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Elliott MoodyWORKING FROM HOME with Brooklyn-based studio High Tide
The Coronavirus has sent a shockwave through our industry, with studios, agencies and freelancers being forced to adapt their business and work remotely as we wait for the outbreak to subside. To find out how they’re coping, we’ve launched a mini-series called WFH (Working From Home), starting with Brooklyn-based studio High Tide.
Being able to step outside and be surrounded by nature is both inspiring and restorative.
Danny Miller, Co-Founder and Creative Director
EM Have you got a daily routine going?
DM I’ve learned as a parent that structured days are super important. Our day starts at 6 am. After breakfast and coffee, my wife and I take turns watching the kids while the other one of us does an online yoga class. At 9:30 am, the team and I check-in and go over the day’s agenda, and then it’s heads down. We have regular Zoom check-ins throughout the day and are on Slack, of course. We’ve also continued our weekly team happy hour through a video hangout, where we all grab a drink and connect on our lives outside of work.
EM Are you dressing up for work or keeping it cosy?
DM In ordinary circumstances, I’m in a t-shirt and jeans most days, and that’s how it’s been here. Getting properly dressed helps put me in the right headspace to start the workday.
EM Whereabouts in your home do you like to work from?
DM We are in upstate New York, at the edge of the Catskills, and I work in a room on our lower level that is quiet and gets lots of sunlight. Once the weather warms up, I very much look forward to working outside on our screened porch.
EM How do you stay motivated while at home?
DM What keeps me motivated are the everyday things that aren’t necessarily specific to work but help inform my overall mindset. Being able to step outside and be surrounded by nature is both inspiring and restorative. Small moments like playing with my kids for an hour and getting on their level keeps me motivated. Revisiting old books and music that I used to listen to in high school has also been inspiring.
I typically move around depending on what room has the best light during the day.
Lindsay Saito, Client Services
EM Have you got a daily routine going?
LS Definitely. Now that work is home and home is work, a routine is important for me to maintain boundaries. I start the morning chilling with some coffee instead of going straight into work emails. I make sure to take a lunch break and at the end of the day, I shut down my laptop and put it away.
EM Are you dressing up for work or keeping it cosy?
LS I’ve started to wear real clothes Monday through Friday. It helps me get into the right mindset for the workday and keeps the routine alive. That said, I recently invested in some new sweatpants.
EM Whereabouts in your home do you like to work from?
LS There’s a lot of juggling that happens in my apartment, since there’s two of us. Luckily, we have enough space to spread out. I typically move around depending on what room has the best light during the day — our living room has a solar-powered rainbow maker, so that always adds some joy.
EM How do you stay motivated while at home?
LS Limiting screen time and maintaining normalcy through video hangouts with friends and fam, online yoga classes, new recipes, books and puzzles — all of it helps. This is our reality for the time being so I try to stay positive and make the most of it.
I have been staying motivated by putting time towards neglected personal projects on the weekends.
Caleb Van Dyke, Senior Designer
EM Have you got a daily routine going?
CVD I’ve kept my routine pretty similar to working in the studio. A few things that help are having a set workspace, taking proper breaks and staying connected with the team through Zoom and Slack.
EM Are you dressing up for work or keeping it cosy?
CVD I’m keeping it to my standard work uniform of sweatshirt and jeans.
EM Whereabouts in your home do you like to work from?
CVD I am lucky to have an office set up in my apartment. I’ve been pretty strict about working there and not drifting onto the sofa. This gives some needed separation between work and home during this time.
EM How do you stay motivated while at home?
CVD I have been staying motivated by putting time towards neglected personal projects on the weekends. I’m also trying to make sure I disconnect in the evenings and take walks outside.
I’ve been trying to remind myself it’s okay to be on pause.
Wendy Vong, Designer
EM Have you got a daily routine going?
WV The most consistency I have right now is waking up and making a cup of matcha. The rest of the day I tend to lose within various projects and intermittent walks to the kitchen for some quaran-eating (snacking to pass the time).
EM Are you dressing up for work or keeping it cosy?
WV I’ve been keeping it cosy since I don’t want the distraction of feeling uncomfortable at home.
EM Whereabouts in your home do you like to work from?
WV Secluded in my room, at a desk.
EM How do you stay motivated while at home?
WV Learning, meditating, journaling, and reorganising my life helps me feel renewed, but I’ve been trying to remind myself it’s okay to be on pause.
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