Tell us about the studio: Who are the founders, how many employees, where are you based, what’s your speciality, any details you’d like to share.

GeneralPublic is an art direction and graphic design studio founded by Mathilde Lesueur and Jérémie Harper. We met during our very first year of higher education and quickly became friends. Although we later pursued studies at different schools, we started collaborating once we each began working independently. Sharing projects felt more exciting. It meant more dialogue, more fun, and a higher level of expectation.

After a few years of working like this, we realized how much we enjoyed it and decided to make it official. The idea was to create a studio that could give more scope to our work and open up more opportunities and collaborations. That’s how GeneralPublic was born.

Initially, the studio focused on print objects with a strong emphasis on materials and fabrication. Today, we still value that tangible approach, but our work has expanded to more global identities — systems that can be deployed across mediums, including digital, which we’re increasingly passionate about.  

We’ve had the chance to work across a wide variety of fields: cinema, art, design, cosmetics, gastronomy, and recently for an NGO. This diversity of topics and industries is something we care about deeply. We’re especially stimulated when we get to explore unfamiliar territory. The newer the field, the better.

What is the story behind the name of the studio?

Though we’re a French studio, we often work internationally. So we wanted a name that would be universally understood. “GeneralPublic” comes from the French le grand public and carries a subtle nod to cinema.  

To us, it means “for everyone.” We’ve always aimed to be demanding in our work while still being able to reach a broad audience. There’s something almost activist about striving for quality work that remains accessible. It’s a reminder to keep in mind who we’re designing for. It’s easy to get caught up in seeking recognition from your peers and forget the actual end user — which can make the work feel dry and cryptic to anyone outside the field.

Which topics or industries are you most passionate about and focused on?

Cinema comes to mind first — but more broadly, we’d say art, design, and craftsmanship. These are areas that really resonate with us and offer endless creative opportunities.

Our collaboration actually started with research around how to reflect and interpret cinema through graphic design — using the constraints of print, still image, silence, and no control over time. These explorations still inform our visual vocabulary and continue to influence our day-to-day practice: framing, close-ups, rhythm, shots and reverse shots, movement, image fragmentation, layering... It probably contributes to what some might call our style, even if unintentionally.

Do you listen to something or play music while working?

Yes, we play a lot of music — we take turns choosing what’s on. It sets the tone, the rhythm, and often gives the day a flow. That said, we also really appreciate silence from time to time.

How does the team wind down or spend quality time together?
 

Our meeting and work table is actually a ping-pong table. That instantly sets a relaxed tone and lets us stretch our legs with a quick match. Sometimes we host little tournaments and invite friends, collaborators (past and present), and the architects we share the space with.

We’re also big fans of snacks, so any excuse is a good one.  

And as soon as the sun is out, we usually end the day on a terrace — our neighborhood makes it hard to resist.

What’s the hardest thing about running a studio?

Hard to say what’s the hardest — but one challenge, especially as a small team of two co-founders and no more than four people in-house, is learning to delegate well. Good coordination is crucial so that everyone knows their role and can contribute meaningfully. Otherwise, it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing everything ourselves — and nobody can excel at everything.  

When admin, emails, meetings, and logistics take over, it leaves little time for research and experimentation — and in the end, we risk not doing the work we’re actually best at.

What’s the best thing about running a studio?

Without a doubt, the best part is working as a team in a shared space — it really feels like a permanent workshop. That’s where the magic happens: confronting ideas, shaping projects together, and pushing them further.

Before founding GeneralPublic, we both worked as freelancers. It’s easy to get comfortable in that setting — doing what you know, not questioning yourself too much. Working as a team with a shared vision brings a whole other dynamic that constantly challenges and enriches us.

Running a studio also means being able to work on a huge range of projects, meeting brilliant people with inspiring ideas — and getting to contribute something meaningful with the skills we’ve developed.

Who would you love to collaborate with, or have as a client?

Beyoncé?  

Or Céline Dion — because she’s wild, and honestly, when would we ever get that chance again?

Kidding...

When was the last time you said ‘no’ to a new client or project and why?

That’s such an important question — and one we revisit often.  

Saying no is essential. No to clients whose values we do not share, no to projects that don’t fit, no to choices that don’t feel right, no to clients who don’t treat the collaboration with care.

It took us a while to learn how to recognize red flags and how to walk away when necessary. Recently, we had to say no to a client who couldn’t choose between two design directions and asked us to merge them. For us, that’s a recipe for losing all coherence. There’s no vision anymore — just a mix of ideas without backbone.

That said, we rarely go for a hard, confrontational “no.” Usually, we try to guide the conversation, to co-create the right direction. Some clients need to be brought along gently. Others need more structure — they’re actually looking for someone to lead the way. In those cases, a firm “not that way” can be very welcome.

What’s your recruitment strategy? How do you decide who to employ?

We still have a lot to learn here. We tend to look for versatile profiles, maybe sometimes too similar to ourselves.  

We try not to assign only execution tasks. It’s important to us that everyone is involved from the creative phase, because that’s where the real excitement lies: developing something from scratch and then carrying it out with care.

We’re very loyal to the people we work with, most of whom are graphic designers like us. But going forward, we know we need to bring in more project managers, account leads, and operations support — people who can free us up to focus on what we love best: designing.

What's the best advice you can give about working with clients?

One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is the gap between designing for yourself (in school or for personal projects) and working with and for clients. It’s much harder to stay true to your values and creative instincts once you’re in that collaborative space.

As we mentioned earlier, beware of clients who want to blend ideas into a “best of both worlds” mix. That almost always leads to a weak, incoherent result.  

Our best advice is to find that balance between flexibility and conviction — to craft solutions that are truly tailored to a client’s identity and needs, while still staying true to the vision they came to you for.

And sometimes, you just have to walk away. There’s nothing more dangerous than feeling trapped in a client relationship. Be careful not to depend on just one.

Where would you like to see the studio in 5 years?

Good question — it forces us to reflect on what we really want.

We’d love to stay small, because this scale allows us to stay hands-on and involved in every detail — a true craft-based approach. 

At the same time, we want to multiply collaborations — with photographers, illustrators, motion designers, type designers… and we’d love to delegate full aspects of the studio: project management, admin, commercial outreach — the things we’re less skilled at — so we can focus on what we love most: creative work and project development.

And maybe, just maybe… we’ll finally start applying for public design commissions.  

But whatever happens — we hope there’ll always be a little terrace waiting at the end of the day.

Thank you GeneralPublic!