Project Focus.
Cuckoo Gin Brand →

A woman with long black hair and a red sweater sitting next to a man with a beard and long hair tied back, wearing a grey shirt, both sitting against a plain gray wall with sunlight casting a shadow on the wall.

Professional branding and graphic design you’d expect from an agency. Costs you wouldn’t.

Agency standards.
Freelance rates.

When it comes to branding and graphic design, most businesses find themselves choosing between a traditional design agency and a freelance designer. We sit deliberately in between.

We’re Gray and Nina, a senior-level, husband and wife team based in Preston, Lancashire, offering a unique combination – agency-standards of service and professional experience, with the personal approach and value for money of a freelancer.

Want the best of both worlds?

Get in touch

Our Services.

We work with small to medium sized businesses (SMEs) and organisations, to expertly deliver stand-out branding and creative projects on sensible budgets, in digital, print and the physical world.

Branding
Graphic Design
Website Design
Packaging Design
Logo Design
Social Campaigns
Behaviour Change Campaigns
Photography & Illustration

Visit our Services page or take a look at some of our branding and design projects below.

  • Lakeside Hotel logo over a mountain lake with sailboats and a wooden dock under a cloudy sky.

    Lakeside Hotel.

    Branding the quintessential Lake District hotel

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  • Close-up of a bottle of Cuckoo Signature Gin with an orange and copper foil label featuring a black bird silhouette, white and black text, and a black bottle cap visible on the right.

    Cuckoo Gin.

    Creating a brand for Lancashire’s most successful gin

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  • Modern interior hallway with curved wall panels, a staircase, a door, and a plant, illuminated with blue lighting, with GERDA logo at the bottom.

    Gerda Security.

    Brand refresh for the leading British manufacturer of high spec fire doorsets

    View →

  • Nextday Freight logo with a yellow checkmark in a yellow circle and white text on a purple background.

    Nextday Freight.

    Making freight fun and personal with a vibrant rebrand for urgent freight forwarders

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  • A woman with dark hair in a bun wearing a light yellow sports bra and red leggings is standing against a light green background. She is stretching, with one hand touching her neck and the other hand resting on her back.

    Do Well Therapy.

    Website for a new kind of physiotherapy brand

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  • Four colorful paper airplanes flying against a bright yellow background.

    The Mailing Room.

    Supporting the UK’s largest supplier of mailroom equipment with branding and graphic design

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  • Two illustrated people having a conversation, one in a yellow jumper and the other in an orange top. A speech bubble with a red letter "W" is above them.

    Walling Accountants.

    Brand identity and website design for start-up accountants with a modern approach

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  • Cover of a school prosepectus featuring a group of six diverse students in formal attire standing outside a historic school building, with the title "Stonyhurst Sixth Form" and a subtitle "Welcome to Higher Line."

    Stonyhurst College.

    Prospectus and course information design for prestigious Lancashire boarding school

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  • A lit white candle in a glass container with a label that reads 'by Nala' and 'Uplift,' along with the phrase 'True to Nature.'

    By Nala Candles.

    Brand identity and eco-friendly packaging design for all natural candle company

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  • Close-up of a green and black tropical leaf with a dark background.

    Inleaf.

    Graphic and website design support for growing office plant display specialists

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  • An animated image displaying pink words on a brown background. Words like 'Moo' and ' Grunt' are used to represent farm animal noises.

    Mrs Dowsons Farm Park.

    Logo design and brand refresh for ‘hands-on’ Lancashire farm attraction for families

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  • Insignia Interiors logo with purple background and white text

    Insignia Interiors.

    Logo design and brand identity refresh to help local company compete with national brands

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  • A person holding a smartphone displaying a list of children's centers including Robert Owen Children's Centre, Invicta Children's Centre, and Rachel McMillan Children's Centre, with a yellow Feedback button at the bottom right.

    Live Well Greenwich.

    Accessible website design for health information, advice and support

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  • A clear glass bottle with a wooden and black label reading 'CATHEDRA' on the cap. The bottle has a black and gold label with decorative geometric patterns.

    Cathedra Gin.

    Luxury spirits packaging design for English cathedral gin brand

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What could we do for you?

CONTACT US

A smarter choice.

We sit in the sweet spot between design agency and freelance designer, so our clients get the best of both worlds. Gray explains the benefits…

Laptop screen displaying a website for Brindle Distillery with bottles of Cuckoo craft gin in front of an outdoor farm scene background.

A smarter choice than a design agency…

Agency-quality creative services for less.

Working from our home design studio means lower overheads for us and lower prices for you.

An experienced designer on every project.

Why pay agency prices, only for your project to be delegated to a junior? With us you get a senior-level, award-winning designer guaranteed. And at a sensible price too.

Direct communication with your designer.

You have direct contact with me, your designer, throughout your design project. No account handlers or other designers.

FREE project management.

