247 Media Studios

247 is creative and technical development studio with a rather atypical structure; they are an open company of talented designers and programmers forming a collective, sharing projects and ideas. This in turn leads them to create work for an eclectic group of clients. This freedom to explore what they like leads to some immersive and powerful results for webdesign, multimedia and crossmedia productions. To sum up in a few words? Their Flash sites totally rock.... More

Also posted under best of breed, Flash specialists, Germany.

24-7 Media Studios

33rpm

Andrio Abero tells us that his solo design show is now open at the Art Institute of Seattle, which is where he went to school. The opening party is July 15th from 5-7pm. Great graphics and posters. (Seattle)... More

33rpm

Activeark

Here's a Finnish firm that truly lets their work do the talking. Their web site copy is basically limited to one phrase: "We are a digital agency" and one full-screen showreel. Of course, when you watch the showreel, the post-production work is so in your face that it makes their work appear more vivacious then a browser ever could... But it makes us think they come close! If catching our attention was the goal, they did it with flying colors, and then some. Cool stuff.... More

Also posted under Flash specialists, Finland, United Kingdom.

Activeark

AKQA

Impressive firm, boasting many of the world’s top corporate clients. Makes us want to be associated with these Big Dogs! Kudos to AKQA’s honesty: “We also outsource when we know that someone else can do something better than us.” Clean, crisp and stream-lined portfolio. We surfed, we saw, we are impressed.... More

AKQA

Amaze

The brain child of Roy Stringer and a few select geniuses. To its credit, this firm is a multi-award-winning hosting, maintenance, design, technology solutions…well you get this picture! No over-done fluff or hype here. Informative…a damned good company.... More

Amaze

büro uebele

An interdisciplinary agency of communicators, designers, engineers and architects. Creating signage, corporate communications and exhibitions. This international office has garnered over 120 awards for their work. Fantastic typography, identity, and print design.... More

Also posted under best of breed, graphic design, Germany.

büro uebele visuelle kommunikation

Birth

A fantastic minimal little portfolio for a great print, packaging and identity design studio based in Sweden. We love the fast-loading site design, the simple colors and limited type that show this firm understands the online medium too. Birth understands and heralds the importance of good design, and communicates with a modern, yet bold design style. Nice typography and clean print work.... More

Also posted under graphic design, Sweden.

Birth

Blake

Blake Brand Workforce is a boutique studio located in Argentina that provides branding solutions for clients around the globe. From logos to print, on-line and on-air, they've developed a little bit of everything... from airport signage to video effects, and a rich mix of bold, colorful logo work.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Argentina.

Blake - Brand Workforce

Bleed Designstudio

A very nice small Scandinavian firm with an ambitious blend of disciplines covering everything from branding to shopkeeping (they run a concept store called One), and all the many levels of design falling between graphic design and technology. They have a nice, slightly quirky approach that leans towards a mostly illustrative style. Unique looking stuff, and a great looking site.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Norway.

Bleed Designstudio

Brandwide

Brandwide is an inspiring design firm from Poland that specializes in creating visual identification systems for brands and products. What we really liked the raw minimal look to their site, which gives the allusion to a simple light box or cutting board. In turn, the portfolio samples are surprisingly strong, creating an advantageous contrast between the work and the deconstructed site design. This "undersell" continues on to their marketing, where they say on their site: "Brandwide is competent to offer a good design". Hey, we get it... they're great at what they do, and modest too!... More

Also posted under multimedia, branding & advertising, Poland.

Brandwide

Bunch

Bunch was established in 2002 by Denis Kovac and Paulo Silva. It spread organically from London to Zagreb and then to Singapore. Talented friends joined, and they formed the multi-disciplinary design agency that is the Bunch of today. Bunch's focus is on the creation of intelligent and consistent brands for a diverse range of international clients. One of their cool side projects was inviting 100 graphic designers to re-invent and mess with their logo in a side-site called Made in Bunch.... More

Also posted under graphic design, motion design, tv & branding, Croatia.

Bunch

Cappen

Cappen launches a cute new site for their online advertising agency—and just to be straight, when we say 'cute', we really mean 'nicely refined, solid and innovative IA, driven by a little flying bird mascot'-level of cute. It's just a different and friendly way to construct a portfolio that many "cooler" designers would not be able to pull off in such an approachable manner. And since Cappen caters to a number of multimedia fields, from online ads to e-mail marketing, it's absolutely correct to engage the largest audience possible by cultivating such a friendly atmosphere.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Brazil.

