Welcome to our space for industry insight — what we're seeing, hearing, and thinking.
We spend our days in conversation with market leaders, designers, and creatives across London's design scene. It gives us a real-time, front-row view of what's actually shaping the industry.
Hiring trends, salary shifts, career guidance, and the chatter that doesn't always make it into the headlines — we unpack it all here.
Grab a cuppa and explore.
Our 2025 Salary Report Is Here.
Our 2025 Salary and Sentiment Report is live. Creative roles are back in demand, salaries have lifted across the board, and flexibility has become non-negotiable. Here's what's changed since 2024.
A first look at what's changed from 2024 to 2025.
The TwentyOne Twelve 2025 Salary and Sentiment Report is now live. Every year, we speak to studios and candidates across the UK to find out what's actually happening in the design industry. Not assumptions. Not projections. Real conversations about pay, priorities, and what people want from work.
This year's findings show some clear shifts. Here's what's changed since 2024.
Creatives Are Back in Demand
Last year, studios leaned heavily on technical and delivery roles. In 2025, that's flipped. Creative briefs are back, with renewed investment in brand, storytelling, and strategy. Studios that paused creative hiring in 2024 are building teams again, and competition for strong conceptual talent is rising.
Permanent Roles Are Becoming the Safer Bet
Freelancer day rates keep climbing, but client fees haven't followed. That gap is pushing studios to rely more on permanent hires to keep teams steady and margins healthy. It's a sharper version of what we saw in 2024, with studios now balancing freelance and permanent talent far more intentionally.
Salaries Have Lifted Across Almost Every Discipline
The rise in the National Minimum Wage has pushed up graduate and junior salaries, and that ripple has carried through to midweight and senior levels. We're seeing clear increases across interiors, branding, digital, strategy, and client services.
The full report breaks down every salary band, role, and day rate so studios can benchmark with accuracy.
Flexibility Is Now Non-Negotiable
Hybrid working has shifted from a preference to a dealbreaker. Even with great projects on the table, candidates are turning down roles that don't offer flexibility. Salary and hybrid now stand as the top two motivators when people consider a move.
A More Positive Market Outlook
There are still challenges around junior and very senior roles, but overall sentiment is more optimistic than it was a year ago. Respondents noted more flexibility across studios, stronger sustainable practices, and a healthy return of the creative work that dipped in previous years.
If you'd like the full breakdown, including salary tables, day rates, and market sentiment from designers and studios across the UK, get your copy here.