Category Archives: Creative News

Creative & Marketing, Creative News, News, North of England

Rebrand for Cheshire creative agency, LOVELIVE

Cheshire creative agency LOVELIVE has unveiled a new-look branding; coinciding with the launch of a new website as they celebrate 22% year on year growth and an exciting new focus.

LOVELIVE are a Cheshire based full-service design agency. They began life working largely with design, print and events, but have since grown a strong additional team in creative strategy, video animation and e-learning; offering a full service to clients. Founded in 2010 by James Gibson and Kim Collier, they are now a team of 17 and are currently hiring for a full time Presentations Designer role to boost their team.

The majority of their clients are in the healthcare sector and this specialism has evolved over the last 14 years. However, more recently they have branched out into the professional services sector.

The rebrand incorporates a dynamic new logo, look and identity for their brand alongside a new website and strapline “Bringing to life everything from complex data to creative storytelling”.

Kim Collier, joint CEO of LOVELIVE said: “We’ve been the powerhouse behind the transformation of brands in the healthcare services sector since 2010, so we understand the importance of offering new creative and digital solutions whilst maintaining high-quality delivery. We’re currently expanding our team and diversifying into the professional services sector. With new clients in this space, it felt like it was the ideal time to refresh the look and feel of our brand and website.”

James Gibson, joint CEO of LOVELIVE also commented: “In the past 14 years, we’ve gone from strength to strength; growing our team as well as clocking up an incredible 22% year on year sales growth. But the journey doesn’t end there! As we continue to expand and grow; as does our passion for delivering the best results for our clients. With our new website and brand – we wanted something that showcased our expertise and creative prowess and we’re confident we’ve achieved this.”

To learn more, visit www.loveliveagency.com

Creative News

Five Interior Design Tips to Create a Relaxing Home

The strain that many of us feel as we grapple with the challenges of everyday life come into sharp focus this month.

April marks Stress Awareness Month and marks an opportunity to look at ways of reducing the strain many of us feel.

And according to one leading expert there’s no better place to start than home when it comes to stress busting techniques.

Kate Conrad, senior interior designer at luxury homeware retailer Madison & Mayfair, said: “Creating a zen and peaceful home can be the first step to reducing stress in all areas of your life.

“When faced with issues related to stress, being able to relax in the comfort of your own home can often take a small yet welcome weight off your shoulders, supporting you in dealing with your anxieties.”

Here Kate shares her top five interior design tips that can help to transform your home into a more relaxing space.

 

Use natural colours

“As a base, a neutral colour palette can set the tone of your home”, says Kate. “This can instantly create a more soothing ambience.

“In fact, neutral earthy tones have the ability to provide comfort, adding a serene touch to your decor. From sandy hues to soft greens, your home would feel instantly elevated and like a breath of fresh air”.

 

Use soft textures

“In order to soften your decor to achieve that ‘zen’ feeling, ensuring that the materials in your home are subtle and muted can make a large difference”, says Kate.

“Natural materials, such as clay pottery, wooden panelling or a sisal rug, would provide interesting yet subtle changes in texture with a more organic feel”.

 

Be smart with storage

“A messy, cluttered space is very hard to be perceived as relaxing, which is why having a declutter is important if you want to feel more zen in your home.

“Utilise storage effectively and you can keep a tidy home with lots of calm, open space. Ottomans and shelving units are practical ways to make use of the space you have available.

“A key tip is making sure your entryway is free from clutter, creating a welcoming first impression that sets the tone for the rest of your home”.

 

 

Bring in elements of nature

Kate discusses the importance of ensuring your home incorporates touches of nature: “Having plants in your home can effectively inject positivity into your home, fostering an environment for resting and recovering.

“Indoor plants can also boost productivity, creating a much more motivating and encouraging space. The added natural colours can provide the soft touches to invite a serene theme within your home, along with being the perfect decorative pieces that don’t risk overwhelming your space”.