Cappen

Chilli

New site for Chilli, a Belgian design and multimedia firm. They take on design projects for classy Belgian firms. From logo design to print, and Flash-based fashion sites, their work breathes with a modern understanding, refined down to its pure classical and minimalist essence.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Belgium.

Chilli

Cookie

Cookie is a fantastic print, identity and web design studio based in Gdansk, Poland. Understandably, it's a unique surprise for us to see such high quality design coming from Poland - not that it's unlikely - it's just a pleasant reassurance that good design is not only accredited to Western Europe and the Scandanavic countries. On that note, however, Cookie does have quite a solid Swiss-grid style to their portfolio... which includes great projects, Flash sites, and identity design for local Polish brands, but also for firms as far away as New York City. Truly, a fabulous international design studio with great design chops.... More

Also posted under Poland.

Cookie

David&Goliath

A solid studio firm from Germany, occupied with print and identity design. Tends to focus on corporate design. A very nice portfolio interface design.... More

Also posted under graphic design, Germany.

David&Goliath

De Facto Design

The fact-o's about De Facto, are that while they appear to specialize in print design, their true strength is their ability to effectively take branding projects and translate them across all forms of media. In fact-o, this is a creative group of graphic design purists, who can execute any style cleanly. Their portfolio showcases an innate ability to tackle all forms of advertising, marketing and promotion... got that, Jack-o?... More

Also posted under graphic design, motion design, tv & branding, United Kingdom.

De Facto Design Nottingham

Departures

No, they don't have an all-singing-all-dancing website... And that's exactly why we can't stop looking through their portfolio. Although you won't find many words in this fresh minimal portfolio, you will find intelligent, minimal print design with a simple concepts and elegant typography. From title sequences to annual reports, mailers to booklets and branding, the refinement of this work is second to none. Nice color choices too!... More

Also posted under graphic design, United Kingdom.

Departures

Enigmind

"Quality is a habit" at this unique branding and advertising agency based in Colombia... a quote verified simply by visting their online Flash portfolio - with 2,500 lines of Flash ActionScript, Enigmind.com took more than a year to develop and organize! But beyond just an immersive GUI and one-of-a-kind site, the designers at Enigming span a range of talents, creating everything from identity to industrial design and print. Although limited to a few select case studies at this posting, certainly, future projects from this South American design firm will be something to watch.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Colombia.

Enigmind

Factor Design

Hearkening back to the height of the Industrial Age, the emergence of the wireless Internet world has spawned the new age of the Factory. Displaying its work in a scrolling format reminiscent of the assembly line, each project comes handcrafted with the finest factory-backed detail. With two perfectly engineered processes for branding and web development in place, this company should remain a Factor for a while.... More

Also posted under branding & advertising, Denmark.

Factor Design

Fisheye Design

Yes, we have higher standards than ever before... But that selectiveness has to tempered and judged on a sliding scale. While Fisheye does not blow other American, UK or German firms out of the water, they are a leading graphic design and consulting firm in New Delhi, India. The partners have had 15 years of work experience in design communication across industries, both globally and in India. In the end, what is really special about their studio is their close network with professionals and education institutes in the field of industrial design, architecture and visual communication which keeps exploration, debate and learning an integral part of the environment. Well, when you put it that way... they actually do blow many other international and local design firms away.... More

Also posted under India.

Fisheye Design

Flink

A design agency based in Antwerp, Belgium, Flink communicates very clearly with their design, producing everything from branding and corporate identity, to print, packaging and digital design. We really loved their website, especially the large navigation buttons, and their attention to type details, which really shows strongly in their work. A great little firm with a strong design factor, they have also been showcased in several design magazines for their creative work.... More

Also posted under Belgium.

Flink

Floorless

For experimental bespoke bedroom musicians, you can post comments/links/mp3s/anything you want (floorboard), so if you do have any buddies with audio and no site this is an excellent way for them get live. Floorles media provides digital authoring (and Web sites).... More

Also posted under United Kingdom.

Floorless media

Fluid

Keep your computer hydrated with frequent trips to this watering hole! Fluid smoothly flows into four distinct divisions, including a game-specific site with enough goodies to keep gamers moist with delight. Speaking interfaces evoke nostalgic memories of Tron, but can't convince the webmaster to avoid long load times, making this UK-based site flows at its own pace: trickling.... More

Also posted under graphic design, United Kingdom.

