Wow, what a response! Our latest project, dubbii broke the Top 20 on the App Store and Google Play charts on launch weekend, with over 25,000 active users.
Partnering with the fabulous Rich & Rox, social media influencers of ADHD Love fame, dubbii is a body doubling app to help ADHD people with their household tasks.
We were incredibly excited to work with ADHD Love on a different kind of self-help app and as their ongoing tech partner, we’re in it for the long haul.
We’re committed to staying engaged with the community to find out exactly what the audience wants and how best to provide it. 🩵
Watch the recording of this webinar now
As part of Bristol Technology Festival 2023, our founder Harry explores the ins and outs of UX design, and why a user-centric approach is absolutely crucial.
In this webinar he explains why UX design is so much more than just wireframing, and how it should be seen as a process rather than a solution. Harry also uncovers how a clear UX-led strategy can lead to a long term competitive advantage.
Until recently, the menopause was something that was not understood and not talked about in equal measure. But after several celebs spoke about their experiences, it became something of a hot topic, with many ‘experts’ appearing to offer help, like tips for a ‘menopause diet’.
We needed to cut through this noise when we created the Hartwell brand. This was different: its founder Natasha Hartwell was a nutritional therapist who based her work on science and evidence-based results, and made real-world, practical suggestions. This was a real expert who could actually help with the symptoms of menopause, and help people feel like themselves.
Hartwell’s approach was a fantastic differentiator and a great place to start, so we began the process of building the brand around this strong core idea.
As with any branding, whether we’re creating a brand or refreshing one, we need to understand what makes it unique, what makes it tick and what makes other people care.
We started a deep dive into Hartwell’s way of working, including how it does it, what it values and its ambitions. The answers to these big questions would help define the new brand’s values and personality, which would lead us towards how the brand should look and feel.
Hand in hand with that, we also carried out an audit of the busy world Hartwell would be entering, specifically focusing on the menopause diet market. What were existing competitors doing? And was any of it working? We discovered an ocean of word salad, bland imagery and ‘mumsiness’, with very few examples of brands who really knew how to communicate what they were doing.
We held a focus group for people going through menopause, to find out about their general experience and if they had tried menopause diets. It was clear that they felt unseen and unsupported, and were suffering emotionally as well as physically.
Our research showed us that to reach as many people as possible, Hartwell had to be very clear with its messaging, putting its unique science-based approach front and centre. But to connect emotionally, this clarity had to feel personal. As a result, we made the decision that the voice of Hartwell would be Natasha, so it would be all written in first person, and talking directly to the target audience – just as it would be in a one-to-one consultation.
This connected perfectly with the decision to use Natasha’s surname as the name of the brand (her name, her voice) and also helped to complete the circle with the logo, which feels like a signature.
This hand-drawn logotype not only gives the brand a personal, human appeal, it also shows that Natasha is not afraid to sign her name to her work. The brand’s confident because its work is based on evidence – Natasha knows that she can genuinely help her clients.
We created a stacked version of the logo too, primarily to work with social media and smaller spaces, but also with one eye on the future, where ‘Eat well’, ‘Live well’ and other variations could be used.
The logo had been developed as part of a stylescape. These are visual explorations of a brand driven by a core thought, and include everything from brand palettes and imagery through to typefaces. They’re a great way to ensure everything is designed as a family, not in isolation, and to see the entire brand working together.
This particular stylescape was based on the idea of empowering clients, factual information, non-judgemental advice and friendly support. Those building blocks led us to a colour palette that was vibrant and earthy, warm and dignified. We purposefully kept away from a palette that was overtly feminine.
Brand imagery centred on collages which connected the way of life our audience wanted to get back to, with nature. The collage construction gave us the scope to tell infinite stories, while the connection to nature was a common theme throughout the work, coming both from Natasha’s understanding of nutrition, and people’s connection to cycles.
