ARCHIVE

Author: Pelling

Agency life

A fresh look for Design by Pelling

February 2026
Go Back

After months of planning, designing, refining and testing, we are excited to finally welcome you to the new Design by Pelling website.

Like many of our clients, we reached a point where our own brand needed to evolve. Not because the foundations had changed, but because who we are today, how we work, and what our clients need from us has grown over time. This new site reflects that progress.

A natural evolution

Our previous website served us well for many years. It showcased our work, told our story, and helped businesses understand what we do. As digital expectations continue to change, we felt it was the right time to rethink how we present ourselves online.

Design should never stand still. The same thinking we apply to our clients’ brands applies to our own. Review, refine, improve, repeat.

This new site is more than a visual update. It is a clearer expression of our approach, our thinking, and the way we now work with businesses.

A refreshed brand direction

Alongside the new website comes an evolution of our brand.

Over the years, Pelling has grown from a design studio into a creative partner supporting businesses with branding, websites and ongoing digital development. Our updated identity reflects that growth. It is more confident, more focused, and intentionally simple.

You will notice a cleaner visual style, more considered typography, and a stronger emphasis on content and storytelling. Every decision was made to improve clarity and communication.

Branding is not only about appearance. It is about how a business is understood, how consistent it feels, and how easily people connect with it.

Designed around experience

A key goal for the new site was usability.

We wanted visitors to quickly understand what we do, how we work, and how we can help without unnecessary complexity. Navigation has been simplified, content rewritten, and our work given more space to explain both the outcome and the process behind it.

Whether you are exploring branding, web development or marketing support, the experience is designed to feel straightforward and informative. It reflects the way we guide clients through projects day to day.

The result is a faster, clearer website that better represents how we work as an agency.

Showcasing the work and the thinking

Our work has always been central to what we do, but the new platform allows us to share more context around each project.

Good design is rarely just visual. Behind every brand or website sits research, strategy and collaboration. The updated case studies focus on that journey, showing not only what was created but why it works.

By sharing more of the thinking behind our projects, we hope businesses gain a better understanding of the value strategic design brings to long term growth.

Built for what comes next

Launching a new website is not an endpoint. It gives us a stronger foundation for what comes next.

The new platform allows us to share more insights, ideas and updates moving forward. Our Insights section will continue to explore branding, digital trends, creative thinking and the challenges businesses face as expectations evolve.

As technology changes, our focus remains the same. Helping brands stay clear, relevant and ready for the future.

Thank you

To our clients, partners and collaborators, thank you. Many of the ideas behind this new site have been shaped through the projects we have worked on together and the trust you have placed in us over the years.

If you have not yet explored the new site, we would love you to take a look around.

And if the new direction inspires you to rethink your own brand or digital presence, let’s start a conversation.

Got a project in mind? we’d love to hear from you

Let's chat
Graphic Design

How Important is Good Graphic Design
to Your Business?

February 2026
Go Back

Many boardrooms have traditionally struggled to see the value and ROI of graphic design in their business. The arrival of the visual web changed all that. When the Design Council studied 63 portfolios on the FTSE for a decade, they discovered that companies with a design focus outperformed the FTSE 100 index by an incredible 200%.

News that good graphic design delivers a positive impact on business performance will be of little surprise to those within the industry. Deep down from our browsing habits, we know that we don’t spend much time on reading content on poorly designed websites and in many cases, we have built up a distrust of them too.

Unique by design

Since the dawn of time, every business owner has understood the importance of making a powerful first impression. In our analogue days, this began with local visitors via a business card, flyer, product packaging or a visit to the reception area of a company. The quality of your graphic design will now impact the performance of your website and social media posts in front of a global audience.

When online, we are all bombarded by content that rapidly turns into white noise. Once again, its graphic design that causes us to stop endlessly scrolling down our newsfeeds and timelines. The key to capturing the attention of digital-savvy audiences and influencing their decisions is largely dependent on your brand’s ability to stand out from the crowd.

Designing for trust

Presentation and perception will play a massive role in your customer’s decision-making process. Unique design and unified branding across all channels will also help you build trust with your audience. At a time where everyone struggles to read all of their emails and download PDF files, many are turning to design to create infographics that prove that a digital image can be worth 1,000 words too.

The Nielsen Norman Group famously coined the term, the Aesthetic-Usability effect, to highlight the impact of graphic design on audiences. If your website looks great and delivers a superior digital user experience, it will instantly stand out against the clunky, outdated designs of your competitor.

Apple has built its entire business by delivering products that not only look great but “just work.” A combination of stunning visual design and ease of use will organically create a positive emotional response that helps build valuable relationships with your customers.

The business value of graphic design

Graphic design isn’t just about making things aesthetically pleasing. In a digital-centric market, the ultimate goal is to convert your visitors into customers. Rather than trying to secure quick wins, design helps businesses achieve more significant rewards by playing the long game.

Initially, graphic design can play an essential role in increasing brand perception and awareness. Although visual design famously captures the attention of visitors and creates good first impressions, it will also guide users throughout the sales process and will eventually encourage greater customer loyalty.