 

Use soft lighting

“It is very important to perfect the lighting in your home when trying to achieve a zen space to relax in”, adds Kate. “With warm toned lamps scattered around the room, as well as soft candlelight, you can nurture an inviting atmosphere effortlessly.

“Find lamps with neutral or textured bases to add the natural touches to your decor, and also avoid blocking any natural light sources with furniture, ensuring the windows can breathe as much light into the room as possible”.

Creative News

6 steps to staircase heaven

Okay, so probably not the most exciting element of a home, but we’ll bet it is one of the most well-used!

Essential for most properties, a staircase is typically one of the first things you see when you walk through the front door. But wherever they’re positioned, they’re a key feature – which means they can set the tone for your whole property.

Want stairs you love the look of?

Follow our quick guide and you’re just 6 steps away from transforming your staircase – and your home!

 

Step #1 – Paint your staircase

You’ll be pleased to hear that breathing new life into your staircase doesn’t have to mean spending a fortune and a load of mess and upheaval. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best – so why not give your staircase a completely new look with a coat of paint?

Opt for a vibrant colour to make stairs pop against the surrounding décor, go modern with a striking dark shade, or if you want to lift and brighten the space, try painting wooden stairs white. The effects can be pretty impressive.

 

Step #2 – Replace balustrades

Paint not going to cut it? Are your balustrades damaged or just not in keeping with the vibe you want to create? Well, there’s no need to stress. You can replace balustrades without having to replace the entire staircase – cutting your costs and your mess!

Switch to glass or metal balustrades, or a different wooden balustrade shape, to switch up the look of your home.

 

Step #3 – Change the flooring

This is another easy step towards the staircase of your dreams – just change the floor covering.

Updating your carpet can really influence the look and feel of stairs. If you don’t fancy changing one carpet for another, how about going back to wooden boards? These can be painted to create a chic modern look, or you could experiment with adding in a colourful carpet runner in a jazzy pattern.

 

Step #4 – Focus on lighting

Sometimes improving the look of your staircase isn’t about doing anything to the stairs themselves. Instead, playing with lighting can help showcase the area in the best possible light.

Create a relaxed ambience with soft lighting and place lamps at the top and bottom stairs. Alternatively, you could experiment with handrail lighting or add a new statement light over the staircase itself.

 

Step #5 – Don’t forget the space underneath!

Want to reap maximum benefits from your staircase? Then don’t forget to make use of all areas.

By this, we meant the space underneath your stairs. With a little effort, this otherwise redundant area can become bonus storage – a coat cupboard, shoe storage – or even a small home office area.

Step #6 – Go for a full replacement

Tried all the other steps and still not happy with the look of your stairs? Then replace them!

People often think replacing stairs will be a mammoth task, but if you work with experts, it doesn’t have to be. And it could be the difference between liking and LOVING your home.

 

Abbot-Wade Ltd are staircase specialists, supplying bespoke staircases to happy customers across the UK. So whether you’re hunting for stairs in Glasgow or anywhere across the country, be sure to get in touch.

 

 

 

Creative & Marketing, Creative News, News

Fluid Ideas creates drive-in Derby studio to rival Manchester and London facilities

Creative agency Fluid Ideas has unveiled the latest phase of its expansion – a drive-in studio for filming, photography, recording and events.

The studio, called Flux, features an infinity cove, a fully-functional kitchen set and an audio booth for recording voiceovers and podcasts.

Fluid has invested a six-figure sum to transform a 1,300sq ft building next to its headquarters in a former cotton mill at Darley Abbey Mills, a World Heritage Site on the outskirts of Derby.

Jamie Hovell, an associate partner at Fluid, said the new multipurpose facility – in the old Engine House – gives the Midlands a genuine alternative to Manchester and London for filming, photoshoots and recordings.

