“We start our Visions of Britain 2020 series by looking at work and employment in 2020.
We reveal how we think the workplace will look like a decade from now, and cast light on the impact
on both the job market and the 2020 worker.”

http://www.visionsofbritain2020.co.uk/

Background
Established Commercial Photographers in Leeds with varied client base.

Problem
Powerhouse was sometimes seen as just another commercial photographer in Yorkshire, abeit one of high standards and with some impressive names in their client base. After 10 years in the business with extensive food, and creative expertise, they were never seen as specialist suppliers of those photography styles (which of course they were). What needed to be done was to establish powerhouse as experts in their fields without alienating existing clients.

Process
Initially we looked at existing designs for the logo, what we wanted to keep, and what we wanted to lose. We needed a logo that would work with all areas of the business. How the logo would work with other elements of Graphic Design, eg a Poster, Flyer or a Brochure, but mainly the Web where Powehouse do most of their marketing.

We looked at Powerhouse strengths, and really focused on them. They were creative photography, Food photography, Pack shot photography, and Interactive photography. We then built a structure for the brand, separating each element of the business into its own distinctive area, a specialist website for each, so that someone wanting food photography wont be looking at pack shot photography.

The existing brand was tired and being treated as word rather than a brand, it changed from letterhead to business card to website, for that reason it was not a strong brand for their competative market. We needed to rebuild that brand as a strong signifier of quality.

After a the initial idea stage we took favoured routes to the development stage and worked it into onto the new business structure. Here we all felt that the structure of the business should be clear through the brand internally, and externally to the potential customer. Although it was necessary to explore a few different routes and ideas, we felt it important for everybody to be happy with the end result.

Solution

From Neil Adams of Powerhouse
Our new brand and website has received great feedback, and turn visitors into actual customers. We worked with Giles throughout the re-brand process, and are really delighted with the results.

The iStock style has become scorned upon, the illustration is safer than a nice rabbit, the photography in the main is bland. There may be a certain amount of risk taking/creativity, but the problem is these images just don’t sell as well, so soon no-one will produce it anymore. One photographer I know saves his best work for himself, and puts his ‘rubbish’ on iStock as it may bring in £15 every now and again.

iStock was a good resource for designers to get their hands on hi-res, reasonable quality imagery. But, like everything in this world, it has become easier for anyone to design, shoot, write and gain an audience – which is great, but conversely we have lost quality and, more importantly, we have lost creativity.

What’s next for iStock? Well, they are now moving into generic branding, where designers can supply generic logos for generic businesses around the globe. No real thought about what the logo needs to do, a simple ‘change the word to stick with an icon’. This will be fine for companies up to a certain level, but to be serious about your brand and making it work for you, you will still need expert skills and knowledge.

My advice? Fight the machine, or at least get the job done right.