Finally, and developed from the hand-drawn logo, we introduced the squiggle. This graphical motif doesn’t have a defined form, and instead is unique each time it’s used, just like Hartwell’s clients and the advice Natasha gives them. The squiggle device can be used to frame text, create direction or simply bring some visual interest to a design, and helps to bring the whole visual identity together.
As part of the brand launch, we designed and wrote the Hartwell website. We initially mapped out a number of user journeys so we could design the perfect UX for the busy audience. Our goal was to show enough to prove Hartwell’s credentials, and then invite the audience to take the next step by getting in touch. Copy was therefore kept to a minimum, with the approach being to balance the warm, personal tone with the science that backed it up. This was helped by the brand fonts, the soft and warm New Spirit, paired with the strong and steady Elza Text.
The look of the site mirrored this balance, with a clean look punctuated with lifestyle/nature combination images that brought energy to every page. With minimal copy, the space in the design really helped to deliver a fresh experience, in contrast with nearly every one of Hartwell’s competitors.
The finished brand feels like a modern lifestyle/health brand (not a faddy menopause diet plan), which has the confidence to show what it can do, without having to tell its audience everything it can do.
Find out more about Hartwell Nutrition here
Over the last year, mustard jobs have seen a surge in activity within the events industry across the UK. With Brexit, Covid and the Cost of Living Crisis significantly affecting the rate of movement within the industry in recent times. We’re breaking down the current trends, salary expectations, candidate availability and industry growth of the events sector.
At the beginning of the year we saw various external factors make candidates more hesitant about moving roles. Even though the cost of living remains high, the UK hasn’t plunged into a recession yet so candidates are maneuvering in the market again.
The events industry is booming across the UK, and Brand Experience within London remains a particularly busy sector for the mustard team for permanent and contract roles.
Covid-19 has become a memory of the past and as a result the Tradeshow Exhibition industry is back and better than ever. Virtual Broadcast has maintained popularity within the corporate space as streaming functionality is more accessible than ever. This has provided continued success for global brands looking to improve sustainability, reducing flights and event waste.
Whilst London still remains the hub of the event sector, other areas such as Manchester, Leeds and Bristol are seeing sharp growth, fueled by increased flexibility to work from home post pandemic. As a result, we’re seeing top talent move away from London.
Firstly, Sustainability. Eco washing has become a prevalent issue across the industry, with brands implying sustainability rather than working on making real positive change. As more candidates in the industry are looking to work within an actively sustainable organisation, being certified as B-Corp or part of an industry specific sustainability group such as Isla, will ignite candidate attraction.
Next up, Flexibility. As a lot of employees within the sector devote their weekends and evenings to meet the demand of the job, working the ‘allotted’ 9-5 are becoming increasingly difficult to adhere to whilst maintaining a work-life balance. As a result, there is increased pressure on employers to offer flexible hours to align with this.
The digital age has taken events to the next level. Consequently, employers are looking for event professionals with a mix of digital skills, the more digital integration the better. AR and VR offer interactivity that will engage audiences across the entire industry and showcasing any digital skills will give your CV the edge. This could include anything from working on virtual events, website registrations, video content, motion graphics, graphic design, animation and 360 photography.
Salaries have gone up drastically when comparing the mustard XP salary guide from 2021 to 2023. As an example, a Mid-weight 2D Designer working in London in 2021 would be earning around £28,000 – £36,000 but in 2023 they’re more likely £40,000 – £50,000.
This could be because a lot of candidates left industry during the Covid-19 lockdown period for job security elsewhere so there is smaller pool of candidates, as a result employers are battling for the top candidates, offering higher salaries to entice them into their role. As the industry has bounced back in full force the demand for skilled candidates has increased.
“The Experiential, Events and Exhibitions industries have fluctuated dramatically within my five years as a recruiter in this space. We’ve seen various highs and lows across the industry over the last few years, but now is such an exciting time to be expanding your business or to move into a new role.”
