is very important for that. Being constantly surrounded by other professional creatives, we meet a lot of people that end up introducing us to new clients, whether in London or on a more international scale.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

To take risks and not be afraid of failure. In our studio, we believe that all ideas are valid, and it is important to give them an opportunity to be explored. It is often from unexpected ideas that we find the most rewarding results.

Who's on the team, what are their roles, and why do you love them?

In a nutshell, Omar and Fran met in Barcelona while studying an MA in Graphic design. Years later, Fran moved to London to work at Samsung Design Europe where he met Diego. Omar joined a year later, and that was the start of our friendship. Eventually, each of us followed different paths working for various studios. It was a matter of time until we decided to create something together, after eight years of sharing similar interests, passions and objectives. Finally, Maria joined the Studio after graduating from the university where Omar and Fran lecture nowadays. And this is Stupendous.

We do not have specific roles. We are a team of multi-disciplinary creatives with different interests and skills that complement each other. This is the beauty, there is no such a thing as a hierarchy. Everyone has the same right to share their thoughts and ideas and to contribute to the overall studio culture.

Are you involved in any teaching, and if so, how does it shape your practice?

Omar and Fran, work as lecturers at the University of Greenwich in the Design School. They teach across all levels, from the first year to third year, and cover disciplines such as Design Principles, Experience Design, Interdisciplinary Design, Design Challenges and Professional Practice.

Teaching helps us to connect with future practitioners of design. We believe it is crucial to understand how students think and where their ideas come from. Knowing what the younger generation is up to also helps us to minimise the gap between education and professional practice. Teaching also shapes us as practitioners. We tend to forget all of the tips and advice that we give students and often need to remind ourselves to follow these too. It's hugely rewarding to see students progress and we feel strongly about maintaining this aspect of our practice as designers.

As a Studio, we also occasionally organise creative workshops with a hands-on approach, encouraging new ways of thinking and creative problem solving.