Designer insights with Ryan Hirst

Ryan Hirst works within the marketing team at Eurofit Direct, one of the largest importers of office and kitchen fittings within the UK. Ryan writes advice and inspiration blogs covering all manner of DIY topics. Founded in 1991, Eurofit has gone from strength to strength and has expanded its product range considerably, to become a market leader for ball bearing slides and kitchen hinges. They are also an official Draper Tools stockist. So we are proud to bring you the Designer Insights of Ryan Hirst.

Designer Insights - Ryan Hirst

- Transcript -

1) In your own words describe how to make your DIY projects unique?

Whatever the DIY/home improvement project you take on somebody will have done something similar before. Personalise your projects, add your favourite colours, photos, patterns and make it unique to yourself.

2) When starting a new project, what is your creative process?

Before I begin any project I search the web for inspiration. You will find many bloggers, tradesmen and DIY enthusiasts have already worked on a similar project. This gives you an advantage… You can see what does and doesn’t work well before you begin.

3) Out of the professionals you have worked on who are the most creative and why?

There are 2 sites that I am a daily reader of; Freshome and Instructables. Freshome is perfect for those who wish to find interior design inspiration with a fairly large budget and is full of inspiration. The Instructables site is built for the DIY beginner; a place in which enthusiasts showcase their DIY projects and discuss things that work well and things that don’t. I have posted a couple of DIY projects on their site and it is great to see what other’s in the same niche would do differently.

4) When looking for inspiration is there a particular thing you do to get inspired?

I like to take inspiration from the room my DIY project will be used in. For example the colours, theme and shape of the room all help me build an idea of how this project will fit in.

5) What has brought your company to where they are today? And what is your advice for people looking to follow in your footsteps?

I have been a blogger for years and through working for Eurofit Direct it has evolved into blogging about home/DIY projects. I suppose my biggest piece of advice has to be, to pick a niche and stick to it. Find something you enjoy writing about and work on projects, do your research and write about it… You can soon become a bit of an expert.