Planning Unit

The close relationships they form mean that they and their clients are able to go back to each other, asking questions and for advice, and any problems or hurdles can be quickly resolved. Knowles adds: “There’s no formula – you couldn’t interchange our approaches for different projects and clients. They’re all different challenges.”

This adaptable way of working has brought them a wide range of clients, from the BBC to film festivals to mail-order gift companies. “One client, Xindao, I’ve been working with for six years,” explains Knowles. “They’re a Dutch company who specialise in promotional gifts. We do everything for them, from rebranding, to the catalogue design, art directing the trade show stands and their photoshoots.

“We fly to Shanghai regularly to come up with ideas. It’s a nice job to have because we can show the story right the way through – from the first little job we did for them, to the rebrand and the whole visual language.” Hard also stresses that the project took a lot of design skill. “It’s actually really hard to get all these products, from handbags to USB sticks, looking so amazing,” he tells us. “You can photograph a Rolex watch or some Prada shoes and it’ll be really easy to make them look beautiful. It’s a bit trickier when a brand doesn’t already have an established visual identity.”

But while their approach to the people management side of the business has largely carried over, they’ve found that their creative approach and design styles have opened up and evolved. “Whenever you’re working for a studio, even a small one, there’s a house style of sorts,” Hard muses. “It’s interesting that, now we’re working for ourselves, we’ve cleaned up a bit and become a bit more classic. Knowles agrees, saying: “Working for a studio, you’re always working for your boss as well as the client, so it must permeate your process. Now that bit’s been removed, and it does bring you some freedom.”

One project that exemplifies their move away from Research’s signature bold type and striking colour combinations is their work for Knoll furniture, one of the first projects they took on as a studio. The brand is close to Hard’s heart, because his family’s company used to import the furniture, and he grew up surrounded by its classic pieces.

“We’ve worked on about 20 small projects for them so far,” he explains. “In a way we gave them back what they’ve already got, keeping it simple and classic – we brought back their classic designs and repackaged them. Everyone else seemed to be over-complicating everything for them, and they loved what we did.”

The fact that they share the first client on their books with the studio from which they took their name makes a touching addition to the Planning Unit story, plus Hard’s prior knowledge of the brand certainly helped their design solutions.

Hard and Knowles are also relishing the opportunity to collaborate on projects that never would have come into their hands at the larger studios. “It’s like a new chapter, a real chance to try out new things,” reflects Knowles. “Like this Computer Arts Collection project – it was a completely open brief, which to be honest is every designer’s dream and worst nightmare combined!”

Hard adds: “It was really good to collaborate with iStock and work with great photography. You can never be the best at every aspect of design, so the opportunity to collaborate with others is a really rewarding one.”

So where do they plan to take the studio in the near future? “Working just the two of us, I’ve noticed how quick things have become – we can make decisions that we’re confident with really swiftly. But I doubt that will last, since we need to expand and get someone else on board,” confesses Hard.

“I think you have to decide, what do you want to be – a large company that does massive branding work? Or do you want to work on small, creative projects too?” he concludes. “I think it’s a really fine line to tread, and something that you just have to work out as you go along.”