How To Create Design That Makes A Difference

Baxter & Bailey was founded to make a positive impact in the world through its design work. Team members explain to Tom May how they go about this in practice

Founded in 2012 in London by industry veterans Matt Baxter and Dom Bailey, Baxter & Bailey specialises in creating award-winning work for UK and international clients that want to make a difference.

Whether that means supporting charities and philanthropy or promoting art and culture, education or great architecture, the studio offers a wide range of capabilities, from standalone brand strategy, brand identity and communications, to branded environments and exhibitions.

Now based in Brighton and employing eight staff in total, Baxter & Bailey is busier than ever before. We sat down with team members to learn their story, discuss recent projects, and learn how they keep their clients happy.

What’s the story behind Baxter & Bailey?

Matt Baxter: Dom Bailey and I launched Baxter & Bailey in London in the summer of 2012, amid the thrilling hullaballoo of the London olympics. We’ve both been part of the design industry since the mid-90s, and previously co-directed the agency 300million together. We used all of that experience and knowledge to help us to ‘design’ our ideal business, which we did over the course of a day, hunkered down in a borrowed meeting room in Covent Garden.

We were determined that – as much as possible – our work would have a positive impact in the world. Moreover, we wanted to ensure the work we delivered would be an enjoyable, positive experience for us and for our clients, too.

That meant choosing sectors that were meaningful to us, that reflected our values, that we enjoyed working in, and that we had a proven track record in. So we initially chose to focus on arts and culture, education, charity and not-forprofit, architecture and the built environment and design. Barring a few exciting diversions along the way, we’ve stuck to our guns.