He/him | #design #webdesign
Hey Andy, first of all how are you?
I'm good thanks. The sun is out and I'm feeling real good today. Hope you are too.
For those that do not know who is Andy Golpys?
I'm Co-Founder of MadeByShape. These days I run the business and make sure clients are happy, staff is happy etc. But back when we started 10 years ago, I was a Web Designer and Web Developer, so my role has changed over the years as the business has grown.
You are the co-founder of MadeByShape, what makes your agency stand out from the crowd?
Our offering is unique to some agencies, we have a very talented team who all understand design, development and seo. That is pretty rare. You usually get designer who design, developers who build - and they are kept separate. That's fine, nothing wrong with that. But we purposefully want to be a small studio (14 staff) so having individuals who understand a range of expertise is very beneficial for the team workflow and for client expectations. Having web developers who understands design is very very underrated. It saves a lot of time, stress and hassle for both team members and clients.
Why web design?
My career started in graphic design, and I produced a lot of fashion photography when in the experimental phase of university. But as soon as I got into web design, it clicked. It was perfect timing in terms of the industry too - making money from building websites seemed easy. And that has grown over the past 15 years to an industry that is now huge, and every business NEEDS a website.
I noticed you were a university lecturer at the University of Salford, what would you say to students from a lecturers point of view from getting the most out of a degree?
Effort and Motivation is needed to succeed. A lot of student think they will just get a job because they passed their uni course - that's just not the case. Successful students work hard, go and get work experience, do real briefs, create their own briefs, network, socialise, expose their portfolio online. You won't just get offered a job without putting the time and dedication in.
You are a co-founder at a design agency, what things do you look for in candidates when hiring?
Personality and Potential. The individual doesn't have to be a polished designer/developer - but we are looking for certain aspects that already exist. Understanding of typography is huge for us, doesn't matter what role you are applying for. If you're a developer you need to understand the basics and knowledge of a CMS would be ideal, Craft CMS even better. But personality is also a big factor - we need to work together every day, so it has to be the right fit for both the candidate and the company.
For my final question, what's next for Andy Golpys?
We're looking to grow over the next 12 months with the team we have. Then next on our list is to purchase our very first building, which is a big move for us. To own our studio (rather than rent) is a big step seeing as we've never had any financial help, lending or loans etc. It's always been an ambition of mine to design a studio exactly to how I want it, that benefits the staff and clients visiting.