“The combination of the drive-in feature, the infinity cove with overhead lighting rig and the kitchen set means we have a distinctive and really versatile space which our team will utilise for client projects,” he said.

“In just 10 weeks, we’ve transformed a vacant and unloved industrial building to create a real point of difference for Fluid and the region, and one which we are confident will appeal to our clients and the wider creative community.

“It’s a spacious open studio with plenty of space for lighting and cameras. The infinity cove is brightly lit and curves into the floor, so there are no corners or shadows. It can easily be repainted according to the colour needs of each client.

“We’d been scoping out places to create a facility of this kind for some time, and visited a number of potential sites before the Engine House became available. It’s the perfect location, and seeing the new space we had envisioned for so long transformed from a blank canvas and spring into life over the weeks has been a real joy.”

Jamie added: “We see Flux becoming a hub in the Midlands. Until now, people have had to travel to Manchester or London for such a facility.

“Now there is somewhere closer to home which businesses, art directors, marketing teams and other agencies can hire for their own projects. It can also be used for off-site meetings, product launches, get-togethers and workshops.”

Joint managing director Phil Harvey and Jamie led the renovation project for Fluid. Associate partner Carrie Gregory led on the branding and interior design. The trio were supported by a wider team including Dan Chadwick, Bec Utley and Liv Beighton to bring the proposition to life.

The drive-in capability of the new studio is aimed at Fluid’s roster of automotive clients, while the high-end kitchen is envisaged for a variety of uses, including food styling and household product photos and videos, recipe guides, and for meetings and events.

Fluid is an award-winning, full-service agency which celebrated its 20th anniversary in November 2023. It has a team of nearly 60 creatives, strategists, developers, designers, artworkers, CGI artists, photographers, copywriters, social media specialists, motion-designers and digital marketeers.

It serves a global client base across sectors including automotive, manufacturing and distribution, education and training, property and developments, health and wellbeing, retirement living, leisure and hospitality, food and drink.

Dan, a partner and art director at Fluid, said: “I think I can comfortably speak for all of us in saying how immensely excited we are about the new opportunities this studio will bring.

“Having a facility of this kind in-house has been a longstanding ambition for Fluid. It looks fantastic and, as well as serving as a catalyst for our own creative aspirations, we envision this space as a dynamic hub for our clients and the wider creative community.

“It’s not just about elevating our offering; it’s about providing a versatile canvas for clients – new and existing – to bring their visions to life, fostering connections and nurturing talent. The prospects and potential are huge.”

Creative & Marketing, Creative News, News

Stafford agency sponsors the National Manufacturing Summit

Technical PR agency Stone Junction is sponsoring the 2024 National Manufacturing Summit (NMS), taking place at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) on March 14. The convention of British manufacturers, advanced engineering companies and broader government, funding and academic stakeholders will be the first public, in-person debut of Stone Junction’s new branding. NMS is a hybrid event, run simultaneously in person and online by MTC Events, and is free to attend. More information and tickets can be found here.

 NMS returns after a successful 2023 event, which attracted in-person representatives from 265 companies and nearly 6,000 online participants. The 2024 conference promises to be even bigger, with keynote speeches on The Exponential Age from Arash Ghazanfari, CTO of Dell Technologies and Reimagining Human Flight from Richard Browning, founder and chief test pilot of Gravity Industries.

Elyn Corfield, CEO for business and commercial banking at Lloyds Banking Group, will give a keynote address on the skills gap and workforce challenges facing British manufacturing and engineering in both the short- and long-term future.

“The manufacturing industry has been facing some difficult challenges in light of the skills shortage, rising prices and supply chain difficulties,” explained Leah Elston-Thompson, account director at Stone Junction. “But there are also huge opportunities. NMS is a great event, attracting incredible speakers and an engaged pool of delegates, to discuss the latest developments and how we can collectively drive British manufacturing forward.”