– Jamie Rogers, XP Divisional Lead at mustard jobs.
Hospitality, retail and branding designers Phoenix Wharf have completed a clever and colourful refurbishment of hospitality outlet Old Chang Kee in Covent Garden. The Singaporean family-run operator opened its first two UK stores in Covent Garden’s New Row in 2018 and on Goodge Street, also in London, at the end of 2019. The client, UK franchisee Sandra Leong, commissioned Phoenix Wharf to redesign the Covent Garden site earlier this year to improve spatial issues and make the store more modern and memorable. The fast-turnaround project has seen most of the new interior and furniture pre-assembled off-site to minimise store closure times and to allow the venue both to close and re-open over the course of August, with minimal final refinements completed in September.
‘The Old Chang Kee food offer had been incredibly well-reviewed since the brand opened in the UK’, Phoenix Wharf Creative Director Emma Carter explained. ‘The logistics of the existing Covent Garden site, however, offered definite room for improvement, with the store’s small existing servery counter, for example, necessitating people having to queue outside and stand aside each time someone came out. The interior colours were rather muted and the menus not clearly visible until you were inside, making the offer challenging for anyone previously unfamiliar with it.’
Old Chang Kee was originally established in Singapore in 1956 in the form of a humble stall, quickly becoming famous for its curry puffs – the Singaporean answer to the pasty, samosa or empanada. The stall attracted customers from far and wide, including many British people before the dissolution of the Crown colony in 1963. Expansion over the following decades saw the brand become a recognisable staple of Singaporean street life nationwide.
The brand’s UK outposts feature a grab-and-go concept with the aim of making authentic Singaporean street food accessible to customers in London and the UK. Its signature curry puffs – hot, buttery pastry with a spiced filling – have been lauded by eminent food critics including Giles Coren, Fay Maschler and Marina O’Loughlin. Also available on the menu are other classic Singaporean favourites, such as Nasi Lemak (coconut rice) and Laksa (rice noodles in a coconut curry broth).
The Phoenix Wharf team looked to the history and traditions of the Singaporean Shophouse in their design approach, where street food was served from ground floor premises with living quarters situated above – a set-up very much mirrored by the Covent Garden location.
The client brief was to create a more contemporary look for the outlet, moving away from the existing understated magnolia interior, decorated with lots of trinkets and wood, which had made the look and feel a little too obviously traditionally Singaporean. The Covent Garden location also has lots of local competition, with the road becoming a real foodie destination in recent years. The venue definitely needed to stand out more therefore, as well as to be easier for customers to access – and more efficient for the operator in terms of ordering and service fulfilment.
‘A clear balance needed to be struck between retaining Old Chang Kee’s brand essence and heritage and creating the desired more modern look and feel’ Emma Carter commented. ‘The bright yellow of the fascia is an established brand colour and had to stay, for example, although the tone needed to be punchier and make more of a statement, as the previous fascia had been too pale. We also introduced a blue secondary colour to the interior for the first time. This immediately adds a more contemporary note, as well as working well with the yellow. The blue has been used for the walls and features additionally in the menus and the counter-front tiling – as well as being extended to new, re-usable blue melamine crockery and chopsticks, which set off the food really well.’
Although the offer is mostly takeaway, there was also some demand for eating in, so the new layout needed to incorporate seating to meet that mission, whilst not encouraging too much dwell time, as the offer is predominantly grab-and-go there was no possibility of expansion of the very small space overall, which measures just 21.3 sqm in total. Window seating, plus two standalone tables for four were integrated, featuring loose wooden seating (re-using existing Singaporean stools), plus one new inset banquette in a teak veneer with a yellow seat pad. The banquette also has storage space incorporated beneath the seat. The new tables feature a laminate top in a rich oyster grey, which allows the food and coloured plates to stand out. Small inset planting adds a third colour into the scheme, as well as aiding acoustics and referencing the famously lush greenery of Singapore.