Many believe that the answer to almost any problem they encounter can be solved by Googling it. Turning to online research before making any purchasing decisions is presenting a fantastic opportunity to secure your ideal customers. The bad news is that most consumers will decide if a business is authentic, trustworthy and can help them within 50 milliseconds (ms) or, in some cases, only 17ms of arriving on a website.

We are only just beginning to understand how the habits of digital audiences are impacting the world of business. But graphic design is playing a crucial role in increasing visibility and profitability for brands across every industry.

Communications by design

Graphic design is undoubtedly a form of visual communication that helps businesses and brands of all sizes connect with their target audience. But our online interactions are built on dialogue, not a monologue. It’s not all about selling products and services.

Visual design can help you deliver your key message and deliver value to the online community. In a digital world, it is time to think beyond logos and website design. Your company’s entire brand value will begin with a memorable first impression and continue to build trust with your target audience throughout every step of the customer journey.

Whether it’s in print or online, there is an increasing importance being placed on great graphic design. As we prepare for life in a new decade of digital opportunities, every business will continue to repackage their ideas and critical message into a design that will capture the attention of decision-makers in your industry.

If you are curious about what you need to do to take the first step towards outperforming your competitors by leveraging the power of graphic design, please visit our contact page or give us a call at 01252 341 730.

Got a project in mind? we’d love to hear from you

Let's chat
AI

How AI Will Impact Graphic Design

February 2026
Go Back

Artificial intelligence (AI) initially arrived with a somewhat negative narrative. After binge viewing one too many sci-fi boxsets, many believed that job-killing machines were about to make their human masters redundant and lead us towards a dystopian future where the robots rule the earth.

Many of these fears and anxiety were textbook examples of the Kubler-Ross change curve. But the reality is that we are all entering a period of exponential change. AI is already beginning to outgrow its tech buzzword status and is stepping up to provide businesses with the tangible results they have been searching for.

However, creative professionals do not need to worry about looking over their shoulders nervously at how AI capabilities will take away their jobs. AI looks set to enhance human creativity rather than replace it. Increased innovation, productivity, and employment opportunities are much more likely as widespread technological change looks set to disrupt multiple industries.

Ironically technologies such as AI will speed up or automate the mind-numbing and repetitive tasks that designers despise. Businesses are increasingly chasing the dream of real-time personalization to meet the rising expectations of the customers. But, creatives do not have the luxury of time to any more plates, and something needs to change to achieve these new objectives.

AI is naturally suited to the role of a creative assistant that eases the load by removing the tedious work that designers endure each day. By automating the boring stuff, it is hoped it will free up more time to be genuinely creative again. Agencies that leverage these latest technologies will also enable their clients to lead the way in their industry too by providing unique experiences to their customers.

The State of Creativity in Business

According to Adobe’s state of creativity in business survey, 69 percent of creatives believe that automation technologies like AI and machine learning will dramatically increase over the next five years. With 60 percent creating more content year on year and 38 percent getting bogged down with obtaining approvals than three to five years ago, there is an increasing demand for streamlined processes to boost the productivity of time-strapped teams.

We are also witnessing new tools such as using eye-tracking technology to improve the marketing and design elements of websites. By tracking visitors’ eyes on a website in a test environment, it becomes much easier to evaluate the usability of a website. But companies like EyeQuant are taking it a step further by also training AI to predict what kind of ads or content catch people’s eyes with 85% accuracy.

How Netflix Manages Two Million Images

Netflix is often an overused example of how we can access content seamlessly across a myriad of devices. It also uses technology to suggest titles that we might enjoy based around our viewing habits. But, have you ever stopped to think about the two million images that play a very prominent role in helping you choose your next binge-worthy boxset?

The video streaming behemoth is already leveraging augmented intelligence systems to translate artwork personalization and localization of show banners automatically. The design process is much more efficient for designers who can check images and approve or reject where manually adjust where necessary which results in a massive time-saver and enables them to complete projects much quicker.

These are just a few examples of how technologies such as AI are elevating creativity shifting human innovation into overdrive. There is increasing evidence to suggest that there is no battle between humans and machines because the reality is they both work better when they team up together.

The Future of Graphic Design That Benefits Everyone

The future of graphic design will involve designers working alongside smart systems. A form of hybrid decision-making that leverages the strengths of both humans and machines will ensure that graphic design will deliver unprecedented results through technological amplification.

Rather than continuing with the struggle of too many deadlines and demands, early adopting agencies will turn to technologies such as AI to take the strain. As a result, they will be able to increase their productivity and still invest time in exploring creativity and reflect on what does and what doesn’t work.

As for designers, they are traditionally curious by nature and have an insatiable desire to try new tools, technologies, and methods. This is how they ensure their creativity evolves with the needs and requirements of their clients.

However, the biggest winner of all are businesses that turn to digital agencies to stand out from the crowd. Clients will gain access to the best of both worlds with designers who have both the creative flair and the technology to bring their vision to life.

Innovative design agencies that embrace these emerging technologies will deliver greater efficiency, innovation, and creativity. But, in the end, AI will transform the experience of everyone involved in the graphic design process.

Are there any aspects of AI and how it will impact the creative process that excites you? Whether you are a brand, individual or graphic designer, we would love to hear your thoughts, predictions, and insights.

Got a project in mind? we’d love to hear from you

Let's chat