By Design

Philippa Caddow founded her design agency Ubuntu Design in her native South Africa. Since then she’s lived in Portugal, London and now Tunbridge Wells. Here she tells us more about her business and why this town inspires her creativity

Can you tell us how you came to choose Tunbridge Wells as a place to live and work? 

After living and working in Portugal, I returned to London and felt unrooted and like a large, crucial part of myself was left behind in Portugal. The charge of the city was dwindling for me and with ludicrous living costs, air, noise and light pollution I realised life was becoming a grind. 

I was drawn to Tunbridge Wells as it was still close to London and ‘my tribe’ but also not far from my family on the Kent coast. When I came to visit, I took to Tunbridge Wells instantly; there was enough buzz, many excellent restaurants and a diverse cultural scene – with the added benefit of the countryside being on my doorstep. 

What had you been doing in Portugal before you moved to Tunbridge Wells?

I was working on a collaboration to create a concept store in a surfer town. I got to draw on my design background to help establish the brand’s identity, design its store, curate the carefully selected local and international crafts and also design some of the surf apparel. So, with a clear vision, delicate balance of passion, strategy, and resilience – and plenty of coffee and surfs – we worked hard to open a great store.

How would you describe the kind of work you do to those not au fait with creative design?

I guess I would say that simply put I like using words and images to make order out of chaos. Design is always around us – no matter if it’s at the supermarket, an event, or on the web. It’s on posters and billboards, packaging, brand identity and marketing materials. Designers cleverly use their creative abilities and understanding of how to control one’s eye to help the viewer absorb information. By applying visual hierarchy, composition, colour, scale, texture, photography and typography, designers have the power to convey all manner of ideas to an audience. My clients range from businesses wanting corporate branding, to small startups, general retail, the luxury sector as well as healthcare and wellness. 

What do you enjoy most about your job and what are the challenges?

I absolutely love the problem-solving aspect of my work and coming up with creative ideas but I am impatient with any task competing for time spent doing what I love. I would also say maintaining your energy is the hardest part of being a designer. It’s all about the peaks and troughs. Peaks are good because deadlines pump adrenaline through your veins and projects zoom past. But the problem with peaks is you can’t keep running uphill forever and then come the troughs…

Can you tell us how you overcome these?

I take breaks as I’m often working long hours, in isolation in the run up to a deadline. Doing that relentlessly mines my energy source. But luckily, as I now live in Tunbridge Wells, I get to discover all the numerous walks and surroundings. Surrounding yourself with like-minded people is also a good idea as that way you can slipstream into their energy if yours falters.

Have you found the local business community to be a welcoming one? 

I have been pleasantly surprised by the warm and welcoming community in Tunbridge Wells. I think small businesses and the self-employed are so often the heartbeat of their communities and so I am looking forward to doing more networking and meeting new people. The town has a strong sense of community spirit, with friendly neighbours and passionate independent business owners. I have quickly felt at home.

To find out more about Philippa’s work visit: ubuntudesign.co.uk