Creative Studio
Dog and Fox
From their woodland home just outside Edinburgh, designers Elspeth Maxwell and Jonathan Thomas run Dog and Fox, a studio where purpose meets playfulness. Between coffees, children’s chatter, and design sketches spread across the kitchen island, they talk about why their work always begins with people, how family life shapes their creative ethos, and what it means to design with intent.
How did Dog and Fox begin, and where does the name come from?
Elspeth: It came together organically. We were both working in creative fields; I’m a graphic designer, Jonny’s an architect, and we’ve always shared the same instinct for turning good ideas into something tangible. We wanted a practice that was professional, but also personal and grounded.
Jonny: The ‘Fox’ part is an old family name, and it’s our son’s middle name, so that always felt like it should be there. The ‘Dog’ side came from a bit of an in-joke with friends. I used to say it a lot, and it just stuck. Together, ‘Dog and Fox’ felt short, memorable, and a little playful. Leaving full-time architecture to become a programme leader at the university, I created Dog and Fox to support the freelance collaborations I wanted to keep building. And we both had this need to create something of our own, a place to pour our creativity into.
Jonny: It’s a kind of identity that sits alongside my other work, something that’s always ticking away in the background, giving us a space to try things out and take on new ideas.
Elspeth: For me, Dog and Fox is a vehicle to express myself, but more than that, it’s where clients entrust me with messages that really matter. That responsibility is exciting. These projects wouldn’t exist without the collaborations we have, and it feels like such a unique mix of what we bring and what our collaborators bring. Dog and Fox feels deeply personal, like an extension of us.
Jonny: Small-scale, personal, and in-depth.
Elspeth: I’d say collaborative, deeply cared for, deeply thought about, and playful. I think there’s always an element of the unexpected in what we do. It matters to us that the work feels both thoughtful and full of life.
How does family and home life shape the way you work?
Jonny: It often pushes projects into the evenings, once the kids are asleep. If it’s an architectural project, it’s sometimes directly for our extended family or friends, so the impact is immediate. But for external clients, the rhythm of family life means we tend to work in waves, adapting around the household.
Elspeth: For me, working from home means that family is woven into everything. The celebrations, the everyday moments, the way our days are structured; all of it feeds into how I approach design. Because I often work on projects aimed at young people, educators, and people in support roles, I feel like my own life experiences give me a stronger connection to the work. I’m able to bring my ethos, my values, and my own perspective into it. I think the warmth of our home life shows up in the design.
What kinds of projects excite you most right now?
Jonny: I’m really interested in projects that give us flexibility and agility in our own living spaces while also creating something others can enjoy. Designing the interiors, spaces, and environments we move through is exciting, because it’s so immediate.
Elspeth: I agree. We both get such a buzz from shaping interior spaces, thinking about flow, and designing the details of how life unfolds. Beyond that, I’m excited about projects that amplify people’s voices, especially young people. Whether it’s through reports, campaigns, or creative resources, I love using design to help research and ideas land in front of the right people. It’s powerful when design becomes a tool for change.
Jonny: At ease, and in good hands. With clients, especially, we want them to feel confident that they’re part of a team without ego, one that’s always working toward the best possible solution together.
Elspeth: I want them to feel excited that their project is unfolding in ways they might never have imagined. For me, my clients are my collaborators. I love uncovering the unexpected nuggets of design ideas that sit within a brief, and then celebrating the final outcome together. It’s that feeling of ideas bouncing back and forth, getting stronger as they go. Ideally, clients leave the process not just with a beautiful piece of work, but with a sense that the output is greater than the sum of its parts.
Jonny: Right now, a lot of my inspiration comes from working with students and educators. I’m always thinking about how to bring that energy back into Dog and Fox, and how to connect the way students respond to me as an individual with what we do as a studio. There’s something really valuable in that back-and-forth, and I want to find ways to carry it forward.
Elspeth: For me, it’s the clients themselves. I’m constantly inspired by the incredible work they’re doing; the initiatives, the ideas, the ways they’re changing the world. Being part of amplifying those voices and helping their messages reach the right people is endlessly motivating.
I’m also inspired by people around me who are really stepping into their own — feeling powerful, happy, and aligned with what they’re meant to be doing. That resonates with me deeply. I love loving my work. It feels like such a privilege to be excited about what I do every day, and even more so to imagine where it could go next.
Elspeth: They should know that I’ll be just as excited about their project as they are. I love diving in with people to create something that’s never existed before. That sense of making something new together is what drives me.
Jonny: They should also know that we’ll treat their project with real seriousness and focus. That’s simply the way we are: in our work, in our home life, in everything we do. We’ll always aim to make the solution the best it can possibly be.
Elspeth: And ideally, it’ll be fun along the way. The process matters just as much as the final outcome, and we want people to enjoy that journey with us.
Photographs for this piece by Brand Photographer Susan Heaton.