Stone Junction is a specialist STEM agency, with more than 50 clients from the science, tech, engineering and manufacturing industries. The company provides consultancy and brand strategy, creative PR and marketing, branding, design, and content services, and will be available to discuss how it can support delegates at the event.

To find out how Stone Junction could help your manufacturing or engineering business to communicate with your target customer base, read about our technical PR capabilities here: https://www.wechangeminds.com/sector/technical-pr/.

Creative News, Marketing, Marketing & PR, News, PR and SEO

Lucky Number 13!

Written by Jon Kelly, Founder and CEO, Meet and Potato.

Celebrating 13 years as one of the UK’s leading experiential events agencies, Meet and Potato’s Founder and CEO, Jon Kelly looks back on their reign to date and explains why unlucky for some 13 has actually been quite the opposite for this Liverpool powerhouse.

Why did you create Meet & Potato? 

“I originally set up M&P because at the time I hated how agencies were structured. I wanted to create something different, an environment with a relatively flat hierarchy in which everybody had an equal voice. Thirteen years ago, this was a relatively new approach, these days it’s more common and that’s a good thing. M&P has always been a safe space, encouraging personal growth and a place for people to thrive. The bottom line was never my focus, the team was because I firmly believe if you take care of your people, they will take care of the business.

Why do you feel you have had a great 13 years?
It’s been quite the ride with ups and downs along the way, but I’m pleased to say it’s been mostly ups. The industry has seen many changes over the years, we’ve learned a lot and adapted. We’ve never been what you call a big agency and I think in many ways that’s been our strength. We’re agile and our flat, no-hierarchical structure has meant we can be responsive in ways large agencies can’t. We’ve also had the unwavering support of clients that allows us to take risks.

Is the number 13 unlucky?

I’m not superstitious so the number has no negative connotations for me, quite the opposite. I once put money on number 13 at the roulette wheel in a Maltese casino during a client event wrap party and I won! 13 has been my lucky number ever since.

With 13 in mind, what 13 points would you share with others that have enabled you to drive M&P to success over the years:

  1. Have a clear purpose. What are you trying to achieve, who do you want to attract and what do you want to do. This will guide you in the early days and will act as your guiding light.
  2. Do things differently. It’s often a cliche but don’t be afraid to challenge the norm. That doesn’t have to just be in terms of service offering, it can be how you operate your business, what you offer staff, how your business behaves etc.
  3. Invest in your team. Without them, your business does not operate. Pick the gems and treat them properly because it’s their dedication, creativity and hard work that drives your business forward.
  4. Values. Having clear values that you and your team live by is essential and guides all business decisions. At M&P we all care deeply about what we do, always aiming above client expectations, and we embody the agency values:
    We are creative.
    We are passionate.
    We are knowledgeable.
    We are fun!
  5. Pinpoint Your Proposition. Nail what you do and make it clear to potential clients. For us, we create moments of magic that leave a lasting impression. This sits at the heart of everything we do, we want our live events, creative content, and communications campaigns to be remembered for a long time.
  6. Pick Your Clients Wisely. It’s a two-way street with clients and you want to work with brands that are on the same page as you as this will enable long-lasting and successful relationships. Several of our clients have been with M&P for more than a decade. Not many agencies can share those levels of retention, and it makes me super proud as their unwavering support allows us to be bold when proposing creative solutions. Now when we go after new clients, we need to be sure we can bring our M&P magic to them.
  7. Trust Is Intrinsic. Our policy of total honesty and transparency with our clients is part of the reason they keep us around and I really believe every business would benefit from this approach. This enables you to truly understand the brands you work with and allows the client to trust us to challenge their internal teams to step outside their comfort zone and collaborate to deliver something new.
  8. Great Expectations. Push the boundaries and set those sky-high expectations. It’s always great to hear clients ask us at the end of an event how we can possibly top it next year, but somehow, we always do. We love nothing more than to impress an audience with fresh and exciting ideas, introducing new event trends, and immersive experiences. Sometimes we’re managing clients with Gucci aspirations and H&M budgets so it can be a challenge, but it’s always one we embrace.
  9. Measure and Celebrate Your Success. In fast-paced businesses that are constantly busy, it’s easy to just move on to the next project. Make sure you and your teams are constantly keeping a close eye on your successes and celebrate them regularly. Whether that’s looking at the impact you’ve made on clients to demonstrate how successful a project has been, looking back at the quarter or year that has just been completed or rewarding teams through socials, it’s always important to take a moment.
  10. Encourage Recognition. Seeing the team progress and individuals grow in confidence is rewarding for me. It’s great to see them recognised by industry peers too which is why we put our teams forward for several awards. This year, our Senior Producer, Sophie Greatbanks has been nominated for CN Agency Producer of the Year and Content Coordinator, Niki Toth has just been awarded the title, CN Agency 30 Under 30. Amazing achievements for fantastic team members.
  11. Future Focus. As well as having the foundations in place for the business, make sure you’re looking forward. What’s next, who do you want to work with, what is the next best event you want to work on. Always keep an eye on the year ahead.
  12.  Lead as you’d want to be lead – setting an example and getting your hands dirty from the top down
  13. Share your knowledge – for the sake of the future of the industry, share your best practices and learnings whether this is internally with the team, on socials or through industry events or media, educate the next generation of creative event professionals.

