Welcome to the Design Studios
We are a full service graphic design agency with a wealth of skills and experience. We can take your job from initial concepts, through to production, whether print or digital, leaving you free to concentrate on what you do best. We design corporate identities, logos, annual reports, newsletters, websites, posters, brochures, stationery and advertising.
What our clients say
Our Services
The Design Studios is a Birmingham-based graphic and web design agency. Regardless of the size of the project, our aim is to provide you with a creative, value-for-money service of the highest quality which exceeds your expectations. We achieve this by taking time to listen to your design requirements and then provide an innovative design solution using the latest technology.
Graphic Design
We are passionate about our graphic design work, our typography and the other creations that we produce. Our studio is full of graphic design books - from the history of design, to exciting new designers from the UK, America, Japan and around the world.
We have all the latest hardware and software, which allows us to offer an effective and speedy service. However, we still pick up a pencil at the start of a job, recognising that creativity is beyond technology, and that originality comes from within.
Web Design and Development
We understand the potential of the web and other digital media, and, as well as designing a beautiful and clear website, we also will suggest new uses of your site, from e-commerce to online forms and data capture. Please look at our web design gallery to see some of our projects, or go to the links page.
Web design now forms a large part of our business and our experience is now vast in this quickly developing area. Many companies are moving their communications online, and we can advise you how to take advantage of new technology, save money and increase effectiveness.
We also offer a very competitive hosting service, so you can rest assured that your website will always be on-line and functioning. We can also supply accurate web-stats, so you can understand just how effective your website is, and help you optimize your site for Google and other search engines.
Design for Print
The Design Studios has built up a large network of printers, allowing us to offer an optimum service. We will source the best printer for your job, will negotiate an excellent price, and use all our experience in the many processes and materials that are used to ensure the best and most appropriate results.
Whether you need a digital or litho solution, spot, process or hexachrome, varnished or laminated, coated or uncoated, stitched or case-bound, you will find our experience in this field unmatched, and we can guide you through the process.
The Design Studios print all manner of collateral, including books, brochures, posters, flyers, newsletters, magazines, leaflets and stationery.
Our work flow is usually pdf format, which we can quickly email to our clients, as well as making high-resolution files for printers, which will be uploaded to an ftp site, helping us get your job done even more quickly.
We hold many paper samples from different paper mills - if you would like to see a sample from one of our many paper swatches, please request one. We can also advise the best paper to use for your project and budget.
Advertising
Designing and placing advertising has been an important part of our business for many years, and we are happy to offer this service to our clients, taking the pressure of deadlines from your shoulders to ours. Newspapers, magazines and banner ads on websites all have very different and precise specifications, and our equipment is set up to deal with these. We can also devise your campaign, and consider other types of advertising, including leaflet drops and posters.
We will always work within the budget you give us, so you won't need to worry about cost. We can also monitor the response from your campaigns, so we can constantly improve their effectiveness.
Illustration
We have a long association with several illustrators, and also have access to many more. We can quickly understand the kind of illustrations that will work with your project, source several illustrators and show you samples of their work, and then work closely with them to produce images that will be artistically good, as well as answering your brief and fitting within your budget. Whether you need cartoons, children's illustrations, technical illustrations, realistic or abstract, we are confident that, working within a given budget, we can find the best solution for you.
Photography
Most of the images appearing in print and online are photographic ones, and The Design Studios regularly commissions photography from a number of different photographers. We will source the right photographer for your project, using our knowledge of our client, their project, and the photographer. We have worked with photographers to take pictures of property interiors and exteriors, portraits, events and landscapes. One of our designers will usually be present on the photoshoot to art direct it, to ensure the images are appropriate for your project, formally and conceptually.
We also offer a retouching service so you can enjoy the highest quality images.
Copywriting
Professional copywriting is a cost-effective investment that really pays off in terms of audience response. That’s why we encourage all of our clients to carefully consider this aspect of their project requirements.
