Introductions can be awkward, but first impressions are important. And as the new kids on the block, we’ve got everything to prove…

So without further ado, allow us to introduce ourselves… Hi, we are Silk Studio 👋 a UK based, digital design studio. If you’re not totally sure what the means, don’t sweat it, we’ll get to that in a second!

For now, all you need to know is that we design and build websites, digital products and the visual identities for brands and businesses who see themselves as a force for good.

*There, that wasn’t so hard…

So, who are we?

Small talk aside, we are a UK based, independent & ethical, multi-disciplinary design studio (try saying that five times fast). Specialising in front-end development, UI/UX design and branding, we pride ourselves on our commitment to making original, functional and responsible work that helps brands and businesses reach the people that matter most to them.

These sorts of statements often come over-saturated with marketing spin that ends up making them sound a little… ‘wishy-washy’. With that in mind,let’s try and decipher this blow-by-blow…

Starting from the top

“…a UK based, independent & ethical, multi-disciplinary design studio…”

Whilst yes, it’s quite a mouthful, every part of this is statement has its own importance. Being independent means we’re not bound by the bureaucracy or complacency of big agencies. Created by Nathan Hughes (yours truly) Silk Studio is designer owned and designer run.

Being ethical means more than just printing on recycled paper. Working across both the agency and freelance sectors for over six years, we’ve seen a lot of sides to the industry — the good bits, the bad bits and the downright ugly bits — which encourage us to build upon the good whilst ditching the bad, both with our internal practise and our external client relationships. We place great value on simply just being nice. Maintaining a healthy culture without all the mendacious politics and 12+ hour days is crucial for keeping the quality of work high as well as peoples spirits. We also feel there’s enough bad in the world without us adding to it and so we never seek to support brands or businesses that we feel have a negative impact on the world or put profit before people.

Finally, being a multidisciplinary studio essentially means we have many strings to our bow. Whilst some studios may choose to be solely graphic design or UX orientated, we have a range of specialisms allowing a seamless handoff between many stages of the creative process.

Specialising in—what now?!

“…front-end development, UI/UX design and branding…”

In a nutshell, this is the somewhat la-de-da way of saying that we:

1. Design the way brands and businesses look and feel (brand + logo design, guidelines, strategy)

2. Concept and prototype the tools they use to tell others about themselves (website + app design, collateral creation, email marketing)

3. Build and educate them on these tools (web development, CMS implementation, eCommerce integration)

Although these are our specialities, our knowledge of the design spectrum spans far beyond these simple definitions, bringing experience in everything from illustration to motion graphics.

Committed to what counts

“…committed to making original, functional and responsible work…”

This trinity of core principles is our criteria for success when it comes to the work we produce.

Original

Chances are, if you’re coming to us, then you aren’t looking for some off-the-peg, template product, which is great as that’s not how we do things around here. Those avenues certainly have their place, however, our goal is always to create a unique and bespoke solution, specific to that client. Our branding process is rigorous and our breadth of knowledge in web design allows a seamless handoff between the processes of ideation, conceptualisation and development.

Functional

There is absolutely no point in having a stunning looking brand or website that simply doesn’t work. That is to say, it has to fit the criteria of your target audience, allow you to easily and appropriately transmit your message to them and allow them to easily and appropriately consume that message and subsequently take action on it. Our products need to function as well as they look and work as well for you as they do for your audience.

Responsible

This is the big one. There’s far too much negativity in the world and so the last thing we want to do is add to it. We put great value on our ethical practice and always aim to produce good, honest work for good, honest clients. We’ll never charge our clients for something we think they don’t need and as a small independent studio, we don’t have the big agency bureaucracy or overheads, meaning your money is spent on what really matters: creating great work.

‘If you’re gonna do it, do it right, right’

“…helps brands and businesses reach the people that matter most to them.”

Because we tailor-make our sites and brands from scratch rather than using off-the-peg templates, the foundations of our work are grounded in research and every design and UX decision is able to be made with the target customer in mind. Establishing a strong and meaningful connection with your audience is crucial for developing emotional buy-in; they need to care about who you are and resonate with your proposition (whatever it may be).

With the total saturation of the no-code industry, it’s becoming all too easy for brands and businesses to drag-and-drop a few images and lines of text into an online creation tool and it to spit out a ‘fully-fledged’ website at the other end. However, whilst it may be simple, more often than not, the end products wind up looking relatively similar.

It begs the question, what is the motive behind all of this?

There is a finite limit on what can be done with tools like Wix and Squarespace (there’s only so many ways you can rearrange the drag-and-drop blocks they give you!) and so, if you’re looking to generate some of that authentic user interaction magic and build brand trust, you need complete control over how your online presence looks and functions. You need to know that it’s having the desired effect with your audience and working away for you in the background; it’s a business tool after all, not a vanity project, and so needs to be treated as such. If, for some reason, you’re not looking for those things, however, then perhaps you need to ask yourself whether you need a website at all?

Consumer buy-in is not bought, it must be earned, which is why we endeavour to create bespoke solutions with broad appeal that help consumers see your brand the way you do.

The time has come

Well, gang, it’s been fun, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Hopefully, this has given you a little insight into the things that we make and the reasons we make them and left you with a little hope that is still good being done in the world!

If you like the sound of us or want to know more, feel free to come and say hey in all the usual places 👇

• Instagram: @madebysilkstudio

• Twitter: @madebysilkstudio

• Dribbble: @madebysilkstudio

• Behance: @madebysilkstudio