Working with freelancers

Spring - Working with YunoJuno

Working with Freelancers this Spring | YunoJuno
Kat Shepherd
Kat Shepherd
January 28, 2021
Reading time
3
minutes

Who are Spring?

Spring is an eco-tech company.

We want to change how people think about and consume technology by offering them more sustainable choices while also highlighting the harm that e-waste is doing to the planet. I don’t think we’re aware of the impact that our phones have on the environment. I know I had no idea before joining Spring, but the average smartphone is packed full of rare-earth metals, plastics, gold and silver, and to manufacture it produces roughly 105 million tonnes of CO2 every year. It's also hard to track down exactly where those elements are coming from.

Spring don't think big tech companies are doing enough to tackle this, so they're going to offer easy solutions for people to recycle their tech, while giving them sustainable options to upgrade refurbed and renewed. Keeping tech that doesn't need to go to landfill in circulation, and decreasing the need for brand new tech to be manufactured.

The Brief

Spring had just signed off their name and branding and needed someone to help bring it all to life. Designing the visual style that would communicate who they are in a unique and engaging way across their website and social platforms - whilst also showing off their personality.

Old rule (2021 Independent Contractor Rule)New Rule (Effective March 11, 2024)
Basis of classificationRelied on a simpler, more straightforward approach that may not fully capture the complexity of modern work relationships.Restores a multifactor "economic reality" test that considers a wider range of factors to determine employment status.
Legal consistencyCriticised for deviating from established legal precedent and potentially leading to more misclassifications.Aims to align closely with longstanding legal precedent, offering more clarity and consistency in classification decisions.
Impact on workersConcerns were raised that it might make it easier to classify workers as independent contractors, potentially denying them employment benefits.Seeks to reduce the risk of misclassification, ensuring workers who should be classified as employees receive the benefits and protections that they're entitled to receive.
Guidance for employersProvide a simpler framework for employers to classify workers, which could lead to broader interpretations and confusion.Offers detailed guidance through the economic reality test, aiming to provide a clearer path for proper classification and reduce misclassifications.
I'm Valentin, a French illustrator based in London with a background in Art Direction, Graphic Design, and Typography. I have worked for agencies, inclyding, Jones. Knowles Ritchie, For People, Ogilvy, Farfetch, Comic Relief, Velocity Partners and BMB agency.
Valentin Blondel, Freelance Illustrator
Book Valentin
Book Valentin
Illustration was primarily what we were looking for, and if they had some animation experience, that was a plus.

The Freelancer

Spring wanted someone who had a unique take and style. Humour was something that was also very important to them.

Who doesn't like a giggle, and as we were discovering who Spring was ourselves, it definitely feels like a jovial person, if Spring was a person.

Once they'd narrowed their search down to 3 illustrators they issued  a brief to design two illustrations that could sit on their website landing page. Illustration was primarily what we were looking for, and if they had some animation experience, that was a plus.

We were in fairly close consultation with the talent team along the way who corralled some freelancers into our pen to have a look at. It was a really easy going conversation back and forth while they got to understand what we were looking for and ultimately sent some amazing people our way. It can feel a little daunting, and a bit of a never ending task when you're scrolling through lists of endless possibilities. It's incredibly helpful for someone to go "here, look at these, I know who's out there so don't waste your time scrolling too much because who you need is probably in what I'm showing you". Takes the pressure off somewhat.

Eventually, Spring hired Freelance Illustrator, Valentine Blondel. Everyone in the team gravitated towards his work right away.

I think most of us knew early on that we wanted him on our side. His work is full of joy, nuance, cleverness and simplicity. He's sort of our resident illustrator and designer now. He was integral in helping mold the style, look and feel of Spring.

The Result

It's been incredibly easy working with Val. He's been working with us for about 4 months and it’s always exciting to see his creativity with each new brief. It's become a very easy relationship and a conversation over what we're going to do and what we want to achieve.

Val is still working with spring, designing as they get closer to their launch next month.

YunoJuno have helped us reach our goal. We were exposed to some of the cream of creative talent and all we had to do was find the best fit for Spring.

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