Samples of Work - Study task 7 / Part 1 & 2

Part 1 - Identify document and evaluate a minimum of 10 examples of professional designer's and/or design studios who have used a range of media and formats to distribute samples of their work. You should aim to select a range of examples using a rage of media.

Elmwood

Ranges of media used; Twitter, Linkedin, Facebook, Blog, Company Website. In a technological age, the company has taken advantage of the modern culture and used digital networking to broadcast their presence.

Facebook allows a larger range of people to see imagery and status about the company. They also have the ability to like and comment on pieces of work that the studio has created.

SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Variety of platforms promoting their work. Accessible, consistent identity. Large client groups, well respected. Professional design and communication methods, strong brand vision. Reputable, Award winning, International designers.

WEAKNESSES/

None of their work is visible across their networking platforms, these appear to act as simple promotions for the company and keeping their agency within the public eye. They don't seem to delve much into web design.

OPPORTUNITIES/

Representing themselves across a wide range of platforms allows them to target large audiences that may not get the coverage any other way, bringing in new custom. The use of modern technology and keeping up with trends also lends itself. Their reputation gains them respected jobs and larger payments due to their known experience and large design team.

THREATS/

Reputation means the company will be charging more money for their work, based on the fact that they're known for high quality outcomes, meaning they could be limiting their target audience to higher end businesses, whereas smaller businesses might approach smaller studios. 

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Bostock & Pollitt

An independent creative agency with more than 20 years experience, they work closely with clients to understand their ambitions and define their direction - creating communication that achieves results.

SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Friendly and approachable, Large client groups, small studio = successful. Clear and concise website. Work across various disciplines. Ambitious ideas. Work across various sectors. Personal communication methods.

WEAKNESSES/

Based only in London limits their clientele options, and approaches to bigger projects. Public recognition might be quite limited. Smaller company going up against bigger more reputable companies such as Elmwood.

OPPORTUNITIES/

Opportunities to treat clientele with respect and form personal relations, building up their reputations and thus forming close relationships with their clients and future work as oppose to bigger firms which look at each job...as simply a job because there main concern would be keeping on top of all their projects effectively. Whereas a smaller studio like this has the potential to form relations.

THREATS/

Larger companies taking clientele and pushing smaller studios out of the market, such pressures could result in studios outputting work in competition rather than business.

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The Consult


SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Easily accessible information, existing clients can view a portfolio of work. Works published across different platforms including behance.


WEAKNESSES/

There isn't much other information really available about them, meaning you don't have the broad scope of review that other design studios possess, This means you'd have to make a judgement about the studio based on how they've presented themselves.

OPPORTUNITIES/

Online portfolios provide different types of audiences with the information they need, which could result in further clients and even collaborations.

THREATS/

Being a small studio could mean they've got a lot of competition in terms of other small design studio's all trying to work up the ladder.


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Brass

SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Work samples across a vast amount of platforms including social sites like twitter. Documented work professionally across all. There's a large amount of information available about this design studio which would obviously draw in clients that are quite sceptic about who to work with.

WEAKNESSES/

More focus on printed material rather than a broad focus.

OPPORTUNITIES/

Opportunities for expansion due to their wide range of online platforms publicising themselves.

THREATS/

Their focus of printed material could possibly limit their clientele and type of work they could be producing in the future.

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Analogue

SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Practical work ethics, Personality really shows through their type of work

WEAKNESSES/

Could do with a larger variety of promotional material

OPPORTUNITIES/

Potential to be recognised for their personality in design, could be a unique selling point?

THREATS/

None so obvious

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Liquorice

SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Good quality images of all work samples across a vast amount of platforms. Documented professionally. The networking side is quite prominent across behance and twitter. They've come up with a very unique way of strengthening relationships with clients by sending out work that is based around special occasions.

WEAKNESSES/

Strong focus on print.

OPPORTUNITIES/

Could adopt a more personal approach across the way their website is portrayed etc

THREATS/

Work standard is quite similar to a lot of other studios already out there.

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I love dust

SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Practical pieces and a large range of work displayed across different mediums makes them stand out a lot more against the prominent print based studios. Strong promotional materials.

WEAKNESSES/

Visual style only really shown on a creative CV rather than through the work.

OPPORTUNITIES/

Creative CV provides something different while still being creative, able to be easily mailed out.

THREATS/

Their aim to be different could become a target for opposing studios, they could take this USP and develop it further.

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Bell Pottinger

SWOT/ 

STRENGTHS/ 

Professional documentation, business card provides an insight into the style of Bell, uses the same colours across platforms.

WEAKNESSES/

Stronger focus on printed material

OPPORTUNITIES/

Potential for a blog, this would apply a more personal approach to his visuals.

THREATS/

The colour scheme is a love or hate thing, for myself I don't like it, which has instantly put me off his work, this could be a valuable point for myself when it comes to designing my own promotional material, keep it simple.