At The Design Studios, we have what it takes to create powerful and persuasive copy that not only succeeds in setting your products or services apart from those of your competitors, but which also helps to build the value of your brand going forward.
Whether it's a four-word headline for an ad or four hundred words to introduce your company brochure, we can help you to express your USP in the best possible way.
Our experienced and expert copywriter will interrogate and interpret your brief, quickly identify the core concepts and most effective messages, and then craft copy that generates the biggest possible impact for your project.
The end result could just be a few words of English. But the art of copywriting is more complex than it initially sounds.
This specialist discipline also involves significant strategic input to create tightly targeted messages that are carefully devised to have the desired effect on your target audience – and bring your brand personality to life.
What our clients say
The Marlow Language Centre Limited
Valtra
Fendt
Brunches Ltd
Heart of England Care
Safety Centre
Vibro-Suite
Nasen
Responding to Conflict
Future Health and Social Care
Mid-Staffs Mind
Cerebral Palsy Midlands
Teamworks Karting Ltd
Agriweld Limited
Wilks Head and Eve Chartered Surveyors
Cerebral Palsy Midlands
Midland Fertility Services
Nasen
McConnel
Anglesey Primary School
Arden Primary School
SANDERSON ENVIRONMENTAL
Adderley Primary School
Brunches Delivery Service Menu 2008
As businesses were the target audience, the brochure is intended to give a professional, up-market feel. Designed using the corporate colour green, but with orange and white added to lift and brighten the design. The menu is easy to use with a simple layout using colour coding and keys to guide you through.
The Marlow Language Centre Brochure
This brochure is intended for everyone, from individuals to companies. Our client wanted to keep the dark green of the logo, so we combined that with vibrant greens to give a fresher, more energetic feel to their brochure. We added a flap at the back of the brochure so that our client could send up-to-date price lists and additional information, should they need to.
Nasen Conference Programme and Associated Leaflets
Both pieces were intended for nasen members, that is, teachers involved with children with Special and Educational Needs. The Conference Programme is an A5 format which opens to a full sized A3 poster detailing all their conference events throughout the current academic year. We used three blocks of colour - one for each event, and each event had its own shape, such as a square or triangle to identify it, the aim being to link it to education and children. Each conference event has its own leaflet, folowing the same colour and shape, and overall all of the leaflets and programme were deisnged to be bright, vibrant in a clear layout.
Agriweld Product Guide
Our client had never used professional design services before, so therefore we created our client's corporate ID with this product guide, which includes the use of the Union Jack flag and the red background colour. The guide is colour coded inside to make it easy for the target audience (farming industry) to follow. We used detailed close up images of their machinery as well as full pictures, to make the guide more interesting. There is a flap at the back so our client can add their own up-to-date price list and any additional information.
Harper Bell School Prospectus/Folder
Designed with families in mind, this prospectus has lots of images of children in classrooms so the parents can see the school and get an idea of the activities there. Throughout the prospectus, the logo is used of the wheatsheaf and torch, to give continuity and flow, and spot UV is used throughout on the photos and headings to highlight them. We also did the photography for this prospectus.
Anglesey School Prospectus
This prospectus was intended for two purposes, as a prospectus and a folder. Red is used throughout as it is the colour of the school uniforms, which you can see from the photos. We created their identity here with the circles and children, and have also designed banners in the same style. A clean design and easy to read. We also took the photography used throughout the prospectus.
Massey Ferguson Product Guide
Designed following corporate guidelines, this guide suits the target audience, as it is simple to follow and clean. We designed a power scale for each product at the top of the page to make it easier for farmers as their main focus when looking at tractors and associated machines/machinery is the power.
Fendt Folder
This is a generic folder to send information out to customers. It follows the first folder we designed by using the green stripe at the bottom of the folder, but now the stripe is curved to create a feeling of movement. Although the design follows the corporate guidelines to an extent, we have more leeway with Fendt so have made the design more modern and new.
