by
Raquel de Castro Maia and Colin Stephenson, the founders
of CREATE DESIGN ™
A dream that has come to life
through extremely hard work, sleepless nights and minute
attention to detail.
we
thought of starting a design agency in 2000. The idea
was born from a passion for visual graphics and image
making. However, one key ingredient was missing. So
we shouldered our back packs and went off in search
of international experience which would give us the
insight and knowledge we needed to start our agency.
When we arrived in the UK fortune smiled on us and we
found work with top companies.
worked
for The Lancet publishing house, which allowed him to
experience working in the design and production of a
weekly publication. Meeting heavy print deadlines and
having to manage his own work flow was the sort of behind
the scenes stuff that helped him understand the fast
and furious world of production. From there, Colin moved
to Leeds where he managed a design team at Sinclair
Mason, a firm who handle accounts like Ashworths UK,
Callaway Golf, Oxford Hotels and Silent Night (the largest
bed manufacturer in UK). He gained fantastic experience
there, expanding on his knowledge of print media and
management.
worked in positions that enhanced her website, online
media and illustration skills. In Manchester she worked
for Magnetic North, dealing with clients such as Kellogg’s
UK, Capri son and Robert Horn Papers to name a few.
The experience of working in an interactive agency like
Magnetic North was amazingly inspiring, establishing
a solid foundation in online media, illustration and
interactives that has proved invaluable to CREATE DESIGN
™.
After spending quite some time in the
United Kingdom, working for these well-recognised design
agencies, we felt ready to bring our experience home
and make our dream a reality, starting in 2003 with
our first client, LifeLine / Childline Western Cape.
The charity work we did for this organisation set the
pace for what soon became a rollercoaster adventure
ride as we were approached by more and more clients.
Since then CREATE DESIGN ™ has
grown from strength to strength – changing, accommodating
and evolving as we develop our focus, expand our client
base and broaden and strengthen our skills.
Besides giving our clients the best
service we can offer, we are also very conscious of
the need to keep in touch with latest technologies and
trends. Equally important is personal and intellectual
stimulation and with these in mind we are both currently
doing an honours degree through NMMU.
We see CREATE DESIGN ™ as being
an ever-evolving company – one that is kept fresh
and inspired by our personal interests, influences and
growth.
And so the story continues to be told, and the dreams
continue to manifest themselves into wonderful realities.
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Colin Stephenson
(HND Fine Art, NMMU, Photography)
www.colinstephenson.co.za
After
completing a Fine Art Degree at the NMMU and taking
an additional year to complete a second Major in Photography,
I worked for a highly-regarded Cape Town advertising
photographer for a year. This was followed by a year
in a top UK magazine publishing house, working in the
design and production department. I then returned to
Cape Town for a year’s post-graduate studies in
Design and New Media, refining a technical skill set
to complement my Fine Art and Photography training.
After freelancing in Cape Town, I returned to the UK
to run a small design team for an agency with years
of heritage. This role, and the lessons learned within
the agency from very experienced colleagues, set the
stage for the leap into starting my own agency. So,
on returning to South Africa with new ideas and a well-rounded
skill set, CREATE DESIGN ™ was launched.
From humble beginnings we have established
a strong brand. We have great clients, many of whom
have allowed us to push the boundaries and grow as a
company and as individuals.
Personal projects, setting goals, further
studies, an honors degree in Photography … I like
to keep the challenge fresh. I blur the lines between
work and play, pleasure becomes productive and the creative
flame keeps burning.
The cornerstone of our company is passion
– for small details, for huge projects. No matter
what we are involved in, we remain passionate about
what we do, from the everyday running of the business
and client service to the really fun part - the design
and photography, creating a product from a blank sheet
of paper.
For me CREATE DESIGN ™ is not
a just a business. It is an extension of who I am.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Raquel de Castro
Maia
(HND Fine Art, NMMU, Print Making (illustration),
Photography)
www.raquel.co.za
I am in awe of the wonders of the earth.
My work displays the infinite details
and the vast expanses of nature; it explores my South
African heritage; it reveals intimately personal moments
in portraits and illustrations.
Infused with youthful enthusiasm and
exuberance, my approach is tempered and balanced by
11 years of experience in the Fine Art disciplines of
design, illustration and photography.
My love for Art and anything artistic
stems from my childhood. I wanted to be an artist. I
wanted to be a ballerina. And I was fortunate. Born
to a very artistic family, I have always been encouraged
to explore my artistic inclinations. I am hugely grateful
to my family and friends - they have always supported
my wildest dreams, and I have been able to make most
of them a reality.
After getting my HND in Fine Art at
NMMU with majors in printmaking, illustration and photography,
I expanded these skills by doing a diploma in computer
graphics and online media at a college in Cape Town.
From there my skills were further developed by working
in Cape Town & in the UK. I have worked for leading
design, photography and broadcast agencies, both nationally
and internationally.
Since 1999, my work has been exhibited
in major shows throughout South Africa and published
in Camera Image, South Africa and Smooch Design Magazine,
Australia.
Founding CREATE DESIGN ™ with
Colin Stephenson is a wild dream come true. I cannot
detach myself from this amazing company and think of
it as a business. It is simply not a business - it is
a way of being. It embodies our striving for excellence,
growth and experience. It is a living, growing, energetic
entity - a metaphor for who we are and what we love.
It adorns our every day.
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