Category: News

Black Country business networking was at its best this morning as the Eighty3 team joined fellow enterprises at Wolverhampton’s iconic Molineux Stadium for Molineux Meets, an event bringing together businesses from across the region and wider West Midlands.

The event drew a strong turnout of both new and familiar faces, with businesses from a range of sectors coming together to connect, share ideas, and explore opportunities for collaboration. Eighty3 attended with their own stand, using the occasion to showcase recent projects and give visitors a proper feel for the creative work coming out of The Warehouse in Brierley Hill.

Rebecca Cottingham, Director at Eighty3, said the morning was a reminder of what makes the local business community worth being part of. “There’s nothing quite like connecting with fellow local enterprises who understand the region,” she said. “The room had a brilliant energy, and it was great to see so many businesses flying the flag for the area.”

As well as meeting potential new clients and partners, the team caught up with existing contacts and shared updates on the agency’s latest work. For a studio that has always been proud of its roots, events like Molineux Meets offer something beyond a simple business exchange. They are a chance to invest in the community that has supported the agency since day one.

Anyone who attended and didn’t get the chance to speak with the Eighty3 team is welcome to get in touch directly. The conversation is very much still open.

We don’t do things by halves at Eighty3, and when the opportunity came up to sit down with Steve Parker on The Business Show at Black Country Radio Xtra, we jumped at it. Dan, Rebecca, and Emily headed into the studio for what turned out to be one of the most fun mornings we’ve had in a long time.

Steve is a brilliant host. He has a proper knack for putting people at ease, and what could have felt like a formal interview ended up feeling more like a good chat over a brew. We talked about Eighty3 Design, where we’ve come from, what drives our work, and the kind of clients and projects that get us out of bed in the morning. There were even a few stories that haven’t seen the light of day before now, which made it all the more enjoyable.

For a studio rooted in the heart of the Black Country, being on Black Country Radio Xtra felt like the right fit. We’re proud of where we’re from and proud of what we do here in Brierley Hill, so having the chance to talk about it on a platform that champions local business was genuinely something special. It’s not every day you get to put a bit of personality behind the logo.

The show goes out next Friday, so get it in your diary. Whether you’re a long-standing client, a fellow Black Country business, or just someone who fancies getting to know the people behind the studio, it’s well worth a listen. We’ll be sharing the link as soon as it’s live, so keep an eye on our socials and we’ll make sure you don’t miss it.

The Innovate Dudley Expo brought together some of the brightest minds in the region, and we were absolutely delighted to be part of it. Hosted by the brilliant team at Dudley Business First, the event was a proper celebration of what the Black Country does best: roll up its sleeves, think big, and get things done.

Our director Rebecca took to the stage for the panel discussion on innovation and entrepreneurship, sharing her thoughts on the current business landscape and the exciting opportunities ahead. It was a brilliant moment for Eighty3, and a reminder of why we love being part of such a vibrant, forward-thinking business community right here on our doorstep.

Over at our exhibition stand, things got a little competitive. Our Fortune Frenzy game pulled in a fantastic crowd, with visitors eager to spin their luck and get involved. We’re busy tallying up the entries now and will be announcing the winner very soon, so watch this space. Alongside the game, there were chocolates, conversations, and no shortage of laughs. And a very special mention has to go to the wonderful Emily Smith, who transformed into our beloved cat mascot for the day and brought a massive smile to everyone who popped by. She absolutely made the stand.

Events like the Innovate Dudley Expo are exactly why we believe so strongly in showing up, getting involved, and connecting with the incredible businesses that make this region tick. Whether it was a quick chat over a chocolate or a longer conversation about what’s next, every interaction reminded us of the energy and ambition that’s alive and well in the Black Country. A huge thank you to Dudley Business First for putting on such a fantastic event. We already can’t wait for the next one.

Remember Max? He joined us for work experience earlier this year, impressed everyone, and then left us wondering how we’d managed before he arrived. Well, we’ve got brilliant news. We couldn’t let all that talent slip away, so we’ve brought him back properly. Welcome back to the Eighty3 family, Max.

