Andy and Will are co-founders of COMMUNION, a creative studio set up to help brands meet radical change. They work with clients including Italian fashion house Zenga, Rosewood Hotels, the U.K.’s Crafts Council, New Foundation Farms and GSK Next.
Earlier, Andy worked in-house for Burberry’s creative team before stints at agencies forpeople and Moving Brands. Will was previously global head of brand at Hunter, brand director at Fiorucci and creative director at forpeople.
We spent two minutes with Andy and Will to learn more about their backgrounds, creative inspirations and some recent work they’ve admired.
Andy and Will, tell us …
Where you grew up, and where you live now.
Andy: I grew up in a small town in Wiltshire. It’s not an exaggeration to call it a cultural wasteland. Since then, I’ve lived in London for 20 years, but recently moved back to Wiltshire. Now I live a mile from Stonehenge, which is surreal.
Will: I grew up in a small village in Essex on a classic suburban cul-de-sac. I now live in Forest Hill, South London, in a classic London apartment.
How you first realized you were creative.
Andy: Like a lot of kids, by drawing record covers and band logos, with no clue what design or typography was. This became a gateway to discovering music, gigs, mix tapes, graffiti, fashion and design.
Will: Drawing trainers and graffiti as a kid, around age 11.
A person you idolized creatively early on.
Andy: The Designers Republic and their offshoots Build and Universal Everything which really interested me after I discovered graphic design. They had their own creative voice, and I didn’t realize how precious it was to have such prominent non-London influences.
Will: David Carson who started a magazine called Ray Gun. He blew up graphic design and publishing design. I love it when people find a new paradigm.
A moment from high school or college that changed your life.
Andy: Finishing school with options in front of me, I was happy to get away from some small-minded attitudes and explore the world.
Will: My tutor, who convinced me not to quit and do A-levels and stay on the graphic design course. I might have been an accountant otherwise.
A visual artist or band/musician you admire.
Andy: Jeremy Deller. He is subversive and political, yet joyful.
Will: Joy Division. I still cannot believe what they achieved so young. And the soundscapes and atmospheres they created are extraordinary and timeless yet super modern. And by extension, Tony Wilson, a total legend—RIP.
A book, movie, TV show or podcast you recently found inspiring.
Your favorite fictional character.
Andy: I adore the Japanese Yuru-chara trend for giving places and regions a mascot. Nyango Star is my all-time favorite. An apple that’s been inhabited by the spirit of a dead cat, and he kills it on the drums.
Will: Nolan-era Batman. He just totally kick ass.
Someone or something worth following in social media.
One of your favorite creative projects you’ve ever worked on.
Andy: I was part of the team that created Burberry Bespoke, a personalization service for trench coats. It was genuine innovation—this was 2011, before mobile shopping was understood, and brands were only just beginning to understand how to engage with Facebook. We created a rich online experience, using technology that had barely been proven, to create a service no other brand had attempted. The site doesn’t exist now, but this WSJ video gives a sense of the ambition.