Having worked in the design industry for a number of years, I (Jon) set up Actual Studio. This was way back in 2012 and at the time I was well and truly fed up with design agencies.
I had seen first hand how not to run a studio. Not in terms of making money and winning clients, but how agencies behaved, the bullshit basically.
The name ‘Actual’ studio was a direct response to this and the way I wanted to operate. Actual being a synonym for ‘certain’, ‘genuine’, ‘real’, ‘authentic’; the opposite of some of the agencies I had experienced.
If you hire us, it’ll actually be us that do the work. Me in fact and not the intern!
This is still how I like to do business. I have no interest in bullshitting my clients. I’ll speak with them honestly, we’ll be realistic and that way we’ll build long-lasting relationships.
So why the name change? Actual Studio felt too impersonal. Clients work with me because they like working with me so I wanted to bring back a bit of personality. Actual Studio didn’t really sit right, and plenty of people dropped the ‘Studio’ which I hated!
StudioFord has matured somewhat; we take on much larger projects now and with added complexity. Web applications are a big part of what we do now. I wanted to present a much more grown-up image, so our new name and branding reflect this.