The previous hot food counter, located to the right as customers entered, has been replaced with a new 1.6m-counter directly opposite the entrance, with inset food tray display spaces for the curry puffs, so that people can see as they order, with a till point directly adjoining. The new counter top is a solid surface material, whilst the counter front has been clad in eye-catching and typically Singaporean Dragonera tiles, with the tiling continuing and wrapping round the right hand wall of the space.
A new gantry pelmet in plasterboard with curved timber detailing has been designed to sit above the counter, with the easily-legible menu now visible on three 50” inset illuminated digital screens. This is located well above head height and is clearly visible from the exterior. This particular store also has a step up to the entry, giving the new menu a further height advantage. The curved gantry-top detail – a shape repeated on the back wall – is a nod to the menu’s central item – the curry puff.
Storage was a big part of the new design story and the rear of the new menu and product signage – both on the rear wall and on the gantry – can be used to store items, taking takeaway packaging out of sight, for example, where it had previously been visible to customers. Behind the service counter is a new ground floor additional kitchen area (with the main food prep remaining on the lower-ground level) for sinks, hand-washing and further shelving. At the back of the public area is a condiment station with a tray drop and customer bin. A changeable poster space directly behind this also features as a concealed door to further hidden storage, making use of previously dead space above the stairs. A full-height fridge sits alongside this for customer drinks.
The rear wall of the space features new yellow tiling with a grey grout, wrapped around existing teak timber, which was too high quality to consider replacing. Further food story graphics are also integrated into this wall, along with the Old Chang Kee logo in black. A rear stair, which leads down to the lower ground kitchen area, has been discreetly sectioned off, as the occasional customer had been known to take the stair before, believing it to be a public access route.
Phoenix Wharf also had a graphic remit as part of the refurbishment, redesigning the menu and creating a new poster in a yellow frame for the right-side wall. Newly re-commissioned brand photography – featuring the new melamine serving bowls and plates – works well with the upgraded interior and graphic treatment.
‘After five years of successful trading, our Covent Garden location was in need of a redesign – both to make our grab-and-go offer more appealing, as well as to make operations a little slicker’ client Sandra Leong commented, adding that ‘this was a challenge given the tiny footprint of the site, but Phoenix Wharf were able to take a difficult brief and run with it. The new layout and design certainly have more stopping power than before and our team appreciates a better laid-out store that is operationally easier to maintain. Singaporean food and its accompanying aesthetic is also not well understood in the UK, but Phoenix Wharf put in the effort to research and understand this. I’m excited to use our new-look store as a blueprint for future locations.
Through a joint planning process, Squarebird worked with SRLV to deliver a new look and feel to their brand and website that retained their history – bringing them into the modern era with a contemporary design, a slick look, and a site-wide representation of their ethos and values.
SRLV are a firm of chartered accountants, business management specialists, and advisors for corporate and private clients. They deliver quality work and personalised support, underpinning excellence at the very highest level. The ethos, honesty, and nurturing of a family business; the professionalism of a larger organisation – this is SRLV.
Squarebird and SRLV began by collaborating to explore the purpose behind the rebrand, outlining the goals they wanted to achieve, and cementing the need to build awareness of their brand and specialist services. Three core objectives arose from this exercise:
After the objectives were realised and finalised, Squarebird began work on a redevelopment proposal that covered brand, website, and collateral elements.
SRLV wanted to preserve their existing heritage and branding. This was brought across through small details across the site, such as the sage colour of their logo – a logo which was carefully refined to showcase the different components of their brand identity, themed around their relationships with customers and clients.
The concepts behind the logo design were proposed as a solution to extend through the rest of the redevelopment – a proposal that SRLV agreed with, beginning the implementation of their core sense of integrity, values, and family into a professional, contemporary digital presence.
