Studio Skein
Since the retirement of Robin McCaren in 2013 the partners of McCaren Architecture have continued to grow this busy architectural practice, built up the business, employed new staff, and moved into new sectors that correspond with their passion for work that is truly purpose driven. With the transition to a co-operative structure the time was right to take a step back, rename the business and develop a clear understanding of their new vision and values.
Articulating a
a vision and purpose
Internally the team developed a powerful brand name - Studio Skein. A skein is the V-shaped flight formation of wild geese and this highly efficient flying pattern gives geese the strength for long migrations, as each goose takes a turn in leading the group. The new name perfectly reflects the collective and equitable nature of the revitalised company.
We were called upon to help the team articulate this exciting new chapter in their business. In the first instance we interviewed a number of their suppliers and clients to get a better understanding of how they perceived the current brand. Alongside a digital brand perception survey that went out to a larger audience we gathered some truly valuable insights. We used these to help form the basis of a workshop to begin to develop a brand platform for Studio Skein. After a productive session we developed a content strategy for the team which gave them a roadmap to help communicate their vision, purpose and values. These tools have already proved invaluable helping to brief copywriters and PR professionals.
"Brave took the time to get under the skin of our brand. Working with them was a positive experience and
allowed us to understand and articulate our offer in a compelling manner."
Bridging the gap between
strategy and design
For the next phase we developed a brand identity for Studio Skein. Our goal was to marry the design with the strategy and so the architectural structure of the skein of geese form the perfect visual partnership to the strategy. The visual language is built from those graphic shapes and the combination of the classic typography and sophisticated colour palette brings Studio Skein to life.
A successful launch
The business launched in 2022 to a flurry of PR and it has immediately caught the attention of a number of charities and social enterprises. With Skein’s equitable structure and focussed vision we envisage they’ll find many more fans in these sectors.