Fluid

Frog Design

Leapfrogging over the competition, Frog design initially staked its claim in small pond/ long name city of Mutlangen Schwabisch Gmand, Germany. Constant globe hopping and a broad colorful appeal has sprouted frogspawn throughout the world, introducing five new offices including their central headquarters in Sunnyvale, California. With major players like Disney and Microsoft hopping on board, Frog Design's founders are already princes in the eyes of many.... More

Also posted under multimedia, branding & advertising.

Frog Design

Fuse Media

The Fuse is lit and set to explode in the UK…or is it? The flash intro cleverly injects the targeted corporate market with playful, colorful, and energetic visuals. But rather than dazzle with an explosive design, a tour of their html site reveals an elementary structure and a sparse portfolio. This lit Fuse promises fireworks but fizzles rather than sizzles, leaving visitors burned and unfulfilled.... More

Also posted under multimedia, United Kingdom.

Fuse Media

Good Technology

Good Technology provides creativity -- of the sensible sort! Pleasant. Nothing too complicated. Message gets across. Don't even need to have the newest version of Flash. Teal blue hues soothe the eyes. They even take care of site hosting and maintenance. We have a good idea what sort of clients these folks get, and they all probably get more hours of sleep per night than we do.... More

Also posted under United Kingdom.

Good Technology

Great Works

Sorry, but you don't name your design firm "Great Works" unless you have something to back that statement up. And it better be something great... even if you are being somewhat ironic. Well, we discovered this Sweden-based deisgn firm has a unique blend of creative talent and a mission to create designs that focus on and around the conversion of the Internet with TV and advertising. Meaning simply they create very lively and media rich campaign sites, TV commercials and print ads that feel fresh, fun and fabulous. And often times pretty great.... More

Also posted under branding & advertising, Sweden.

Great Works

Guerrini Design Island

Guerrini Design Island is a studio specialised in the design of institutional and corporate brand identity. That means they work on projects such as visual identity of the State of Argentina, but also on socially conscious ecological posters for non-governmental organisms such as United Nations, UNICEF, UNIFEM, UNESCO, OPS, Amnesty International, and CLACSO. Additionally, Guerrini has completed branding for companies in over a dozen countries. We love their clean and simple design style.... More

Also posted under branding & advertising, Argentina, Spain.

Guerrini Design Island

I-D Media

Willkommen zu I-D Media…this German-based firm seeks to give a new I.D. to European design. Geared more toward selling service concepts and a little less on showcasing the works themselves, the site voices their commitment to re-creating strategy and marketing plans.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Germany.

I-D Media

Imagination

Ladies and Gentleman, Digitalthread is pleased to present, The Big Boys. With offices peppered over Europe, Asia and North America, strategic location is merely a hint at the skills this communication catch-all holds. Indulge us for a moment, you're a corporation looking for some design firepower and we're a wise-guy reviewer. You want brand experience events and environments? Check. New media presentations for financial roadshows? Check. Perhaps, film, websites, live performance or even interior design? Check, check, check, check. You get the point? The projects are as impressive as the client list - but we have the sneaky suspicion they don't do missing dog flyers. (Snobs.)... More

Also posted under best of breed, multimedia.

Imagination Group

Justalab

Justalab is not "just" your average web design & web development studio. For starters, they are based in both Paris, France and San Diego, California. Their website is sharp and dynamic. And for just staring out in 2010, their work is fresh, and promising. We'd say they are making a just go of it. Good luck!... More

Also posted under usa based firms, France.

Justalab

Kleber

Versatility is the name of the game with this UK-based firm. Some designs belong in the Guggenheim. Others, an uptight housewife's magazine. Here are some talented people with no downfall in sight: No ego! No pretention! No capitalized letters! Simpler than the sites they've designed for their edgy rocker clientelle, their website is straightforward. One has the chance to immediately form their own opinion of the work. Surely, designers like these have no need to hide behind code-laden webdesign, confusing menus, or the most basic rules of grammar.... More

Also posted under United Kingdom.

Kleber

Lemonade

Based in Melbourne Australia, Lemonade creates award winning brand design, graphic design, web design and web site development solutions. Their rather deep portfolio showcases a nice range of projects and some fresh ideas, but without the sour bite. Quite nice and dare we say... sweet.... More

Also posted under Australia.

