Success Stories: RAW Design Studio

RAW Design Studio co-founded by Leeds Met graduate Steven Taylor and Robert Watson was launched in September 2006.

Steven, who studied Events Management at Leeds Met, and Robert, a Graphic Design graduate from Salford University, have been friends for years and it wasn’t until one day over a pint they started talking about how they could combine their skills, knowledge and expertise to run their own business. They quickly realised that together they could have a successful business with Robert being the creative half of the partnership responsible for the design work whilst Steven would manage the sales and finance aspects of the business. As a result the idea of Raw Design Studio was born.

Seeking advice for the business, Steven enrolled onto the Business Start-Up programme and attended the Entrepreneurial Summer School in July 2006. He thought the Summer School would be a really great opportunity to meet with business experts and gain practical information which would help develop his idea.

Steven said, “the Summer School was an excellent opportunity for networking and I made a lot of contacts who I got to know on both a personal and professional level".


Initially Steven and Robert worked on Raw Design Studio in their spare time whilst managing full time jobs, but early in 2007 they decided to take the plunge and work full time on their own business, moving into their first business premises in Salford, Manchester.

Steven says, “Starting your own business is both the hardest and easiest thing to do. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication but it is so much more motivating than working for someone else. Watching your idea and company grow is an extremely rewarding and liberating experience”.


The projects that Raw Design have been working on in 2007/2008 focus on health improvements in the community. Working mainly with the NHS, RAW Design helped develop and launch ‘52 ways to save your life’ in August 2007. The pocket sized book contained tips aimed to improve people’s health and was supplied to 70,000 households in Barking and Dagenham borough of London. The project was so well received that Raw was commissioned to build a large scale website that builds on the the same ideas and messages that the handy little book provided (www.52ways.nhs.uk). 

 

For more information visit: www.rawdesignstudio.co.uk

 

Updated August 2008