News

Following the government’s announcement on 23rd March, we are only running a skeleton staff to complete essential work for our customers.

All enquiries will be dealt with remotely – please email or call us as usual if you have urgent enquiries.

Look after yourselves.

Read our latest feature for Business Cornwall on graphic design trends to watch at the start of a new decade. With the help of our friends at Leap we’ve compiled an inspiring list! We are proud to work with this B Corp Certified ‘design for change’ agency on a regular basis, creating a low-impact feedback loop for businesses who put the environment first.
–
We know from past experience that some hotly tipped trends will catch on and others won’t, so we have selected those that we think have both style and substance. So, why not take a moment to digest these creative concepts and reflect on how you might incorporate them into your communications strategy in the year ahead? Then get in touch, we’d love to help!

Overall, there is a strong environmental leaning to design this year, which we’re pretty thrilled about given our own green credentials. Nature is big for 2020, as brand managers and lead creatives seek to emphasize environmental credentials and appeal to young audiences. In the face of growing alarm about the state of the climate, and the impact of technology on society, reconnecting with nature is becoming a major preoccupation and design is increasingly reflecting that.

Colour Trends

For some clients we’re seeing a return to muted, harmonious tones and natural imagery (lots of brands are using striking stock images which celebrate nature at its most remote and majestic). However, others are reveling in the vibrant application of bright colour they are able to achieve with our print technology, pairing this with a minimal design feel. Talking of palate, Dulux have helpfully come up with an antidote to our “increasingly disconnected” world in the calming hazy green tones of [...]

Our daily lives are now saturated with every form of digital marketing imaginable – some of it engaging, creative and informative, and some of it alienating, irritating and even misleading. The digital world is fast-paced and impactful, yet also totally ephemeral and forgettable.

This is a real danger for companies who have put all their eggs in one basket, and are now struggling with customer acquisition and retention online. Add to this the increasing cost of digital marketing in pay-per-click terms, and the new data protection rules under GDPR, and it’s unsurprising that big brands are taking another look at that most retro of marketing channels; paper and ink.

Over the last few years there has been increasing interest in the brand publication as the counterbalance to transient online culture. To create a last impression – for example marking milestones or celebrating legacy projects – or to demonstrate their core values and purpose-led principles, major brands are increasingly turning back to the analogue world of the printing press to create beautiful publications which have an aura of craftsmanship, value and longevity.

Brand magazines offer quality editorial content and eye-catching design without an overt sales agenda. They tell stories around the periphery of a brand and build a sense of community buy-in. Some are so successful that they have gone on sale and become collectable coffee-table essentials. So, if brands like Kodak, Facebook, Red Bull and Airbnb are doing it, should you?

Here are some examples of brand publications from Cornwall and beyond…

Fathom, The National Maritime Museum

This annual journal delves into the museum’s permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, sheading light and revealing unexpected connections with essays and illustrated articles by historians, curators, journalists, poets and artists.

Watergate Bay Magazine, Watergate [...]