Fendt Wheel
We came up with this idea for the Fendt product range. For each model, the wheel will tell you how much fuel could be saved if that model were purchased compared to a competitor's product of the same specification. Easy to use, assess the information and interact with.
Valtra Life and Times
The brochure is a history of the Valtra product. There is a timeline on the edge of each page to see what date we are at. A clean, simple design with common elements used in other AGCO product guides.
Massey Ferguson Harvesting Folder
This was designed following strict corporate guidelines. It contains an easy to follow legend linking the information to the relevant photograph.
McConnel Parts Catalogue
Designed following corporate guidelines, this catalogue is colour coded to make it easier to use. The idea was to break up the catalogue with advert spreads on different featured products. We wanted to feature this piece of work to demonstrate that we do all kinds of design work, including catalogues, and that no project is too large or small.
Future Health and Social Care Folder with Inserts
This folder was designed for staggered inserts, so it makes it easier for the reader to select the correct insert, depending on the service they require. You can see the services offered by Future at a glance, and we used Future's corporate colours and font throughout.
Nasen Yearbook 2008-2009
This yearbook was sent out to every nasen member (teachers and teaching professionals working in the SEN arena). It has three parts: it has a cut down version of nasen's annual report; it contains vital SEN information and reference of terms; and it has an academic diary for the member to use with nasen events listed inside. We used the jigsaw image again to link back to education, and it has been designed using nasen's green corporate colour.
Responding to Conflict - Annual Reports for 2007 and 2008
These projects demonstrate an ongoing collaboration with Responding to Conflict. Both have two purposes: to outline what the organisation does and stands for; and an Annual Report at the rear of the brochure. The design concept has an earthy feel through the use of textures, but still keeps a clean and modern style.
Optima Annual Report
This is a bright and vibrant example of the kind of annual reports that we can produce. The logo is die-cut on the front cover, showing the image underneath, and spot UV has been used throughout to bring our photos and the associated legends. The text is also reversed out - white on a coloured background, which makes the report more dynamic and eye-catching.
Safety Centre - Annual Reports for 2007 & 2008
We have been working with the Safety Centre over a few years. For the 2007 Annual Report, we created a set of icons representing each danger source, which we continued to use in the 2008 Annual Report. Again, we have designed both reports using the corporate purple and red from the logo. Sweeping shapes keep the design soft and flowing.
Coventry Mind Leaflet
This leaflet was designed to advertise two services that Coventry Mind promote, so is divided into two parts using a gatefold, so if you open the left side of leaflet you choose one service, if you choose the right side you choose the other service. Again, the corporate blue Mind colour was used.
Illustration
We have a long association with several illustrators, and also have access to many more. We can quickly understand the kind of illustrations that will work with your project, source several illustrators and show you samples of their work, and then work closely with them to produce images that will be artistically good, as well as answering your brief and fitting within your budget. Whether you need cartoons, children's illustrations, technical illustrations, realistic or abstract, we are confident that, working within a given budget, we can find the best solution for you.
Richard Western Trailer Leaflet and Adverts
The leaflet is a product description of two of Richard Western's products, one on each side. It is a simple leaflet, using the corporate colours and clear images of the products being described. At the client's request, we also included a tear off strip at the bottom of the leaflet so customers can request additional information. This leaflet mirrors the adverts we designed.
Agriweld Product Guide
Our client had never used professional design services before, so therefore we created our client's corporate ID with this product guide, which includes the use of the Union Jack flag and the red background colour. The guide is colour coded inside to make it easy for the target audience (farming industry) to follow. We used detailed close up images of their machinery as well as full pictures, to make the guide more interesting. There is a flap at the back so our client can add their own up-to-date price list and any additional information.
Richard Western Trailer Leaflet and Adverts
The leaflet is a product description of two of Richard Western's products, one on each side. It is a simple leaflet, using the corporate colours and clear images of the products being described. At the client's request, we also included a tear off strip at the bottom of the leaflet so customers can request additional information. This leaflet mirrors the adverts we designed.
