Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Moritz: We started to cooperate with each other, as freelance in 2014 for about one year. Then slowly, but committed, we decided to start over and establish a new company together in 2015, Bureau Christ Carpus.
Eva: We are friends, we know each other quite well, accept and even benefit from our different personalities. If we would stereotype ourselves, I’m open, direct and flexible and Moritz is an observer, structured and attentive.
Moritz: Also the combination of male and female makes a difference when we meet clients. We complement each other and have an expanded position because of that.
Eva: Our Bureau does everything that communicates but doesn’t talk.
Moritz: We would call it „visual brand communication“, a full service from corporate design and cd-development, to advertising, digital branding and different kinds of creative concepts.
What do you consider your distinctive achievement?
Moritz: When we started our company, we had the feeling we required something that would make us unique. Since we stopped searching, we noticed that we already do something differently. We put a lot of effort in establishing relationship with our clients.
Eva: Especially at the beginning of the relation, we involve the client and invest a lot of time in briefing processes. We figured out, that the combination of the clients feeling to be a part of the process and making sure that everything is clear at the beginning, saves a lot of time makes a difference in the outcome.
Moritz: With the knowledge we acquire about the assignment, we feel confident to present only one layout in which we translate the clients wishes and thoughts in a visual way. A really liberating thing to do, which is only possible for us with a lot of work in advance.
Eva: In the next steps we refine and improve the design involving the client. We actually believe in human face-to-face relations and try to avoid emailing with important decisions.
We don’t consider ourselves as „artists“. There is no ego involved, we work to find the best possible communication strategy for our client.
What are you looking forward to?
To work at ‘the spirit of the age’ without being too influenced by trends. An achievement is to be recognizable through our design.
Moritz: To develop our private and professional personalities. The professional life reveals new aspects of yourself through pressure, responsibility, independence and everything that comes with entrepreneurship.
Eva: We look forward to work with interns, freelancers and employees and hope to keep ourselves busy enough to provide a feeling of being involved and like working with us.
Moritz: It’s important for us, to have this open and free but still professional atmosphere in our office. Everybody can come and leave when they want, as long as they commit to finish an assignment. Work is such a big part of life; we want to have a structure in which we feel comfortable and you have fun.
Eva: Our company is too young for hierarchy, the 90’s are over 🙂
Which advise would you give to other professionals?
Moritz: Learn to say „no“. If, for any reason you’re not comfortable with the job, there is actually an option to not take it. You don’t have to do everything.
Never work unpaid, it gives the impression that your work doesn’t have a value. At least ask for something in return, we are sure it will provide a better feeling for everybody. Believe in yourself – you don’t have to be flattered if someone wants to work with you and because of that give away your work unpaid.
Eva: Give up on your ego. We discovered, that it is important to push away the ego when it comes to creative working in our business. Be open to criticism of people in your surrounding and the ones you trust. Use many ideas, learn from each other and consider the assignment from every angle to develop the best product possible. This is what we do all the time.
Moritz: Elaborate and be honest to yourself if you really want to be self-employed and if you are a type for that. It takes more than being a good designer or illustrator to be successfully self-employed.
Eva: We love to be creative and figure out designs, but this is maybe 50% of the day. The rest we spend on administration, finance, emails, organisation etc. You should know if you are willing to do that or find someone who is able to do this as your business partner.
When you work with a partner, he should complete your abilities in different ways. It’s good to be unequal.
What are the things we can do to facilitate cultural entrepreneurship?
Moritz: Academies and universities should work closer together with creative agencies.
In the time of the education, students get a lot of support to develop their creative self, find their style and own way of working, which is really important for sure. Next to that, we would consider to provide education in „how to run my freelance work or business“. Learn how to correctly propose a budget, how to do and reduce taxes, how to do invoices and contracts etc.
Eva: Knowledge about these things can be a big relief. Public authorities can help but young people need to know who to ask and where to go, before they can even get help.
Moritz: In our case, we also talk about these things with our interns and try to sensitize for this issue and inspire them in different ways.
