20 creative studios to check out in Manchester
Deciding on which part of the industry you’d like to work in is one thing, but knowing where to find relevant and inspiring workplaces is another. And with so many creative companies across the UK, expanding your knowledge of who’s out there can certainly give you a leg up. So every few weeks, we’ll be helping you discover new studios, agencies and more by highlighting a range of them up and down the British isles. This week, we’re heading up to the Northern powerhouse, Manchester!
Named as the UK’s leading tech city outside of London and home to world-renowned businesses such as clothing brand Missguided, the UK headquarters of Adidas and the BBC, Manchester has long been lauded as a hub for the creative industries.
The city provides its thriving businesses with a substantial amount of fresh talent each year, producing around 36,000 graduates annually. More than 100,000 students call the city home, with almost 25% of them enrolled in creative, digital and technology courses.
The continuous growth of businesses – not to mention the amount of creative talent settling in the region – makes the city an undoubtably fantastic place for opportunities in the sector. Here, we’re highlighting 20 creative studios you should check out – from branding and design, to publishing, motion and creative coding. Scroll down to explore them all!
Reed Words
Specialism: Verbal Branding, Copywriting
Company Size: 1-20
Agency Reed Words aims to make brands and businesses stronger through language, using words, verbal branding and copywriting. Working on everything from verbal identity, advertising campaigns and UX writing for digital products, packaging, films and books, the agency’s roster of clients include Google, Sony, Meta and Tesco.
F37® Foundry and Studio
Specialism: Typography, Branding, Creative Coding, Publishing
Company Size: 2-10
F37® is a type foundry and design studio specialising in typography, branding, creative coding and publishing. Offering a full suite of graphic design services – from bespoke font creation, branding and art direction, to packaging and moving image – the studio’s clients include Nike, Channel 4 and MoMA.
Music
Specialism: Branding
Company Size: 11-50
Music is a studio specialising in branding. Believing that brand design can be as impactful as music, its clients range from tech start-ups and global football groups to cancer charities and fashion weeks, and has included the NHS, Universal Music and the Brit Awards.
Instruct Studio
Specialism: Multi-disciplinary Communications
Company Size: 2-10
Co-founder of the Design Manchester festival, Instruct is a multidisciplinary communications studio working within the architectural, media and cultural sectors. Home to a team of thinkers, strategists, creatives and project managers, the studio offers services such as brand strategy, visual identity, moving image, exhibitions and metaverse design. Clients include Adidas, the BBC and the Manchester Art Gallery.
Only
Specialism: Branding
Company Size: 2-10
Believing in the transformative power of simplicity, Only is a branding agency whose goal is clear purpose and communication. The agency’s clients include The British Academy, Sony Music, performance venue Roundhouse and Goldsmiths, University of London.
Edit
Specialism: Design, Communications
Company Size: 2-10
Studio Edit aims to help arts, culture and knowledge-based organisations attract, engage, educate and inspire. Offering services such as marketing, branding, brand identity, and campaigns, clients include the Barbican, the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery.
Bert
Specialism: Branding
Company Size: 11-50
Branding agency Bert specialises in the creation of new brands, as well as evolving existing brands and creating brand campaigns and collateral. Their work includes identity for basketball team Manchester Giants, motion for Adidas and digital for BBC Open Games.
Partisan
Specialism: Design
Company Size: 2-10
Design studio Partisan works with clients on brand growth and development, using branding principles to help its clients uncover, clarify and accomplish their goals. Clients include arts festival Salford Council, Greater Manchester business area St Petersfield and JDA Architects.
Boardwalk Studio
Specialism: Motion
Company Size: 11-50
Boardwalk Studio is a multidisciplinary motion studio working with brands, agencies and corporate clients to create commercials, brand films and event content. Their clients include Adidas, Dr Martens and Smirnoff.
Blush
Specialism: Design
Company Size: 2-10
Creating solutions for branding, editorial, print and digital, Blush is a design agency that offers services ranging from brand identity and naming, advertising, illustration and events. Clients include Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, mental health charity Mind and the European Environmental Bureau.
Dinosaur
Specialism: Brand communications
Company Size: 11-50
Dinosaur is a brand communications and creative agency seeking to communicate through insight, strategy and creativity. Their team works on strategic planning, creative, account services, digital and social, to offer brand strategy and development, integrated advertising, social media and online performance services. Clients include Reebok, Wagamama and Selfridges.
Creative Spark
Specialism: Digital, Brand, Advertising, Strategy, Film
Company Size: 11-50
Working with clients ranging from start-ups through to global organisations, Creative Spark is an independent agency whose aim is to deliver brand experiences to drive engagement in digital, brand, advertising, strategy and film. Clients include New Balance, Manchester City Football Club and Universal Music.
Flow Creative
Specialism: Branding, Content Creation
Company Size: 2-10
Flow Creative is a brand communications agency using strategic insight combined with design and animation to create work including global brand campaigns and animated explainer videos to social-first video content. The agency has worked with clients such as BBC Creative, Arts Council England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Love
Specialism: Design
Company Size: 51-200
Love is a creative agency specialising in delivering design-led solutions for global brands across brand strategy and design, identity design, packaging design, spaces, comms, immersive and activations. Clients include KitKat, Vogue and Häagen-Dazs.
Mainframe
Specialism: Motion Design, Animation
Company Size: 11-50
Mainframe is a creative production studio specialising in motion design and animation. Partnering with agencies and directly with clients’ creative teams, the studio seeks to adapt its process to each project’s and client’s needs. They’ve worked with the Association of Illustrators, ITV and Google.
Ensemble
Specialism: Brand Strategy, Brand Design
Company Size: 2-10
Ensemble is an independent brand strategy and design studio that seeks to develop brands’ character by uncovering their reason for being and giving them a meaningful personality. Clients include Boeing, 6/Cut Pizza and Mute Records.
True North
Specialism: Strategy, Design
Company Size: 11-50
True North is an independent brand and design consultancy that believes in the strategic use of design to create more effective organisations. Clients include the British Council, Tate art gallery and Sports England.
Alphabet
Specialism: Branding
Company Size: 2-10
Alphabet is a branding agency offering services including strategy, visual identity, UX and UI design, environment branding and brand guardianship. Their clients include Nike, hair wellness brand Fable & Mane and Football Beyond Borders.
Studio eNaR
Specialism: Branding, Graphic Design
Company Size: 2-10
Studio eNaR is a branding and graphic design studio that creates visual identities for brands and organisations in sectors spanning property, tech, hospitality and retail. Clients include real estate developer Bywater Properties, natural wine store and bar Kerb Wine and architectural practice Tim Groom Architects.
Modern Designers
Specialism: Design
Company Size: 2-10
Modern Designers is a creative agency working with the belief that good design can impact people’s thoughts, beliefs and behaviour. Their roster of clients include Manchester Art Gallery, the British Council and business center Arbeta.
To browse more creative companies across the UK, click on the button below to explore our Company Listings page, a growing directory of creative companies across the UK.