At Cornerstone Vision we celebrate the growth of digital design in Plymouth, a city that is fast becoming a creative hub and empowering businesses to thrive. We’re also pleased to offer effective advertising opportunities for graphic designers in the Southwest to reach further.
Over the years we have had the pleasure of working with some of the top graphic designers – exceptionally gifted people like Leah Jeffery who headed our design team for five years and now Louis Chadwick who has taken on this role.
In celebration of digital design in Plymouth, we share some of Leah’s insights into the importance of design in building a successful business. She certainly made her mark at Cornerstone from 2018 to 2022 providing exceptional design services for our clients and publications and we wish her all the best for her future.
Celebrating digital design in Plymouth
CV: Leah, having worked at Cornerstone for five years, you know how our clients think. So why would you say design so important to a growing business?
Leah: Everything starts with a design. Having an appropriate logo and branding is crucial to a company’s success. That is why organisations invest thousands in their corporate identity. It’s your brand that defines you and positions you for effective communications. This is something Cornerstone Vision excels at. Whether in creating brands for local businesses or providing them with effective advertising opportunities.
The company is always careful to work within the guidelines of a particular brand. This means taking numerous factors into consideration including the logo, colour palette, choice of fonts, styling of visuals etc. Cornerstone Vision strives to produce work that stands out for each client in a way that is unique to them.
The nice thing about doing a logo design is that you get to develop something for the first time and it becomes one of the most important things about a company. A logo essentially shows who you are, and it’s what people remember. So that might include a particular colour scheme or just a word or an image that people will know the company by.
Once you have a logo, you can start producing all the other things that are needed. For example business cards, office stationery; signage etc. However, the logo is the foundational thing, everything follows on from there. So design is hugely important to business growth and it is something Cornerstone Vision is often called upon to do. My successor, Louis worked extensively in branding so will be able to help clients who don’t have a logo, corporate identity or brand personality, assisting them step-by-step through the design process.
CV: You worked at Cornerstone Vision for five years, before moving on to be part of your family’s business. What was it like?
Leah: It was great, my best job ever and I loved it. Because the team is fantastic and I loved the way we all pulled in the same direction. Cornerstone Vision has a heart for Plymouth. The whole team loves the city and wants the best for our community. We want to see businesses do well and our people and communities do well. So I think that positivity really shows in the way everybody works together.
While I was working in digital design in Plymouth I loved the creativity I found as a graphic designer, focusing on different things every day, taking client briefs, designing new concepts, liaising with printers, and chasing deadlines. This was all really rewarding and especially when we received reviews from our clients. That’s what makes it all so worthwhile.
CV: What were some of your favourite jobs?
Leah: Personally, I really enjoy magazine layouts. So for example, Profile Magazine was a brilliant project for me to be involved with. I got quite creative with it as it’s a regular publication, and I was given free rein to produce the page layouts. I was provided with the copy, photographs etc and I got to lay it out each quarter for the Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce. It was really great job to work on and I found it immensely fulfilling
CV: What about visuals in adverts or leaflet? It seems everyone uses stock images these days.
Leah: Stock photography is a useful resource for digital design in Plymouth and elsewhere. It enables us to provide a high standard of work at a fraction of the cost. However, I always encourage clients to use original material where possible. Original photographs make all the difference and the city has many professional photographers who do a great job. If the client doesn’t have imagery, a good design team can find something that’s appropriate and that really brings their brand to life or whatever it is that they’re wanting to communicate.
CV: What advice could you give to companies about their design?
Leah: Great design lies in its simplicity. I challenge companies to focus on a clear call to action in their communications. For example in an advert, it’s best to have one central message rather than a list of all the products and services you offer.
Also, think outside of the box! If you are considering an advert or leaflet, it may be appropriate to include a voucher or coupon. It’s amazing how readers are drawn to coupons or codes they can bring along to get a discount. Many graphic designers in Plymouth have found that this works well for businesses such as restaurants, takeaways and other services like hairdressing etc. Through this, you can monitor where your advertising is giving you the highest return.
I would also encourage businesses to maximise their advertising campaigns by repurposing them for social media. Part of what Cornerstone Vision does is translate print communications into clickable digital media that will enhance your online profile.
CV: What about print?
Leah: Cornerstone Vision offers a one-stop design and print service. They liaise with partner printers for the most cost-effective print packages and deliver to clients direct, or door-to-door across the city when it comes to leaflet distribution. Cornerstone Vision is entirely focused on the service the company provides with an ability to oversee the whole job from beginning to end.
CV: What kind of companies does Cornerstone work with? Given that it provides logo design and branding services, is it mainly startups?
Leah: No not at all! Cornerstone Vision works with all types of businesses, organisations and charities, as well as national UK clients and advertising agencies. They are also more than happy to walk new companies through the design process and how it can help them grow.
Cornerstone Vision also offers free design on all adverts for The Plymouth Chronicle which Cornerstone publishes, or for the flyers and leaflets the company distributes.
The company works with a variety of clients from advertising agencies who send everything through in print-ready format, to new businesses who need everything done from scratch. Sometimes tweaks needed to be made to existing material or we had to come up with a fresh concept.
Cornerstone Vision has an office in the city where people can talk to the team face-to-face if they prefer. Throughout Lockdown the team managed to keep going via phone, Zoom and email. The whole design process can be generally managed through email. It’s easy to send PDF proofs and make the client’s annotated changes. This makes things very simple and to the point for clients.
Call the Cornerstone Vision design team to discuss your needs and see how they can help your business to grow.
CV: Thanks so much Leah, we appreciate you your insights into the world of digital design in Plymouth. Here’s wishing you everything of the best in your new role.
Also read: Design and Print in Plymouth – Cornerstone Vision aims to provide a one-stop service to the city
Cornerstone Vision
We are a one-stop resource in Plymouth for newspaper and magazine advertising, leaflet distribution, publishing, design and print. Our titles include The Plymouth Chronicle and Chamber Profile.