Nina makes sure your project is delivered on time and budget. We don’t charge for Nina’s project management time because she frees me up to get on with your project – the work you’re actually paying us for.

Quick turnarounds when you need them.

With the capacity and flexibility to work outside of regular office hours, when time isn’t on your side, we are.

FREE project management?

With Nina handling the smooth running of your project, it means I can focus on the creative work you’re paying us for. You get a more efficient service and a better outcome. We get more time for paid work. Everyone’s a winner.

Contact us for more information

A smarter choice than a freelance designer…

Two professionals for the price of one.

As well as getting a first-class designer, your job is looked after by Nina, an experienced project manager, at no extra cost.

100% creative focus.

I’m focused solely on your project, not the daily distractions faced by a freelancer, juggling clients and paperwork (I’ve been there)…

Over 25 years creative industry experience.

For most of my career, I’ve worked for respected, award-winning agencies in Manchester and Preston, to Design Director level.

Business-minded and forward thinking.

We always work with your business aims and audience in mind, and proactively offer creative ideas to market your business.

Professional extras.

We have access to trusted printers, photographers, videographers and more, working to the same high standards we set ourselves.

Wooden door with a wooden hotel door hanger that reads 'Just drifting off' and notes 'Do not disturb' at the Lakeside Hotel.

Higher standards, lower costs?

Yes please!

We’re here for you.

We care about your success.

We’re in this together! As a small business, we’re personally invested, driven and proud to do work that contributes the success of your business.

We work hard.

Like any small business, our work supports our lives and family. To show our appreciation, we work hard for every penny, are dependable and reliable.

A man with glasses and a beard wearing a grey long-sleeve shirt, standing with arms crossed, next to a woman with black hair in a red ribbed turtleneck and black jeans, in front of a wall decorated with framed artwork.

We’re nice to work with.

We’re friendly, considerate, respectful and honest because that’s how we like to be treated. We love a good laugh and never take life too seriously.

We’re tried and trusted.

We’re proud to have worked with many of our clients since our beginning and some since theirs, which speaks volumes Read our client testimonials below.

Read our profiles and get to know us better on our About page.

  • NHS logo on a blue background

    "Design by Gray are very creative and deliver impactful concepts and creatives, offering excellent value for money. On top of that they are lovely people to work with. I will definitely work with them again."

    Russell Cartwright
    Head of Communications & Behaviour Change
    NHS South East London ICB

  • Logo for Moguhl, featuring an abstract pattern of gradient coloured hexagons.

    "We had a complex project that required deep sector knowledge and in-depth understanding of our project narrative and requirements. Their professionalism and output was truly world class, I would highly recommend them."

    Heath Groves
    Director
    Moguhl Ltd

  • "Working with Design by Gray on our rebrand was an absolute pleasure. Nina and Gray were amazing to work with! Creative, thoughtful, and completely in tune with our hotel vision. They’ve created a truly special brand for Lakeside Hotel that perfectly captures the essence of who we are."

    Rachel Jackson
    Marketing Manager
    Classic Lodges Hotel Group

  • Logo for "Do Well" on a plain background.

    "We are really happy and enjoy working with Gray and Nina. Very easy to talk to, helpful, and have many insights on how to better your website."

    Christina Lumba
    Founder
    Do Well Therapy

  • Logo of Brindle Distillery Holmes Farm Lancashire and Cuckoo Spirits, with a black semi circle and church tower and a bird in flight.

    “From concept to product launch and beyond, Gray have been at the heart of our family project and have brought our brand to life in ways we could never have imagined.”

    Mark Long
    Owner & Director
    Brindle Distillery

  • Nextday Freight logo with purple text and a check mark inside a yellow circle.

    “Throughout the process of rebranding our business and creating our new website, Design by Gray went above and beyond to understand our values and our vision. We have already received more work as a direct result of the new website.”

    Paul Cox
    General Manager
    Nextday Freight

  • Logo of King George's Hall with building and text label

    "From first contact with Nina, I was confident we were in good hands with Design by Gray. The final product is simply stunning and it’s been very popular over the bar, largely down to the label design which really stands out."

    Neil Dagnall
    Venue Operations Manager
    King George’s Hall

  • Logo of Royal Borough of Greenwich with red text and emblem on a black background.

    "Gray and Nina bring with them extensive experience of health related social marketing. They work with us to understand our aims and take on board any comments. The project was delivered on time, to a high standard, and was excellent value for money."

    Rebecca Layng
    Public Health Programme Manager
    Royal Borough of Greenwich

  • The Stonyhurst College crest with a purple and white shield and the words 'STONYHURST' in purple below.

    “Gray always goes the extra mile, with a range of creative suggestions and an excellent understanding of succinct copy combined with a clean, innovative visual design style.”

    Ruth Hughes
    Director of Admissions
    Stonyhurst College

We’d love to hear from you.

Get in touch