30 word on the street ‘We Are Makers’ was born out of frustration with the lack of reach for makers and designers – and with the lack of understanding about the expertise of trained craftspeople. Jack and Kate Lennie talk about the first few issues of their magazine – and why they refuse to fight the algorithm Jo Cummings: So ‘We Are Makers’ – what is it and how did it begin? Kate Lennie: When we came out of university, Jack went on to work for film, and I started my own business designing and creating children’s furniture. I noticed that my reach was terrible – I was fighting hard to get people to see me or to find out my story. I realised how little people know about handmade goods and crafts. I knew we needed to find a way to tell those stories. Jack Lennie: As a film designer, my skills were appreciated and compensated. By contrast, as an independent maker, Kate had to work much harder. There was no rhyme or reason either – it’s not a case of, ‘work more and you’ll get more’. So what was the missing link? It was reach. We decided to build something that improves that reach, and for people who couldn’t afford a £1,500 ad in a magazine that they got absolutely naff all business back from. It was our way of publicising independent makers around the world on a level platform. We are not fighting algorithms, we’re not dependent on expensive advertising and it’s free to the makers. What made you go for print? Jack: We wanted to differentiate it from other guff that was out there. Anyone can scroll or take a screenshot on their phone – but if you pull out a book and actually sit down, you’re immediately immersed in what you’re seeing. We wanted it to stand alone as its own product, as an actual book that you can scribble on or put a bookmark in. Kate: As product designers, we wanted it to be a nice thing to put on your shelf and refer back to, or buy as a gift. It’s structured in such a way that really forces discovery; you may be looking at ceramics on one page, the next page a builder, the next, textiles. The issues are timeless, and can all stand alone. I love that. How did you pull that first magazine together? Kate: We did a Kickstarter campaign, both to get the money upfront and to MEET YOUR MAKERS see if there was a market. We didn’t get the fund, unfortunately, but I think that was probably the best thing for us. It made us think, how else can we do this? Jack: The people who did put in money were really vocal about their disappointment, so it was very clear that we were onto something. We’ve always been big believers in pursuing what feels right, and financially it’ll work itself out. So we took the money out of our house deposit to do the first one, basically delaying buying a house by 18 months. That vocal audience has carried on throughout the business – the quality of people involved in the magazine far outweighs the quantity. Unfortunately it’s the quantity that pays the bills… Speaking of money, are you working on the magazine full time? Kate: I am. Jack’s still doing his full-time job. We made a conscious decision at the beginning that one person goes all out, and the other person works to fund it. That’s worked really well. Now we also have Lisa, our proofreader, and Tyrone, the designer. The team is as enthusiastic about it as the most enthusiastic customer. What message would you like people to take away from ‘We Are Makers’? Jack: We want consumers to understand that when you buy something, you’re buying somebody’s blood, sweat, and tears – you’re paying them not because it took them an hour, but because it took them 20 years to learn how to make it in an hour.
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