Every great idea starts somewhere. Sometimes it’s on a notepad. Sometimes it’s in a late-night conversation. But more often than not, it’s in a space that makes you feel inspired to think differently.
I believe your environment has as much influence on creativity as the tools you use or the people you work with. That’s why the DSD studio on New London Road isn’t just where I work – it’s where I create. It’s a space designed to encourage curiosity, collaboration, and the kind of thinking that leads to better design.
A Studio with Personality
Walk through the door of the studio and you’ll notice one thing straight away: it doesn’t feel like a typical office. The space is open (as much as a lower ceiling Victorian building can be!) and bright, with light that moves across the room throughout the day. There’s a quiet energy to it, calm enough for focus, lively enough to spark conversations.
You’ll find shelves of design books, framed work that tells stories, and small touches that remind us why we do what we do. Nothing feels too polished or precious. It feels lived-in, human, and down to earth – just how it should.
Designed for Collaboration
Design rarely happens in isolation. Some of our best ideas come from spontaneous chats over coffee, sketches on paper, or moments when one thought sparks another. The studio is set up to encourage exactly that – a blend of bespoke desking for designer collaboration and a break out meeting area for client interaction.
It’s a flexible space. One day it’s a design review with a client, the next it’s a hands-on creative session between myself and Sienna our junior designer, with music and energy in the air. It’s designed to adapt, not dictate, because good spaces should support creativity, not restrict it.
The Influence Behind the Space
The aesthetic was partly inspired by Casey Neistat’s highly functional Manhattan studio – not for its chaos, but for its authenticity. There’s something powerful about a space that feels personal and functional, where every object has a story and every surface invites you to make something.
I took that philosophy and refined it through the lens of DSD’s design values – transparency, warmth, and individuality. The result is a studio that feels distinctly ours: open, optimistic, and built to encourage creativity.
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Why Space Shapes Creativity
The right environment doesn’t just make work easier, it changes the way you think.
A good creative space should:
• Encourage focus – by being calm, inspirational and organised.
• Invite collaboration – by feeling open, approachable, and inclusive.
• Inspire ideas – through thoughtful design, texture, light, and personality.
• Reflect your identity – because the space you inhabit tells people who you are before you say a word.
When a space is designed with intent, it supports every stage of the creative process, from the first spark of an idea to the final piece of work on the wall.
More Than a Place to Work
The studio on New London Road isn’t just where projects happen; it’s part of what makes those projects possible. It’s a space that holds DSD’s culture – welcoming, positive, and quietly ambitious and has become a key character in itself.
It reminds me that design isn’t only about the finished product. It’s about the environment that shapes the process, the people who fill it, and the energy that carries ideas from concept to completion.
So whether you’re a designer, a client, or simply someone who loves to create, invest in your space. Make it somewhere that reflects how you want to think and what you want to make. Because when your surroundings inspire you, great work naturally follows.