Looking forward, what do the next 13 years look like?
I’m stepping away from the day-to-day running of the agency to concentrate on business development. I’ve always been very hands-on so it’s not an easy move to make but it’s the right thing to do with a view to our future growth and the next 13 years. I’m chasing that dream client, Adobe or Google for example with big budgets to allow our creativity to go wild. It’s been an amazing journey so far and I can’t wait for the next chapter.

Business Advice, Creative News

Unleashing Business Potential Through the Vibrant Canvas of Creativity

Pop art first entered the art scene in the late 1950s, revolutionising the world of art with its bold, vibrant aesthetics that challenged traditional boundaries. While pop art originated from the creative minds of artists like Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, the visual language and ideology behind the movement contain invaluable lessons for the business world. By embracing creativity, companies can ignite innovation, engage employees and customers, and unlock unique value in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

The Vibrant Spark of Creativity

What fuels the vibrant colour palette that defines pop art? Creativity. The pioneering pop artists of the 1950s and 60s challenged the establishment and broke free from the mainstream by experimenting with new materials, processes, and visual rhetoric. Business leaders should follow their lead by nurturing a culture where creativity can thrive.

Research shows that embracing pop art characteristics like fun, playfulness, and boundary-pushing boosts productivity, problem-solving, collaboration, and employee retention. Yet, in many corporate environments, creativity gets suppressed by hierarchical management structures, risk-averse mentalities, and lack of autonomy. Providing mechanisms for employees to explore ideas freely through design sprints, innovation hubs, and collaborative spaces can unlock a wellspring of creativity that translates business challenges into pop art-esque bursts of ingenuity.

Bold Disruption: Pushing Boundaries

A core pop art characteristic lies in boundary-pushing disruption. Pop artists like Warhol and Lichtenstein took familiar items from mainstream culture, like Campbell’s soup cans and comic strips and reinterpreted them in bold aesthetics using commercial printing techniques. This fusion of the familiar and groundbreaking created something novel and captivating.

Businesses should identify opportunities for positive disruption by questioning traditional norms, processes and business models. The pandemic led many companies to rapidly digitise operations, transition to remote work structures and rethink supply chains. Maintaining an openness to pushing boundaries can present new possibilities for reaching customers and progressing society. Of course, poor execution of disruptive change can prove detrimental, so organisations must perform careful analysis before leaping boldly. But the vibrant spark of curiosity that was core to pop art can help companies continually reinvent themselves.

