Who else is out there – how good are they?

When researching into my existing competitors in the design industry I chose two and analysed their strengths and weaknesses using the SWOT analysis.

The first design agency that I looked at was a local business in Leeds known as Studio Belly Timber Design. I was immediately impressed with their approach on the website and how professional they came across, but not in a dull way. Their strengths included a simple, fresh layout on the website's homepage which was easy to navigate and wasn't overloaded with text and options. They are a design team of just two designers, each with over a decade of experience which makes them feel personal but very capable. The casual but professional language used, especially in the About section helps them come across to potential clients as friendly and approachable, ie. 'Oh, and did we mention we LOVE what we do?!' Their clients are mainly yorkshire based but are vastly different; from Save a Life Give Blood campaign and NHS to Leeds City Council, and etc magazine. The agency also offer a full printing service to ensure 'care of your print from the creation of artwork to delivery at your door.'

Their weaknesses are few and far between but what I did notice was the lack of a clear 'portfolio' titled section. There are images categorised into projects of their recent work but it would be nice to see a collection all at once, as its time consuming flicking through the list. They also keep their business local and haven't seemed to venture onto a national or even international scale. Whether this is through their choice or not, I think a wider client base looks stronger when a potential client is browsing the website. The 'About' section, however friendly, was quite short and there's no imagery of their studio and the environment they work in to get a feel for what they are saying.

The second design agency I came across was Pure. I was immediately disappointed with the website that is all that represents them initially to a potential client. Their homepage is difficult to read as the introduction text is far too small and there are two option links; one which is 'contact' (something very valuable to a potential client) are written in white text on a pale blue blackground - very illegible and nearly missable. The portfolio sections are split up into three areas which may look organised aesthetically but each project is only shown by a small image icon so again, like Studio Belly Timber Design it's a time consuming way of searching through their work. Another big downfall is that there is no 'About Us' section in detail - all the viewer has to go by is the opening paragraph which keeps everything fairly brief and I am left unsure of how big the company is and how many years of experience they have etc.

However with all that being said, aesthetically it is a contemporary, organised layout - very minimalistic. The introduction explains how their work is on an international scale 'serving clients in Lancashire, Merseyside, Manchester, the UK and overseas.' They also show their diversity from design for print, to 3D work and digital interactive web design.

Their strengths are what I need to compete with, but their weaknesses are my opportunities to recognise where they've gone wrong, if they have, and correct it, if I can. For example where Studio belly timber design show their weakness in an easy to view portfolio means that I can simply ensure that my website will display cleverly selected work all together found simply under the title 'portfolio'. I will also attempt to branch out further onto a national scale for a variety of clients and a stronger client list. And in the case of Pure, I will always make my website legible, simple and inviting but ensure I have enough detail describing who I am and what I can offer so the potential client is left with no questions to ask and a happy service.