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About us - who we are

30 Years Later

Her mission was simple yet powerful: ensure clients feel valued, never have to chase us for updates, and are blown away by the work we deliver. That commitment? It still drives everything we do today.

Fast forward a few years, and we found ourselves in a gorgeous converted leather factory in Walsall, where the team grew, the projects got bigger, and we built a reputation for doing exactly what we said we would—delivering exceptional results on time, every time. The culture was electric, the hours were long, but we thrived on it.

Then, in 2003, we made the move to where we are today – a stunning 

converted church in Gailey, Staffordshire. Built in 1876 as part of the Rodbaston Estate, this unique space has become a key part of who we are. It’s more than just an office; it’s the heart of our brand, a building that breathes creativity and history.

Over the years, we’ve evolved, diving deeper into branding and digital, helping businesses transform their presence. Whether it’s refreshing a tired brand or creating something entirely new, we love guiding our clients from strategy to execution – websites, social media, print, the works!

At Be Smart Design, we create new brands and design work that turns businesses into rockstars, in the eyes of both their customers and their teams. Ready to become the next superstar? Let’s make it happen.

When good just won’t do -​

Our mission is creative greatness.

We’re authentic to the core -​

A real business helping real clients with real challenges.

We’re bold, brave and smart -​

Approaching projects with confidence and pushing boundaries.

We question the norm -​

Always exploring, innovating and breathing life into the ordinary.

We’re unconditionally supportive -​

Going out of our way to be friendly, generous and considerate to everyone we collaborate with.

Over the years we’ve worked with very large companies as well as small owner managed businesses in many different sectors. From employee engagement to social marketing, tenant communications or ad campaigns, we’ve done it all in that time. The key to a successful project is understanding what the real challenge is, not just the headline challenge but the significant problems that will arise if the project is not successful.

Utilities

Social Housing

Retail

Industrial

Team Be.Smart

Say hello to the Be.Smart team… friendly, approachable and bloody good at what they do…

Philippa Smart

Head Honcho

Head honcho, captain of the ship, owner and founder of Be Smart Design for 30 years, would have been out of prison in less time.

Likes crumpets and loves marmite!

Steve Barnes

Creative Director

Steve is our Creative Director who’s got over 20 years experience in the design industry, he’s designed for everything from ballroom dancing to race cars.

Steve’s an avid sports fan who within minutes can become engrossed in anything competitive, is a proud nerd (but one of the cool ones!) and is an animal lover and dog owner.

Will Johnson

Graphic & Web Designer

Our web and digital guru. If it’s going online, be it websites, social media or any other digital elements, Will's the man for the job.

When he's not coding or designing he likes his vinyl music and Lambrettas .

Amy Wain

Junior Designer / Illustrator

Amy has joined Be Smart as our Junior Graphic Designer, with a real passion for learning and anything creative! She is really excited by quirky, unique and out-of-the-box design opportunities and is looking forward to her future in this industry and at Be Smart.

She loves animals, Halloween and pick ’n mix sweets.

James Merrick

Photographer / Designer

James is an incredibly skilled photographer who can work in both environmental and product photography. James is also a skilled graphic designer.

Heather Picken

Client Services

Coming from both a design and admin background, Heather has joined Be Smart as our Client Services Administrator.

She is a big fan of music, fast cars, chocolate and wine!

Dottie Dawg

Studio Dog

Woof... The backbone of the business. Dottie manages office happiness levels, monitors tea breaks as well as the day to day playtime.

I love walks, playing with balls.

Daisy Pup

Studio Pup

Woof...

I also love walks, swimming, licking faces and sleeping. X

Join the Team

Freelancers

We're always looking for new people and skills to join our team. Drop us a line and tell us what you're good at to: hello@besmartdesign.co.uk

Join the Team

Freelancers

We're always looking for new people and skills to join our team. Drop us a line and tell us what you're good at to: hello@besmartdesign.co.uk
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