Playful Communication

A playful spirit radiates throughout pop art, which took familiar cultural symbols and reimagined them in cheeky ways. Business leaders should tap into playfulness and humour to spice up customer and employee communications in memorable ways that spread organic excitement.

Research by several universities found that humour makes people more receptive to ads and brands by reducing scepticism, enhancing sophistication perceptions and boosting neural activity. Fun internal communications help foster camaraderie and diffuse workplace stress. Companies seeking to ignite pop art levels of cultural resonance should incorporate tasteful humour and playfulness in external branding efforts and internal employee engagement initiatives.

Responsible Rebels: Driving Social Progress

Beneath pop art’s flashy patina of tongue-in-cheek cultural wit often lay deeper sociopolitical commentary on materialism, consumerism and the human struggle. While pop artists like Warhol and Lichtenstein achieved fame through their vibrant aesthetic innovations, their work also carried undertones of social consciousness and reflection on deeper collective challenges

Similarly, companies today face increasing public demand to steward environmental, social and governance (ESG) change rather than just pursuing profits in isolation. Business leaders must consider how their organisations can drive maximum benefit for society, even if disruptive to conventional corporate approaches.

For example, sustainable shoemaker Allbirds continually questions norms by assessing its environmental impacts at every level of operations, no matter how inconvenient business-wise. Yet this pop art spirit of convention-defying responsibility earned the companytremendous growth, cultural cachet with purpose-driven younger consumers, and a $1.7 billion IPO…on its own unconventional terms.

Celebrating Individual Expression

While pop art is recognised for its unified visual style, a closer examination reveals the movement gave voice to artists’ distinct personalities and perspectives. Andy Warhol explored fame and mortality, while Claes Oldenburg playfully anthropomorphised everyday objects. This freedom of individual expression devoid of creative limits birthed some of history’s most impactful cultural icons.

Business leaders should recognise that diversity of thought and allowing associates to contribute unique skills makes organisations more creative, resilient and responsive to complex market dynamics. An atmosphere where people feel psychologically safe to express themselves yields fresh insights and talents that can unlock new sources of innovation and value. Analysis found the most diverse executive teams were 70% more likely to see market share gains from new innovations. Simply put, individuality and self-expression provide the vibrant sparks that ignite creativity and growth.

Like a Warhol print bursting with colour, pop art overturned mainstream sensibilities through its visual audacity and ingenuity. This vibrant form of creativity contains invaluable lessons for businesses around boosting innovation, engaging stakeholders, and pushing boundaries. By unleashing creators, leveraging positive disruption and incorporating humour and playfulness, companies can channel pop art perspectives to unlock unique sources of value in a complex business landscape.

Cardiff, Creative & Marketing, Creative News, Marketing, News, PR and SEO, South West England News

GoCompare co-founder joins Welsh creative agency

Cardiff-based creative agency Toward announces the addition of Kevin Hughes, co-founder and former chief finance and marketing officer of GoCompare, to its leadership team as a Non-Executive Director. Kevin’s appointment stands as a pivotal moment for Toward’s trajectory, following the successful rebrand from well-known agency, Bluegg and the kickstart of an ambitious growth strategy.

While Toward has been successfully led by founders Mike Jordan and Tom Lloyd for the past two decades, the collaboration with Kevin Hughes marks a significant step forward. The agency is now aiming to become the first and best choice for businesses located within Wales and the southwest of England for strategic creative services.

 

Kevin Hughes, renowned for his instrumental role in growing Confused.com into a billion-pound company and co-founding GoCompare.com, brings a wealth of experience to Toward. In his role as Non-Executive Director, Kevin will lend his expertise to mentor and advise the team, offering guidance to the directors as they embrace the challenge of their new ambition.

 

Kevin said: “I’ve always loved working with leaders who truly aspire and have ambitions to grow and be successful; both Tom and Mike have that in abundance. I’ve known of the reputation that Toward (formerly Bluegg) carried and through other ventures have experienced their expertise first hand. My only regret is that I didn’t know of them during my GoCompare days, when on most occasions, our default was to speak to London based agencies.

