Our Philosophy & How We Approach Projects
PUBLISHED
September 11, 2025
Our philosophy revolves around distilling complex ideas into their purest form, but we didn’t arrive at this conclusion immediately. In the beginning, with almost ZERO experience, we were motivated, but very unaware of what to expect from starting a studio. We searched for guidance and quickly realised that just because something works for others, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you.
Trial-and-error led us to a fundamental discovery: rarely anything is hardly ever easy. And it didn’t take long before we were constantly having to deal with some sort of issue. We appreciate that struggle now because it taught us what real, thoughtful work looks like.
Why Projects Fail
What people don't like mentioning is that a project always fails when you don't deeply understand what you’re trying to do, and for what reason. Or, it definitely makes things a lot easier when you’re aware of your surroundings.
Sometimes, people try to sell you solutions to problems you might not even have. Everything seems so deceptively simple, but a lot of the time something that looks stable is actually held together with duct tape and cardboard. So make sure you do actually know what you’re doing.
Most project failures aren't because the idea was bad. They happen because we're doing the wrong things, at the wrong time, for the wrong reasons.
How We Approach ANYTHING
The truth is, creating and nurturing an idea isn't wizardry. It's like developing a skill. Think of it like learning to cook. You don't start by attempting a five-course meal. You learn to make something simple, like scrambled eggs, consistently first. Building anything of value works the same way. It needs to be a thought-out and deliberate process.
A project always starts with an idea, but only a lucky few get chosen to be sketched out roughly on paper. It can take a creative lifetime of iterations before we arrive at anything ready for further development. This is followed by an entire period of testing, where we sometimes end up going right back to the drawing board. The process is not linear and can be unpredictable, no matter how strategic and organised we try to be.
The Three Ancient Rules of Projects
Through our own mistakes, we've identified three principles that we apply to every project:
Clarify EVERYTHING first. You can't work on something you don't understand. Before you write a single line of code, design a single screen or write a single word, map and sketch everything out first. Document EVERYTHING. If you can't explain it simply, you're not ready to work on it.
Improve through iteration. An idea isn't something you do once and then forget about. It's a living ecosystem that needs regular attention and evolution as you test out various things, make changes here and there, delete this, add this. You get the most value from projects if you treat them as an ongoing practice, not a one-time event.
Have a good contract, but avoid court. No matter how good your contract is, it won’t save you from months or years of back and forth between solicitors and hearings and everything else that no one wants to spend their time doing.
Final Note
This is our philosophy. It’s a process built on the belief that good work is deliberate. It requires a clear guide, the willingness to redraw it, and the wisdom to protect yourself along the way.
We founded idea. studio to be a home for this kind of work. We are devoted to the craft of creating, to the science of art, and to the honest, iterative journey it takes to bring an idea to life.
