Studio Kiln: the Falmouth alumni with global clients
25 April 2025
Nathan Smith and Charlie Hocking met by chance in a shared workspace and quickly realised they had a lot in common.
After graduating from Falmouth University’s Graphic Design BA(Hons) and Integrated Foundation Year courses respectively, they moved to London and worked with some of the world’s biggest brands. Now based in Penryn, these proud Cornishmen have their own global clients, including Vinted and ITV, and employ graduates from the Graphic Design course.
"Cornwall will always be part of our identity,” says Charlie. “And we want people to see that you can do big things from here.”
From day one, the vision for Studio Kiln was bold: to create world-class work from Cornwall. “The ambition was always to continue doing global work, not to scale down,” says Nathan. And that ambition has paid off. The studio was recently listed among the best design studios in the world by D&AD and The One Club.
A recent collaboration with Channel 4 and the Royal Television Society saw the studio “push the boundaries of what that convention could be,” with a playful typographic identity that made waves across the industry. “It was an idea that just kept on giving,” Charlie reflects. “We created these big letters that burst out from every page or wall.”
Studio Kiln now creates brands, narratives and digital experiences that are grounded in meaning and built for the real world. “Good design for us revolves around people,” says Charlie. “It’s not just about the output, but about how that work makes people feel.”
Despite their international reach, Studio Kiln remain committed to their Cornish roots. “It was key that we could offer jobs in Cornwall that matched anything people might expect in London,” Nathan explains. The studio regularly welcomes interns from Falmouth University, and has hired graduates from our Graphic Design course.
Falmouth has a strong ethos around concept-driven design. That variety and depth of thinking is something we really value in our team. We like the variety that comes out of the course – and also, they tend to be nice people. When we're recruting we're loooking for someone with a real fire in their belly.
At Studio Kiln, the boundaries between design and technology are intentionally blurred. “Historically it’s been seen that conceptual thinking and the tools you use to make that work are quite separate,” Nathan explains. “We think these are one and the same.” From motion graphics to code, the team believes that today’s designers need to be fluent across platforms: “You’ve got to be able to jump into After Effects or Cinema 4D, understand how to host a website, and choose the best platform for each client."
There’s no such thing as just setting some type anymore. You need to know how it all fits together
When Nathan and Charlie first launched Studio Kiln in Cornwall - rather than digital cities like London, Bristol or Manchester - they weren’t sure how clients would respond. “We were a little nervous about how to communicate the fact that we’re down here,” Charlie says. “But once people knew we were based in Cornwall, they loved it.” Their success has helped challenge assumptions about where creative excellence can happen.
“There’s something about Cornwall that’s potentially overlooked,” he adds. “We want to show the world what’s possible from here.”
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