Big project energy: we asked three small studios how they cultivate confidence and bag big clients

At TBI, we’ve always been fascinated by the power of the small. Our eyes are constantly peeled for small, tight-knit creative teams crafting highly contextual, flavourful work. Over the past years, we’ve noticed the rise of nimble teams run by the creative prowess of a handful of designers, and it’s especially interesting to watch small studios bag and deliver projects for heavy hitters. We’ve often caught ourselves wondering – how do small studios land big clients? What kind of challenges could the process throw up? How do they consciously cultivate confidence and navigate the nerves of working with a big gun? To find the answers, we spoke to Studio DRAMA, Studio Herrström and Alphabetical, and decoded their experience of working with some towering names and legacy companies. For Studio DRAMA, who describe themselves as “small and mighty by design,” staying small is synonymous with agility. “It allows us to maintain a tight-knit, agile team that can deliver highly specialised and personalised services,” Co-founder William Richardson tells us. The London-based team of five creative specialists in strategy, brand and type design (“amongst other hats,” as Richardson points out) has created bespoke typefaces for the likes of Vogue Brasil and RSPCA. The ability to remain agile is also the reason why Vienna-based Studio Herrström has grown its team consciously and very intentionally over the past few years to reach its current strength of seven members working across five countries. “We can operate in a way that’s similar to a traditional agency while still being flexible, nimble and high-output,” says Founder & Creative Director Erik Herrström, who has led the team to rebrand Elvis Presley for Sony Music and deliver an identity for HYPE+, Spotify’s editorial curation of the most exciting musicians in Hong Kong’s rap scene. For Alphabetical – the London-based eight-member team who created an atmospheric campaign for Aublible’s all-star 1984 audiobook – the focus has always been on remaining independent rather than staying small. “From the first moment we set up, there was a drive to be independent and choose precisely the kind of projects and clients we wanted to work with,” says Creative Director Bob Young. For them, the team’s size has always been a result of that mindset. “When you get too big, you can feel pressured into making decisions based on money rather than creative potential,” he adds. From quite early on in Alphabetical’s journey, they discussed the intent to ensure that the collective team never grew beyond “one that could be seated at a large table in a pub or restaurant,” shares Young. “We never wanted it to get to a point where no one knew each other’s names, where things became siloed and disconnected. I think the fact that we’re a close-knit group of designers helps keep an open and honest dialogue in the studio, which ultimately encourages a more creative environment.”