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We're deskcamping at Poke

Big thanks to the very nice (and welcoming) people at Poke London for letting us work in their space. Deskcamping is finally deskcamping! We're living the dream. After months of working at kitchen tables and in cafés, it's a luxury to be able to walk away from our laptops for a few minutes without asking someone to look after our stuff!

Poke have been massively supportive of the deskcamping project and we're not the first to work from their studio in the heart of Shoreditch.

They recently offered a desk to Vibol Moeung, a young film maker from New Zealand. The desk was originally offered for 2 weeks, but it's turned out to be an indefinite home for Vibol...he even plays football with the agency on a Wednesday night!

Take a look at Poke's blog post about it:

http://www.pokelondon.com/blog/news/desk-camping/

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Virgin talks about 'deskcamping revolution'

Really chuffed to see a write up about coworking and deskcamping on Virgin's website:

http://www.virgin.com/entrepreneur/the-desk-camping-revolution#.Uk8NmoCae1w.twitter

The introduction of open plan offices and hot desking have transformed modern working environments, with companies keen to demonstrate they put a heavy emphasis on collaboration, flexibility and transparency. 

While the debate continues to rage as to the real benefits and the motivations behind company’s choosing to implement these practices, entrepreneurs and start-ups have quickly evolved the idea.

Areas heavily populated with start-ups, such as East London’s tech city, have for some time welcomed self-employed workers to come and take advantage of the empty desks in offices hit by redundancies, with freelancers being able to find desk space and connectivity for a minimal price.

Realising the benefits of gathering together like-minded start-ups, organisations then set up designated co-working spaces, such asGoogle’s Campus London, which comprises seven floors of flexible working space and high-speed internet connections. The space also offers mentoring programmes and networking events, with both London based start-ups and those passing through taking advantage.

The latest extension of this movement is desk camping, which has seen smaller companies offer up free desk space to freelancers, as the thirst for connections and collaboration continues. The no strings, no fee arrangement has seen creative agencies post up free desk space online, with freelancers taking up the offer in their droves. The agencies benefit from an influx of new talent and ideas, while the freelancer gets a desk without the cost.

Like the sound of it? Here are the 10 rules of desk camping:

1. It’s 100% free, there should be no charges whatsoever. 2. Guests are there to work on their own projects, not those of the agency. 3. Agencies may end the arrangement at any point. 4. WiFi and other facilities such as the kitchen and bathroom are all included. 5. Use of stationery, printers, telephones, etc are not included. 6. Desks are only available during office hours and meeting rooms are off limits. 7. Guests are not allowed to invite anyone to the agency. 8. Guests should be open and share ideas about their work and other topics. 9. The agency or office culture should be respected, guest shouldn’t play their own music out loud. 10. The free desk should not be seen as a shortcut to a job at the agency.

Have you used desk camping before? Or are you a start-up who struggles to find space to work? Let us know below…

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Help make deskcamping better

We're making some changes to deskcamping and would love to know your thoughts about it. 

We're written a survey (link below). It should take about 5 minutes.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15IxDJnmv6Rfmkqu1vOJJIaw-JyCfIAxLOuK1MCmXJ6I/viewform

Big thanks from me!

Nick Founder, deskcamping.com

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Got spare desk space? Share it with a lonely freelancer By Ian Sanders

There’s a new face at the offices of Hort in Berlin’s Hagelberger Strasse. But Mark Prendergast does not work for the German design studio. The freelance English designer is taking advantage of a free desk scheme run by London startup Deskcamping. “My working process tends to be a solitary one, so being surrounded by others is a great way to make the whole process more sociable,” he says.

The idea was launched as an experiment by Nick Couch, founder of Deskcamping, an online platform that connects businesses with spare desks and freelancers looking for a temporary space in which to work.

In a culture where many people in the creative industries work from their flat or in coffee shops, aiming to get them back into offices may seem surprising. But this listing service is more than just a helping hand for solo workers; it is also designed to benefit the culture of the host business.

The move chimes with the thinking behind Yahoo chief executive Marissa Mayer’s ban on working at home, the idea being that innovation is born out of serendipitous exchanges within workspaces. At the same time, the economic climate is forcing many businesses to downsize, with some facing challenges in maintaining morale as the number of empty desks in the workplace grows.

Mr Couch came up with the idea while running a creative agency. “We had desk space that was free,” he says. “When it wasn’t occupied there was an echoey atmosphere. Being able to bring in someone with a completely different skill set opens your mind to new ways of working.”

Use of desks such as the one at Hort is free to the guest – WiFi is included, but not facilities such as printing and stationery – and Mr Couch makes no money from connecting freelancers with the free desks. Instead, Deskcamping has a separate operation for paid for desk rentals, where he earns a fee per transaction.

