Sparks Studio

Vacancy – Digital Designer

Love to design and create for distinctive brands, producing websites, campaigns and online interactions? Been doing this for at least two years? Then read on.

Running to stand still?

Many companies are holding fire on their brand strategies and chasing quick sales this year. But are they risking their long–term growth prospects by taking their eye off the brand?

The Myth of Certainty

As we endure another year of upheaval, world events continue to tear up some of our best–laid plans, many are searching for clarity about the future.

Celebrate, refresh, renew

Celebrate your rich heritage to restore relevance and strengthen your future.

Branding for family business

Some companies use their status as a family business as part of their brand, while others choose not to. What are the advantages of a family business brand? And is it something you should consider given the events of 2020?

Pause then swing

Tactical brand assets – like a new website or marketing campaign – might feel like your most pressing demand. But it pays to get your brand right before you start.

A time to refocus?

This pandemic is a tough time for almost everyone. But the lockdown also creates space for some businesses to review and refocus their brands.

The Arts and Craft Movement

The past is not dead – how history can inspire your brand

Name it, nail it

Today, we’re used to seeing unusual brand names. Google, Velcro and Xerox have become part of our vernacular. So if you’re choosing a name for your brand or business, does this mean anything goes? How will you know you’re making the right choice?

Interview – Iress

Iress is an Australian technology company that supplies software to the financial services industry in the UK, APAC, North America and South Africa. It has 1,950 staff, and works with 9000 businesses and 500,000 users. As a software provider it is by nature in the background, and after nearly three decades in business it could easily be taken for granted. We spoke to Matthew Holland, head of corporate marketing, about why they refreshed and refocused their brand.

Assumption: the fast track to irrelevance

Are you assuming too much about what your clients value about you?

Why Family Values Matter

Episode 6 with Simon Lawson.

The surprising value of complexity

Complexity is often viewed as a negative – but it can be a great opportunity for your brand.

Kubrick – Inspiration from the master filmmaker

Lessons on craft from the Design Museum’s Stanley Kubrick Exhibition

The nemesis of rebrands: Fear of change

Fear of change is understandable for various reasons. But it has to be overcome for your brand to stay relevant. Especially in organisations that have been around for a while.

Simplicity that strengthens

You want to influence a customer to buy, a colleague to act, or a supporter to donate. And so, it seems, does the rest of the world.

Increasing trust in financial services

Over the last five years, trust in financial services has increased steadily. But in 2018, as the annual Edelman Trust Barometer shows, that rise stalled. In some markets, there’s even a decline.

What’s a picture worth?

Emojis. Instagram. Snapchat. Communicating with images has never been easier or more popular.

One distinctive thing

“Ads, instructions, industrial design—they all work better when they try to say one thing at a time.”

Interview – Brothers We Stand

We talked to Jonathan about why his ethical menswear brand is different, how he’s winning followers, and the importance of telling stories to stay relevant in a fast–changing market.

Branding – worth the investment?

It’s about defining who you are and who you want to be. It’s also about encouraging people to buy into what you’re offering.

Two years and counting

What I’m learning about branding.

Breathing colour into brands

Hella Jongerius’s exhibition Breathing Colour, at the Design Museum in Kensington, gave us pause for thought.

Internships at Sparks

Are you a recent design graduate with a strong interest in web or editorial design? We’re offering paid placements.

Write well at work

At Sparks, we’ve developed a workshop to help people write well at work. Here’s why – perceptions, impact, and productivity.

What next for flexible brand identities?

Google’s new logo has been causing a stir among design and branding writers. Instead of analysing the aesthetics, we ask, what does Google’s new look mean for the future of flexible brand identity?

Brand authenticity – does your promise match your purpose?

To stand out, more and more brands are clamouring to uncover and shout about their brand purpose – the reason they exist beyond making money.

How to write a better website

When someone lands on your website, you have about 10 seconds to engage them. What do you want them to see? And how will you get them to stay?

How to improve your rankings on Google

Improving your website’s search engine rankings can feel like an impossible maths problem. But what if it was more like choosing a birthday present for a friend? A challenge, but also fun.

Award winning designs?

Last week the Sparks team went round the corner to see D&AD’s design awards showcase.

How’s the UK economy feeling?

Distilling complex information down into a manageable, understandable format isn’t easy.

Does your website pass this test?

On 21st April 2015, Google changed its mobile search algorithm. This means websites that don’t fit with Google’s ‘mobile–friendly’ criteria will be bumped down the search results by those that do.

Think Different? Or Just Do it?

Everyone agrees that organisations need to be flexible – to spot opportunities, solve problems and adapt to change.

When the Wheels Come Off

Imagine your brand was hit by a sudden PR crisis, something that could derail the whole business. How would you respond? Would you risk it all on a rebrand?

Listen, Talk, Listen.

It’s easy to overthink online activity, and waste time chasing the search engines, or sinking resources into ignored social media streams.

Got time for a story?

The internet’s doing a new thing, and for a change, it doesn’t involve nudity, cats, or falling over. For perhaps the first time, we’re seeing genuinely multimedia long–form storytelling. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll want to tell your stories in a similar style.

Are tablets the future?

It used to be taken for granted that charity communications meant print, but the digital revolution has blown the definition wide open. In this brave new world of interactive, personalised digital comms, charities need to adapt to survive.

What can charities learn from the peer–to–peer revolution?

The growth of peer–to–peer websites is changing the way people engage with businesses and institutions. For charities, this is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Some advice for emerging designers

Here are four tips for second and third year design students thinking about building their portfolios.

Is it time to refocus?

This pandemic is a tough time for almost everyone. But the lockdown also creates space for some businesses to review and refocus their brands.