A PRODUCT design agency has opened a studio at Bobby's in Bournemouth.

Studio Wood has chosen to set up shop in the former bakery behind the main building, which was built in the 1920s.

James Wood, the founder of Studio Wood, said: "We really wanted something with character, something in the centre of town, and something beautiful, and the bakery ticked all those boxes for us.

"There’s something about high ceilings that make me feel like my brain has more space."

James established Studio Wood in 2013, just a year after graduating top of his class in Bournemouth University’s industrial design degree course.

He said: "When I graduated in 2012, there just weren’t any design jobs in Bournemouth, thankfully that’s changed now, but at the time, I had no choice, I had to go to London.

"After some high-profile design jobs, I decided to go freelance, and that’s when I started Studio Wood. I rented studio space in Brixton, but I purposefully only employed freelancers, I didn’t want to hire anyone permanent.

"I wanted to come back, I wanted to prove you could run a successful product design agency in Bournemouth."

The agency, which places significant emphasis on sustainability and ethics, caught the attention of one of its most notable brands, Chilly’s.

James said: "Chilly’s came to us because of our sustainability credentials.

"It seems crazy to say now, but seven years ago we were one of a handful of product design agencies that had sustainability and ethics at our heart."

Diversity is another area close to James' heart.

He said: "Kids from disadvantaged backgrounds like I was weren’t even given university as an option.

"And for me, when I did finally get to go, it was the first place I’d flourished and felt that I was actually good at something, and crucially, where I found something I liked and enjoyed doing."

Now at Bobby’s, James plans to restart his events programme with the aim of improving industry inclusivity and balance.

For more information about Studio Wood and their future events, you can sign up to a mailing list at studiowood.co.uk.