The Best 30 UK Studios 2018

We polled over 60 top creative directors, studio founders and design course leaders from across the UK to find out which industry peers they most revere and respect, to produce our annual UK Studio Rankings. This is all about peer reputation regardless ofnumberof staff, operating budget or awards won. The 30 world-class studios on this list are there because their fellow designers think they should be.

As usual, weve provided some useful stats about the studios on the list, including size, location and their latest projects. So read on to discover the UKs Top 30 studios of 2018...

1 Studio Sutherl&

Studio Sutherl& is a bit of a big deal. Hitting the top spot two years in a row and voted the best studio in the UK by a panel of their peers, Sutherl& has found the perfect sweet spot. Comprised of founder Jim Sutherland and Rosey Trickett, the studio deals in elegant simplicity and is always confident, always effective and loved by clients and industry insiders alike. We spoke to Jim...

How does it feel to be voted number one again?

It’s quite incredible and humbling news to be in such celebrated company. The new studio has been such a joy to set up – and we’ve had great opportunities to work with some fabulous clients.

How do you stand out from the other studios?

I think you need to concentrate on the work in front of you and do the best you can with that. Everything else follows.

Are rankings like this important to you?

I think it’s great that it is a peers’ review. We do all work in independent bubbles – so outside recognition is lovely. Ultimately, rankings come and go, so we do just need to focus on the work itself.

What can you do as a team of two that massive studios cannot?

I think the world has changed – and a lot of great work comes out of the smaller studios now. The model of setting up bespoke, expert, creative teams, across disciplines for specific projects is the future, I think. Lots of smaller studios are springing up and the larger clients are going to them for their creativity. I think it’s really exciting time.

Highlights of 2018? So far?