Lemonade

Liquid

Liquid is a design agency that embodies a relaxed, soft attitude with a beautifully light portfolio. It's quite appealing, and we love the little fishes, swimming around, but we were a bit challenged by the side-scrolling presentation... contrary to the soothing atmosphere, we just were not quite comfortable leaving our browser in mid-scroll. Also, some of the HTML links are just too light to be read. But beyond that, the work is outstanding. They have accomplished wonders in print and design for books, and the website design and corporate work is not too shabby either! For book covers to brochures, magazines and more, Liquid is the place to dive in a take a swim. Just don't scare the fishes, or get the pages wet.... More

Also posted under graphic design, Germany.

Liquid

Logo My Way

What's nice about Logo My Way is you can do more than just submit your logo design work for competitions to win freelance design contracts. It's a great destination to gather some inspiration and see what people are doing in the world of logo design. You can also gain insight decision-making process between client & designer as you follow publicly in real-time which designs clients select. Overall, it's a great resource when you are in a pinch for an affordable logo job, and a great place to just look around and soak in a wide variety of identity ideas. That's "My Way" of having a good time.... More

Also posted under usa based firms, graphic design.

Logo My Way

Loworks

Oh Loworks, how many ways can we count how cool you are? The ways are many... For Loworks is a design studio in Japan with its own unique style and approach to design. Centered in part around illustrated mascots of walking speakers and iPods, Loworks does print, animation, interactive art, web design and some pretty funky animated motion design. We loved their uniquely interactive website, and especially the little music area (which you'll have to find yourself). Kudos to a firm that makes their site fun to explore.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Japan.

Loworks

Maräng

Founded in London in 2004 by a group of Central St. Martins graduates, Maräng is a team of sharp, young, motivated creatives. Currently operating from an office in Stockholm, Sweden, they operate in an international marketplace, providing full service design and marketing solutions... and even though their own marketing copy drips with a slight touch of the grandiose (like the tag line, "Next Generation Creative Visionaries"), they certainly have a nice range of print projects and interesting clients to back up (most of) their claims.... More

Also posted under Sweden.

Maräng

Mopa Studio

A brand new illustration and graphic design studio from Brasilia, Brazil, Mopa has a great flair for color, illustration, print and graphic design. We're especially big fans of collage work right now, and taking that concept one step further... we really feel like the collective work of the artists in this studio – working on everything from t-shirts to posters, cd sleeves and magazines – has some very powerful potential. We really loved their improvement on the single page scroller that doesn't use frames—only nice, valid HTML and CSS.... More

Also posted under graphic design, Brazil.

Mopa Studio

Nomadic Labs

The Nomadic Labs site, in elegant grays, blacks, and a perfect smattering of pinks, borrows its visuals from crisp computer schematas and electronic bar codes. It counts among its corporate clients Regent Funds Management and Johanna Skin. The simplicity of this "process-oriented" company is the kind of innovation that is too often underrated. That is -- by everybody but us.... More

Also posted under Switzerland.

Nomadic Labs

Onyro

This is a Greek design firm that is rockin’ with talent. Impressive international portfolio. Services include print, web, motion, IT consultancy, and development. Give ‘em a shot.... More

Onyro

Orange Pixel

You won't often find a web firm based in Karachi, Pakistan with such refinement in presentation. Sure, they've killed the 'orange' metaphor a bit, but what US or UK-based firm hasn't been guilty of similar marketing giddyness in the heyday of the web boom? Well, on a sliding scale of sophistication, we at least have to give this international firm passing marks and a vitamin C+ for effort.... More

Also posted under Pakistan.

Orange Pixel

PARK

In one of the most original illustrated and interactive portfolio interfaces we've seen in recent time, we happily introduce you to a bright and colorful landscape of the PARK studio website. Strong in both packaging and motion design, we were wowed by their fun Flash interface that requires you to 'awaken' the birds from the trees to view the projects. The site trancends language barriers, so you won't need to learn Russian to figure out this firm has a fabulous level of creativity as you view the design projects spanning multiple mediums.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Russian Federation.

