Veterinary marketing and PR agency Companion Consultancy has, this week, launched a new graphic design company. Companion Design Studio will provide veterinary companies and practices with all forms of graphic, video and digital design from magazines, logos, leaflets, and posters, to websites, emailers, photography, filming, podcasts, and animations. It can be found at www.companiondesignstudio.co.uk.

Companion Consultancy Director, Susan McKay explains how it all started. “We added a design team to the agency two years ago and it’s been fantastic to have this resource available in-house. In the digital space people increasingly consume their content as images and sound as much as the written word and it has become key to delivering communication projects that really work.”

The Companion team developed new ways to work collaboratively with the designers, “For complex projects we can have one or more of our vets working alongside the designer to get all the technical nuances exactly right. Infographics for instance are a great way to overcome language barriers but explaining the complexities of how vaccines work in pictures needs veterinary input and our designers then come up with visual ways to represent those concepts so we can work through those together. On simpler projects, clients don’t have to waste time explaining why they don’t want to show a dog wearing a choke chain or carrying a stick, because our designers already bring an additional level of understanding to their work. We wanted to make it clear that you don’t have to be a Companion Consultancy client to benefit from this great resource.”

Lead designer, Tom Sanderson, started his career in copywriting before specialising in design and has 15 years’ experience in creative and art direction, including magazine production, website design, packaging, and all aspects of graphics. Senior Designer, Jenny Silventoinen, has been working in design for 29 years, including seven years working with the Royal Society of Chemistry, and was the creative brain behind the new British Veterinary Receptionist Association logo and associated assets. As well as being immersed in all things animal every working day, both are keen pet owners. 

Tom said: “When I joined Companion two years ago I didn’t know anything about the veterinary industry. One steep learning curve later I can honestly say I love my job, not just for the sheer variety of projects but the community of genuinely lovely people who we work with in a very collaborative way.” Tom is also a professional musician and has composed and recorded original music for use in podcasts and video. 

To celebrate its launch, Companion Design Studio is offering a free, no obligation 30 minute design consultation to the first 10 applicants from the veterinary community who want expert input on their existing branding and how it has been applied, or to gather ideas for new design projects. 

To find out more visit www.companiondesignstudio.co.uk or call Tom on 07925 133302.