Understanding Your "Why" - Blick Shared Studios

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How to Identify Core Purpose: 5 Whys

Start with WHAT you do. “We make X products or deliver Y services”
Next, ask “WHY is that important?” How do you make a difference in the lives of your customers?
Ask the WHY question again and again (5 times – Don’t cheat and stop with 3 whys!), each time brainstorming and charting your answers.
After a few whys, you’ll find that you’re getting down to the fundamental purpose of the organization.
Review all the different answers to the WHY question, searching for the answer that resonates most, generates some passion, and gets to the heart of your organization’s Core Purpose.

Questions to Test & Refine Your Core Purpose

Do you find this purpose personally inspiring, and does it make you feel proud of your company?
Can you envision this purpose being as valid 100 years from now as it is today?
Does this purpose help you decide which opportunities and activities to say YES to and which ones to say NO to?
Is this purpose authentic (not merely words on paper that “sound nice”), and would it be greeted with enthusiasm rather than cynicism?

Putting Your Core Purpose Into Words

When you’ve got your purpose figured out, try and put it in words. Keep in mind, it doesn’t need to be a description of your products and services. It needs to be a succinct description of the impact of those products and services, and it usually begins with ‘we.’ And it should speak to your highest aspirations, it doesn’t need to be something you’re delivering on 100 percent today.

Downloadable PDF and Word versions of the Understanding Your “Why” Exercise

Understanding Your "Why" Exercise PDF

PDF: 66.41 KB

A downloadable PDF version of the 'Undertanding Your "Why" exercise'

Download document

Understanding Your "Why" Exercise Word Document

Word doc: 67.50 KB

A downloadable Word version of the 'Undertanding Your "Why" exercise'

Download document

Very excited to start our new @belfastdesignwk Collab Design Hothouse Residency this week with @beth__schmidt and @rachelcowie_graphics looking forward to seeing what they create over the next couple of months and sharing their progress!

Jul 21

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Very excited to start our new @belfastdesignwk Collab Design Hothouse Residency this week with @beth__schmidt and @rachelcowie_graphics looking forward to seeing what they create over the next couple of months and sharing their progress!

In October 2025 we collaborated with @homewerk.project and radio and audio producer Owen McFadden from @whyfiproductions who drew on his experience of creating award-winning audio for BBC Radio Ulster, Radio 4 and more, to give insights into the basics of recording, editing, and shaping audio into compelling listening. We learnt so much from this amazing workshop, but here are our key takeaways

Jul 21

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In October 2025 we collaborated with @homewerk.project and radio and audio producer Owen McFadden from @whyfiproductions who drew on his experience of creating award-winning audio for BBC Radio Ulster, Radio 4 and more, to give insights into the basics of recording, editing, and shaping audio into compelling listening. We learnt so much from this amazing workshop, but here are our key takeaways

Lovely sunny days and a more relaxed working schedule over the last few weeks, but back properly in the studio this week with our new collab residency with @belfastdesignwk starting and some other exciting new projects!

Jul 20

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Lovely sunny days and a more relaxed working schedule over the last few weeks, but back properly in the studio this week with our new collab residency with @belfastdesignwk starting and some other exciting new projects!

Putting up our new exhibition hanging grids in our Great Northern Street studios earlier this year!
After lots of research we designed our own hanging system.

We bought freestanding grid wall panels and some brackets and mounted them on the walls for an affordable and easy exhibition system
Making it really easy for us to change exhibits in the front windows as well as inside!

Starting with our first exhibit - Islands of Design Popup Museum Irish Design Week Part 1

Jul 8

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Putting up our new exhibition hanging grids in our Great Northern Street studios earlier this year!
After lots of research we designed our own hanging system.

We bought freestanding grid wall panels and some brackets and mounted them on the walls for an affordable and easy exhibition system
Making it really easy for us to change exhibits in the front windows as well as inside!

