This Knaresborough garden shed is where BBC Question Time graphics were produced

For many of us they are a dumping ground, filled to the brim with gardening equipment, paint cans and dusty DIY tools, but in the inconspicuous garden shed, creative juices have been proven to flow.

It was in such humble outbuildings that childhood friends William Harley and Arthur Davidson assembled their early motorbikes engines, over in Sweden, Ignvar Kamprad established furniture giant IKEA, and, closer to home, British inventor Sir James Dyson worked on his revolutionary bagless vacuum cleaner.

In his, aptly named The Garden Shed, graphic designer Andy Cole operates a studio, producing moving visuals for television companies and running several of his own record labels.

The title sequence for Question Time that rolls each Thursday night was conceived and designed not in Salford’s state-of-the-art MediaCity or in the BBC’s London headquarters Broadcasting House, but there - in a grey slat structure at the bottom of his Knaresborough garden.

Enduring legacy of James Herriot celebrated on new Yorkshire Dales bus service“It’s a lovely feeling to be relaxing towards the end of the week, watching the box at 10.30pm, and seeing your visuals live on the BBC,” says Andy.

He is behind the credits, set design and typographical styling of the show, which, following the departure of veteran David Dimbleby, has been presented by Fiona Bruce since January.

“It’s actually quite bizarre, and it raises a little smile. Sometimes I take it for granted a little bit, but it’s always an amazing feeling to see your work in the public eye.”

Andy runs his graphic design business Exit Studios from the 7m by 7m shed, covering everything from sketch and print designs to online and motion creations.

From there, he has produced the creative work for Nicky Campbell’s Sunday morning ethical and religious debate show The Big Questions and,back in 2016, designed the visual backdrop for BBC election coverage around the EU referendum.

Closer to home, the shed has also been the design location for projects for Harrogate’s Turkish Baths and Knaresborough Chamber of Trade, including work on the town maps.

“It’s nice to be involved with the community and work with local businesses too,” the 45-year-old says. “I am not fazed by working for a big company or a local one. It’s a nice contrast. I work on so many different projects with various budgets. It keeps it fresh for me.”

The shed is, in Andy’s words, “a bit of a man cave”. Inside, its walls are decorated with drawings and framed prints, broken up with the bold orange of the window blinds. “It looks like a giant sketch pad. There’s stuff all over the place,” he says.

It is cosy, by his own admission, though there is still room for family pet Toby, a lurcher cross, who often assumes position by Andy’s side. “He’s usually chilling here with me - unless the weather’s bad. He’s a fair-weather dog you could say.”

The shed though is prepared for all weather eventualities, thanks to renovation work that Andy carried out when he moved into the house with wife Lucy and daughter Kitty, 12, nine years ago.

Its now aluminium roof helps to protect his gear from the elements - not just the computer kit used for his graphic design work but sound equipment and extensive collection of vinyls too.

A music producer under the name Luv*Jam, Andy DJs all over the world and also curates several artisan record labels from the shed studio, focusing on “abstract electronic music with an arts and historic theme”.

One - Blind Jack’s Journey - portrays the life story of John Metcalf, a pioneering 18th century road-builder from Knaresborough, who, despite losing his sight to smallpox as a child, was responsible for the construction of around 180 miles of road in the north of England.

Hopes to take story of road builder Blind Jack of Knaresborough to the screenAnother - Crow Castle Cuts - is based on his home community of Llangollen and its medieval castle. Andy’s love of music and passion for design has been interwoven since his early years in the North Wales town.

He had taken an interest in art throughout his school days, but it was around the time of his A-Levels that he was drawn into graphics, beginning with design drawings of casette covers and record sleeves.

“I was into music from an early age,” he recalls. “I liked the early electronic music at the time and that was quite graphic led so I got into that.”

His art teacher encouraged him to take up a place at art college in Wrexham.

After that, he studied a degree in graphic design at Salford University and then went on to direct several music videos for record label Mo’Wax.

In his final year of study, he won a Stella Artois competition to take part in work experience in the graphic design department at Planet 24 television company.

There he worked on Channel 4’s The Word. He later secured a job as a designer at the firm, taking his major break working on The Big Breakfast and going on to become head of graphics for the show.

Come 1999, he decided to go freelance and Exit Studios was born. One of his early jobs was as creative director on the first ever broadcast series of reality show Big Brother. “It was certainly an exciting time because it was a completely new style of programme. It was fast-paced and with a live studio audience.”

The team in which he sat helped to come up with the show’s renowned logo. The eye encapsulates the idea of surveillance and the Orwellian phrase ‘big brother is watching’.

“When you do something at the time, you don’t think twice, you just do what comes naturally,” Andy reflects. “It takes time when you look back to realise you’ve possibly created something that’s become quite iconic.”

Many of his projects have been for high-profile clients. He has worked on productions for the likes of MTV, Redbull and Virgin and was lead designer on Harry Hill television shows including children’s series Shark Infested Custard.

He left the London-life for his wife’s hometown of Harrogate in 2006 and has run his business in Yorkshire ever since.

For four years, its base was a converted studio in the top floor of their home and an office in Harrogate town centre, but since 2010, with the family’s move to Knaresborough, The Garden Shed has been where the design magic happens.

In the firm’s 20th year, Andy’s goal is to complete his 1,000th project - and at 981, he’s getting closer. “This year is about celebrating reaching the 1,000 mark. You need a bit of a goal and it has given me a focus,” says Andy.

“It’s not until I look back at all the cool things that I’ve done and that i really reflect on things, that I realise it is actually quite impressive - Half the time I forget what I’ve done!”