Studio Brief 1 - Reflective Practise: Local Design Studios

Local Design Studios

As I am new to Leeds I felt it was important to understand what sources of creativity the city has to offer. I wanted to look at the range of Graphic Designs studios that are present within the city as I will aim to interact with these studios during my time on the course. I also felt that these studios would be the most likely to approach for possible work placements in the future as I am already living in the city and I feel there will be more opportunities here for placements that in larger cities such as London. 

Rabbit Hole

The first studio I looked as was Rabbit Hole Studios which have studio spaces in Leeds and London. What instantly attracted me to this studio was the alluring contemporary website that looked fresh and inviting. I loved that they are a 'Full service design studio' this was explained with a great aesthetic on their website through the contemporary graphic 'X' graphics that made the whole thing not a chore to read. As I feel I am no-where near specialising in one particular field I liked the fact that rabbit hole offered a holistic range of services that meant for me as a designer that if I took place in work experience at a this studio I would find it especially rewarding as it might help me to determine which areas of Graphic Design I find particularly engaging. I loved that this studio already has ties to music artists and record labels such as Warner Music Group as I am really into music  and feel as though I would like to learn more about the production of album artwork which could be facilitated by engaging with rabbit hole studios. Overall I liked the aesthetic of rabbit holes website and found their style of design particularity engaging, I feel as though I could learn a lot from a work placement at this studio as they specialise in a range of different services that would give me a holistic knowledge of a range of disciplines within working in the creative industry. 

Rabbit Holes engaging services

Analogue

Another multi-discipline creative design agency that I liked at was Analogue, a creative studio based entirely in Leeds. When looking at their online presence I especially liked their ethos of "Everything we create, no matter the medium, harmonises with our clients’ brand DNA and business objectives." I felt this was particularly effective in communicating their key message effectively and shows how they create continuity within a brands image.  I liked their body of work that they demonstrated through a well designed show reel however feel that this studio focus heavily on web design which I am not sure I would want to specialise in at this stage of my development. However I do like their branding work such as that for Pizza Express and Cielo Blanco and I felt they both worked well for their clinch and audience. I really liked the Culture section of Analogues website as  I felt this was a particularly inventive way to brand their 'blog' section of their website which highlights their current inspirations and things that they are finding aesthetically pleasing. Overall I liked the feel of analogues website and studio and feel I could learn a lot from interacting with this studio especially with web design of which I currently have a very limited knowledge of. 

Analogues Culture "blog"

Elmwood

Founded in Leeds in 1977 Elmwood has become a leading design agency, both nationally and internationally with offices in London, Singapore Melbourne and New York. I like that Elmwood still have an office in Leeds despite it being a smaller city than its other sites this shows their dedication to local talent and where it all started for them as a company. Elmwood's website had a much more corporate feel to the previous studios I've research which I don't necessarily mind however feel this makes them less approachable for a design student such as myself however would probably appeal to the type of high profile clients they work with. I don't feel their showreel was as engaging as that of analogues yet they demonstrate different aspects of the studios for example elmwood forces on their history and achievements whereas analogue uses bright colours and contemporary music to promote their portfolio. I would love to take part in a work placement at elmwood as I think it would be a great opportunity for me to develop and feel this would look great on a CV which could also link in with opportunities to travel due to their number of studios which is an ambition of mine. 

Elmwood Homepage

The Hungry Sandwich Club

The Hungry Sandwich Club website was the most user friendly studio site I have viewed thus far within my research, its playful bold and bright which instantly creates a burst of excitement. We were told that the Hungry Sandwich Club were graduates of Leeds Collage of Art during our freshers week which gives me as a student a good start in contacting them as they were in my position on the same course only a few years ago, with the added bonus that the tutors know them quite well having taught them. I like the style of design they produce its bold fun and playful however I feel doesn't add too much diversity to their work it boarders mostly on really cool playful illustrations as opposed to textbook graphic design, I feel I would have to experiment through my progression of the course to find out if this sort of illustrative style is something that I would want to consider specialising in however talking to this studio more could help me identify if I might enjoy this type of design. Similarly to analogue it features a mostly web based portfolio which is another thing I would have to consider if I wanted to look more into during my time on the course however I find their designs really fun and engaging which is good as I feel it will make me remember this studio above others. 

Bold Colours & Playful Illustrations

Thompson Brand Partners

By the name 'Thompson Brand Partners' it is quite clear to suggest that this studio specialises in branding and it does this very well. For over 30 years this studio has been a leading Leeds based design studio producing high end branding for a number of notable companies. I would say my current interest of Graphic Design is currently strongest in Branding and Visual Identity however I haven't had much time to explore other things through my exposure to Graphic Design thus far so am excited to learn more about other aspects such as editorial design. I would like to get in contact with Thompson Brand Partners during my time on the course as I feel they could help me to develop my current interest in branding and I feel working with them could help me to understand if I would like to specialise in branding as a career after university. I liked the style of design they often produce work that fits the client and audience well and could see myself working in a similar style in the future. 

Overall I would say there are a range of great design studios based in Leeds I think this is a good opportunity as I will aim to contact a number of these local studios during my time on the course. I feel I could learn a great deal from the studios I have researched but feel I would want to develop as a designer and focus on what I enjoy designing before contacting these studios directly.