Starting with our first exhibit - Islands of Design Popup Museum Irish Design Week Part 1

Meet The Resident: Lorna McFall User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Designer within the Video Games Industry
In our latest Meet The Resident we get to know one of our new residents at our Hill Street Studios, Lorna McFall a User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Designer within the Video Games Industry
https://blickstudios.org/blog/meet-the-resident-lorna-mcfall-user-interface-ui-user-experience-ux-de

Jul 7

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Meet The Resident: Lorna McFall User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Designer within the Video Games Industry
In our latest Meet The Resident we get to know one of our new residents at our Hill Street Studios, Lorna McFall a User Interface (UI) & User Experience (UX) Designer within the Video Games Industry
https://blickstudios.org/blog/meet-the-resident-lorna-mcfall-user-interface-ui-user-experience-ux-de

Our Great Northern Street studios provide shared and private workspace to over 15 creatives and are located just off the Lisburn Road in South Belfast in a modern glass fronted building nestled between traditional red brick Belfast terrace houses.

You can find out more about our Great Northern Street studios on our website

Jul 3

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Our Great Northern Street studios provide shared and private workspace to over 15 creatives and are located just off the Lisburn Road in South Belfast in a modern glass fronted building nestled between traditional red brick Belfast terrace houses.

You can find out more about our Great Northern Street studios on our website

The beautiful breakout space of our Great Northern Street studios

Jul 1

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The beautiful breakout space of our Great Northern Street studios

Here`s where you can find our Great Northern Street studios, in South Belfast, at the bottom of Chadwick Street just past Tesco on the way out of town, nestled among a row of redbrick terraces!

Jun 30

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Here's where you can find our Great Northern Street studios, in South Belfast, at the bottom of Chadwick Street just past Tesco on the way out of town, nestled among a row of redbrick terraces!

This week we are going to share a bit more about our newest studios, our Great Northern Street studios. The studios provide shared and private workspace to over 15 creatives and are located just off the Lisburn Road in South Belfast in a modern glass fronted building nestled between traditional red brick Belfast terrace houses.

You can find out more about our Great Northern Street studios and available workspace on our website (link in profile and below)

https://blickstudios.org/locations/great-northern-street/

Jun 29

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We have one dedicated deskspace coming available in our Cotton Court shared creative coworking space:

– £130 per dedicated desk per calendar month all inclusive utilities, rates, broadand etc (No VAT)

– 7am – 10.30pm access

– Industrial style building full of creative organisations in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter

– Cathedral Quarter location opposite the Merchant hotel

– Minimum 3 months contract then on a rolling monthly contract

– 1 months rent required as a deposit

– Email christine@blickstudios.org for more info or to arrange a viewing

Or visit the Cotton Court page of our website link below and in profile:

https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

Jun 27

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1 week left to apply for our new design residency in collaboration with @belfastdesignwk this summer!

Design Hothouse is a new Blick Shared Studios X Belfast Design Week collaborative residency, that will support two emerging designers from different disciplines as they work together over a 2-month period from 17th July – 18th September on a live brief.

The Brief

The brief will be to work together to co-design and co-create a body of digital and printed work to promote Design After Dark, a new Blick X Belfast Design Weekinitiative that will bring a series of seasonal evening celebrations of contemporary design in Belfast.

The Details

The residency will take place in Blick Shared Studios, Hill Street Studios from 17th July – 18th September. The selected applicants will have access to workspace to work on the project, weekly workshops, mentoring and professional development support from established creatives. They will each receive a bursary of £800 that they can use for their time, materials and expenses.

Selected participants will be required to attend each of the weekly workshops (time to be agreed based on participants and facilitators availability) and provide weekly reports on project progress. They will be responsible for working together collaboratively to create the digital artwork to promote Design After Dark, Belfast Community Plant Library and Food Loves Design. In addition they will get the opportunity to exhibit printed versions of their work and talk about their experience on the residency during Design After Dark.

Applicants can be emerging creatives (working in industry for less than 2 years), students or graduates or self-taught designers looking to build their skills, experience and connections.

Visit our website for full details ✨️

Jun 26

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1 week left to apply for our new design residency in collaboration with @belfastdesignwk this summer!

Design Hothouse is a new Blick Shared Studios X Belfast Design Week collaborative residency, that will support two emerging designers from different disciplines as they work together over a 2-month period from 17th July – 18th September on a live brief.

The Brief

The brief will be to work together to co-design and co-create a body of digital and printed work to promote Design After Dark, a new Blick X Belfast Design Weekinitiative that will bring a series of seasonal evening celebrations of contemporary design in Belfast.

