Case study – Uniform

Uniform is an award-winning design and innovation company based in Liverpool and London working with a range of global brands including Mitre, Gatorade, Canary Wharf Group, Westfield, AMEX, Bacardi and Belling.

It is one of the most innovative creative companies in the UK and is a place where design, business and technology collide. Founded in 1998 by three graduates straight out of Liverpool John Moores University, the company has doubled in size in the last three years and now employs over 50 staff in its Liverpool headquarters, with revenues in excess of £3 million and a steadily expanding presence in Clerkenwell, London.

Uniform was one of the UK’s top 10 fastest growing creative agencies, and 56 in the 2015 Design Week Top 100. The company also designed the commemorative 50p coin for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Alongside their commercial work, Uniform has a significant commitment to R&D and innovation. Key R&D projects have included Postcard Player, exploring conductive ink in music publishing, first shown at South by South West (SXSW) in 2012 and shortlisted and exhibited as part of the Design Museum’s Designs of the Year 2013 exhibition; internet connected devices including Casual Interfaces for UKMX and London Design Festival/V&A; and Weather Systems (Wired Japan’s top 10 designs projects 2015); and most recently Grip, an internet-enabled virtual coaching experience for climbers showcased at SXSW 2016. Uniform also host Liverpool’s Open Device Lab.

Open Device Labs is a not-for-profit resource set up to allow everyone, from freelancers to tech and creative companies, to access a pool of internet connected devices, to allow testing and ultimately improve the quality of digital products.  This self-funded initiative is representative of the open source culture of the business and their commitment to championing the creative and digital industries in the North of England and the rest of the UK.

Their work has been covered by BBC, CNN, WSJ, FastCo, and PSFK amongst others.