Why Universal Everything?
It describes the biggest possible thing — absolute freedom in any direction, anywhere.

Why now?
I’m ready to escape the legacy of TDR, diversify, develop new styles, collaborate with lovely people. The internet has made location irrelevant, for example I can work on a project with clients in Seattle, with collaborators from New York, London and Tokyo — all from my artist’s retreat deep in leafy Sheffield.

What kind of work do you want to focus on with the new company?
Working with forward thinking clients / products - fashion, architecture, furniture, advertising,TV channels, mobile content… Anything which makes a difference, pushes the envelope, raises the bar.

How is the company set up? Is it just you?
Started by me, but with great emphasis laid on external creative collaboration from all disciplines, eg. programming, CGI/3D graphics, interior design, fashion, architects, sound designers... I am always interested in hearing from people who make a difference!

For commercials and music videos in North America, I work with the NYC / LA production company Transistor Studios.

What’s the most important thing you learned during your time at TDR?
Your best ideas can be bettered. Be Brave.

Are you staying in Sheffield?
It’s in the mountains, perfect for that Jackson Pollock artist’s retreat. Keeps me focused on creativity. The hub is in Sheffield, but the network extends worldwide.

Where are you from originally?
I was born in the village of Wotton Bassett, in deepest rural England.

Where and what did you study?
I did a National Diploma in Technical Illustration at Portsmouth Art College, customizing skateboards, screenprinting T-shirts, painting hyper-coloured abstract landscapes, witnessing the birth of Warp Records and electronic music. Then I went on to do a degree in Graphic Design at Croydon College, a time I spent trying to be different.

Did you go straight to TDR after college?
Yes, straight from my degree up to the unknown North of England.

How did that come about in the first place?
I designed a (the first?) cut-up architecture record sleeve for my brother, Simon — who records as Freeform — released on Warp Records. TDR saw the sleeve and loved it. I had an alchohol-related interview — I left standing — and started the Monday after!

How long did you work there?
Eight years.

Do you worry about the TDR legacy overshadowing what you do now?
It gives me the motivation to move beyond that aesthetic, continuing the same standard of thinking and pioneering spirit and pushing it in fresh directions.

In your opinion, what makes good design?
When it knocks you back, when it’s something you’ve never seen or considered before. It fills a space others overlook.

Do you worry that working across disciplines will spread your talents too thinly?
Creative thinking can be applied to anything. It’s about talking and amplifying a message through your chosen format. To me, the multitude of mediums and disciplines are just different voices. By collaborating with top notch specialists, everybody pushes their own talents towards one common goal.

Where do you see yourself and the company in five years time?
In Sheffield and everywhere at the same time, designing websites, clothes, interiors, exteriors, motion graphics, consumer packaging and the rest with a bunch of amazing collaborators. Whilst I’m sending my five year anniversary interview to Idanda.net at 3,000 feet up from my hanglider :-)

What’s the best thing about starting your own company?
The pressure is on to design better than ever!