Dream Teams: The Dynamic Partnership Behind Andy Baker Studio

It’s not every day that you find a creative partner who challenges, inspires, and understands you in equal measure. For Andy Baker, founder and director of Andy Baker Studio, and Lucia Davies, the studio’s creative director and executive producer, this partnership started  nearly two decades ago during their time at Kingston Art University.

What began as a connection between a second-year graphic design student (Lucia) and a final-year illustration and animation student (Andy) has evolved into an exceptional creative collaboration spanning seven years and counting.

“I admired Andy’s work ethic, creativity, and eye for detail right from the start,” Lucia shares. Andy echoes this sentiment, praising Lucia’s taste and attention to detail as “second to none.” While their bond as a couple grew outside the classroom, professionally, their journey began with a bold step into the animation industry.

Their first project together was none other than animating a segment for the pilot episode of the cult series ‘Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared’. Lucia had built up a successful career straight out of university, initially in editorial at fashion magazines, and then in advertising’s creative direction pockets. 

When Andy asked her if she wanted to be his creative partner on ‘Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared’, she was immediately persuaded and never looked back: “It was the best decision I’ve ever made,” she says.

“Lucia had just finished working in fashion and was taking a break,” Andy says, also reminiscing on the sunrise of their joint career. “I had been thinking for a while of ways to have a creative partner that I could trust and I’d always really appreciated and respected the work she was doing. To be honest, I thought it would never happen, as she was far too qualified. But we tried it, and it worked out great!”

Despite their different career paths – Lucia’s high-profile roles in fashion and advertising and Andy’s thriving animation career – they dove into the project headfirst. It wasn’t all smooth sailing. “It was a bit like an awkward dance at the start,” Lucia admits, but the duo quickly found their rhythm, blending their complementary skillsets and establishing a shared vision.

From there, the momentum built with projects for brands like Seamless and Vans, solidifying their collaborative process. Their distinctive combination of Andy’s directorial vision and Lucia’s production expertise became the backbone of Andy Baker Studio, a team now renowned for creating visually rich, character-driven animations with cultural flair.

At the base of this partnership, however clunky at the start, are Lucia and Andy’s fascinations with each other’s work. From their Kingston days, Lucia remembers admiring Andy’s work ethic, innate creativity and unparalleled eye for detail. “This hasn’t changed,” assures us Lucia, “except now we’re working on the same time zone and are channelling it into the same focus.” Andy echoes Lucia’s first impressions – her great taste and, similarly, attention to detail and “mad work ethic”, are what grabbed Andy at the start.

None of this has changed, but while their shared passion for animation and storytelling drives their work, Andy and Lucia aren’t strangers to creative disagreement. “We’ve come to realise that it’s part of our process,” says Lucia. Early-stage problem-solving often sparks debates, but both agree that these moments of friction ultimately elevate the work. “We’re always challenging each other’s opinions,” Andy adds. “It’s frustrating at times, but the combined goal always brings us back to a stronger outcome.”

Their willingness to challenge each other is matched by a commitment to open communication. “We’ve learned to be more open and take emotion out of it where we can,” Andy explains. It’s a balancing act that has strengthened their collaboration and helped the studio consistently deliver standout work.

It’s this willingness that has allowed Andy and Lucia to work on so many prominent projects together. When asked which ones they’re most proud of, they both struggle to choose. Among their most memorable ones are recent campaigns for Major Lazer and Skittles. The Major Lazer music video, a mixed-media masterpiece blending 2D animation with live-action parodies, pushed the duo to new creative heights under tight deadlines and minimal budgets. 

“We were incredibly hands-on and resourceful,” Lucia says, describing a whirlwind production process that saw Andy designing ‘80s-inspired cartoons while Lucia orchestrated a spoof cereal commercial. For Skittles, the challenge was creating a universe of 3,000 unique characters, each grounded in a fictional landscape. In both projects, though, what’s evident is the duo’s love of character design, world-building and creative problem solving.

Openness, communication and a shared passion go a long way, but Andy and Lucia credit their differing skillsets with their projects’ success too. But no matter how different their creative backgrounds and opinions are, it all boils down to a singular vision that they bring into their worlds, characters and stories.

“We’ve always had our own creative styles and tastes that each of us brings to the table,” explains Andy. “On top of that, we have always agreed on the broader elements of art and culture – that’s awesome.”

Despite the intensity of their work, Andy and Lucia find time to recharge together outside the studio. Whether climbing, hiking with their dog, or catching a film, they value activities that allow them to connect without the pressures of production.

This duo’s partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration in a demanding industry. For them, the highs and lows of creative life are made manageable – and enjoyable – by having someone to share the journey with. “Having a partner to travel the rollercoaster with is invaluable,” says Lucia. Andy adds, “It’s a 360 life thing – creating together, living together, and inspiring each other every day.”

As they continue to evolve as both partners and professionals, one thing remains clear: Andy Baker and Lucia Davies are just getting started. Whether crafting animated worlds for global brands or discovering new ways to push their creative boundaries, this dream team is an unstoppable force in the world of animation.