About

Steve Hutton
Brought up in Sheffield, Yorkshire. Educated by the Graphic Design BA (Hons) course at Central Saint Martin's School of Art and Design, London, and by being thrown in the deep end at a selection of top London design groups. After running blue chip projects for other design firms it seemed a natural progression to form Hutton Staniford Design. Based in London NW5 the client list quickly developed to include: BTHA, Boots, Britvic, Channel 4, Music Sales, Mattel/Disney, Nabisco and Tesco. Hutton & Partners formed 1994.

How did you come to work for the toy industry?
It was both a desire and a sequence of opportunities, as things that work out well often are. We initially became immersed in the toy business when GCI London PR recommended us to design the toy safety emblem for the British Toy & Hobby Association - the now familiar Lion Mark. Over time we met many leading toy industry characters and were eventually put forward to rebrand the entire BTHA and its output. Later we won a 9 way pitch to rename and rebrand the Toy Fair. Now, after working for toy businesses large and small, we've gained an absorption and understanding that seems to be unique.

We pursue this specialisation, and it pursues us, because we believe there's a natural fit between the needs of toy marketing and our ability. A particular ability to create commercial, impactful, packaging with character and fun that ALSO communicates innovation, trust and quality.

Why choose a small design company over a large one?
Did you know... most large agencies assign jobs to one designer or at most a team of three? It's pot luck who's free to work on your job, you may never meet the people who do the work and deal solely with a client services manager. That may be fine as the designer may not be so good at discussing work. Employing client services staff makes sense for the large agency, they can maximise the design production line by keeping designers infront of their monitors. BUT... we believe clients are better served by working with an entrepreneurial firm for whom your job is highly significant, whose experience is relevant and whose personal success depends on the success of a small number of clients they truly understand?

Are you still in London?
The growth of the internet (and family) in the 00s led 90 miles southwest to the open space of the coast. Going the extra mile to meet clients needs has always been our attitude to business and how we continue to provide clients with a national (sometimes international) specialist design resource. So the answer to the question is no, but we still seem to be in London often.