Two minutes with… Wolf&Player
Please tell us a bit about yourself Wolf&Player?
Wolf&Player is a design and communications studio and we specialise in partnering with organisations working for social and environmental change. We help them make a difference, be disruptive and go further through creative, honest, and ethical action-oriented design. We love handling all kinds of graphic design, campaign communications, product development and project management for all on and offline media.
What was your inspiration/thinking behind the new MRM website?
Chiefly our aim was to accurately reflect who MRM are and the work they do. And to do this in as intuitive and engaging way possible.
From our meetings and workshops with the team we learned two key things… 1: MRM has a great internal culture and project process. and 2: they are incredibly dynamic and active creating and publishing content, holding events and generally convening engagement around their work.
As a result we set out to create a simple, elegant and timeless design, built chiefly around bold typography and lots of white space, to let the content speak for itself.
To showcase the brand we came up with a simple concept around geometric shapes which identified the key aspects of the company culture. A triangle to represent the three discipline pillars, a pentagon to represent the five point project process (ROSIE: Research, Objectives, Strategy, Implementation, and Evaluation). A square to represent the accessible and personable box structure of the team. And finally, a circle symbolising the 360 fully integrated nature of their approach.
And taking the site beyond a portfolio we made it in to a working tool creating a publishing platform enabling the team to publish press releases, articles, events and projects. Some slick animations and transitions tie the whole thing together.
We hope they like the site as much as we do.
What are the 3 things companies looking to rebrand should always bear in mind?
- A brand is more than a logo. It’s your identity, your tone of voice and the relationship you build with your audience. Everything from copy, to imagery, to colour to type helps imbue this brand essence across your communications.
- Respect and appreciate the process. Don’t cut corners, but equally don’t overcomplicate. Trust the design process and the outcome will follow.
- Take time to live with things. Don’t rush and condense timelines. You need to give yourself time to live with ideas, to see how they bed in. When you come back to things after a break you see them differently. This time to reflect is vital. So build it in from the start.
If you could give one piece of financial advice to a teenage version of yourself, what would it be?
We are the absolute yin and yang at Wolf&Player… Chris would tell his younger self to be a little wiser, don’t waste it and put some away for a rainy day. Lucy would tell herself to be a bit less prudent. Get out more and enjoy it, there’s plenty of time for saving!
What three things would you do if you were head of the FCA?
We would try and catalyse a shift in the whole industry from short-term transactional thinking to longer-term relationship building. From traders to owners and speculators to stewards. We’ve learnt a lot from our partnership with the awesome consultancy Arkadiko Partners and would recommend anyone involved in financial services look them up because when used right finance can be a force for such good.
What is your biggest pet peeve, or makes you angry?
Lucy is a stickler for grammar. Misplace an apostrophe at your peril. Chris’s pet hate is quite simply bad manners. There is no excuse not to be nice.
Now, tell us a little about your life outside of work, do you have any hobbies?
We’re both music nuts and will often be found in dark smoky rooms nodding away to spikey bands. After which Chris’s is a craft beer and Lucy’s a gin. Thanks for asking!
What is the one column or website that you read every day?
The Conversation. An independent, not-for-profit media outlet that offers up a balanced analysis of the world’s events. In this current climate of biased agenda driven click-bait it’s a welcome relief to find a place that prioritises a knowledgeable and reasoned view.
What would you do if you received a windfall of £10,000?
Take our exceptionally hardworking team on a well deserved holiday, somewhere sunny!