Study Task 4

Who else is out there? How good are they?

Who am I competing against?

What do they offer?

What makes me better?

What makes me different?

To start this task I have identified three studios that will be my potential competition. I have found a template on google that I am going to use to do their SWOT analysis.

The first studio that I have found is Catalogue. They are a print based design studio located in Leeds made up of two designers. The two designers that make up Catalogue are graduates from the same course that I am studying now, which I have earlier identified in a previous task. Me and my enterprise group visited Catalogue together for research and their studio is very similar to what I want to be doing when I graduate.

Strengths

• Leeds based, which has a great creative scene meaning lots of contacts.
• Graduated from Leeds College of Art, which means they had three years to build up a client base before going into industry.
• Unique selling point- They have their own screen printing equipment, which sets them aside from other studios and also cuts costs on printing.
• Also have their own riso printer for that screen printed look, but more efficient as it doesn't require as much work or time.

Weaknesses

• As a print based design studio they could be missing out on more digital based design work. The client group that is being targeted may be too specific.
• There are a lot of print based design companies, so a lot of competition.
• Being located in Leeds surrounded by so many creatives can also be a con, as they can also be seen as competition as well as potential contacts or clients.

Opportunities

• Being a small company, made up of just two designers means that they don't need to invest a huge amount of money in the company. They are young so they don't have a lot to lose, they still have the rest of their professional lives to find their feet in the industry.
• As I found from Leeds print festival, print is coming back into fashion although we are in the digital age. This is a good opportunity for new print based design companies.

Threats

• Their are a lot of competing creative graduates in Leeds that could be a threat to any design company. Especially as each year their is fresh, new talent with a more up to date skill set.
• The government is cutting funding into the arts, making it harder to get loans and grants to help fund the company if they start to struggle financially.

The next company I have looked at is Analogue. They are also Leeds based, but a larger company. They are mainly digital based, but also have extensive experience in print based design. This would make them a big competitor for me being in a small design studio. Potential clients may choose to go to them as they offer more skills and have been established for much longer, making them more reliable in their eyes.

Strengths

• They are a large company, offering a wide range of skills which means they can cover a lot of different areas of design which can appeal to most potential clients.
• Being Leeds based, surrounded by a large creative group means a lot of contacts.
• They are made up of six designers all with different skill sets, meaning that they can cover many different areas of design.

Weaknesses

• Covering all areas of design may put some clients off who want someone who specialises in a specific area.
• Looking at their website, on the surface it appears they are a company specifying in specifically digital design. It is only when you read further that you realise that they also specialise in print based media, this could be overlooked by some potential clients.

Opportunities 

• Already having a large contact and client base means that it can only grow and have returning customers.
• Sharing a company between six designers means sharing the financial burden and work load.

Threats

• Being based in Leeds means that they are surrounded by a lot of fresh new talent graduating from the surrounding universities and colleges. This could be a threat to an older more established company, when some clients could be looking for designers with a more up to date skill set and knowledge in programmes and technologies.
• The governments cut in funding to the creative community effects all design studios, as it may be something they rely on to keep their company up and running.

The final company that I have come across is Loligo in London. This is a studio that I have a lot of interest in and am considering for a work placement. They specialise in screen printing for designers and have a broad knowledge in different inks and stocks. They have also had some of their prints featured in Creative Review, so they are well known. Although they are not a design studio, screen printing and stocks is something I am hugely interested in and intend to use in my working design practice. 

Strengths

• They are quite a unique studio that specialise in screen printing which sets them apart from other printers.
• Being based in London they are surrounded by design studios requiring specialist printers.

Weaknesses

• Being located in London could also be a weakness, as it is a very expensive place to be based. The travel and rent costs will quite high.
• They are very specifically screen print based, meaning that they could be missing out on other printing opportunities.

Opportunities

• Print is back in fashion and a lot of designers are using screen printing in their work right now. However not everyone possesses screen printing skills or facilities, meaning that they would go to a specialist printers such as Loligo.
• There is an extensive creative network in London which means a large potential client group.

Threats

• The governments cuts in funding also effects this company as they are a creative studio, especially being located in London where costs are high.
• As their are a lot of creatives and competing studios all in one place, their could be a lot of competition trying to mimic their practice.