A chance reunion led to the formation of Düsseldorf-via-Berlin creative design studio B.O.B, founded in 2018 by university friends Alessia Sistori and Lilly Friedeberg.
Prior to the creation of B.O.B Alessia and Lilly forged independent paths as freelance designers, working in places as far-flung as Mexico City. With a strong set of shared values and beliefs, as well as a passion for sustainable, thoughtful design, it was only a matter of time before their paths crossed and they ended up working together.
Like many other studios, B.O.B are a collaborative, network-focused design studio. So rather than having a huge team, they love to collaborate with other studios and freelancers in the industry, drawing from a large pool of inspired creatives. They have recently worked with the likes of Klarna, Related by Objects, Orange Coffee, Luizzo and more, creating, in their words, “long-lasting, sustainable identities”.
B.O.B are renowned for their transformative work on visual identity, illustration, packaging and branding, so it was an honour to sit down with the two founders and learn more about their history, their people, their design process and the exciting future that lies ahead of them.
How did the two of you meet and what made you join forces and found your own studio?
We met for the first time at University in Berlin. Afterwards our paths split, and we had our first experiences working as designers in different cities–Lilly in Düsseldorf and Alessia in Mexico City. Through various coincidences some years later we ended up living and working as freelance designers in Düsseldorf and this is when we met each other again. We started to collaborate on different projects and soon noticed the benefits of working together as a team; we complemented each other in a professional way and also became good friends. After countless collaborations and a growing client base, founding a studio together was the next logical step for us.
We’re very happy to have such a great network of designers around us and hope to make it grow even more in the future.
“After countless collaborations and a growing client base, founding a studio together was the next logical step for us.”
Can you tell us about the initial process of setting up your studio and any challenges you overcame.
The founding of our studio was a very natural process. Starting out as two freelancers, we began to work as a collective before founding the studio. We didn’t force anything but took each bigger step when we felt it was the right time to do so. In this sense we don’t feel that we took big risks but grew organically according to the demands of our market. Still, there are challenges that we think every freelancer or business founder faces, especially tasks that are not directly linked to design. Things like taxes and legal stuff were challenging for us at the beginning. We would love to have learned more about these topics at university to be better prepared for founding a business. For us, it was a learning process, and luckily in the beginning other designer friends could help us out with tips once in a while. We’re very happy to have such a great network of designers around us and hope to make it grow even more in the future.
Where did the name Studio B.O.B come from?
The name B.O.B stands for Berlin Ober-Bilk. When we first started to work as a collective, we rented a small self-renovated studio in Düsseldorf in the District Ober-Bilk. Both places are very important to the history of B.O.B, since we met in Berlin and just opened a second headquarters there. Although our Düsseldorf headquarters has now moved to a nicer office in the Flingern district, we love that our name pays homage to that time!
What is your studio ethos and how would you describe the creative approach you bring to each project?
It’s very important for us to work with brands and clients who share our beliefs and values. For example, we love to work for brands that have a sustainable approach and high social values. We believe that the design of a product plays a huge role in its performance on the market, so we want to support businesses who are forward thinking in these areas. As for our own design approach, our highest goal is always to create long-lasting and sustainable identities that show the personality of the brand itself, and shines a light on what makes the specific product unique. Because of this, we work very closely with our clients in order to find the best and most personal solution for them.
Throughout the years we have put a lot of effort into communicating our interest in working with sustainable brands.
“…our highest goal is always to create long-lasting and sustainable identities that show the personality of the brand itself, and shines a light on what makes the specific product unique.”
How has the studio evolved to where it is now and have there been any pivotal moments?
Throughout the years we have put a lot of effort into communicating our interest in working with sustainable brands. We’re very happy to notice that this work has paid off; we are regularly approached by great businesses that share our mindset.
Can you tell us about any standout projects you’ve worked on and why they’re important to you?
Oh, there are so many projects we love! One of the most important clients in our company’s history is Orange Coffee in Düsseldorf. For this we had to combine different disciplines of design and collaborate with other talented creatives, this being one of our first projects at this level of complexity. We came up with the branding for the coffee shop which included not only 2D media, but also 3D objects like packaging, store sign, posters, crockery and even interior design. For the interior design we collaborated with Bianca Timmermann from Düsseldor, and really enjoyed the idea-exchange with her. To be able to literally go into a space that we designed and be able to enjoy this 360° branding in the city where we founded our studio was a very rewarding moment for us.
