By Diane Leyman Studio Teepee is Melbourne-based graphic designer, illustrator and writer Emma Harrold. By day Emma works full-time as a senior designer, and she runs Studio Teepee on a freelance basis from home. Emma studied graphic design in Brisbane and worked for a few agencies before relocating to Melbourne in 2008, and has since had the opportunity to work for a wide variety of clients in the music, government, publishing and arts industries.

After working under her own name for many years, Emma decided to start Studio Teepee, launching her new look using social media and a brand new website. The concept behind Studio Teepee is centred on the idea the idea that tipis are practical, adaptable and built from raw materials; a type of design that can pack down and be rebuilt at any time. Since starting up her studio, Emma has had some great feedback, which has resulted in collaborations with other creatives – something she loves doing.

Emma’s favourite type of work to do is branding and illustration, and one recent project has been working on the branding for Mother Down Under, the blog of an American mum living in Brisbane. Emma has also been having lots of fun writing for the Old School – The New School for Graphic Design & Typography website. When it comes to design, Emma’s tip for keeping up-to-date is to do lots of reading, and she takes an hour or so out of each day to read websites, blogs and magazines in order to be informed about what’s going on in the design world and to learn new skills. It’s some great advice that can be applied to plenty of other creative industries as well.

The photographs shown here are of Emma’s workspace, along with some of her publication design and illustration work, and little snippets of inspiration around her lovely home, including one of her fantastic Bauhaus prints (which I wanted to take home with me!). If you’d like to see more of Emma’s great work, check out her website, and also visit the Old School site to see some of her recent articles.

Diane Leyman is an editor and writer with seven years of experience working in non-fiction, illustrated trade book publishing. She has a passion for all things design, and writes a design blog called Notes to a Further Excuse. She also likes taking photographs, crafting, drinking coffee and obsessing over mid-century homewares.