The rise of the design collective has given creative people a new way of working, away from the tedium of regular design jobs.

border=0 /><BR></div> </p> <p> The idea of the design collective is laden with kudos. Any designer would want to be part of a free-thinking creative group, and the lure of a co-op is increasingly tempting for people who are tired of the creative industry rat-race. </p> <p> The organization of a design collective can vary in structure from a loose confederation of like-minded designers to a full-blown studio setup, complete with premises and support staff. But the ethos is constant – it’s about economy, flexibility, and creativity. </p> <p> “The collective approach makes a lot of sense, especially during financially insecure times,” says Rebecca Molina, co-founder of Raw Nerve. “We learned a lot about how not to run a business during the dotcom boom and crash. Our overheads are low, and we never pay someone to sit around idle when there is no work for them. Being modular and organic means we have the flexibility to grow and shrink according to the projects we have on.” </p> <p> Raw Nerve is a large network, but a typical small collective is BWB, set up by illustrators Rob Hare, Kev Speck, and Matt Campbell when they finished university. “Having worked together a lot through uni, it seemed to make perfect sense to take our teamwork into the industry,” says Hare. </p> <p> “Our collaborations seemed to be of a high standard, and working together boosted each other’s confidence a great deal.” BWB have now been joined by a fourth creative, Paul Tinker, who contributes significantly to logo and branding design work by the collective. </p> <p> Collectives can be very difficult to manage. The organization usually comprises of individuals with work demands outside the group, and time management can be an issue. “We all work singularly as well,” says Hare. “So juggling our own stuff with collaborative work can be quite tough if we’ve all got more than one job on.” </p> <p> “It keeps it fresh though,” counters Kev Speck. “If you’re working on your own all week it’s great to take a day out the following week, letting your hair down and getting creative.” </p> <p> <h2>Raw Nerve, <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.raw-nerve.co.uk" rel="nofollow" rel="nofollow" target=_blank">www.raw-nerve.co.uk</a></h2> </p> <p> <div class=inlineimage><img src= Print

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