Massey Ferguson Product Guide
Designed following corporate guidelines, this guide suits the target audience, as it is simple to follow and clean. We designed a power scale for each product at the top of the page to make it easier for farmers as their main focus when looking at tractors and associated machines/machinery is the power.
Fendt Folder
This is a generic folder to send information out to customers. It follows the first folder we designed by using the green stripe at the bottom of the folder, but now the stripe is curved to create a feeling of movement. Although the design follows the corporate guidelines to an extent, we have more leeway with Fendt so have made the design more modern and new.
Fendt Wheel
We came up with this idea for the Fendt product range. For each model, the wheel will tell you how much fuel could be saved if that model were purchased compared to a competitor's product of the same specification. Easy to use, assess the information and interact with.
Massey Ferguson Harvesting Folder
This was designed following strict corporate guidelines. It contains an easy to follow legend linking the information to the relevant photograph.
Valtra Life and Times
The brochure is a history of the Valtra product. There is a timeline on the edge of each page to see what date we are at. A clean, simple design with common elements used in other AGCO product guides.
McConnel Parts Catalogue
Designed following corporate guidelines, this catalogue is colour coded to make it easier to use. The idea was to break up the catalogue with advert spreads on different featured products. We wanted to feature this piece of work to demonstrate that we do all kinds of design work, including catalogues, and that no project is too large or small.
Harper Bell School Prospectus/Folder
Designed with families in mind, this prospectus has lots of images of children in classrooms so the parents can see the school and get an idea of the activities there. Throughout the prospectus, the logo is used of the wheatsheaf and torch, to give continuity and flow, and spot UV is used throughout on the photos and headings to highlight them. We also did the photography for this prospectus.
Anglesey School Prospectus
This prospectus was intended for two purposes, as a prospectus and a folder. Red is used throughout as it is the colour of the school uniforms, which you can see from the photos. We created their identity here with the circles and children, and have also designed banners in the same style. A clean design and easy to read. We also took the photography used throughout the prospectus.
Nasen Conference Programme and Associated Leaflets
Both pieces were intended for nasen members, that is, teachers involved with children with Special and Educational Needs. The Conference Programme is an A5 format which opens to a full sized A3 poster detailing all their conference events throughout the current academic year. We used three blocks of colour - one for each event, and each event had its own shape, such as a square or triangle to identify it, the aim being to link it to education and children. Each conference event has its own leaflet, folowing the same colour and shape, and overall all of the leaflets and programme were deisnged to be bright, vibrant in a clear layout.
Nasen Yearbook 2008-2009
This yearbook was sent out to every nasen member (teachers and teaching professionals working in the SEN arena). It has three parts: it has a cut down version of nasen's annual report; it contains vital SEN information and reference of terms; and it has an academic diary for the member to use with nasen events listed inside. We used the jigsaw image again to link back to education, and it has been designed using nasen's green corporate colour.
Responding to Conflict - Annual Reports for 2007 and 2008
These projects demonstrate an ongoing collaboration with Responding to Conflict. Both have two purposes: to outline what the organisation does and stands for; and an Annual Report at the rear of the brochure. The design concept has an earthy feel through the use of textures, but still keeps a clean and modern style.
Optima Annual Report
This is a bright and vibrant example of the kind of annual reports that we can produce. The logo is die-cut on the front cover, showing the image underneath, and spot UV has been used throughout to bring our photos and the associated legends. The text is also reversed out - white on a coloured background, which makes the report more dynamic and eye-catching.
Safety Centre - Annual Reports for 2007 & 2008
We have been working with the Safety Centre over a few years. For the 2007 Annual Report, we created a set of icons representing each danger source, which we continued to use in the 2008 Annual Report. Again, we have designed both reports using the corporate purple and red from the logo. Sweeping shapes keep the design soft and flowing.