“It’s an exciting time for both the agency and myself and I’m delighted to be part of this project. Today, I want local founders, CEOs, and marketing directors across Wales and beyond to add a talented local agency, of the quality you’d expect from a London alternative to their pitch lists. Don’t go on autopilot like I did years ago, and think you need London for the best creative services.”

 

Kevin continued: “I met Mike several times at events, and the spark for ambitious growth was evident in him. The role I now play relies on my ability to guide them, helping to put in structures and processes that many creative agencies tend to disregard. We’ve already outlined a strategy and started making very positive changes together. The team has touched so many businesses over the years and there’s so much more to come.”

 

Mike said of Kevin’s appointment: “We’re delighted that Kevin agreed to join us as a Non-Exec Director. His credentials speak for themselves, and his approach with us has been nothing short of inspiring. Tom and I have built a great business over the last 20 years but the timing of this was perfect having used our own rebrand as a catalyst. We knew that we needed expertise to push us further. Kevin has opened our eyes beyond belief, and we can’t wait for the next phase of Toward.”

 

Tom added: “Already in the short space of time working with Kevin, small changes have already made a big difference to how we work. We’ve grown in confidence, and as owners of the business, we’re now running things much differently, being much more transparent and inviting about everything with our team, from financials to new opportunities. Ultimately, we want to see growth, increased sales, larger profits, more services offered, and new partnerships flourish for the benefit of both existing and prospective clients.”

 

Toward is a UK based strategic branding and digital agency that helps ambitious clients grow their businesses. Most recently Toward won contracts with global medical company Frontier Medical Group, international construction products manufacturer Catnic, and luxury hotel group The Celtic Collection.

For further information please visit https://toward.studio/

 

Appointments, Creative & Marketing, Creative News, Marketing, Newport, PR and SEO

Fast-growing creative agency Milk & Tweed’s staff is expanding – and so is its office

FAST-GROWING creative agency Milk & Tweed has made two more appointments to keep up with demand from an ever expanding list of clients.

At the same time the Wiltshire agency is expanding its head office in Chippenham by taking on the unit next door to provide more space for its growing team.

Creative Director Jake Jeffries said the agency, which specialises in website, brand and logo design and digital marketing, needs the extra resource and space to stay ahead of new business coming in. “We made seven new appointments last year to maintain our high standards of customer service as well,” he said.

“When the opportunity to take on the extra space came along we jumped at it. It will give our team a lot more room to work comfortably. We’re knocking through to make one big open plan office and we’ll create two extra meeting rooms so that we can welcome even more clients.”

Joining the team are graphic designer Hannah Woolley and web designer Sara Antonacci. Both had been working from home in previous roles and said they were attracted by the prospect of being based in the agency’s Chippenham office, where there is a strong staff culture.

“I’ve been in situations where remote working has been really good but for the past year I have needed to get back into an office and be around people,” said Hannah, who has worked for several agencies since graduating from Falmouth University with an MA in Communication Design.

“I really wanted to go somewhere where they really valued team and really cared about people, where you felt like you were a part of it as well and you were part of building something,” she said.

She will be working as part of the design team working on new projects and liaising with clients. “I’m quite comfortable with that client relationship side of things and I also really enjoy like the process side and organisation and building the team,” said the 27-year-old.

Sara, who is originally from Rome but moved to the UK to study, said she was looking for somewhere where she could work among a team. “I’ve been working from home for years, so it was quite isolated,” she said. “What I was looking for was actually to go in an office, spend time with people, have some social interaction and also be able to rely on somebody else’s advice if I needed to.

“After my interview I liked the vibe here and I really, really wanted to be picked for the role. It’s the change that I needed so I was so pleased to be offered it.”

