A family run, multi-disciplinary design studio with a legacy and portfolio that spans four decades, projects that traverse disciplines and sectors, and clients of every persuasion; Shelter, The National Archives, Historic England, The National Portrait Gallery, Southbank Centre, Landsec, and TFL, to name a few.
We are a talented and driven team of strategic thinkers, urban designers, brand strategists, art directors, creative visionaries, interior architects, and graphic designers; combining diverse fields of skills and expertise to create meaning and transformation for ambitious clients.
We collaborate, we create, and we care about the finer details just as much as the bigger picture. We believe that great design stems from a genuine desire to enhance the things that truly matter in life. This long-standing philosophy underpins everything we do, placing ethics, social impact, and environmental responsibility at the heart of our design process.
Our work takes us across culture-led regeneration, urban design, community-focused placemaking, large-scale multi-arts festivals, brand and graphic identity, interior architecture, retail and exhibition design, among other disciplines. However, our true speciality lies in working with people and places to create a positive societal impact.
Over the past 30 years, we have helped restore Europe’s first ever pleasure park – an achievement that saw us shortlisted for the Design Museum’s ‘Design of the Year’ in 2017 – advised House of Lords select committees, publicly challenged the housebuilding industry, and demonstrated a better way forward by masterplanning and designing an award-winning housing scheme in Gateshead. We have co-designed a new uniform for Transport for London, rebranded FTSE 100 companies, and staged a 24-hour non-stop multi-arts festival for 40,000 revelers on a sandy beach in Suffolk. We have helped form new creative communities in Blackburn and Bognor Regis, reimagined heritage buildings in Portsmouth, Preston, and Plymouth, and influenced the urban landscape of Andover, Cleethorpes, Kidderminster, and King’s Lynn – all to widespread acclaim.
Our greatest strength lies in the multidimensional way we look at all projects, which comes from years of multi-disciplinary design experience and a highly motivated team that share their expertise and learnings across all the projects that we work on.
We are not confined by a house style or rigid processes – though we employ tried-and-tested methodologies. As a team guided by the principles of co-creation, we engage in meaningful conversations that prioritise social value and distinctiveness. Using insight, we build a robust evidence base to inform and strengthen design proposals.
Attuned to the Zeitgeist, we possess a keen understanding of cultural context and the social issues that shape people’s daily lives. Crucially, we recognise that generating profit and securing funding are not just financial necessities but vital enablers – ensuring projects have the resources to create lasting and purposeful impact.
Our studio is based in North West London, but much of our work takes us to towns, cities, and regions beyond the capital, where we collaborate closely with local teams. We thrive on exploring new places, meeting new people, and working with communities. While this brings us great personal satisfaction, more importantly, it provides us with a deep understanding of the varied socio-economic landscapes across the UK. This perspective ensures that our design approach is always inclusive, recognising and embracing the diversity of human experience.
We value partnerships and collaboration, considering many of the clients, companies, and communities we work with as friends. Some of our client relationships have flourished for almost two decades. We remain committed to projects from inception to completion – and beyond – serving as ambassadors, long-term partners, or trusted critical friends.
The team is a unique blend of experience and fresh perspectives. Founders Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway bring four decades of award-winning design and entrepreneurial expertise. Their experience is complemented by the wealth of knowledge that partners – Tilly and Jack Hemingway have gained through almost two decades in the industry, bringing fresh, invigorating ideas, alongside a wider team of talented designers and creative thinkers.
We’re proud to be members of the Good Business Charter, a Living Wage Employer and as of November 2022 B-Corp certified.
As for our next project, well – you tell us. We’d love to put your purpose into practice or help bring your vision into reality. You could be a local authority, a cultural organisation, a charity, a brand with big ambition, a purposeful landowner, or developer. You could need a new idea, or to make an existing great idea happen. As long as we are working towards the same goal of improving the things that matter in life, we’re ready to get started.
To read more about HemingwayDesign’s origins, click here.