UK top 50 studios 2017

Earlier this year, Computer Arts magazine polled over 80 top creative directors, studio founders and design course leaders from across the UK to discover which industry peers they most revere and respect, to produce its annual UK Top 50 studio rankings.

Now in its fourth year, this list is all about peer reputation – regardless of the studios' number of staff, operating budget or awards won. In short, the 50 world-class studios on the list are there because their fellow designers think they should be.

We'll be releasing the full rankings over the coming weeks, but scroll down to see who snagged spots 31-50 in 2017. Or if you can't wait, get your hands on a print or digital version of Computer Arts magazine issue 272 now to see the whole list.

As well as revealing all the winners, this special issue comes with an incredible, collectable glow-in-the-dark cover, designed exclusively by Studio Sutherl&. See how it was printed in the video above.

Buy your collectable Computer Arts #272 now

Read on to discover who made the cut in the UK’s Top 50 studios 2017, and stay tuned to find out which tiny studio rocketed to the top spot after an incredible year.

31. Nomad Studio

Founded: 2016
Location: London
Number of staff: 6

“Last year it was really all about survival,” contemplates Stuart Watson, partner and creative director of Nomad Studio. “This year it’s going to be all about the work: launching Sky Sports in partnership with Sky Creative. It was a pretty tough ask for a small studio, but we’ve made it work and we’re really proud of the team.”

32. Zak Group

Founded: 2005
Location: London
Number of staff: 8

“2017 has all been about us expanding our work in the digital field,” says Zak Group director, Zak Kyes. “Right now, we’re in the process of developing a flagship digital platform for M+, the museum of visual culture in Hong Kong, as well as the website for the renowned German art school, Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main.”

33. NB Studio

Founded: 1997
Location: London
Number of staff: 10

Nick Finney, co-founder and creative director of NB Studio, sees the last 12 months as a mixed bag: “Battles were won, lost and drawn,” he says. “Talented people left and talented people joined. Clients were wowed and records were beaten.” And the biggest highlight? “Virtual reality landed in the studio and it’s an exciting project,” he enthuses.

34. Studio Makgill

Founded: 2007
Location: Brighton
Number of staff: 5

“During 2017, it’s felt like we’ve had to hold on really tight at times, but as long as you enjoy the moments of calm, all is okay,” says Hamish Makgill, creative director and founder of this Brighton-based agency. “The biggest highlight of the year was two massive projects landing in the studio on the same day.”

35. Design Bridge

Founded: 1986
Location: London (plus Amsterdam, Singapore, New York)
Number of staff: 400

“Our new global brand identity for Hellmann’s launched in March this year, and we’re now seeing it applied to all brand communications and touchpoints,” says Design Bridge’s group brand guardian Birgitte Woehlk. Also this year, CCO Graham Shearsby has been appointed as a D&AD trustee, and the agency has been acquired by WPP.

36. B&B Studio

Founded: 2009
Location: London
Number of staff: 24

“2017 has felt like a year when we’ve been attracting the right sort of clients,” reflects B&B creative partner Shaun Bowen. “Brands that aren’t afraid to be challenging, like BrewDog. Brands that are willing to be challenged like Higgidy and Firefly. Brands that are defined by their ethical purpose, like Snact and Kit & Kin.”

37. Commission Studio

Founded: 2013
Location: London
Number of staff: 6

“In 2017 we’ve worked with fashion brands like & Other Stories and Léon Bara, speciality coffee brands Volcano and Old Spike, luxury goods companies LVMH, Rimowa, and Moët Hennessy,” says co-founder and creative director Christopher Moorby. “Working across lots of industries keeps things interesting and we also often get to cross-pollinate.”

38. Rose Design

Founded: 1999
Location: London
Number of staff: 8

“Despite the political climate, we’ve had an exciting, challenging, yet ultimately rewarding year,” says Simon Elliott, owner and creative partner at Rose Design. Highlights have included launching its long-awaited new website, and publication design work for the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

39. Moth

Founded: 2015
Location: London
Number of staff: 7

“This year has been a landmark for Moth, says producer Ifor Ashton. “We recently made a big shift from being a collective to a full-time production studio, and that really came to fruition in 2017. We were also lucky to spend a lot of time in New York earlier and work directly with Facebook on a big rebrand.”

