Field notes
Blog
Dispatches on craft, tools, and doing thoughtful work in public.
- May 5, 20261 min readTeam notes
Demo Studio turns five this month
In May 2020, during a lockdown, we incorporated. Five years later the studio has worked with 60+ clients across twelve countries. Some honest reflections.
Read post - May 3, 20261 min readCase studies
How Northcrest Coffee grew wholesale accounts by 40%
Northcrest came to us looking like every other third-wave café. Twelve weeks later, wholesale enquiries were up 40%. Here's what changed.
Read post - Apr 30, 20261 min readHot takes
Why most agency websites are embarrassingly bad
The cobbler's children have no shoes. Most agency websites are a lesson in everything you shouldn't do for a client. Here's what's wrong and why it happens.
Read post - Apr 26, 20261 min readCase studies
Rebranding Glide Realty: from generic to trusted local expert
Glide had been publishing for two years but nothing they published connected to why a buyer should choose them. We fixed the strategy before touching the visuals.
Read post - Apr 21, 20261 min readInsights
The three metrics every retainer should track
Most agencies track hours and deliverables. The clients who keep retainers running for years are the ones who see a different number every month.
Read post - Apr 19, 20261 min readCase studies
Folium Books' six-month content sprint
An independent publisher with a great backlist and no digital presence. We built their content engine from scratch, including a newsletter that now drives 30% of direct sales.
Read post - Apr 12, 20261 min readCase studies
Ridgeline Outdoor's brand relaunch
An outdoor gear company that had outgrown its early-days brand. The studio sprint delivered a full visual system and a web redesign that launched four months later.
Read post - Apr 9, 20261 min readHot takes
Stop pitching deck-first
A 40-slide presentation before you understand the client's problem is a waste of everyone's time. The studios winning the work they want have a different opening move.
Read post - Apr 4, 20261 min readCase studies
Building Mosaic Health's thought leadership content engine
A digital health startup that needed to be taken seriously by enterprise buyers. We built the content programme that moved them from unknown to credible in twelve months.
Read post - Mar 30, 20261 min readInsights
Pricing your studio: a calm guide
Most independent studios either undercharge until they burn out or over-engineer their pricing into a spreadsheet nobody understands. There's a simpler path.
Read post - Mar 26, 20261 min readCase studies
Quayside Records: content strategy for an independent label
An independent music label that wanted to grow its artist roster by being the label artists actually wanted to sign with. We built the brand to make that case.
Read post - Mar 21, 20261 min readTeam notes
We said no to a £80k project. Here's why.
The client was well-funded, the brief was clear, and the money would have solved a real problem. We still said no — and it was the right call.
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