Claire Thornley, Founder of Our Favourite Places

Sheffield makes me feel inspired by its hills, views, people, and vibe.

I live here, I work here and I’m raising a delightfully inquisitive four year old here. I rediscovered the beauty of Sheffield through the eyes of my partner when he moved here, and now I’m doing the same through my son. And I like the city from both angles. Through the work our studio does, especially via Our Favourite Places, we encourage people to be curious about the city, to be proud of it, to discover new things and hopefully engage with the city in a creative way.

Day-to-day, I run Eleven design studio working on commercial projects for organisations in Sheffield and across the UK. Our studio has created a number of Sheffield-focussed projects, including Our Favourite Places, Sheffield Modern (an arts and architecture festival) and Photomarathon Sheffield.

Sheffield is its people. And its a place where you can make things happen. People are willing to help, and if you’re doing good stuff, it feels like the city has your back. Its my home. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.