You’re both hosts of LWD Düsseldorf. Why did you decide to get involved and has it given you any insights about women working in design?
About 2 years ago the founders of the Ladies Wine Design Düsseldorf chapter (Emily Wild and Ana Luiza Cavalcanti) approached us because they needed some support in terms of design and communications on social media. We had already heard of the initiative first started by Jessica Walsh in NY and loved the concept, so for us it was a sure thing to participate in. Soon we started to get involved in the organisational part of the events, because it was very enriching for us to have the opportunity to support the creative community in our city and to learn about the industry through these networking events.
From talking to other female designers, we heard many reasons why they didn’t feel ready to become self-employed, even if this was their goal. Among these reasons was that they didn’t trust their own abilities as a designer. Women often question themselves and think they are not good enough, or they won’t have enough clients to make a living from. The truth is that the worldwide market of people in need of design services is constantly expanding, and so are the target groups of products. We believe that providers of services like design should be as diverse as our society, since understanding the target group is an essential element of being able to create a good design.
We never questioned the idea of being self-employed as women.
“We believe that providers of services like design should be as diverse as our society, since understanding the target group is an essential element of being able to create a good design.”
Have you faced any specific challenges being women designers in business and how have you overcome them?
In general, we see ourselves as rather privileged in this sense, since we both grew up in surroundings where it was completely commonplace to work as a woman; both our moms are self-employed as well. This is why we never questioned the idea of being self-employed women woman. Of course, we heard comments along the way such as “you will never make it”, “are you sure about your job choice? Don’t you think it’s too risky?“ or “Listening to you was a waste of time!” (this last sentence was a comment from an elderly white man in the audience, following a speech we made at a conference). These are just to name a few. Of course, these things affect you, and we were always wondering if men would get the same kind of comments. It’s hard to get an answer on these things, but I think it’s important to speak about them and a potential gap of respect between genders in the business arena.
As creative business owners and founders, do you have any thoughts on how we can counteract the gender imbalance in the design industry?
Through networking and intellectual exchange. We have noticed that there is still a lack of support for women in creative fields and therefore a lot of competition. We have seen that male creatives are very good in this area and that different parties benefit from this behaviour. We would love to see more collaboration and networking between all kind of creatives, independently of their gender, in order to diversify the creative industry.
“We would love to see more collaboration and networking between all kind of creatives, independently of their gender, in order to diversify the creative industry.”
What does your day-to-day typically involve?
Since we have two headquarters in different cities, plus an international team with one designer based in Greece, one in Hamburg and our project manager in Düsseldorf, our mornings almost always start with a meeting and checklist of the tasks we have to work on that day.
In this morning meeting we also talk about other organisational things like communication with clients, and so on. After that, everybody goes on with their tasks and we stay in constant touch about the status of every project, supporting each other with anything that might come up. Since Corona started, the amount of video calls has also increased significantly. One positive thing we noticed during the pandemic is that people are so much more open for digital meetings and for collaborations with people who are not in the same city or office.
Apart from design-related topics, our day to day also involves a lot of coffee drinking, bike riding to and from the office, and sending funny memes and stickers 😉
What are you working on right now?
We recently helped to build/redesign some very exciting brands. One of our bigger clients at the moment is foodwunder.de, a supplier for sustainable and gluten-free food products who we’ve worked with from the start. They have just launched their first set of products and we’ve been thrilled to support them along their way – especially with everything that is yet to come.
Another of our favourite clients at the moment is Schvarz Kaffee – coffee roasters from Düsseldorf. We re-designed their brand in the beginning of the year and are working on an overall brand concept that will be fully revealed over the next few months.
There are also some other great new clients with a sustainable approach from the cosmetic, fashion and food sectors that we are still keeping secret – but we are certainly happy to be part of their team!
Do you have any words of advice for women creatives considering a career in the design industry?
It’s difficult to give a universal answer as it really depends on the situation you are in. But because we think it’s really important to us to share insights in our experiences, we offer mentorships through We the Makers. There you can book a private session with one of us to talk about your current situation or share your portfolio with us.