This month the website is showing desks available in Barcelona, Florence, Glasgow, Hamburg, Manchester, São Paulo, San Francisco, Shanghai and Stavanger. The typical duration of a visit is a couple of weeks.

Mr Couch suggests that for solo workers, the experience is like a physical LinkedIn. “They don’t just get a free desk, they get to expand their network. Freelancers need to keep constantly in touch with people in a wider ecosystem of disciplines and agencies,” he says. Hosts may naturally be concerned about security. Mr Couch advises “a good old fashioned meeting up in advance, and if a more formal step is needed, the signing of a standard non-disclosure agreement. “For creative agencies, it’s no different to taking on a paid freelancer or intern,” he adds.

Overlooking a cobbled courtyard in east London, Magpie is a design studio whose clients range from The New York Times to the British Heart Foundation. Founder David Azurdia listed a free desk in order to make contact with fresh talent. “If you need fresh output for the studio, you need to bring in fresh input,” he says.

Mr Azurdia had a choice of applicants. He says it is “a bit like a lonely hearts scenario” where you’re looking for that perfect partner who will fit in. He allocated his free desk to an illustrator with completely different ideas and approaches, which enhanced the culture in the studio.

There is no obligation on the host company to hire the freelancer’s services, but nor is collaboration ruled out.

Back in Berlin, Mr Prendergast says the scheme provides the perfect opportunity to engage with a business he admired anyway. He now plans to relocate to Berlin. “Living in a new country and learning a new language is a great source of creativity and new ideas,” he adds.

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FormFiftyFive.com published an interview I did with them recently covering some of my favourite topics like the design industry, the freelancer market and openstudioclub.com's Free Desk initiative.

To read the article in full, click here:

http://www.formfiftyfive.com/2013/05/interview-nick-couch-open-studio-club/#more-26269

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Open Studio Club publishes guide to east London studio desk rents

Open Studio Club has just released some figures on average rent prices for desk space in design studios in Clerkenwell, Shoreditch and Hackney. The data is based on studios that have listed on openstudioclub.com over the past 60 days. 

"We want to make it clear that the sample size for the report is small. It's based on studios that have listed desk space over the past 60 days on openstudioclub.com. We had to start somewhere and hope the report is a useful guide, all be it a rough one at this stage." Says openstudioclub.com's founder, Nick Couch.

As expected, rental prices are highest in Clerkenwell (EC1, EC2), with the average monthly desk rental being £298. The most expensive studio to list on openstudioclub.com was £330 per month. The cheapest was £250. Neighbouring Shoreditch and Hoxton (N1, E1, E2),  was slightly cheaper with an average monthly desk rent of £227. The most expensive was £360 per month and the cheapest £160. 

"Within most areas there's a wide range of rental prices depending on the location and quality of facilities. This is particularly true of Shoreditch." Says Nick

Hackney (E8, E9) is the cheapest in terms of desk rents with the average being £184pm. The most expensive in Hackney was £250 and the cheapest was £136 per month.

The rent includes VAT, utilities, broadband and kitchen facilities. 

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Germany's Business Punk magazine are featuring Open Studio Club's 'Free Desk Here' initiative this month. The big photo looks awesome. It's taken from Kin Design's studio in Farringdon, London.

The free desk is still available in their office. Check it out at: http://openstudioclub.com/free-desk-here

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Last week I did a radio interview with Ian Sanders for Monocle 24's 'The Entrepreneurs' programme. It aired last night (May 8th).

It's about Open Studio Club's 'Free Desk Here' initiative and I'm joined with Magpie Studio founder and Creative Director, David Azurdia who talks about his experience offering a free desk in his agency.

If you're running an agency and considering taking part in 'Free Desk Here' it's worth a listen. 

You can listen to it here:

http://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-entrepreneurs/82

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Find A Free Desk In Someone’s Office, And Feel More Creative

Combining interesting freelancers with established companies can result in collaborative experiences no one would have imagined.

Nick Couch describes Free Desk Here--his new service linking people who want a change of scenery with people who have desks to spare--as a "physical LinkedIn." It’s a way for people to meet new people, but "in a more meaningful way than just adding someone to the 500+ list."

The concept is simple. Creative agencies that have space post a picture of a desk and chair (preferably with "Free Desk Here" superimposed) and the type of person they’re interested in: "Writer, animator, someone different," "Open to all creative types." People then get in touch.

"Guests get a free desk with no strings. They also get to experience the agency’s culture and expand their network," says Couch.

The companies get to shake things up. "Even the most successful agencies need to constantly look outside their walls for inspiration," he says. "'Free Desk Here’ is an opportunity to bring in new people with a complementary skill set that could lead to future project collaborations."

Participating agencies so far include Weiden & Kennedy (which is looking for a scientist), and Eight Inc, which came up with the Apple Store concept.

