How we've helped Monomotif

Jaye Douce had been working on and off in the creative industry for 22 years when a serious illness left him needing treatment in hospital last year.

During his recovery, Jaye, 39, decided he wanted to start his own graphic design business – a dream he had put on hold for too long, he realised.

Jaye had graduated from Falmouth University with a degree in graphic design and spent time working in London for top brands, such as Google.

But he missed his Cornish home and headed back to the county, taking work as a digger driver while freelancing as a graphic designer.

Life took a dramatic turn in October 2021, however, when Jaye developed sepsis and ended up needing emergency treatment before spending weeks in hospital.

“I slowly started to get my strength back and I decided, right, I’m going to do this properly, I’m going to be a graphic designer,” said Jaye, who contacted Growth Hub soon after his decision in February.

“I explained the whole situation and they couldn’t have been more supportive,” he added.

“The help and the business knowledge they gave me was priceless. If it wasn’t for Growth Hub, I wouldn’t have a potential future, it’s that simple.”

The experts at Growth Hub were able to connect Jaye with the right courses and organisations he needed to launch and then develop his graphic design business, called Monomotif.

The Growth Hub also put Jaye in touch with the Wellness Hub in Falmouth, to make sure he felt well supported physically and mentally as he recovered from the ordeal of his illness.

Today, Jaye is full of enthusiasm about his career and the chance to develop his Penryn-based business in an industry he loves.

He specialises in in conceptual brand identity and is already working for a range of local and national firms, including a tech company in Bristol which helps students to transcribe lectures and Observerly, an astronomical platform for the web age.

Jaye has also been recognised as a ‘rising talent’ by Fiverr, a global online marketplace for creative services.

“I’ll always be really grateful to Growth Hub,” said Jaye. “They gave me such a strong foundation and without them, I wouldn’t be as far ahead as I am.”

Jaye said he would recommend Growth Hub to all businesses, whatever their size and stage of development.

For now, however, he’s looking forward to getting noticed and building his Monomotif brand.

He said: “I am a passionate designer with a love for colour and shape and I aim to leave a mark.”

Check out Monomotif's Instagram here

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub from May 2016 -  June 2023 was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.  The project received £2,848,591.49 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.