Fehler

Irrtum n. Mistake, Error Mangel n. Fault, Defect

Capital Loss

Published in 2006 in Digit, 'Capital Loss' highlighted work by a number of designers thriving outside the UK capital, London, including The Chase, Fehler, and Whitenoise.

The UK's creative industry is notoriously London-centric. But creativity isn't the sole preserve of a select clique in the capital and many design agencies are thinking big outside the big smoke.

Jason Walsh

For many designers, joining the creative community in London is the ultimate aim. London is the centre for much of the UK's commerce and the creative industry is no exception. But a London-centric creative industry doesn't mean design can't thrive outside the capital. Starting a creative business is a tough job wherever you're based, but it can be even harder if your company is isolated from the creative and industrial centre ... if you're going to shun the Soho set, you need to plan your strategy.

"Now is a fantastic time to be a designer - anywhere," says Christopher Murphy, Subject Director of Interactive Multimedia Design at the University of Ulster, Belfast.

For Murphy, the industry has been democratized by two recent developments - vastly reduced start-up costs and the internet.

"The internet is honestly the most important opportunity to break geographical borders," he says. "It's eroding distance. It has put things that would have often only existed in large design companies at the hands of smaller one, two and three person companies."

Ultimately creatives don't have to work in London. It pays to keep an eye on what's happening in the capital, but creatives can have the best of both worlds by paying attention to clients locally, nationally and internationally. You may have to sell your work that bit harder, but effective networking and quality work will make the mark wherever you are.