Kanto Vol 1, 2018 | Page 59

We strive to create simple solutions that make people stop and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” Describe your ideal client. When it comes to work, all clients are my ideal clients. We love challenges, and each project always has its own. It gives us an opportunity to express our creativity and solve each of our client’s requirements. What we don’t like are clients who short-change creative work, and create an environment for cutthroat competition, where other creatives lower their rates and standards just to bag a project. What sets the work of Focal Project apart from your contemporaries? We strive to create simple solutions that make people stop and say, “Why didn’t I think of that?” There will always be someone else more skilled and more experienced than us in certain aspects. We do not strive to be the best creative agency but rather the one that offers the best customized design solutions for our clients. We stay focused on delivering what we were originally hired to do. We take pride in creating work that speaks greatly about our clients, and in turn about ourselves. As this is the starter's issue, what advice would you like to offer individuals who want to establish their own studios? What skills and traits would they need to develop? My advice to any creative who wants to put up their own business is to start with a good and stable plan. Lay out all your plans on paper. Jot down everything you have in mind. Any idea, no matter how outrageous, is still an idea. In Focal Project, we have a big corkboard wherein we stick all our ideas. And when we say “all” we mean “all”. Even the most unpredictable and sometimes funniest ones. You would be surprised at how many of thesehave found fruition. And of course, be consistent with the quality of your final product always. The Half Project typeface garnered 70,000 downloads and were used in design publications and various media. Top: Allison Harvard portrait Reau Gutierrez For more of Focal Project's multimedia portfolio, visit their website at focalproject.com.ph 57