The Details

The residency will take place in Blick Shared Studios, Hill Street Studios from 17th July – 18th September. The selected applicants will have access to workspace to work on the project, weekly workshops, mentoring and professional development support from established creatives. They will each receive a bursary of £800 that they can use for their time, materials and expenses.

Selected participants will be required to attend each of the weekly workshops (time to be agreed based on participants and facilitators availability) and provide weekly reports on project progress. They will be responsible for working together collaboratively to create the digital artwork to promote Design After Dark, Belfast Community Plant Library and Food Loves Design. In addition they will get the opportunity to exhibit printed versions of their work and talk about their experience on the residency during Design After Dark.

Applicants can be emerging creatives (working in industry for less than 2 years), students or graduates or self-taught designers looking to build their skills, experience and connections.

Visit our website for full details ✨️

Cotton Court is a converted Cotton Mill. Throughout the 18 and early 19th Century, Belfast was a landmark city for the textile industries of Linen and Cotton. By 1804 there were 27,000 people in Northern Ireland being employed in cotton mills, one of which was Cotton Court. Cotton Court is our smallest studios, making it a more cosy and intimate space, we have eight desk spaces and four private offices in our Cotton Court studios! It is also our most affordable space with dedicated deskspaces costing just £130 per calendar month all inclusive!

Cotton Court is part of a managed workspace building, which operates in the Cathedral Quarter with a focus on not-for-profit organisations from the Arts, Cultural & Community Sector. Other businesses who reside in Cotton Court include Belfast Print Workshop, Destination CQ and Young at Art!

As well as the industrial interiors and creative feel of the building it has an amazing location in the Cathedral Quarter right opposite the main entrance to the Merchant Hotel on Waring Street!

You can find out more about our Cotton Court studios and any available workspace on our website: https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

Jun 26

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Cotton Court is a converted Cotton Mill. Throughout the 18 and early 19th Century, Belfast was a landmark city for the textile industries of Linen and Cotton. By 1804 there were 27,000 people in Northern Ireland being employed in cotton mills, one of which was Cotton Court. Cotton Court is our smallest studios, making it a more cosy and intimate space, we have eight desk spaces and four private offices in our Cotton Court studios! It is also our most affordable space with dedicated deskspaces costing just £130 per calendar month all inclusive!

Cotton Court is part of a managed workspace building, which operates in the Cathedral Quarter with a focus on not-for-profit organisations from the Arts, Cultural & Community Sector. Other businesses who reside in Cotton Court include Belfast Print Workshop, Destination CQ and Young at Art!

As well as the industrial interiors and creative feel of the building it has an amazing location in the Cathedral Quarter right opposite the main entrance to the Merchant Hotel on Waring Street!

You can find out more about our Cotton Court studios and any available workspace on our website: https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

Our cosy and creative Cotton Court studios in Belfast`s Cathedral Quarter, we have a dedicated deskspace coming available soon for £130 per calendar month all inclusive! Visit the Cotton Court page of our website (link in profile) or get in touch by emailling christine@blickstudios.org for more info

Jun 24

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On Tuesday 9th June I was lucky enough to attend the Creative Health Northern Ireland: Co-creating a Policy Framework for Northern Ireland event, so much great information to take away and thought provoking conversations that hopefully can inform some of our programming at Blick and Belfast Design Week.

It was great in particular to hear illustrator Conor McClure talking about his work on Graphic Medicine and to see his beautiful accompanying illustrations.

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Jun 23

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On Tuesday 9th June I was lucky enough to attend the Creative Health Northern Ireland: Co-creating a Policy Framework for Northern Ireland event, so much great information to take away and thought provoking conversations that hopefully can inform some of our programming at Blick and Belfast Design Week.

It was great in particular to hear illustrator Conor McClure talking about his work on Graphic Medicine and to see his beautiful accompanying illustrations.

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Here`s where you can find our Cotton Court studios in the Cathedral Quarter on Waring Street (right opposite the gorgeous Merchant Hotel) in the same building as Belfast Print Workshop, Young at Art and more

https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

Jun 23

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Here's where you can find our Cotton Court studios in the Cathedral Quarter on Waring Street (right opposite the gorgeous Merchant Hotel) in the same building as Belfast Print Workshop, Young at Art and more

https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

- - OUR COTTON COURT STUDIOS - -

Cotton Court is a converted Cotton Mill. Throughout the 18 and early 19th Century, Belfast was a landmark city for the textile industries of Linen and Cotton. By 1804 there were 27,000 people in Northern Ireland being employed in cotton mills, one of which was Cotton Court. Cotton Court is our smallest studios, making it a more cosy and intimate space, we have eight desk spaces and four private offices in our Cotton Court studios! It is also our most affordable space with dedicated deskspaces costing just £125 per calendar month all inclusive!

