2021: A Year of Innovation, Creation and Elevation!
Posted on December 14, 2021, by Nicola Lighterness
2021…what a year it has been for all of us. A year that started with lockdown, quickly followed by the hope of vaccinations, returning to the office and, let’s face it, a little normality alongside a bit of a ride on the Coronacoaster. And here at Blue Serif we have experienced all of that, and more besides.
Although 2021 has been one of the stranger years in Blue Serif’s history, it has also been a good one. From a brand refresh, through to several new team members and many hundreds of biscuits, here’s Blue Serif’s 2021 in review:
Behind the scenes of Blue Serif in 2021:
Of course, 2021 started with lockdown 3, and for the Blue Serif team that meant a return to working from home. We have always been very grateful that we have the opportunity to work from home easily, and whilst we might have been juggling home schooling with creative behind the scenes, we are proud of the fact that we were still able to offer the same Blue Serif service to our clients.
Also going on behind the scenes was our very own rebrand! Having poured lots of creativity into other people’s brands over the years, we felt like it was time for a brand refresh of our own. Early in 2021 the Blue Serif brand was reborn, with our sparkly new website to follow in the autumn of this year. Our new brand reflects not only our growing team, but also our growing skillset and service offering, which now includes website development, social media management, videography, animation and UI and UX alongside our traditional design services.
Comings and goings and the Blue Serif team growing
One of the reasons that we wanted to rebrand ourselves was to reflect our growing skillset, and this has never been more evident than in the fact that the Blue Serif team has grown considerably in 2021.
Kieran was the first to join our team in 2021, coming on board in March of this year. As a front end developer, his skills complement our website design work perfectly, and he has quickly become a much valued member of the team. Kieran joined us during the last lockdown, and so had the very daunting task of getting to know Blue Serif virtually before meeting us in real life. However, when he dashed off to take delivery of his takeaway pizza during one of our virtual team drinks, we knew he’d fit right in!
In May 2021, just as we were headed back to the office, Jemma K. – or JK as she’s known at Blue Serif HQ – joined our design team. Jemma joining the team has allowed us to greatly increase our capacity, meaning that we’re able to offer an even more reactive service to our clients than ever before. We also hear that she’s a dab hand with the sewing machine, so we know a little Sheriff shaped someone who will be looking forward to lots of new outfits!
As one Jemma joined, another Jemma left us. Jemma H – or OJ as she was affectionately known here – had been with us for five years when she left us in November 2021. We all miss her bubbly, vibrant personality hugely, and Jemma had become a fabulous UX designer and animation specialist by the time she flew the Blue Serif nest. Jemma has gone on to specialise in product design, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours.
Although we could never replace Jemma, as we head into December, we’ve just had another new recruit join us, stepping into Jemma’s shoes. Cain has joined our design team and judging by his skills and willingness to take part in our Silly Scribbler competition at our Christmas do, we’re sure he’ll do a grand job!
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Inspiring the next generation of creatives
Inspiring the next generation of creatives is something which is really important to us here at Blue Serif, and as such, Matt took part in Brentwood School’s virtual careers convention in the spring. Furthermore, by working closely with New City College and Brentwood Council on initiatives which will help the younger generations, we’re hoping to help those whose education has been so badly affected by Covid.
We’re also really pleased to have taken on one of the next generation this year. Calum has joined our design team as part of the Government’s Kickstarter Scheme. Having very much been dropped in at the deep end, we love how enthusiastic he has been about all of the projects we’ve thrown his way, and his calm, conscientious manner is a welcome addition to the studio.
Out and about in the Brentwood Business Community
Of course, we have all enjoyed slightly more ‘normality’ in the latter half of 2021, and although we’ve now returned to a hybrid way of working, with most of the team back at home in an attempt to keep them safe from Omicron, we have enjoyed being back out there in the Brentwood Business Community.
Between hosting our own Brentwood Chamber Meet and Eat networking lunch in the late spring, taking part in the Brentwood Art Trail, attending the fifth annual Brentwood Business Showcase and Matt being up for an award at the Brentwood Business Awards, we’ve really enjoyed being back out there again this year.
We’ve also enjoyed supporting local worthy causes, including complimentary design work for Brentwood Theatre’s The Night Before Christmas production, attending SNAP’s Communitea fundraiser, and our cheeky little colleague, The Blue Sheriff, sponsoring SNAP’s Drama Group’s Christmas performance. It has always been important for us to support the community we’ve come to love being a part of, and never more so than in these times when causes such as these have suffered the effects of the pandemic so keenly.
2021 in review: the busiest Blue Serif year yet!
It’s safe to say that 2021 was by far our busiest year here at Blue Serif, both in terms of how the team has grown and what we’ve got up to, as well as the projects we’ve taken on. There is so much more that we could have included here, but if you’ve enjoyed a cuppa whilst reading this, you’ve probably run out of biscuits by now!
This only leaves us to thank our clients, colleagues and team for all of their continued support in 2021; it has and always does mean so much to us to have the support of people around us who are passionate about what we do. Here’s to more great creative in 2022!
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