When Max first walked into The Warehouse as a Birmingham City University intern, we knew within about two days that he had something special. Fresh perspective, genuine enthusiasm, proper design chops, and that rare combination of creativity and willingness to learn that you can’t teach. He tackled live client briefs, absorbed feedback like a sponge, and brought ideas to the table that made us sit up and pay attention. By the time his work experience placement ended, we were already plotting how to get him back.

Here’s what made the difference. Max didn’t just turn up and tick boxes. He immersed himself in the work. He asked questions. He explored Brierley Hill and the wider Black Country, gathering textures and inspiration from graffiti walls and street posters. He talked about his passion for print, his love of music and film, his hobby time spent 3D printing and painting miniatures. All of that life, all of that curiosity, it fed directly into his design work. That’s the kind of energy we want in our studio. Creative people who actually live creatively, not just between nine and five.

We’ve always believed in investing in talent, especially young designers finding their feet in the industry. The Black Country creative scene needs more opportunities like this. When you find someone with potential, you don’t just wave them off with a reference and good luck wishes. You bring them into the fold, give them real work, let them grow, and watch what happens. Max has already proven he can handle live briefs and client expectations. Now we get to see what he does when he’s fully embedded in the team, working on bigger projects, developing his skills alongside designers who’ve been doing this for years.

Over the coming weeks we’ll share more about Max’s journey, his skills, and the fresh perspective he brings to our close knit team here at The Warehouse. For now, we just want to say: we’re absolutely thrilled to have you back, Max. You’ve earned this. Let’s make some brilliant work together.
If you’re reading this, drop a comment and make him feel at home. The Eighty3 family just got a bit bigger, and we couldn’t be happier about it.

Sometimes the best brief you’ll ever get comes from a room full of five-year-olds. Last week, Rebecca and Emily swapped The Warehouse for the classroom, heading over to Brierley Hill Primary School to talk to a group of brilliant Year One students about creative careers for kids and what life as a graphic designer actually looks like.

And the kids did not disappoint. They’d done their homework, come prepared with some genuinely cracking questions, and were absolutely full of enthusiasm. Special mention, though, has to go to Emily’s cat costume, which stole the show entirely and may have upstaged the entire presentation. No shame in that.

Emily put together a presentation that broke down what we do at Eighty3 into fun, simple ideas that even 5 and 6 year olds could get their heads around and get properly excited about. Watching their faces light up as they got to grips with the design process was one of those moments that reminds you exactly why you do what you do. Graphic design shapes everything around us, from the cereal box on the breakfast table to the logo on a school jumper, and getting kids to see that early feels important.

Visits like this are more than a nice day out. They’re a chance to show the next generation that creative industries are real, exciting, and very much on their doorstep. Brierley Hill has bags of talent, and if we can play even a small part in nurturing that, we’re absolutely here for it.

Who knows? We might have just met a few future Eighty3 team members. Watch this space.

When it matters, you show up. And last week, our director Rebecca did exactly that, sitting down with Richard Parker, West Midlands Mayor, to talk about something close to our hearts: the future of creative education in the Black Country.

The roundtable, hosted by the Black Country Chamber of Commerce at Beacon Vision, brought together voices from across the region to tackle some big questions. Nightlife economy, youth employment, skills gaps. Important stuff, all of it. But for us at Eighty3, one issue stood out above the rest.

Wolverhampton University’s School of Creative Industries is facing proposed cuts, and that concerns us deeply. The Black Country has always punched above its weight when it comes to creativity, craft, and making things that matter. That tradition doesn’t sustain itself. It needs investment, it needs institutions, and it needs people willing to back the next generation of designers, makers, and thinkers who are coming through. Without the right training on their doorstep, where do those young people go? And more to the point, where does that leave the region’s creative businesses in ten years’ time?

Eighty3 was built in the Black Country and we’re staying in the Black Country. Our home at The Warehouse in Brierley Hill has seen some brilliant minds come through the doors, and we want that to keep happening. We need local universities producing local talent. We need creative education to be treated as the serious economic and cultural asset it genuinely is, not a line item to be trimmed when budgets get tight.

