& Then Design
Hive delivers business inspiration for design company
With a name chosen to convey a sense of constant progression, creative venture & Then Design has gained a little extra direction on the road to success - thanks to The Hive. Set up by Furniture and Product Design graduates Samuel Wright and Jamie Bowler, & Then Design has carved out a reputation for creating inimitable furniture, products and interior design for both the domestic and contract markets.
Samuel said, "Studying at Nottingham Trent University gave us the massive satisfaction of showing and gaining appreciation for our work. Setting up on our own has helped us retain that sheer sense of enjoyment. Our designs have an element of fun alongside their aesthetic character and practical purpose - we would have risked losing that originality by working full-time for someone else. Sometimes one of the biggest challenges is having the determination to keep going and we've suffered our fair share of false promises. Mentoring meetings keep us organised and positive, putting things in perspective and suggesting structured ways to keep pushing the business forward."
Prompted by a talk given in their final year - and knowing other Hive entrepreneurs whose businesses were still buoyant after several years - the duo enrolled for HeadStart in 2008 and have not looked back. "HeadStart was very inspiring and gave us that push to go for it," said Samuel. "Along with crucial advice about everything from tax and VAT to law, we gained a greater understanding of how to build a positive dialogue with potential customers and communicate our enthusiasm to others."
& Then offers a complete service from initial concepts through to finished products, using traditional craftsman's methods and UK manufacturing. Its first collection, & here we go, attracted phenomenal attention at events such as New Designers and the Heart & Design charity auction. An initial manufacturing contract for its iconic Quba stacking chair swiftly followed. A second collection - & again - built on that success and the company now offers over 15 products which have secured global attention and coverage in publications such as Elle Decoration, Vogue Living, Icon and Office. Since last year, the upmarket furniture retailer Ellis + Louca Interiors has sold the collection at its central London store.
Investing in a strong presence at design shows has remained a cornerstone of the & Then approach. The latest range, & they're at it again, was recently launched to great acclaim at 100% Design. Other key achievements have included creating concept designs for venues such as Nottingham's Broadway Cinema and the New Art Exchange. Having built the business while holding down part-time jobs and freelance work, Samuel and James are currently developing their online sales and hope to move into their own retail premises eventually. As well as creating their own ranges, they are forging links with furniture manufacturers to develop new products and are helping promote other up-and-coming designers. Throughout, they have benefited from monthly Hive mentoring sessions with a business expert, as part of the ongoing support they receive through the SmarTrak programme which follows on from HeadStart, "Our mentor's objective and informed input is invaluable," said Samuel.
For further information visit the &Then Design website.