Cotton Court is part of a managed workspace building, which operates in the Cathedral Quarter with a focus on not-for-profit organisations from the Arts, Cultural & Community Sector. Other businesses who reside in Cotton Court include Belfast Print Workshop, Destination CQ and Young at Art!

As well as the industrial interiors and creative feel of the building it has an amazing location in the Cathedral Quarter right opposite the main entrance to the Merchant Hotel on Waring Street!

You can find out more about our Cotton Court studios and any available workspace on our website:

https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

Jun 22

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- - OUR COTTON COURT STUDIOS - -

Cotton Court is a converted Cotton Mill. Throughout the 18 and early 19th Century, Belfast was a landmark city for the textile industries of Linen and Cotton. By 1804 there were 27,000 people in Northern Ireland being employed in cotton mills, one of which was Cotton Court. Cotton Court is our smallest studios, making it a more cosy and intimate space, we have eight desk spaces and four private offices in our Cotton Court studios! It is also our most affordable space with dedicated deskspaces costing just £125 per calendar month all inclusive!

Cotton Court is part of a managed workspace building, which operates in the Cathedral Quarter with a focus on not-for-profit organisations from the Arts, Cultural & Community Sector. Other businesses who reside in Cotton Court include Belfast Print Workshop, Destination CQ and Young at Art!

As well as the industrial interiors and creative feel of the building it has an amazing location in the Cathedral Quarter right opposite the main entrance to the Merchant Hotel on Waring Street!

You can find out more about our Cotton Court studios and any available workspace on our website:

https://blickstudios.org/locations/cotton-court-belfast/

Last Monday night I had the privilege of attending the WE Innovate Programme Final Queen’s University Belfast after working in a small way with some of the programme finalists. It was great to see all the final pitches and the progress of the participants in a beautiful setting. Great keynote speech by @granlab_skin and panel discussion on women in entrepreneurship

Well done to everyone involved and especially the participants who had the scary job of pitching their ideas, they all did it beautifully.

https://blickstudios.org/blog/we-innovate-programme-final-queens-university-belfast/

Jun 17

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Last Monday night I had the privilege of attending the WE Innovate Programme Final Queen’s University Belfast after working in a small way with some of the programme finalists. It was great to see all the final pitches and the progress of the participants in a beautiful setting. Great keynote speech by @granlab_skin and panel discussion on women in entrepreneurship

Well done to everyone involved and especially the participants who had the scary job of pitching their ideas, they all did it beautifully.

https://blickstudios.org/blog/we-innovate-programme-final-queens-university-belfast/

Some belated pics from our @belfastdesignwk creative talk with Blick resident product and fashion designer @maureenselinalaverty
Maureen`s wonderful talk about inclusive design was really inspiring and informative, we will share a write up over coming weeks!

Jun 15

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Some belated pics from our @belfastdesignwk creative talk with Blick resident product and fashion designer @maureenselinalaverty
Maureen's wonderful talk about inclusive design was really inspiring and informative, we will share a write up over coming weeks!

Our latest roundup of funding and opportunities for NI Creatives

01 . Blick X Belfast Design Week Design Hothouse Residency

Design Hothouse is a new Blick Shared Studios X Belfast Design Week collaborative residency, that will support two emerging designers from different disciplines as they work together over a 2-month period from 17th July – 18th September on a live brief. £800 bursary available for each designer.
Closing date: Friday 3rd July

02. GoSEA Artists-in-Residence programme Vietnam
GoSEA welcomes UK-based artists and creative practitioners from all disciplines – from music, film, and visual arts to craft, creative research and production, and even puppet theatre!

Closing date: Monday 15th June

03. ImmerseHER
A cross‑border immersive arts adventure exploring Irish cultural heritage, identity, co‑creative storytelling, and digital futures for young women aged 16 – 25.

