Open Studio #3: Studio AntiGravity on Building a Studio Designed to Rise Above the Ordinary.
Open Studio is a brand new podcast about what the creative industry's actually like. For the people in it, the people near it and the people still working out whether to jump in.
Eight years together
One studio. Zero interest in rushing it.
That's Jordan Yates and Rachel Cook in a sentence, the founder and studio director behind Studio AntiGravity. In episode four of Open Studio, the pair talk us through what it actually takes to launch a studio together, and why the name isn't just branding.
About Jordan and Rachel
Jordan Yates is Founder and Creative Director of Studio AntiGravity and Rachel Cook is Studio Director.
The two have been together eight years and recently co-founded the studio, pairing Jordan's design background with Rachel's operations experience. The name says what they're going for: rising above the ordinary, bold work that stands out rather than blends in.
Starting a studio looks different now
Jordan's route in was freelance, agency, in-house (the usual scenic tour). Founding AntiGravity is its own chapter entirely.
"I've been in agencies and worked in-house, but launching AntiGravity is a new chapter. It's been a learning curve, especially in setting up processes that work."
Rachel's project management background from a larger agency is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.
"We need to get everything out of Jordan's head and into a functioning system. It has been challenging but rewarding to build these processes together."
Translation: creative talent alone doesn't run a studio. Someone has to turn the ideas in your founder's head into something the whole team can actually run on.
First few months are the hardest
Good projects landing on your desk sounds like the dream. It's also, apparently, its own problem.
"We had a lot of great projects coming in, but we also needed to streamline our workflows. It was about finding the right balance," Jordan says.
Rachel puts it down to the mix of backgrounds they each bring.
"It's been amazing, but it's also a steep learning curve. We both come from different backgrounds, which helps us tackle challenges from various angles."
Growing slowly, on purpose
Every new studio eventually asks the same question: when do you hire? Jordan and Rachel aren't in a hurry to answer it.
"We're taking our time with growth. The goal is to build AntiGravity thoughtfully and sustainably. When the workload becomes too much, that's when we'll consider hiring more people," Jordan explains.
"It's essential to find the right fit for our team. We currently have a small but mighty group, which allows us to maintain our creative vision while delivering quality work," Rachel adds.
Steal Jordan and Rachel's approach
- Get the process out of your founder's head. Creative vision needs a system underneath it, or it doesn't scale past one person.
- Expect the good problem, not just the bad one. Too much great work coming in too fast is still a workflow problem. Plan for it.
- Hire for fit, not headcount. A small team that shares your creative vision beats a bigger one that dilutes it.
- Let growth follow demand, not ego. Build thoughtfully. Hire when the workload actually says so, not before.
Open Studio, made at Shillington. Episode 03, listen here.
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