This was a talk I gave to the MA Design students at Birmingham Institute of Art & Design. I was invited to show them examples of my work, but more importantly, talk about how and why and where an with whom. The emphasis was more on relating my experiences of being a one-man-band.

2. 1976 born
Born in Good Hope Hospital, Birmingham.
1991 everest
Mrs Everest, thank-you.
1981 ‘off’
Steve has his first memory of enjoying typography writing the word 'off'. Broke
1995 foundation
Kent Institute of Art and Design accept a Pearl Jam reciting, Nirvana inspired,
leg. Radiohead 'I'm a creep', Alive 'I alone' loving 'art student.
1982 thief
Steve stole a double decker, ate it in the toilet only to be caught trying to flush
1997 bachelor
Graduating from Nottingham Trent University with a First Class honours in
it away. Graphic Design (BA).
1983 bully
Steve decided to teach a bully in his class a lesson by stabbing a bobbing
2000 master
Graduated with an MA from Central Saint Martins. Got made redundant.
needle in his arm during a 'wet break'. Twice. In six months.
1988 senior
Started Arthur Terry School didn't daunt Steve, he had a girlfriend in the year
2000 limited
July 31st 2001 marks the official birth of Plan-B Studio (Limited).
above for lunchtime breaks.
1989 kent
Moved to Kent. Lost ‘brummy’ accent PDQ!

3. It’s not the size, but what you do with it.

4. Business ‘Plan’ 2000 - 2004
4%
19%
38%
19%
19%
=
1. Designer
2. ‘Businessman’
Design Cool Shit Socialise Get laid Drink Pay rent

5. Business ‘Plan’ 2004 - 2009
1%
13%
39%
33%
13%
=
1. ‘Businessman’
2. Designer
New Business Administration Look after Enzo Pay Mortgage Socialise

6. @greyworld Get a sneaky accountant, someone you trust.

7. Plan-B Studio / Clients
ArisingArtist Evian Mitchell-Beazley Seymour Powell
Autistic Society Friends of the Earth Mitsubishi Sigrid Szetu
Billboard Financial Times MP Magazine Sony
Breastfriends Hill&Knowlton Nike Sony Playstation2
Bulthaup Howies Orange Sunday Vive
Cointreau HSBC Investments Poker Trillion The Nextmen
Cooperative Bank Isokon Plus PPA The Sunday Times
Creative Review Jobsgopublic PriceWaterHouse Coopers The Enemy
Critcal Sales John Laing RadioBillboard TZ-ing
Diesel Laing O’Rourke Red Dot Clothing Vodafone
Diesel-U-Music LD Communications Richmix ?WhatIf ! Innovation
DJ Magazine LD Productions Rockport Publishing Wall of Sound
Egg: the internet bank LeCool Rotovision Publishing Wild Bunch
EMI Laurence King Publishing Royal Festival Hall Universal/Mercury
Entity Partnerships Mac User Salt

8. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2006/2007)

9. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2006)

10. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2006 promo)

11. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2006 fanzine)

12. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2006 TV)

13. @simoncook Don't over analyse stuff. Don't follow a process, follow your gut.

14. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2007)

15. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2007 fanzine)

16. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2007 adverts)

17. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2007 promo)

18. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Diesel-U-Music (2007 TV intro)

19. @NickyGibson My advice is to blog. Because it helps you figure out what's good and why.
Make sure you learn from other peoples mistakes

20. Plan-B Studio / Clients / RedDot Clothing

21. Plan-B Studio / Clients / RedDot Clothing (holding site)

22. Plan-B Studio / Clients / RedDot Clothing (Look Book)

23. Plan-B Studio / Clients / RedDot Clothing (actual site)

24. @nathanawilliams Leave college, get a job, no one gives a shit what degree you did once you're out the door. Harsh but true ;-)
... and read/understand something about 'business', as in design in the context of etc

25. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Friends of the Earth

26. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Friends of the Earth / Friend,

27. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Friends of the Earth / Friend,

28. @nillesvensson It will never harm you to demand fair pay for your work. Buy the best ergonomical chair you Can afford. Keep yourself
interested. Always use your personal perspective on assignments. Don’t enter competitions. Make toilet time useful by writing tweets.

29. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Friends of the Earth / The Big Ask

30. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Friends of the Earth / Climate report

31. @shanewalter Work hard, work harder, enjoy work more than not working, work with a passion, keep working, play with work, make love
to your work

32. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Entity Partnerships

33. Plan-B Studio / Clients / LD Communications (indent, stationary)

34. Plan-B Studio / Clients / LD Communications (CMS/flash web site)

35. @socialsuicide Try and think about next week, next month and even next year, not just what you've got to get done for tomorrow. Then
ask yourself what the fuck you're doing up at 1:30am trying to sound intelligent when clearly you're a dumb fuck because it's 1:30am...

36. Plan-B Studio / Clients / ArisingArtist

37. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Howies

38. @benoonbenoon TRUST. YOUR. INSTINCTS. also Be as direct as you can. Learned that one late.

39. Plan-B Studio / Clients / Autistic Society

40. @dalj Never get angry. someone always knows better than you. Take a lunch break. Don't work on a saturday. Clients also go to the toilet!

44. @bhostler Nothing ever turns out how you plan it, but without a plan you've got nothing.

47. @planbstudio Never under value the value you have in your creative ability. Always get 50% upfront.