“We worked through a concept stage, creating multiple logos that ranged from safe to disruptive. The design that lured them in was dynamic, with the potential to expand into wider branding. It could animate to spell out the letters SRLV and be used to create a bespoke pattern that’s applicable throughout the brand identity. It was an enjoyable process with multiple avenues but when they saw the one, they just knew.” – Alec, Lead Designer.
“From the moment we first set foot in their offices, it was abundantly clear this was a firm we were eager to collaborate with. SRLV defies the conventional norms of an accountancy firm; they embody a unique blend of professionalism and approachability that sets them apart.
Beyond the expected attributes of a top-tier firm, SRLV exude a cool, down-to-earth demeanour that aligns perfectly with their diverse and stylish clientele. Our mission was to capture these distinctive qualities and breathe life into them through a comprehensive brand evolution and the creation of a cutting-edge digital presence.
Our dedicated team invested tireless effort into not only meeting but surpassing the needs and aspirations of SRLV’s partners. The resulting project meets present demands and is proofed for the future, ensuring SRLV remains at the forefront of their industry.
A special mention is due to Henrietta Atkins Consulting Limited, SRLV’s trusted Strategic Marketing Consultancy, who seamlessly collaborated with Squarebird throughout the project. Their invaluable support and teamwork played a pivotal role in achieving a flawless outcome that perfectly encapsulates the essence of SRLV’s exceptional brand.” – Nick Bird, Managing Partner
Squarebird brought to life the vibrant contemporary culture of SRLV through design and content, demonstrated the staff’s diversity, and highlighted the quality of the firm as an employer of both graduates and qualified professionals. This fed into wider support of marketing activities like email and social media.
The redevelopment concluded, resulting in a newly envisioned brand and website that create a premium experience, luxury feel, and demonstrate the experience and expertise of SRLV’s staff.
“There is a first-class team at Squarebird. It was a pleasure working with them. They helped us develop a new brand logo and a full website overhaul, taking on board our vision and giving excellent advice along the way. I highly recommend them.” – Grant Court, SRLV Partner
View the full case study here.
Leading Bristol web design and brand agency, Squarebird, have designed and built a new website for the biggest contractor in the South West, Lancer Scott, to elevate their digital presence and create a tool to better showcase and validate their people and projects.
After outgrowing their existing website, Lancer Scott came to Squarebird seeking a slick new look with a brave approach on both image and text. Lead generation was low on their priority list; instead, their new site was to be a validation tool to represent their people and projects – defining built environments all over the UK.
The finished website had to be clean, incorporate lots of white space, and have a text layout reminiscent of print. The aim was to validate their status and showcase their multidisciplinary offering.
Style tile designs were made, incorporating the initial copywriting concepts into broader visuals. Tone of voice work was also a key consideration for Lancer Scott, and Squarebird took the time to design a style that portrayed their bravery, vision, and ‘get-things-done’ approach. Once this all came together, Squarebird moved on to creating content throughout the site, refining Lancer Scott’s core message and speaking to their professional expertise.
“Our experience working with Squarebird on our new website was fantastic. The team seamlessly collaborated with Lancer Scott, actively listening to our ideas and flexibly incorporating them into the site’s design. They took the time to really understand the values and core of the business and worked with us to develop a tone of voice and website style that portrayed Lancer Scott accurately at a pivotal time for the company. The end result not only exceeded our expectations but also effectively showcases our company’s services, people and ethos. We would highly recommended Squarebird to any company looking to step up their digital offering.” – Nia Hughes, lancer Scott Marketing & Communications.
The final design represents the major contributions of Lancer Scott to the built environment of the South West. It incorporates full-scale photography, a bold use of text, and considered spacing. The structure facilitates inter-selling between their various services; boldly frames their case studies; and fully encompasses the firm’s achievements, CSR activity, and vision.
