It’s a completely different experience to freelance. As a freelance, you’re on your own schedule, working when and how best suits you. Being a one-woman band means you have all the face-to-face client conversations, whereas working in an agency means you are the designer, and the account managers spend their time liaising with clients giving you more room to really focus. Working at Fluro also gives me the space to ask my colleagues for their opinion and to bounce off each other creatively.
In terms of pros at being at an agency, I'd say they are being part of a bigger picture and having more space to grow and develop learning from experienced designers all around you. Also, understanding a wider range of the industry such as motion and web development as well as seeing the importance of jobs such as a copywriter and account managers. Then there's being more social and being part of a creative community, as well as of course having a pool table and drinks on a Friday.
The set hours and reduced flexibility are cons in comparison to freelance, but then again, I’m no longer working on weekends! Although sometimes the workflow can be unpredictable. Other drawbacks are that feedback can be a double-edged sword – when freelance you’re the lead designer, junior designer, artworker and everything else so you get less feedback throughout a project, whereas working in a studio is more collaborative and feedback can come from multiple directions.