“It was great meeting everyone that was involved with it, I spoke with some interesting people that are very talented in their field of work and they're all doing many different things!”
Lauren
The really useful poster from Makermet
Here are the questions we got to ask Alex Traska, Original founder and Makermet Director:
How did your business start?
"I'd been juggling freelance design with DJ’ing and running the web radio station MyhouseYourhouse since 2005, almost making ends meet. I lived with a friend in a similar position and we were on the hunt for extra work. A chat with our next door neighbour resulted in the biggest project we'd ever had at that time (a website rebuild for a high-end building company), and it necessitated our joining forces to complete it. The proceeds of that project gave us enough to move to a tiny studio on Stoney Street in the Lace Market in September 2011. At that time, we thought we were simply moving our work from the kitchen table to a room in town, but things quickly snowballed and all of a sudden you're running a business!"
How did you come up with the idea for your business?
"As mentioned, there was no "idea" with a subsequent plan to follow. I've often said that Makermet was launched by accident."
Alex from Ideas on Paper
What does Makermet do?
"When we launched, the business was a handy way for the original co-founder Neil and I to deliver our graphic design and web development services as a joint entity. In the five years since, the scope of services we offer has exploded and the business is now a front for our in-house team and huge range of subcontractors we work with to deliver complex end-to-end projects. A person or a business might approach us with a plan for a product or service that doesn't exist yet, or perhaps a transformation they're aiming to bring about within their business. We work with them to explore their idea, research the market, develop a brand identity, print materials and user interfaces designs, websites and e-commerce solutions. After launch we continue to support our clients with further brand development and creative responses to new marketing challenges."
How did you come up with your company name?
"This still makes me shudder, but the name stuck... When I was studying a BA in Multimedia Production at Nottingham Trent University in 2002 we had to put together a portfolio and give ourselves or our organisation a name. I plucked "Maker Met" (which has since become one word) out of thin air. It was to do with 'meeting your maker', i.e. God, and the word 'maker' relating to making things and creativity. I hate that reason for it now. But it's such a unique name I was lucky enough to buy .com domains and have all the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram user accounts as simply Makermet."
Print design
What do you like about the Creative Quarter?
"It's brought the work of creative businesses in Nottingham into focus for people who otherwise might not have any way of connecting with them or hearing about them. A lot of the businesses have been doing great things for a long time before "The CQ" was around, but now it's here they really help celebrate and support our rapidly growing sector."
Why did you decide to locate your business in the CQ?
"The Lace Market, home of our first and four years later current studio, has always been the place to be for creative agencies, for better or worse. The Lace Market has changed, but not nearly as much as Hockley which is more vibrant and exciting than I can ever remember. Being part of that community is important for building relationships with collaborators, finding inspiration and ultimately for our image."
What makes you different from other businesses that may be doing similar things to you?
"Research. We start all our major projects in collaboration with the client to build a foundation of knowledge upon which we can base all future design decisions. It brings consistency to design (print, digital, user experience), avoids falling into the trap of having the client's (or designer's!) preferences or prejudices derail a project and creates an opportunity for everyone's opinions and expertise to be heard. If people feel like their opinion matters at the start of a project, they'll be supportive throughout your work on it and after launch."
The Makermet studio
What’s been your biggest achievement over the past 5 years and where do you see the company in the next 5 years?
"Becoming an employer was an exciting journey, and a brilliant one too; my team are brilliant and it feels as though people are starting to work with 'Makermet the team' rather than 'Alex Traska at Makermet', which is a really important step. I'm looking forward to growing that team again, perhaps by offering an apprenticeship, so that we can build on the services we offer to clients after the launch of their original product."
“I'd like to send my personal thanks to Alex and the Makermet team for making me feel very welcome at their 5th birthday celebration! It was wonderful meeting you all and seeing and learning about what you guys do. Thank you Alex for taking the time to answer my questions too. We wish you all the best with the future of Makermet from the Creative Quarter!”
Lauren
