From Students to Agency Founders: Starting a Design Agency While Studying

Starting a design agency is more than a creative dream. It's about building a way of working that prepares you for evolving client needs, collaboration, and real-world challenges. But how do you start a design agency while you’re still figuring out your career path?

This is the story of Several, a branding and design agency in Stockholm and Copenhagen founded by a group of Hyper Island students. Their journey shows how a collaborative, hands-on education can translate directly into launching and running a modern creative business.

Several is a small but growing brand and design agency offering strategic, visual, and digital design services to clients across sectors. The team met while studying the Digital Creative YH program at Hyper Island.

Each founder brought different strengths, from strategy to visual design to technical expertise.
Their work now spans identity, digital production, UX, and brand strategy — all grounded in collaboration. 

When the founders first came together, they faced a familiar challenge: uncertainty about the future.

Was starting their own agency too risky? Could they build a career outside traditional employment? Should they follow internships or create their own opportunities?

For many creatives, especially during study, the pressure to choose security over risk is real. But instead of waiting for the “right moment,” the Several team decided to create it.

Several’s founders came to Hyper Island with a passion for design and the ambition to turn it into something real. But they weren’t just looking to sharpen their technical skills. They wanted a learning experience built around people, collaboration, and real challenges.

That shift, from focusing on tools to understanding how teams work, would later shape how Several operates as an agency. Today, they prioritise shared ownership, feedback, and real-time collaboration.

One of the core values still guiding their work is something Nils picked up at Hyper Island:

That mindset has become especially important in client work. Instead of simply delivering a final result, Several focuses on involving clients in the process, creating stronger ideas and better outcomes.

Several didn’t start after graduation. They started during their studies.

Hyper Island includes a 30-week internship as part of the programs. But the team saw another possibility: using that time to build something of their own.

That willingness to take a calculated risk became part of their foundation. They weren’t waiting until they felt “ready”. They started building while they still had the support of the programme around them.

So what did the team gain from Hyper Island that translated into success?

This is what made the difference when starting their agency. 

• Collaboration over Silos

Their work is built on real-time collaboration — designers, strategists, and technical creatives working together. 

“Thanks to technology, we can collaborate in ways we once only dreamt of,” Nils says, referring to their processes that bring everyone into the same creative flow. 

• Collective Intelligence

Several’s work on projects like the Cervera Gift Card showed that combining expertise — UX, visual design, prototyping — results in richer outcomes. 

• Confidence to Build Something New

Instead of looking for predefined roles, they learned to shape their own careers, turning uncertainty into opportunity while still in the learning phase. 

• Mindset Shift

Hyper Island didn’t teach them what to think. It taught them how to approach challenges, iterate, and engage with clients as partners.

If you’re wondering how to start a design agency, the Several founders have some grounded advice:

• Trust yourself, but stay humble. Confidence comes from knowing you’ll learn, not knowing it all.
• Seek variety in your colleagues. Diversity of skills and perspectives sparks creativity.
• Take small initiatives all the time. Consistent action creates space for bigger opportunities.

As Nils puts it:

Several’s journey began inside a learning environment that encouraged experimentation, collaboration, and ownership. 

If you’re looking for a learning experience that goes beyond theory and helps you apply your skills in real-world contexts, explore what the Digital Creative YH program at Hyper Island offers — and what it could unlock for you.