An award-winning South West design agency which prides itself on its sustainability has recorded its best year despite the challenges of the Covid pandemic after delivering projects for clients such as Barnardo’s, Ikea, The Ocean Race and Divine Chocolate.
Truro’s Leap Media Ltd is an accredited B Corp - a business which balances purpose with profit and is committed to prioritising the environment and society.
Best known for championing sustainable design as a tool for positive change, Leap describes itself as a purpose-led business that creates inspiring work that delivers against a triple bottom line of people, planet and profit.
The design studio experienced a record-breaking year, since Matt Hocking formed the company in 2004, and delivered a variety of innovative projects with clients despite the exceptional challenges presented by the pandemic - and 2021 also looks set to be a bumper year for business.
During the year Leap supported Barnardo’s, and national partner Ikea, to facilitate a collaborative way of working with care experienced young people, as part of the co-designed project LifeLabs.
Through a range of research, workshops and co-creation sessions, loneliness and isolation were identified as key concerns for care experienced young people, as well as getting the practical skills they need to live independently.
Leap created an online portal, experience and explainer videos and an exhibition at IKEA Exeter.
Leap also supported the in-house sustainability team for The Ocean Race and helped to raise awareness of the important role the ocean plays in tackling climate change.
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By creating a content series of infographics, videos and graphics Leap communicated The Ocean Race’s initiatives alongside ocean facts, to boost awareness and drive support to protect ocean conservation.
Leap also helped a fellow B Corp organisation Divine Chocolate to communicate its business impact to stakeholders in a more engaging way, by creating a range of tools and assets.
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The Cornish agency, which employs 12 people, also refreshed its senior leadership team. It is still led by managing director Simon Thomason, but now joined by Nathan Lance, as the newly promoted creative director, Helen Johnston head of client services, Rebecca Carlyon studio manager, and Claire Pryor as finance and sustainability manager.
With the experienced team in place, Leap’s founder Mr Hocking has been awarded the freedom and flexibility of a sabbatical to reinvest his knowledge and expertise back into the creative communities – intending to lead from the front, sharing skills, solutions and lobbying officials to inspire positive and progressive change within the design industry.
Mr Hocking will return to Leap in October 2021 taking on the new role of creative sustainability officer (CSO) to compliment the team’s development, following the string of successes.
Mr Thomason said: “We’re very proud to have successfully navigated the complexities of the last year, continuing to deliver meaningful work with a positive environmental and social impact – it’s a huge testament to our talented team and thanks to the great bunch of clients who share our enthusiasm for forward-thinking business with sustainability at its core.
“For over 17 years Leap’s been ahead of the environmental conversation, championing design for change, leading by example and sharing solutions for our contemporaries – so it’s really exciting to feel a swell of energy around the role design can play in shaping sustainable business practises and inspiring change in the industry.”