Rebecca made sure that perspective was heard at the table. Not with grand speeches or polished talking points, just a straightforward, honest case for why creative sector training matters to businesses like ours and to the communities we’re all part of. That’s how we think change gets made. You turn up, you speak plainly, and you make the case.
We’re proud to have had our voice in that room. And we’ll keep making it, for as long as it needs to be made.

There’s a new face at The Warehouse, and we’re made up about it.

We’re delighted to welcome Lindsey Hughes to the Eighty3 family as our newest team member. Lindsey joins us to strengthen our administrative operations, making sure everything runs like clockwork behind the scenes so the rest of the team can keep doing what we love most: creating brilliant work for our clients.

At Eighty3, we’ve always believed that the people behind the work are just as important as the work itself. A great agency isn’t just about design and strategy; it’s about the team that holds everything together. Lindsey brings exactly the kind of expertise and dedication that keeps things ticking, and we know she’s going to be a fantastic addition to life at The Warehouse.

We’re a close-knit bunch here in Brierley Hill, and welcoming someone new is always something we take seriously. Lindsey will be getting settled in soon, and we can’t wait to introduce her to the brilliant clients and partners we’re lucky enough to work with across the Black Country and beyond. If you spot a friendly new face when you’re in touch with us, that’ll be her. Give her a warm Black Country welcome.

Here’s to the next chapter. Welcome to the team, Lindsey. You’re going to fit right in.

There are some events that leave you feeling genuinely fired up, and the Women of Dudley: Making a Difference afternoon was absolutely one of them. Our very own Rebecca had the brilliant opportunity to speak at this celebration of women in business, and it’s safe to say it was a day well worth shouting about.

The event brought together some of the most talented, driven women in the Black Country for an afternoon of powerful conversations, honest stories, and real talk about the challenges and triumphs of running a business. Whether you’re just starting out or well into your journey, there’s something incredibly energising about being in a room full of people who genuinely want to see each other succeed.

Rebecca took to the floor to share her own experiences, the lessons learned along the way, and what it really means to build something from the ground up. The conversations that followed were the kind that stay with you, the sort that remind you why community and connection matter every bit as much as strategy and skill.

A huge thank you to the organisers behind Women of Dudley for putting together such a meaningful event. Supporting women in business isn’t just a nice thing to do; it’s necessary, and it’s brilliant to see it being done so well right here in the heart of the Black Country. We’re already looking forward to seeing what comes next.

The team at Eighty3 had a brilliant day recently, and it’s only right we give credit where it’s due. A huge thank you goes out to Chris Dowen for joining us at The Warehouse and delivering a genuinely insightful session on Lean System Thinking training. It was one of those days that reminds you why it’s worth pressing pause on the day-to-day and actually investing in how you work, not just how much you work.

Lean thinking isn’t a new concept, but applying it in a meaningful way to a creative agency environment takes a bit of unpacking. Chris did exactly that. He guided the team through the core principles in a way that felt practical and relevant rather than theoretical and dry. No death by PowerPoint. No jargon for the sake of it. Just real, useful thinking that we could actually take away and apply.

The session gave us plenty to reflect on as a team. From looking at where time gets lost, to questioning the processes we’ve just always done because that’s how we’ve always done them, it was the kind of honest internal conversation that’s easy to put off but genuinely valuable when you have it. We left with new perspectives, a few lightbulb moments, and more than enough to be getting on with.

We’re already thinking about how to put what we’ve learned into action, and we’re quietly excited about what that looks like in practice. A big thank you again to Chris for his time, his knowledge, and for making it such an engaging and worthwhile session. If you haven’t explored Lean System Thinking for your own business, it might be worth a look.

This week, our Development Manager Bec was invited to a closed roundtable discussion at the West Midlands Combined Authority headquarters. Not your typical Tuesday, then. She joined senior figures from the Greater Birmingham, Black Country, and Coventry and Warwickshire Chambers of Commerce to discuss the West Midlands Futures Green Paper and shape the Local Growth Plan that will influence how investment and opportunity flow across our region for years to come.