40. Here Design

Founded: 2006
Location: London
Number of staff: 31

“The projects that stand out in 2017 are those unexpected enquiries,” says creative partner at Here Design, Caz Hildebrand. “A kombucha brewery in Suffolk, barista training for young offenders, a book on the joys of punctuation. Going into 2018, we’re planning to redesign our own company structure, to better reflect all the diverse things we work on.”

Next page: Top UK studios 2017 numbers 41-50

41. Moving Brands

Founded: 1998
Location: London (plus Zurich, San Francisco, New York)
Number of staff: 64

“We’re working in a whirlwind of huge technological leaps and cultural shifts,” says John Faye, UK/EU marketing manager at Moving Brands. “In 2017, we’ve been partnering with some incredible leaders, entrepreneurs and organisations, such as IBM i. And we’ve taken time to boost learning and empower teams.”

42. Supple Studio

Founded: 2013
Location: Bath
Number of staff: 4

“This year has seen Supple Studio pass a number of milestones, says creative director Jamie Ellul. “May gave us our first D&AD Pencil. In July, we moved to a beautiful, three-floor studio. And designing the products and collectibles for the Royal Mail’s David Bowie stamp issue was a dream come true.”

43. John Morgan Studio

Founded: 2000
Location: London
Number of staff: 3

The scope and reach of John Morgan Studio extended further in 2017, as its titular founder began a professorship at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. The year’s biggest highlight was the launch of Four Corners Irregulars, a new series of books about modern British visual history, while 2018 will see the studio launch a new type foundry.

44. Love Creative

Founded: 2001
Location: Manchester
Number of staff: 52

“In the last 12 months we’ve seen our brand and packaging reset for
Häagen-Dazs go live, as well as our latest packaging work for Haig Club, known as The Clubman,” says executive creative director David Palmer. “We’ve also expanded the business onto two floors and picked up a whole bunch of awards.”

45. Pearlfisher

Founded: 1992
Location: London (plus New York, Copenhagen, San Francisco)
Number of staff: 120

“In 2017, we’re celebrating one of the best financial performances of recent years,” says founding partner and CEO of Pearlfisher, Jonathan Ford. “Highlights included rebrands of iconic tea and coffee brand Taylors of Harrogate, audio lifestyle brand B&O Play and art product brand Reeves – its first major rebrand in 250 years.”

46. SB Studio

Founded: 2009
Location: Liverpool and London
Number of staff: 9

“The past year’s flown by,” says Benji Holroyd, creative director at SB Studio. “Our highlight has been the full renaming and rebrand of Innovators Hub, now affectionately known as OH. The first product of our design sprint process, all in one week. Fast, relevant, no BS and a beautiful result.”

47. Julia

Founded: 2008
Location: London (and Rome)
Number of staff: 3

Julia is a small London studio making its first appearance on our list this year. “We’ve been working with well-regarded institutions, that’s probably increased our exposure a bit,” reasons co-founder Hugo Timm. The studio has also just opened an office in Rome and plans to do the same in Paris in 2018, the year of its 10th anniversary.

48. Magpie

Founded: 2008
Location: London
Number of staff: 10

“Demand’s been high for Magpie’s services in 2017,” says co-founder David Azurdia. “Having worked so hard to keep the quality of our work so high, it’s really nice to feel as though people value it.” And he’s optimistic about 2018, despite Brexit. “As bleak as it’s all looking, we’re creative thinkers: we adapt and survive.”

49. GBH

Founded: 1999
Location: London
Number of staff: 25

GBH co-founder Peter Hale cites two big highlights for the agency in 2017. “Firstly launching the GBH book, Charm, Belligerence and Diversity, celebrating almost 20 years of working together,” he says. “Secondly, working with Vincross, a fanatical team of Chinese entrepreneurs and developers in Beijing on a robotics project called HEXA.

50. Together Design

Founded: 2003
Location: London
Number of staff: 18

The last 12 months have been a period of consolidation at Together, says brand planner Robin Kadrnka. “We won a number of design awards for different clients, and we were excited to maintain the variety of projects that we enjoy so much, including London’s Eat 17 store and restaurant chain.”

Related articles: