Design agency insights with our Head of Creative

Providing the services of a design agency, our bunch of buzzing creatives take pride in their work for our clients. Our team work endlessly to bring our clients everything they wish for from a design agency and more. In this blog, we sit down with our Head of Creative, Kathryn. We ask her a few questions on her inspirations, notable 2021 trends and how the pandemic has affected the industry.

How long have you been working in the creative industry?

I’ve been working in the creative industry for a little over 10 years. I studied Theatre, Film and TV at university and progressed to a Masters in Media Production. I then began freelancing as a Wedding Videographer. Over the years, I had the opportunity to branch out into design, working on branding and graphic design projects. I’ve worked creatively in quite the range of fields including the B2B and B2C markets. My experience ranges from branding and re-branding, design for a children’s product and UX design for numerous websites. I love working with a variety of companies across multiple industries. Creative is always needed, no matter what industry you’re in. The importance of branding cannot be overlooked.

What inspires you?

A little bit of everything really. I get a lot of inspiration from the everyday world. But during more normal times, I love visiting art galleries, old country houses, historic landmarks or buildings. I love a trip to Liberty’s in London, there’s always plenty to inspire me there. All the textiles and history that surrounds it is a big inspiration.

What industry trends have you noticed for 2021?

Recently, I’ve noticed that there’s a lot of intricate patterns emerging, especially in the drinks industry. Businesses are using a lot of bright psychedelic styles and abstract shapes. It’s become quite fun and is very reminiscent of the 60s and 70s.

There also seems to be a resurgence of comic and pop art styles. It’s always interesting to see certain styles come back into fashion over the years. It’s fun to see a fresh take on past styles that are so iconic of a certain era. It’s incredible that certain colours, styles and shapes can be so distinctive. They take you back to a specific moment in time and it’s interesting to see it being reinvented.

Minimalism is another re-emerging trend that has become popular within user interfaces. A lot of people used to underestimate the power of white space on a website. However, it’s an effective way of leading the audience’s eye, optimising their interaction by removing any excess information. We’ve become ever more impatient. Audiences now have a growing impatience of anything that slows down the process of finding the relevant information.

What services do clients want help with the most?

Most of our clients come to us looking for help with campaign management and campaign creation. They need to do this in order to secure new customers, helping their business grow. The pandemic has led businesses to have a greater reliance on online communication with their customers. This has meant that more businesses need digital support. They’re looking to a design agency for help, but they need the specialisms of a full service agency like Vocal.

Businesses aren’t able to go through the traditional routes of face to face and networking like they used to. This has created a surge in businesses taking a good look at where they stand digitally. They come to us for help, looking to stand out from the crowded marketplace. We work with them to develop out of the box ideas and designs. It’s great when company’s trust us with their brand. It can be very rewarding to help them make a difference with our innovative designs.

Has COVID-19 changed what clients are looking for?

The pandemic seems to have changed clients’ mindset on the importance of global outreach. It has pushed them even more towards digital campaigns rather than the more traditional printed media. This isn’t exactly surprising because of the rise of digitisation. It’s important for a business to have a strong online presence.

Almost all traditional forms of doing business are now online meaning companies have to up their game digitally. Their customers are online, and most of them are using smartphones. So, creating an interface that’s mobile-friendly is a must. Over the course of the lockdowns, businesses found their clients wanting to interact with them via social media. This meant that it’s been important for a business to have consistent branding design across their socials, increasing customer engagement. Here at Vocal, we help them achieve their digital design and business goals.

Why is it important for businesses to care about their online design and branding?

A business’s brand is a visual representation of who you are as a company. Your online presence is often the very first thing people will see. It’s important to make a good first impression. Customers judge a business’s online presence within a matter of seconds. If your website takes too long to load, for example, or the design is awkward and cluttered they’ll be gone.

It’s important to get these right and make a lasting and positive impression. That’s another thing I enjoy about working like a design agency. I can actively see the difference that we make when working with a client.

What is the most common mistake you see clients making before they enlist design agency services?

The most common mistake I see clients making is that they pay little or no attention to their brand. This is probably the worst thing you could do for your business. It doesn’t matter if you have the best idea in the world if your branding is bad. Consumers won’t trust you. A great brand can change how people perceive your business. It can help increase brand awareness and ultimately drive new business. It’s worth investing in your brand and putting in the time and effort.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

The thing I love most about my job is the ever-changing nature of it. No two days are the same. Each client has a different product or service that requires a different creative solution. I love working with my team, bouncing ideas off one another and developing a concept together for our clients. I also really enjoy working with our clients, getting to know them and their business. They trust us with their business, and we help them grow. It always puts a smile on my face to see them get the results they deserve from our work.

Have a chat with Kathryn or one of our team at Vocal

Who are Vocal?

Here at Vocal, we’re a small full service creative agency with big business energy. We don’t just jump on trends because everyone else is. Our team has worked together for 10 years and we run like a well-oiled creative machine. We have worked with a broad range of businesses ranging in size and industry. Our Founder, Jill, has managed contracts ranging from £5,000 up to the hundreds of millions. We’re experts in six key areas that can help you get the most out of your business.

We offer creative support in the following areas:

• Design
• Website Services
• Digital Marketing
• Copywriting
• Illustration
• Branding

Each of them has a role to play in developing your business and helping it reach its potential.

Our design services

Our creative team here at Vocal know how important design is. Our range of design services can help your brand look as good as you are. Wye-catching designs in combination with a smooth user experience are what we’re known for.

We can help develop your brand in a number of ways such as:

• Graphic design
• Print design
• Digital design
• Advertising
• Campaign management
• eNewsletters
• Social media posts
• Exhibition

We understand the importance of each individually and together. Each of the above has their part to play in achieving a standout business and brand. We work with you to design something that’s worth talking about.

Get in touch

Introduce yourself

At Vocal, we’re a full-service agency that has a lot to say! So, why not get in touch with us for a chat? We’d love to hear about your business ambitions and goals – there’s no time like the present.

We’ll do the research

After our chat you can sit back and relax – we’ll do the research. Our team will use all their creative knowledge and experience to make recommendations for you.

Predictions

At the end of the day, you want results, and we want to deliver them. We’ll provide you with a full proposal and our predicted outcomes so that you can make an informed decision.

Quote

Once you give us the green light, we’ll provide a quote for the services you require. Then comes the fun part… It’s time to design!