Bec wasn’t there to nod along politely. She was there to champion the voices that don’t get heard enough at these tables. Small businesses. Creative industries. Young people. The Black Country community. So she spoke up, and she didn’t hold back.

First up: careers education in schools, especially in deprived areas, is failing our kids. They need to see what’s actually possible beyond the narrow options presented to them. How are young people supposed to dream about careers in design, tech, or creative industries if nobody’s showing them these paths exist? Second: there are fewer higher education opportunities in creative industries now than there were twenty years ago, despite the creative sector being one of the UK’s fastest growing. That makes absolutely no sense. We’re particularly concerned about the University of Wolverhampton’s plans to demolish the iconic School of Art and Design. As a Black Country design business, we believe preserving these creative spaces and educational pathways is vital for nurturing the talent our region desperately needs.

Bec also raised the alarm about how difficult it is for small, often family run businesses to access the support that’s supposedly available to them. It’s not about launching more schemes with fancy names. It’s about better communication, actual visibility, and proper follow up. And she didn’t shy away from naming Wolverhampton’s steadily declining night-time economy. This isn’t just a hospitality issue. It affects safety, city pride, footfall, and the sustainability of every local business that relies on people actually being in the city centre.

These aren’t easy topics to raise in a room full of senior figures discussing the West Midlands growth plan. But they’re the conversations that need to happen if we’re serious about creating genuine opportunity across the region. We’re incredibly proud to have had a seat at that table, and prouder still that Bec used it to advocate for the creative, resilient, hardworking businesses and communities we serve every day.

Regional growth plans can feel abstract when you’re running a small business in Brierley Hill. But the decisions made in those rooms matter. They shape funding, infrastructure, education, and opportunity. Having someone there who actually understands what Black Country businesses face, who can speak to the reality on the ground, that’s how you make sure these plans don’t just sound good on paper. They actually work for real people doing real work in real communities. That’s the kind of advocacy our region deserves.

New year, new network. We’re excited to announce that Eighty3 has joined the Black Country Chamber of Commerce Platinum Group, an exclusive membership tier bringing together senior business leaders and decision-makers from across the region.

It’s a proper peer-to-peer network. Members come together to tackle shared challenges, swap ideas, and build the kind of relationships that actually go somewhere. As a design agency that has always believed in the power of community, it felt like a natural fit for us.

Rebecca Cottingham, our director, said: “As we look ahead to our 10th anniversary later this year, we look forward to expanding our network and connecting with other businesses across the Black Country.” That’s exactly the spirit. Not ticking a box, but genuinely getting stuck in with the brilliant businesses this region produces. A big thanks too to Chris Dowen at MoRServ Ltd, who referred us in. We owe you a brew, Chris.

2025 is shaping up to be a big year for us. If you’re a Black Country business looking for a design or web development partner who actually gets where you’re coming from, you know where we are.

Read the full article here.

Some projects stay with you long after the work is done. Last week, we were privileged to attend a very special celebration at South Street Baptist Church in Brierley Hill, honouring the life and legacy of George Cosens, the UK’s first Black pastor. It was a proper reminder of why history is worth preserving and why the stories of pioneers like George deserve to be told well.

As part of an ongoing research project into George’s life, we were asked to contribute something that would help bring his story to life in a way that could grow over time. We created an interactive digital timeline mapping the key moments of his remarkable journey, designed so that members of the public, researchers, and the wider community can add new details as more information comes to light. It is a living record. Something that honours the past while staying open to the future.

The event itself was genuinely moving. We got to meet members of the congregation, listen to local schoolchildren talk about the work they had done to uncover and celebrate George’s story, and hear from the research team about how they pieced it all together. There was something incredibly powerful about seeing a whole community rally around one man’s legacy, determined to make sure his contribution was not forgotten.

For us, it was a brilliant example of what good design can do beyond a brand or a website. History needs a home. Stories need structure. And when you can create something that not only displays that history but invites people to contribute to it, that feels like a real privilege. We are proud to have played a small part in preserving the legacy of a true trailblazer, right here in the heart of the Black Country.