The 34-year-old, who learned web design while working at an agency in Newcastle, has already been busy. I’ve jumped on various different projects in my first few weeks and I’ve now been assigned a few new builds of a couple of projects by myself, which is quite exciting,”

Mr Jeffries said the agency’s emphasis on its staff culture is having a bearing on recruitment. “It is definitely more challenging finding the right people but we’ve found that the quality of the work we produce and having a good, creative and supportive atmosphere really helps.

“I’m delighted to welcome Hannah and Sara to Milk & Tweed, they are already proving to be excellent appointments.”

Sara added: “I felt I’ve known everybody here for a long time already, so I think it’s a good feeling to have, meaning that you’re probably in the right place.”

Find out more about the agency’s services at milkandtweed.com.

Charity & CSR, Creative News, Marketing, News, PR and SEO, Tech

Disability charity can help families more easily thanks to creative agency’s website design

DISABILITY charity Designability has been helped to improve its support for disabled people by creative agency Milk & Tweed.

The Wiltshire agency, which specialises in website, brand and logo design and digital marketing, has designed a new website for the Bath charity that, says Digital Communications Manager Fiona Cromwell, will make life easier for parents and carers looking for information.

The charity, which was founded in 1968 and is based at Bath Royal United Hospital, develops products to give disabled people more independence.

Its most successful product is the Wizzybug, a colourful powered wheelchair aimed at children under five. The charity has more than 300 Wizzybugs on free loan to families and over the last 11 years more than 1,400 children all over the UK have benefitted.

Of late Designability has focused more sharply on family mobility and is also developing a pushchair that can be used with a manual wheelchair and design guidance for accessible EV chargers, as well as being part of a national working group on improving access to transport for disabled people.

Mrs Cromwell said the charity needed a new website to make it easier to communicate what it does, both for service users and would-be donors.

“We don’t have any regional teams around the country and yet we are trying to reach people all over the UK, so for us, our digital presence is something we rely on,” she said. “It is completely invaluable to us to have to have an effective website.

“Our old website didn’t reflect where we have got to as a charity, as we have this new focus on family mobility. We just wanted something brighter and more contemporary, but the user journey was the biggest priority.”

She said the new site, with its more modern, uncluttered, feel has had a positive response. “We had a small group of user testers, which was a mix of  Wizzybug parents, volunteers and supporters and all of them had really positive things to say,” she said. “They felt it was very easy to use and said it looks really modern and looks exactly how we feel it should look.

“It felt like from the get-go, it fulfilled those basic things we wanted to get out of it.”

The new site will soon have a Wizzybug Zone for parents who have one on loan. “It will be incredibly useful to families,” said Mrs Cromwell. “They’ll be able to log in  and see confirmation of when their provisional end of loan date is. They can access tutorial videos and a directory of other organisations that might be able to support them. It’s going to have a wealth of information.”

She said the excellent working relationship with Milk & Tweed’s team has contributed to the success of the redesign project. “I found them really personable people, really warm and approachable,” she said. “If there were certain things I had queries about, they were always very responsive and I felt like they really understood the charity and what our objectives were.”

The charity was recently the subject of a BBC fundraising appeal. “We had a website traffic surge as a result of that, which obviously was fantastic,” said Mrs Cromwell. “It was very important to us that we got the website live in time for that, because we wanted people to have a really great experience when they looked us up, as they obviously did.”

Jamie Lawton, Head of Design at Milk & Tweed, said: “It was an absolute pleasure working with Fiona and the Designability team to create a more modern and streamlined website with clearer user journeys. It was important that the website helped to better showcase the incredible work that the charity does, and tell some of the happy stories of individuals and families using their innovative products.

“We love to work with charities, especially when they’re based locally, and as we complete the Wizzybug Members Zone and look to create a smoother online application process, there are still lots of exciting developments to come.”

See the charity’s new website at designability.org.uk and find out more about Milk & Tweed’s services at milkandtweed.com.