Brand Series - Seb & Charlie

Seb & Charlie is a design studio that also sells prints, clothing and accessories. Lots of them have a nod to the 80’s and are so eye catching and unique that you’ll be sure to recognise them. Run by Charlie and based in Wakefield, she has produced work for a vast array of clients internationally. Charlie is a conceptual designer creating high quality work for Childrenswear Designers, Book Publishers, Design Agencies + many more. I asked her about the growth in her business and also what advice she would give to other business owners.

1. What is the story behind Seb & Charlie?

I studied design at Leeds Art university but didn't have the confidence to pursue it full time once i'd graduated and so I begun working in merchandising / account management with a company based in Leicester. I moved back up north to my home town a couple of years afterwards and continued working for the business. After I left to have my first child I knew fairly quickly i didn't want to return to the job especially with the commute.

I didn't know what i wanted to do but i've always spent lots of time illustrating and designing and whilst on maternity leave i added some wedding stationery and prints to an Etsy shop and set up a website. Shortly after the products went live I begun receiving a good amount of sales. I also sold at a number of different wedding and craft fairs and when it came to finishing my maternity leave and returning to employment i took the plunge and began running Seb & Charlie Design Studio as my main source of income.

2. What came first, the design studio or the online store?

The online store came first and gave me the opportunity to showcase my designs and also earn some money. I knew it wouldn't provide me with the income I needed initially and so I begun approaching different businesses to offer my designs skills. I begun working as their freelance lead designer for a printing company in Leeds which gave me the peace of mind that I was able to cover the mortgage.

I'm passionate about playful designs for children's products and services however i quickly lost sight of this as the printing studio began sending me lots of corporate work. When i went on to maternity leave with my second child i decided to stop freelancing with them and focus on showcasing my own style of work and producing designs for children's products again.

3. What one activity would you say has led to growth in your business?

Setting up an Instagram account was key. In 2015 when I set up the business, Instagram wasn't a huge source of sales for me and my engagement was low as my feed was a mix of home life and work life and my followers were mainly friends and family. As the app became more popular I changed it to a business account and only showcase my designs. I created a set of templates and focused on organising my feed and sticking to a theme which promoted my playful style. It became a huge marketing tool for the studio and although my follower count isn't huge i have a lot of returning customers and the clients i've worked with have created a bit of a snowball effect with word of mouth recommendations.

The app has definitely helped my income and spread the name of my business and it's only now that i'm finding it hard to keep the momentum. It's extremely time consuming to work well within the Instagram algorithm and so now I don't rely on product sales as a source of income. I produce designs and illustrations for lots of different businesses which compliment my style and reach out to them directly rather than relying on Instagram.

4. Do you have a team that work with you?

I predominately work alone from my studio at home however i'll outsource most animation projects to a freelance animator. I also outsource my printing so I work with a few difference businesses who print my clothing, print and wall flags. I also have an accountant who i couldn't do without - she's amazing!

5. Tell us about the 80's prints. I love them!

I'm a huge fan of nostalgia and have lovely memories growing up in the 80's and 90's so I always feel inspired to incorporate toys, tv shows, movies and products from that era. I designed a very simple 'Eighties Kid' sweater around 2016 and found that so many people loved it. They would message me with their memories of growing up and the fun they had and so it just became the basis of a lot of my designs and a theme of my business. I'm a mother of two young children and a lot of my designs are created with them in mind and so i love to incorporate the two themes; education and learning and the fun of growing up in the 80's/90's!

6. If you could do it all again would you do it differently?

Slow down and be confident in my work. I've always struggled with having confidence in my designs and that was the main reason i didn't pursue a design career after graduating. I was always worried i wasn't good enough as my competitors and so i used to shy away from presenting work. It's not until these recent years I've realised that it shouldn't be an issue and definitely one i shouldn’t lose sleep over. We're all unique, we're all doing our own thing and I'm proud i'm running the design studio 7 years on, that in itself should mean something.

7. What one piece of advice would you give another small business owner who's earlier on in their business journey than you?

Keep your business hat on. It's so easy when a hobby becomes a business to do things for cheap or for free but it's a business and if you want it to be successful and be appreciated as a business you need to respect your time and experience. You'll always get people who want something for nothing but these people aren't your target market. Focus on the customers who respect you and your business.

To follow Seb & Charlie over on Instagram or to learn more click here.