Howdy Partners

I've recently updated the Citizen site to include a list of partners that I work with, I'm hoping this will increase Citizen's offering and expand the size and scope of work we're able to go after.

You may also notice that we've gone from an 'I' to a 'we'.

The first person on the roster is Maria Ingram. I've worked with Maria for many years. She's a creative copywriter who's got a good eye for detail, and a sound conceptual brain. She's great for bouncing ideas around with, and then sewing a concept up with a neat little strapline.

Next up, Karen Brown. Yes my wife, but also my partner in business and someone I've worked with at my previous agency. Karen is a great help to me at Citizen, she's an incredible organiser, and solid strategic thinker. Previously Karen worked at BBH, on the British Airways and Audi accounts where she was named 'Project Manager of the year in 08 and 09'.

Finally (for the moment) Phil Sharp. Phil is a magnificent photographer, I've worked with him lots of times over the years including on the One Leicester campaign in 2009.

Phil's work had been all over the place in The Guardian, Wallpaper, Time Out and NME, and he's recently been directing the photography on some short films. What makes him such a great portrait photographer is, (along side his technical skills) his ability to relax his subjects, and really get the best out of them. I really enjoy working with Phil, the best work I've done has come from this partnership.


So, there's the basis of the Citizen team, and I have no plans to stop there. If you think you have something to offer us, please get in touch and perhaps we can create something together.

I've taken some pretty big meetings in the last couple of weeks, and I've got some interesting projects lined up, so far so good. One month in and Citizen is still standing, I'm proud of that.


www.citizenstudios.co.uk
Ben@citizenstudios.co.uk


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Week One.

I'm not planning to update every week on how I'm doing, but week one of Citizen was interesting, and at the end of it I was happy for people to tell me I looked 'tired'. I've realised that I'm happier when I'm working, and when I'm busy, creatively.

Sunday night I filled my blackboard with all my jobs and meetings and spent the week hammering through it. (Taking the odd beak to smash snowballs over my own head with Archie.) The variety of work made it so much fun, I pitched freelance design for Motorcross Helmets, and for an online Portrait company (which I won), as well as picking up 3 small logo jobs.

I've learnt that it's very competitive out there. people want a lot, for as little at they get away with, and even after they've had it, they'll keep coming back for more. I've been working from some of the freelance sites and the scope of work to budget ration is at times amazing. It's clear that when people aren't dealing face-to-face with folk, they really do take the piss, but, on the other hand the worldwide pool of designers mean, there's always someone, somewhere to do the work.

So, I was happy I wasn't sitting round with my hand down my pants, I've got some great meetings lined up this week that I'm really excited about, and a big project about to kick off. Last Friday bought with it a nice meeting in a coffee shop with my wife, and a whole raft of opportunities that I hope will come to fruition in the New Year. 

I can see how keeping things in perspective mentally, going forward could be my biggest challenge, but I hope the positive energy from the first week will keep me, keeping on. Here's to a new week, a new year and a new way of working...

Get in touch ben@citizenstudios.co.uk

Visit www.citizenstudios.co.uk

Or call 07764 898 010

Nice little mention.

It's was nice to get a mention on Mudkiss for The 66 artwork I produced earlier in the year, here's what The 66 said about Citizen:

A very talented guy called Benjamin Brown created the artwork.  He’s worked with a number of high profile names and acts for their artwork over the years, so we were delighted to secure his services – it felt like a missing link.  When I gave him the brief for the logo via the label, he told Mark ‘that is the most insane fucking brief I’ve ever had in my life, I like it’ it’s rife with meanings and symbology that I can’t, and possibly never will go into! But it means something to each of us – a hint? The Fly is actually a rare ‘Black Bee’. With the EP cover, Ben simply took all his talent and came up with something that was exactly right and was visioned – and then some! All the credit goes to Mr Brown for that one.

You can read the full article about here at http://www.mudkiss.com/the66interview.htm


Find out more about my band artwork and the kind of services I offer by visiting www.citizenstudios.co.uk

I'm a free Citizen again...

Monday November 29th Citizen version 2 (it's not called that, that would be horrible) will be born again. I'm building on Citizen as it was, and expanding the whole thing out to 3 core areas of activity: 

Citizen Corporate will deal with the day-to-day business of a normal Marketing agency, I'll be looking for branding, advertising and corporate literature projects, all the kinds of things that have been paying the bills for the last 10 years.

Citizen Arts is really Citizen as it was, a softer more artistic side to the business, that'll deal with record companies, bands and clubs, and anyone that needs a creative piece of work doing and doesn't want to get bogged down in briefs and PO numbers. 

Citizen Freelance is a freelance design service that's going to give people the experience of my 10 years in the business, working for them in their company - the way freelancers do, but booked direct through me you can avoid the agency fees.

The new Citizen site is up and running, and from here you can find out more about all my services.

It's been a furious few weeks of evening activity so far and I want to thank Karen, Dad, Maria, Ellie, Skelly, Rik, Parker, Jon, Stacey, Tracy, Jack, Brian and Chris for all your help setting up so far, I really appreciate it, it's inspiring to know I have great people around me from the beginning.