The design industry is stereotypically known for a few things; a keen eye for trendiness and a lot of time spent at your desk, to name just two. Organising and taking part in studio football tournaments might not be at the top of this hypothetical list. But, as a group of ten studios proved on a selection of football pitches on a sunny Saturday in North London, this perception might now be being put to the test.
“Beyond our glass boxes and well curated office walls, what does our community actually look like?”
“We think the industry can be a lonely place at times,” says James Sedgwick Taylor, creative director at The Office of Overview. “Beyond our glass boxes and well curated office walls, what does our community actually look like?” While James notes that studios keep an eye on what their neighbours and contemporaries are up to online, they rarely even meet up in real life. So, to tackle this, James and colleagues at The Office of Overview – as “die hard football fans (well, most of us)” – decided to hold a five-a-side football tournament with ten of their favourite agencies, and so the The Studio Super Cup was born. Taking part was Nomad, Omse, DesignStudio, Koto, Mother, B&B, Justified, Accept & Proceed, Us Two, Copa 90 and, of course, The Office of Overview, and money was raised for Football Beyond Borders, a charity that supports children from areas of of socio-economic disadvantage through football.