Shoreditch based design and branding agency SomeOne are passionate about what they do. A quick nose around their brand new (pardon the pun) website is proof that they actually care deeply about their work. ‘Launching, re-launching and protecting brands’ is at the heart of their work and they’ve been doing plenty of it. Along with sterling work for Sky Sports, O2, Betfair and New Look, SomeOne have re-created the iconic crest for The Royal Opera House, designed the sports pictograms for the London 2012 Olympics and most recently, created new branding for Eurostar. A huge project which covered practilcally everything including the advertising, print work, pictograms, moving image, a new typeface, signage – even a series of 3D sculptures!

Suffice to say, they know what they’re doing. Simon Manchipp is the creative director and co-founder of SomeOne – he was generous enough to take the time out to get involved in our Ten Questions series.

1. How do you describe what you do?
I’m a co-founder and creative director at SomeOne, the London design practice. We do lots of things, from Branding to Book design, packaging to powerpoint — the main thing is we belive ideas run through everything that makes products services or organisations valuable — so I spend most of my time either creating new ones or protecting good ones.

2. What made you want to do what you do?
I love meeting new people, I love being able to help solve complex problems, I love exploring ideas. I think that an over-riding love of all things design related gives me an unrelenting desire to work with people to apply intelligent design-led thinking to stuff that needs improving.

3. How would you describe your workplace?
We’re in the middle of moving — but at the moment it is one large loft in Shoreditch — with Cole & Son wallpaper, Eames Chairs, white washed brick & raw floorboards. It’s an absolute design-cliché and we’ve loved it for 6 years… time to move on now though — to something four times the size — but probably exactly the same in every other aspect unless our Architects object.

4. What is your favourite colour?
I can’t believe you just asked me that.

5. Who is your favourite artist or writer?
Leonardo blows my mind, Picasso is an endless source of awe, Anish Kapoor surprises and delights, Gregor Schneider spooks me out, Damien Hirst is the ultimate media friendly artist and interesting for his impact on things, Richard Wilson’s oil installation never fails to inspire, Mark Wallenger grand statements are memorable and witty, My father Ben Manchipp’s landscapes are amazing… As far as writers, I like Malcom Gladwell thinking, Bertram Russell’s philosophy, Patrick Suskinds novels — The Pidgeon, Perfume — I like Martin Amis writing and recently I re-read Dracula and it reminded me that the classics can still really teach you how to spin a great yarn…

6. What was your previous job?
I ran a company called No One — it was part of WPP at HHCL&Partners the Advertising agency — myself, David Law & Laura Hussey started it up and made waves for about 4 years there working for all manner of clients, from The Arts Council to Iceland supermarkets… it was great fun and we learnt enough to enable us to start SomeOne up under our own steam.

7. Do you work within a team? If so, how many people do you work with?
SomeOne works on the methodology that all ideas are born equal, some just grow up to be taller than others. So I’d say we all work together in a flat hierarchy. At the moment we are about 15–20 people depending on the day of the week.

8. Do you listen to music whilst working? If so, what do you listen to?
Yes. Music is always playing. We even bought a PRS license to do it! We vary wildly from a central Spotify playlist that is ever shifting. Staples include a firm Hip-Hop flavour, House Music and new stuff that we pick up on our travels. I always try and buy music when I’m on trips abroad — we held our Christmas party in Paris last year and I bought up the catalogue of compilations from Hotel Costés where we all stayed for the weekend.

9. Who inspires you to do what you’re doing?
Philosophers, my wife Amelia Noble, Artists, Entrepreneurs, Society, Economics, Technology, my 3 year old son: Percy.

10. Which advice has helped you the most?
If you do crap — you’ll get more crap. Zig when they Zag. Seize the day. Small ones are more juicy.

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And there you have it! He’s a busy man, so we really appreciate Simon taking the time out to get involved. You can find out plenty more about Simon and the work of Someone on their site and by following them on Twitter.

You can check the previous entries to the Ten Questions series here.

Thanks for reading.

Mat