Couch, who lives in London, also operates Open Studio Club, a sort of Airbnb for international studio space. "Travel can increase your levels of creativity," he says.

Ben Schiller is a staff writer for Co.Exist, and also contributes to the FT, and Yale e360.

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Open Studio Club is an initiative by designers for designers, helping design start-ups and those on the move to find affordable and often free shared studio space. It's an idea that costs nothing but creates real value, supporting fledgling companies and talented individuals, all the while stimulating multi-disciplinary and cross-generational dialogue.

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Berlin

Just back from Gallery Weekend Berlin. Nice art, nice type, nice coffee.

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By Cat Johnson, Sharable.com

One of the best things about freelancing is the freedom of mobility it allows. Many freelancers can work wherever there is wi-fi and a desk. As this mobile freelance community grows, so to do the methods of connecting its members to workspaces around the world.

Free Desk Here is an initiative that connects creatives with studios that can offer them free desk space. An offshoot of Open Studio Club, a platform for artists and designers to find interesting and affordable studio space, Free Desk Here fosters a spirit of collaboration by providing creatives a space to work on their own projects and by bringing fresh energy into studios. There are no strings attached; no expectations of creatives doing work for the studio. It's simply a way to bring creative people together and facilitate connections that may have gone unrealized.

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Free Desk Here: Connecting Creatives with Free Desk Space

Free Desk Here is an initiative that connects creatives with studios that can offer them free desk space. An offshoot of Open Studio Club, a platform for artists and designers to find interesting and affordable studio space, Free Desk Here fosters a spirit of collaboration by providing creatives a space to work on their own projects and by bringing fresh energy into studios.

http://www.good.is/posts/free-desk-here-connecting-creatives-with-free-desk-space

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We came across this really cool new experiment kicking off in London. Nick Couch of Open Studio Club has started a project entitled, Free Desk Here, in which studios offer a free desk to recent graduates or freelancers in an effort to get some new blood into studios, inspire collaboration and generally mix things up.

There are a host of rules the graduate or freelancer has to agree to, and the studio is free to end the arrangement at any time. The idea, though, that studios can open themselves up to help those who are just starting off is a great and inspiring idea. We'd love to see something like this happen stateside. It could be inspiring for all involved.

http://www.theportlandegotist.com/news/national/2013/april/8/free-desk-here

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Free Desk Here is a new initiative by Open Studio Club that looks to encourage creative agencies to offer up a free desk space in their studio to a young creative (of their choosing) to come in and get on with their own work…

Any agency can take part in the initiative, providing they can offer a free desk space, with the first 50 agencies to list a free desk on openstudioclub.com receiving a signed limited edition Anthony Burrill screenprint on fluro stock.

"The best bit about running an agency is when it's full of creative people from lots of different backgrounds, disciplines and experiences,"says the initiative's brainchild, Nick Couch of Open Studio Club.

"Many of the most interesting agencies out there recognise that you've got to constantly feed an agency's culture with new people and ideas," he continues.

Agencies that have signed up to offer up a free desk space (under the terms that are explained above) so far include Moving Brands (London), HORT (Berlin), Well Made Studio (Liverpool), Base (Brussels) and Lundgren+Lindqvist (Gothenburg).

"What excites me about Free Desk Here is that it gives a platform to small agencies to bring in someone that has a complimentary skill that could lead to future collaborations on projects," adds Couch. "It's also a great opportunity for people working independently to meet new people, expand their network and perhaps work together on future projects."

If you're a freelance looking for a free desk space or an agency looking to invite someone to occupy a desk in your studio, find out more about the initiative atopenstudioclub.com/free-desk-here.

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Agencies Give Young Creatives a Place to Work Through the Free Desk Here Project David Griner, ADWEEK

If your agency has a little extra desk space and would like to give it a higher purpose than storing empty binders, you might be interested in the Free Desk Here project. The international effort, created by the London-based Open Studio Club, provides aspiring creative professionals with free workspace at willing agencies. The squatter creatives do their own work, not agency projects. The goal is to give up-and-coming talent the facilities, tools and camaraderie to create professional-caliber work. 

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/agencies-give-young-creatives-place-work-through-free-desk-here-project-148054

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Free Office Spaces For Freelancers, From Singapore To Brazil

By Jim Edwards, Business Insider:

London-based website Open Studio Club has created a sort of Couchsurfing.org for creative freelancers: Ad and design agencies with a vacant desk can offer their workspace free of charge on the Free Desk Here site, and as long as freelance creative types follow a few standard rules — they can use the bathrooms but not the conference rooms — they can work at the agency for free on their own projects.

Creatives get an "official" place to work every day; agencies get the benefit of new and interesting itinerant talent walking through the door.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/open-studio-clubs-free-desk-here-2013-3?op=1#ixzz2RVieQolD