A little bit about me.
I’m Trudi Crumley and I run Tatcho. I really love to help people out. I love solving problems, and in particular I am passionate about saving my customers time by using my years of experience and expertise to create work and visuals that they will love and convey the message they want to convey. I want to save them time and money.
The story so far.
I began the business in 2022 after a career break spent moving to Cornwall from Essex and becoming a mum. Previous to that I had worked in a design studio as part of a small team for 20 odd years, and (by night) as a sound engineer in a local theatre. This has led to quite an eclectic portfolio ranging from clean and tidy corporate styles to bright and colourful theatre posters!
I love problem solving and engaging with clients, finding out exactly what they need, or if they don’t know, using my insight and years of experience to provide it.
I’m proud to be based in Cornwall and being a working mum with all the complexities involved. It is most wonderful being able to combine both lives and always being a few steps from the beautiful Tin Coast, all its beaches and craggy clifftops. I even like the wind, fog and rain (in moderation!).
A little more background…
A leap of faith
I moved to Cornwall with my husband in 2019. Yes it was a total leap of faith and complete uproot of life, but absolutely no regrets! We now have a daughter and love living life on the edge (of the country) with all its wild and stormy weather.
Before we had computers – early foundations
Previous to moving I had worked in a graphic design studio for the best part of 20 years. I began working there in my holidays whilst at uni, at a time where Apple Macs were hardly used – I spent the majority of my time in the dark room producing pmt prints and cleaning cow-gum off of paste up artworks! I learnt so much in those years about page layout, the printing process and typography.
Alongside working in the studio I developed my own work and style ‘out of hours’, primarily designing posters and programmes for local theatre groups, and my first ‘big’ job which was producing a 100+ page catalogue for a company selling German car parts. This was hugely enjoyable for me as it involved doing what I love best – turning complex and complicated information such as part specifications or pricing structures, into something easy to use, reference and understand.
Back when I had ‘free’ time, and energy!
In addition to that (I have no idea how, but I did) I worked as a volunteer in a community theatre, primarily as a sound engineer, but also turned my hand to most jobs within the building from managing the box office, working in the kiosk, working the followspot and even running the flying during some performances! I also built the website for the theatre, which was a real education.