(Our History)
The Evolution of Our Agency
The Beginning
This is our story. It all started, more or less, as a joke. A Japanese and a German photographer and designer walked into a bar. (No, that's not it!) We lived with our four cats in Seattle in the 1990s. To earn extra money, we did freelance photography and design jobs for friends and neighbors.
We discussed a name for our little startup one day and settled on Hungry Cats Imagine—as in, "hungry cats imagine you hiring us so we can earn money to feed them!" The name was an immediate hit. Our friends and clients loved it, but our felines felt a bit more ambivalent about it.
Studio 5
Fast forward to 2004. We just moved into a beautiful (and huge) loft in Seattle's Pioneer Square district. Plenty of room for our photo studio and design agency. We even named our new business after it: Studio 5.
Then one of us got laid off from a big creative agency. Well, the timing seemed right to start our agency. And we could rely on each other's support. "You did what?! Are you out of your friggin mind?!" Well, we got our first big client and never looked back.
Chance Meeting
One day we ran into our upstairs neighbor at the local print shop. Previously we passed each other on the stairs but never talked much. He needed a CD cover designed, which the print shop could not do. Eager for business, we offered our services. What we thought was simply a quick job was the start of something big!
It turned out that our neighbor was a big shot in the marketing world. The chance meeting in the print shop led to working on projects for Nike, Quiksilver Roxy, and Pony International! And the start of a unique and lasting friendship. Thank you, Richard!
The Coffeeshop Days
During these early days, we often met with our clients in coffee shops at mutually convenient locations, preferably with easy freeway access and plenty of parking. Being flexible and willing to meet clients at or near their location made it more convenient for them, which led to more business for us.
For many of our clients, we became their trusted go-to resource for all their creative needs. Soon, we managed their projects, developed partnerships with vendors and service providers, and expanded our reach. Press checks at 6 AM and creating brand style guides became routine.
Big Boy Pants
Over time, we grew into a small but innovative professional web design agency from our humble beginnings. Our service offerings quickly expanded to include web design and development services. As a result, we attracted a more extensive and diverse range of clients. And soon, we began to work with clients from across the US and beyond.
As our clients asked us to help them with different aspects of their creative projects, we also had to expand our service offerings. We did everything from copywriting and content editing to website hosting and support, social media marketing, and search engine optimization.
Time to Refocus
Being a big agency was fun and exciting, up to a point. But soon, we were so busy managing teams and projects that we had little time to focus on what mattered to us: great design! As a result, much of what we did had nothing to do with creativity.
Instead of offering all services in-house, we focused strictly on web design and development, including related services such as web hosting and SEO. We outsource everything else to specialized service providers. The results included better service for our clients and more fun for us!
A New Type of Agency
Over the years, we have faced many challenges and exciting opportunities. And as a result, we had to reinvent ourselves a few times. For example, when another creative agency nearby had a similar name, we decided to rebrand. This allowed us to stand out in our market as a unique, innovative agency.
Being a big agency never appealed to us. Designing 500 websites that all looked the same was not for us. Nor did we want to work with every type of brand or business. So instead, we carefully selected the clients we work with and created elegant solutions tailored to their audience and expectations.
Expanding Globally
In 2018, our founders moved to Japan and established a second studio in Sendai with our team in Seattle. Most Japanese businesses have outdated websites. Being multilingual gave us the advantage of introducing Japanese brands to North American and European audiences.
Two years later, we formed a strategic partnership with a European design agency to expand our reach. Today, our web design agency works with clients in the US, Canada, SE Asia, and Europe.
The Dawn of a New Era
Over the two decades we have been in business, the process of web designing has changed considerably. When we first started, options were limited. Table-based design seemed like a huge advance. Flash animations were all the rage. And we did our best to keep up and stay ahead of the curve.
Today, artificial intelligence has become part of web design, content creation, and SEO. Our team has adapted as well. We believe that combining machine learning with human creativity can push the boundaries of what is possible. And we are excited to explore new options for our clients.
And we are not done yet! The story continues...
We invite you to help us write the next chapters!