“As a business rooted in Bristol, there’s a special sense of pride and purpose that comes with collaborating with the city’s iconic industry leaders. Lancer Scott, a name synonymous in the area with pioneering large-scale developments, entrusted us with the challenge of translating their legacy into a vibrant digital presence through a brand-new website.
I’m immensely proud of the incredible collaborative effort between Squarebird and Lancer Scott, shaping this digital vision into a platform that showcases the essence of Lancer Scott’s impactful contributions to our beloved city of Bristol – and beyond.” – Nick Bird, Squarebird Managing Partner.
You can view the full case study here.
We’re excited to share that we will be supporting Caring in Bristol, as part of Studio Every‘s pledge of two weeks to two charities this year.
Caring in Bristol work in imaginative and creative ways with people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, with the public and community partners to bring about lasting change in Bristol and beyond.
We will be working with Caring in Bristol to explore ways that they can expand their corporate partnerships to create even more sustainable income for the future.
We look forward to contributing to the future strategy of this incredible charity, to help prevent homelessness.
The Southwest’s biggest Annual Open Exhibition returns for 170th year
The RWA (Royal West of England Academy) is delighted to announce the return of its renowned Annual Open Exhibition for the 170th year, running for an extended period, from 9 September 2023 to 14 January 2024.
This dynamic and varied exhibition features painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and mixed media submissions and is a showcase of some of the most exciting artists from across the country and beyond.
Amongst this year’s selection panel were invited artist Charmaine Watkins; President of the RWA Fiona Robinson; artist and Rabley Gallery director Meryl Ainslie, and Academicians Dallas Collins VPRWA, Lucy Austin RWA, Angel Lizon RWA and Karl Singporewala RWA. They assessed every artwork on its own merits, anonymously, before being able to bring down the 4000+ entries to just over 400. No mean task when the standard of work submitted was so high!
Alison Bevan, RWA Director, says: “This year above all others, we have been quite overwhelmed by the variety and standard of artworks submitted by every kind of artist, from long-established veterans to fresh new talent just finding its artistic voice. No matter what kind of art you enjoy, we can promise every visitor will find lots to love!”
The Annual Open reflects the RWA’s ongoing commitment to championing world-class art in the region and creating opportunities for new and emerging talent. It includes in excess of £10,000 in prize money, including the £5000 Academy Prize and a £4000 Other Art Prize.
All the original artwork on display is for sale not only in the galleries, but also online, with prices starting at less than you’d pay for a furniture-shop print. Buying art helps support both the artists and the RWA, which is a completely independent charity (1070163) delivering life-enhancing creative opportunities for young people and adults across Bristol.
Tickets to the Annual Open Exhibtion are £8.90 (concessions available), or for just £15 you can buy an RWA Art Pass, which allows unlimited access to all our ticketed exhibitions as many times as you like for a whole year. https://www.rwa.org.uk
We often get asked what is “managed web hosting”, and why should a client host their website with us. When we build a website we always ensure it is built to modern coding standards, the core code is quick and efficient and there is no bloat or unnecessary plugins or code blocks that the website doesn’t need.
To ensure clients websites are hosted in the right way we recommend clients use our managed web hosting service for a variety of reasons.
We say to clients let us worry about your website so you can focus on your business, with our years of experience we can take care of the technical jargon and leave clients to get on with generating business. One of our business aims is to form long term business relationships and we have succeeded on this year after year, many of our clients have been with us since we started back in 2008 and we continue to this day, we are trusted to host their important websites that generate leads, sales and interest day in day out, 24,7,365.
But I can get hosting for £4.99 a month!? Yes you can get your website hosted for less than an expensive coffee per month, but you will not have any support, you will not have any backups, no updates, basic security, the website will be shared with thousands of other customers and you won’t get our great customer service and all the extras that come with that.
If you would like to find out more about our managed web hosting service, our web design service or for anything else please do not hesitate to contact us.
Read the full article on our website https://www.eckhomedia.co.uk/what-is-managed-web-hosting/
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