Grafik’s Nick de Jardine on learning code, working solo and what it takes to run a remote studio

Working under the moniker Grafik since 2012, New Zealander Nick de Jardine operates at the intersection of design and code; building brands and websites with a bold typographic aesthetic for clients all around the world. Throw in accounting, project management and strategy, he’s a veteran in the art of working solo, and knows what it takes to successfully work remotely. We had a chat with him to learn more about his background, practice and process. EM: Hi Nick, what led you to start your own studio back in 2011? NdJ: Before starting Grafik, I had spent about 10 years in the UK and New Zealand as a designer/developer. I had hit a dead-end in my agency job at the time after being manoeuvred into a managerial position. Having always dreamed of running my own studio and desperately wanting to get back to being a creative, I realised that the only way out of the situation was a leap of faith. It was a challenging time as I had just become a Dad and also bought a house. I used to think that I needed to be ‘ready,’ and things had to ‘align’ for anyone to make this type of move; this proved to me otherwise.