Is it possible to have a work-life balance and work remotely? Three studios share how they do it

When the pandemic hit, and WFH became the default, it posed a challenge to the question of work-life balance. Makeshift desks appeared in bedrooms; kitchens quickly converted into offices; and it became a lot harder to mentally disconnect from work. Fast-forward to today, and we’re glad to hear that most studios, including our three interviewees – Alright Studio, B&B Studio and Happening Studio – embrace flexibility and choice within their day-to-day practices. After discussing workspaces and communication, we wrap up our remote working trifecta by focusing on the topic of work-life balance, and how it’s navigated in the post-COVID workplace. “In general if someone wants to travel or work remotely we’re very amenable,” Alright Studio tell us, “so long as the work gets done!” Having recently relocated to a new space in Brooklyn, the creative agency are lucky to have the entire team – bar one of the three partners in Nashville, TN – in Brooklyn, New York. Working on similar time zones this doesn’t prove an issue, allowing the team to observe 10-6pm working hours (EST). “We also shut down the studio at 2pm on Fridays and build in two company-wide two-week breaks at the end of every summer and again during the holidays, at the end of the year,” they add. “It’s our conviction that being out and about in the world – travelling, friend time, walking around – leads to a clearer head and thus better, more informed work. So we place a lot of emphasis on logging off, and getting out there.” Remote working suits some teams better than others, depending on how collaborative or dependent on communication they are. In B&B Studio’s case, they encourage their team of approximately 30 people to have a say on how and where they work. “However,” Founder & Creative Partner Shaun Bowen reflects, “part of this is understanding that you are part of a team and have a responsibility to other people’s needs as well as your own.”