Website: designjuices.co.uk
Twitter: @DesignJuices
Facebook: facebook.com/designjuices
Tumblr: jthompsondesign.tumblr.com/
When did you start out blogging?
I started Design Juices back in January of 2010 whilst still at university, it was a structured way to document all the inspiring work and creative designers I was finding in my research online. The blog grew from this scrapbook of inspiration into a more structured way to give back and support the creative community online.
How did you choose your blog name?
The name was something I wanted to stand out and be something people would be inspired by and reminding them to come back. It was simply the thought process of keeping people's 'creative juices inspired.'
What is it all about?
The site offers up creative interviews, giveaways, showcases of creative talent and general tips, tutorials and articles on all aspects of the creative industries. Often I'm inspired by various creatives work and want to bring that same inspiration back to all my readers and people in the Design Juices community.
Why did you start up Design Juices?
I was growing into the creative community online whilst still at university through outlets such as twitter at university, blogs were obviously very popular but my thoughts were to create a community where people could come back daily. I kept the blog going as the community grew and people were being as inspired by interviews as I was. It's a labour of love to build any creative community, although I often put in long hours to keep it going on my own, it's something I love to work on every single day.
What do you do when you're not blogging?
When I'm not blogging I'm probably still online working on my other creative outlets. I'm involved with the Business Boom Collective; a site focused on promoting the work of the 18-24 creative community. Indie Minded; a blog focused on sharing the work of indie clothing brands, music, gaming & more. As well as as so much more, I'm often found on twitter @jthompsondesign where I love to network with creatives worldwide.
If you could be in one place in the world right now, where would it be?
I'm a huge lover of Canada and British Columbia. I have family out there and spent a month there this past summer, it's such a brilliant land of natural wonders. I have hopes in the near future to move out there and make it my home.
Who or what is your main inspiration?
I would say that in college my teachers (more specifically my design teacher Pete Marsh) inspired my love of the Bauhaus and modernism in product design. I loved the work of designers such as Dieter Rams and more recently Jonathan Ive at Apple.
What do you have planned for the future of Design Juices?
In the future I just hope to keep it going for as long as it inspires me and more importantly the creative community. It would be great to have a team of writers and people as passionate as me to see it grow even more internationally.