Closing date: 30th June

04. The Radcliffe Trust

The Radcliffe Trust supports the development and practice of the skills, knowledge and experience that underpin the UK’s heritage and crafts sector. This includes support for emerging craftspeople of high quality, craft and conservation projects and training, projects demonstrating creative outcomes by designer-makers, projects with potential for capacity building within the sector, and some special needs projects focusing on the therapeutic benefits of skills development.

Closing date: Friday 31st July

05. Culture Night Application
Just like last year, Culture Night Belfast 2026 will be an artist-led and venue based city-wide experience.

Deadline: Friday 19th June

06. Creative Lives Micro Grant

Has your creative group found a useful software package, app, or system that helps you run things more efficiently?
Deadline: Monday 6th April

07. Digital Arts Studios – Home Residency
The DAS Home Residency provides four months for you to develop a project of your choice.

Closing date: 8th July

08. Dormant Assets for All
The Dormant Assets for All fund is for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
You can apply for between £300 and £20,000.

See the full listings including links on our website blog

Jun 12

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Our latest roundup of funding and opportunities for NI Creatives

01 . Blick X Belfast Design Week Design Hothouse Residency

Design Hothouse is a new Blick Shared Studios X Belfast Design Week collaborative residency, that will support two emerging designers from different disciplines as they work together over a 2-month period from 17th July – 18th September on a live brief. £800 bursary available for each designer.
Closing date: Friday 3rd July

02. GoSEA Artists-in-Residence programme Vietnam
GoSEA welcomes UK-based artists and creative practitioners from all disciplines – from music, film, and visual arts to craft, creative research and production, and even puppet theatre!

Closing date: Monday 15th June

03. ImmerseHER
A cross‑border immersive arts adventure exploring Irish cultural heritage, identity, co‑creative storytelling, and digital futures for young women aged 16 – 25.

Closing date: 30th June

04. The Radcliffe Trust

The Radcliffe Trust supports the development and practice of the skills, knowledge and experience that underpin the UK’s heritage and crafts sector. This includes support for emerging craftspeople of high quality, craft and conservation projects and training, projects demonstrating creative outcomes by designer-makers, projects with potential for capacity building within the sector, and some special needs projects focusing on the therapeutic benefits of skills development.

Closing date: Friday 31st July

05. Culture Night Application
Just like last year, Culture Night Belfast 2026 will be an artist-led and venue based city-wide experience.

Deadline: Friday 19th June

06. Creative Lives Micro Grant

Has your creative group found a useful software package, app, or system that helps you run things more efficiently?
Deadline: Monday 6th April

07. Digital Arts Studios – Home Residency
The DAS Home Residency provides four months for you to develop a project of your choice.

Closing date: 8th July

08. Dormant Assets for All
The Dormant Assets for All fund is for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
You can apply for between £300 and £20,000.

See the full listings including links on our website blog

We are very excited to launch a new design residency in collaboration with @belfastdesignwk this summer!

Design Hothouse is a new Blick Shared Studios X Belfast Design Week collaborative residency, that will support two emerging designers from different disciplines as they work together over a 2-month period from 17th July – 18th September on a live brief.

The Brief

The brief will be to work together to co-design and co-create a body of digital and printed work to promote Design After Dark, a new Blick X Belfast Design Weekinitiative that will bring a series of seasonal evening celebrations of contemporary design in Belfast.

The Details

The residency will take place in Blick Shared Studios, Hill Street Studios from 17th July – 18th September. The selected applicants will have access to workspace to work on the project, weekly workshops, mentoring and professional development support from established creatives. They will each receive a bursary of £800 that they can use for their time, materials and expenses.

Selected participants will be required to attend each of the weekly workshops (time to be agreed based on participants and facilitators availability) and provide weekly reports on project progress. They will be responsible for working together collaboratively to create the digital artwork to promote Design After Dark, Belfast Community Plant Library and Food Loves Design. In addition they will get the opportunity to exhibit printed versions of their work and talk about their experience on the residency during Design After Dark.

Applicants can be emerging creatives (working in industry for less than 2 years), students or graduates or self-taught designers looking to build their skills, experience and connections.

Closing date for applications: Friday 3rd July 5pm

This residency is kindly supported by Belfast City Council

Get in touch if you have any questions or visit the Design Hothouse page on our website for more info ( link below and in profile)

https://blickstudios.org/design-hothouse-residency/

Jun 11

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