3thought’s past present and future
It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly four years since we launched 3thought. Time really does fly. We wanted to relaunch our site with a look back at where we’ve been as well as a look towards the future.
The past:
When we launched 3thought, Shea and I were agency designers. Granted, we worked for a small agency and dealt with a lot more of the day to day operations than your typical agency designers. But… we were still very much designers. Organized, creative, wide eyed designers who were ready to take on the world and do things “our way”. When we ditched that life, we thought we had a pretty good idea of what we were doing, and for the most part we did. Although when you look back, there’s always those little things you’d like like to change or do differently. But, “it is what it is”, and for the most part, the last four years have been pretty enjoyable.
Some of my fondest memories haven’t been the actual projects or site launches. It’s been the people we’ve met along the way and all the learning we’ve done. Tweetups, talks, conferences, and all the networking events we’ve attended and all the people who have turned into friends and colleagues. Also, moments like the cold calls from strangers with ideas that needed our help making them come to life. The rush of the next new thing. The next great idea. That random phone call at 7pm on a Friday night, when you think, “should I answer this?”, and then you find it’s a new project. There’s also been stressful situations with money and bills and waiting to get paid. People who promise you things and can’t deliver. As a classically trained print designer, learning to work with the web has had its ups and downs. Amazing at times, but when it doesn’t work, I have asked myself if I’m in over my head. Those are the moments when you learn if this “owning your own business” thing is really the right thing for you. It’s also when you’re happy you have a smart business partner, and access to google. New experiences, new people and learning A LOT. Those are the most fun reasons to own your own business, and for me, worth it now that I look back.
The Present
I’m happy to report that as of 2013, 3thought is in a good place. We have a great working situation and love sharing an office with Nute Photography. It’s been a great 6 months here on the Plymouth waterfront, and absolutely the right move at the right time. You may have noticed we even took our first official “vacation.” The work these days is mostly fun. The projects are consistent, and the paychecks are steady. As of writing this, we will have launched our newly redesigned website, too. A project which has been nearly 3 years in the making. Granted, the production of the site took less than 3 weeks, the portfolio and the stories have taken us years to hone in on. Our site has been cause for great debate between Shea and myself over the years. It’s tough figuring out what to say, what to look like, who you’re talking to. It something we’re used to helping others with, but when it comes to doing it for ourselves, it becomes far harder narrow the focus – it’s too personal. You question and re-question every decision. But, we’re truly happy with what we’ve created for the time-being, and believe we have a nice solid foundation for moving forward.
The Future
Where is 3thought headed? Well… first off, we want to get back to blogging. We’ve got this great website and there’s so opportunity on the internet. We figure it’s time to get serious about creating content again. This time, smarter, better content that’s more helpful to our clients and potential clients. Maybe we’re not as blogging as often as we used to, but when we do, we want it to be meaningful. And definitely on a schedule. Secondly, we’re getting to the point where we really need to bring in some extra help. Finding talented (and reliable) part-time help sure would be nice, and we’d love to find someone who we could take on part-time and transition into our first real full-time employee. Last thought on the future… Before we can do all these things, we need to make a plan and get organized. It’s kind of a core motto of 3thought. Thinking beyond where you’re currently at. Being proactive rather than reactive.
Final thoughts
And that’s what’s going on here at 3thought. I know it’s been a while since we’ve written, and we’d love know what you’ve been up to. What are your resolutions and plans for 2013? What types of design and web related questions and topics are you all interested in learning about? Let us know in the comments section below, or drop us a line with our handy contact form.