Member Article

Glad to celebrate first birthday with move

Glad Creative, a branding and design agency based in Gateshead, are about to celebrate their 1st birthday by moving into the newly built Northern Design Centre. The design centre, situated near The Baltic and The Sage Gateshead, will house some of the north-east’s leading creative and design agencies. The 60,000 sq ft building on the Baltic Business Quarter will provide incubators and studios for new and growing businesses, exhibition space and presentation facilities. It will also be home to RTC North’s Design Network North, a regional resource for businesses looking for expert advice in developing new products and services.

Glad’s first year has seen the company grow from a one-man operation to a team of four. After 8 months in business, Glad received the Chairman’s Award for Design and was nominated for the title of Design Agency of The Year (2011 Roses Design Awards). They have worked with Tesco, DA Partnership and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

Glad’s Founder and Creative Director, David Burdon, says: “Twelve months ago, Glad Creative was one man sat in a bedroom with a laptop. Over the course of our first year, we’ve been fortunate enough to work with great clients and receive recognition for our work in the form of 10 industry awards or nominations. We’re now a team of four and are marking our first birthday by moving into this fantastic building. We’ll probably eat some cake, too.”

In a climate that is proving tough for businesses of all sizes, the success of new start-ups like Glad Creative is encouraging. David says of this success: “Although a lot of the support for start-ups has fallen foul of the unfavourable economic climate, Northumbria University and Gateshead Council have provided advice and practical help, which has been greatly appreciated”.

The company are set to move into their new home on 1 March and are looking forward to the next 12 months.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by David Burdon .