Meet Antoine Thomas | Founder + Creative Director, West 7th Design Studio

We had the good fortune of connecting with Antoine Thomas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Antoine, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I launched West 7th Design Studio in 2009 while at Howard University. I had just changed my major from Business Administration to Graphic Design during my junior year and refused to feel like I wasted my time up to that point. But I think even more, I didn’t want to be the only person in the room who didn’t have any technical design experience. I was in the middle of some growing pains and really disillusioned with whatever path I felt I was expected to follow, so I said “eff it” and jumped in. My parents owned businesses individually and together, and I’ve always loved technology and art, so it seemed like the perfect blend for me.

I started taking on more work around campus and eventually needed a team. And then something shifted. What started out as a way for this quiet, Black bisexual boy to feel more in control of his choices and pour into himself creatively became a space where other brilliant, intersectional designers could plan, lead, and complete projects end-to-end; flex creatively; and have opportunities that we generally wouldn’t have in other spaces.

What should our readers know about your business?
West 7th Design Studio is an award-winning team of creative, intersectional designers who help businesses transform into human-centered brands. For over a decade, we’ve brought our expertise, perspectives, and experiences to brand strategy, digital design, and UI/UX development. We solve creative problems by building digital touchpoints and experiences that help bridge our clients and their audiences. For smaller businesses, it’s not enough to have the best product or service, it’s about how their audiences connect with them. They have to understand their audience and their needs. And their brands need to reflect that. We aim to weave authenticity into design, and the design we create is an art form and a conversation.

No business is easy and I wholeheartedly reject the saying “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” You absolutely will. I think most entrepreneurs work harder and longer, sometimes because passion blinds us to our limits or because the intersection of passion and business constantly calls us to do and be better. I think self-awareness and true self-honesty, the ability to shift perspectives, and setting aside personal time have allowed me to find a good balance. I love what I do, but I recognize we can’t do this work for everyone even if we want to, for a number of reasons. A point of managing my own Studio was to do great work with great people, but to also improve our quality of life. My team trusts me to lead and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that I don’t have to do everything on my own or play every role. I have a team, friends, and a support system I can lean on. Being a leader doesn’t make me any less human, and humans need community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Atlanta has so many cool spots and most of my friends enjoy a drink and good food. We’d visit Chattahoochee Food Works so they can grab any and everything they want to eat while I get another Lobster Roll from Fuzzy’s. I’m sure we’d end up at Your 3rd Spot or American Axes a little later since they’re both right there. I’m in love with this costal Peruvian spot, Tio Lucho’s, so I’d want to take them there for sure. And we’re a little nerdy, so a visit to the High to see whatever new exhibit is open and some contemporary art wouldn’t be out of the question.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been blessed to have extremely solid friends and relationships that inspire, challenge, and pour into me. I do my best to express my gratitude frequently and in the moment, but I could spend hours listing people and groups. I’m grateful for my entire support system.

That being said, I have to give a special shout out to my late best friend, Kenneth Wiggins. Kenneth was one of the greatest people I’ve ever met, an amazing friend, and a creative visionary in every sense of the word. He changed the trajectory of my career by inspiring me to explore UI/UX personally, and reaffirmed that we can manage businesses differently than the status quo. It’s cliche to say, but I don’t know where I’d be if I wasn’t fortunate enough to have called him a friend.

Website: https://w7th.com

Instagram: @Rex.Mare, @w7th

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/company/w7th/

Image Credits
Cleavon Meabon, IV Kollin Benson