PARK

pi6 communication design

Perhaps alluding to "pi" the Greek letter meaning "periphery", as in the periphery of a circle, pi6 is essentially a two-three person studio located in Athens, Greece, which was apparently brought together by a blessing of good fortune. The partners all had jobs to work on design for the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics. In fact, between the two main partners (from Germany) and 3rd associate designer, it seems they single handedly designed almost all of the 2004 Olympic Games posters, logos, and collateral - even the offical medal awards podiums. Strong in identity design, this classic design firm have already won some awards, and if the winning designs found inside are any indication, the oracle says they will be heading back to the podium for more... look for pi6 design in the future across Europe and the US.... More

Also posted under graphic design.

pi6 communication design

Positive Zero

Hailing from the Czech Republic, but also based in London, England, Positive Zero is a corporate identity and web design firm with some nice talent. We really loved how their portfolio took the large format presentation to the next level with sorting and categorization. The very minimal portfolio presentation made the experience completely seamless and even a little bit sticky.... More

Also posted under Czech Republic, United Kingdom.

Positive Zero

Reactive Media

Reactive Media from Melbourne is a web design firm supported by a lengthy list of clients from their native continent. Their work is focused on the strategy, development, and marketing side of the business, and they have working relationships with a number of other local agencies that they collaborate with to create some of their projects. Work focuses on Australian firms, travel agencies, and Oceanic-based campaigns.... More

Also posted under Australia.

Reactive Media

Shynola

Here we go…another shy introvert trying to change the world. Based out of the UK, Shynola’s concentration of material stems from mostly video and music accompaniment. These visionaries demonstrate an utter lack of fearlessness reminiscent of their shyness-implying handle. Far from cautious, they represent an intriguing portrait of confrontational, hard-pressing brushstrokes that is the shining beacon for the art/media merger movement.... More

Also posted under motion design, tv & branding, United Kingdom.

Shynola

St.Francis

A gorgeous little website for this Italian multimedia studio, St.Francis uses a very fun connect-the-dots motif to draw us into their portfolio. Their work spans from advertising to web, including print and packaging. We also enjoyed their pattern design area—which in our experience is a very overlooked field of design. Overall, a very nice treat – showing a fun and playful design mind is putting all the right pieces together.... More

Also posted under multimedia, branding & advertising, Italy.

St.Francis

Suponix

At first glance of the Suponix site and its brushed steel background complete with a reflecting logo and 3D robots, we immediately thought of a single word; "polished". Delving into this Ukraine-based multimedia firm, this was confirmed by a showcase of highly refined and detailed design work. Apparently, Suponix is developing on a 3D cartoon among their other projects, such as web design, Flash, video production and 3D visualization services (read: industrial design). Their web work is quite special too... But to visit Suponix, you have to understand their obsession with 3D, shiny metallic textures, and especially modeling and animating robots. It's pretty cool stuff - definitely not your everyday web design firm, yet it's all nicely packaged, presented and very polished.... More

Also posted under multimedia, Ukraine.

suponix.som

Transfer Studio

Transfer is a small "logo-less" print design studio based in London. Why they have no logo on their site is a mystery to us – since they specialize in logos, typography and letterhead development for their tight group of clients. But no matter... Who says they need one anyway? Not when they create such powerful and clean design work for print, packaging, and even make some pretty slick looking websites too. Their entire portfolio, in fact, is a testament to the undeniable power of solid typographical skills... from a firm that has no logo—go figure.... More

Also posted under graphic design, United Kingdom.

Transfer Studio

TYO Interactive Design Inc.

A top notch interactive agency based in Japan, TYO-ID spares no yen in the development of highly immersive online adverts. Their specialty is bringing electronic products to life onscreen interactively, using Flash and refined graphics to create unique, professional virtual experiences. And they work closely with select advertising agencies and worldwide web agencies in creating these designs for products around the globe. These are the creators of Flash designs that reach out and grab you... or in many cases, make you want to reach out and grab what's on the screen.... More

Also posted under best of breed, branding & advertising, Japan.

TYO Interactive Design Inc.

Vingtneuf Degres

Otherwise known as 29 Degrees, this collective of artists and designers from Switzerland have a cohesive philosophy, as demostrated by their logo of interlocking hexagons forming a chain... a chain of design power! Framed in this fabulous site, and only in French, we see some great photos, but not much showing of the work they have finished. Yet, while it seems they are graffiti, industrial designers and toy designers, we actually suspect there's more print and graphic work being done here, and they've just been too busy to post it all. Well, we're curious already!... More

Also posted under Switzerland.

Vingtneuf Degres

Yucca Studio

Yucca Studio is a multi-disciplinary creative boutique with a pleasant independent approach to web design. Part of their design philosophy comes from the subtraction of items, allowing the more important elements to rise to the top. It's an vital part of building a working minimalist and information-driven site that we can certainly appreciate. Covering print, branding and web design.... More

Also posted under Singapore.

Yucca Studio