Coventry Mind Leaflet
This leaflet was designed to advertise two services that Coventry Mind promote, so is divided into two parts using a gatefold, so if you open the left side of leaflet you choose one service, if you choose the right side you choose the other service. Again, the corporate blue Mind colour was used.
Future Health and Social Care Folder with Inserts
This folder was designed for staggered inserts, so it makes it easier for the reader to select the correct insert, depending on the service they require. You can see the services offered by Future at a glance, and we used Future's corporate colours and font throughout.
vibro-suite
We created the whole corporate image and brochure as well as the website for this brand new healthcare and wellness club. The logo features vibration rings, with the gold gradient used to create the idea of luxury. This look and feel is continued throughout the website, where we also introduced a mahogany wood texture effect to reflect the interior design of the company's impressive fitness suite.
Totem
Totem is a career development training consultancy with a difference. And we like to think that that difference is apparent in the look and feel of the website that we designed for the company. Our aim was to create a very clean and neat-looking site that reflected the fresh approach that the company offers its clients. Strong photography combines with Totem's existing corporate colours, plus engaging sound effects and dynamic elements, to offer a memorable user experience.
Kavannagh Partnership Ltd
The Kavannagh Partnership Ltd commissioned The Design Studios to create a website that would give the company a bold and confident online presence and instantly help to boost its brand awareness in the quantity surveying and project management marketplace. We combined strong imagery with a simple layout and a warm but professional colour palette to achieve just that.
Cerebral Palsy Midlands
We created a user-friendly and fully accessible website for this charity, which is run for, with and by people with cerebral palsy. Our objective was to design a fresh and clean-looking site, which made good use of the organisation's existing corporate colours, but which would also be easy to access, navigate around and read for people who often have difficulty distinguishing coloured text on a coloured background, for example.
Marlow Language Centre
The Marlow Language Centre offers English and foreign language courses and translation services to both private individuals and corporate clients. We designed this website to give the family run business an online presence, and subsequently also worked on the company's corporate and translation services brochures. Site content is offered in several languages and a content management system (CMS) allows staff to update the site themselves using Adobe Contribute software. Appropriate software training was also provided.
Telecom Training Services
Telecom Training Solutions offers a comprehensive range of training courses for business telephone system users and administrators alike. We were asked to give the company an online presence that would also build on its existing brand equity. The fresh and neat-looking website that we created makes good use of sound effects and dynamic elements while also projecting a user-friendly image with relevant graphics and easy navigation at all times.
Cunninghams
With six regional office locations, Cunninghams supplies EPOS solutions, services and support to companies and organisations nationwide. When it wanted an effective and efficient e-commerce website, it turned to The Design Studios for help. As well as designing the site and implementing the required e-commerce functionality, we also delivered a content management system (CMS) and the necessary training for staff to update the site themselves using Adobe Contribute software.
Millennium Training
The Millennium Training Group delivers telecommunications training services to companies and organisations of all sizes across the UK. Briefed to create a website that would help the company to stand out in a crowded marketplace, we based the design on the circle and existing colour palette of the corporate identity to create a clean, vibrant, dynamic and memorable site, complete with simple sound effects.
Modular Network Solutions
When this IT and telecommunications specialist wanted to overhaul its existing website, it asked The Design Studios to step up to the job. We completely re-designed the look and feel of the site, and also incorporated new e-commerce functionality. The result is a bold and professional site that is easy to navigate and inspires instant confidence in the company's abilities. The introduction of a content management system (CMS) allows staff to easily update content themselves using Adobe Contribute software.
Photography
Most of the images appearing in print and online are photographic ones, and The Design Studios regularly commissions photography from a number of different photographers. We will source the right photographer for your project, using our knowledge of our client, their project, and the photographer. We have worked with photographers to take pictures of property interiors and exteriors, portraits, events and landscapes. One of our designers will usually be present on the photoshoot to art direct it, to ensure the images are appropriate for your project, formally and conceptually. We also offer a retouching service so you can enjoy the highest quality images.
Branding & Identity
