This page summarises Cross Origin in a format built for AI assistants and search tools. It is a public page at a public address, the same for everyone who opens it. The pages and posts listed are real pages on this site; the questions and answers below come from those pages: some are written by the team and shown on the page, others were generated by an AI from the page's content, reviewed where the site requires it, and may not appear on the page itself.
A branding agency helps businesses define who they are, what they stand for, and how they communicate that to the world. At Cross Origin, that means everything from brand strategy and positioning to visual identity design (logo, colour, typography, tone of voice) and the messaging frameworks that hold it all together. The result is a brand that’s coherent, compelling and built to grow with you.
— from Create
A brand refresh updates how your brand looks and sounds without changing what it stands for. It might mean a tidier logo, a clearer colour palette, updated typography or sharper messaging. A rebrand goes deeper. It revisits your positioning, your audience and sometimes your name, because the organisation itself has changed. If people still understand what you do but your brand looks dated, a refresh is usually enough. If your business has moved on and your brand no longer describes it, a rebrand is the better fit.
— from Create
The simplest test is whether your brand still tells the truth about your organisation. If it does, but looks tired, a refresh will help. If you’ve added services, changed audience, merged or grown significantly, the gap is usually strategic rather than visual. Cross Origin’s Diagnostics service is a structured brand and digital audit that shows which one you need before you commit to either.
— from Create
Brand identity design varies significantly depending on scope. A basic visual identity (logo, colour palette, typography) from a boutique agency typically costs £3,000–£5,000. A full brand identity system including strategy, messaging, visual guidelines and brand assets generally ranges from £8,000 to £25,000+. At Cross Origin, we tailor every project to your specific stage and goals. We don’t do off-the-shelf packages.
— from Create
A focused brand identity project typically takes 6–10 weeks from discovery to delivery. A fuller brand transformation, including strategy, positioning, identity design and brand guidelines, usually runs 10–16 weeks. Timelines depend on the complexity of the brief, the number of stakeholders involved, and how quickly you can give feedback. We’ll always give you a clear timeline at the outset.
— from Create
Every branding project starts with discovery. We sit down with you and the people who know your business best to get under its skin: where you are now, where you’re heading, who you need to win over and what’s holding you back. We look at your market, your competitors and how your customers actually see you, and we challenge a few assumptions along the way. You come away with a clear picture of what your brand needs to do, and whether that means a refresh or a full rebrand. Everything we create after that is built on what we find.
— from Create
Brand strategy is the thinking: who you’re for, what you stand for, how you’re different and what you need people to understand. Visual identity is how that strategy is expressed: your logo, colours, typography, imagery and design system. Identity without strategy tends to look good but say little. Strategy without identity stays in a document. Cross Origin treats them as one piece of work, with strategy first.
— from Create
Most agencies do either brand strategy or digital delivery. Cross Origin does both under one roof. With over 40 years of combined creative experience, Piero Barba and Tim Vaughan lead every project personally. We work with a small number of ambitious clients at a time, which means you get boutique-level dedication, not a conveyor belt. We don’t do rigid packages or templated thinking. Every brand we create is built specifically for where your business is headed.
— from Create
Yes, always. A logo without strategy is just decoration. Brand strategy defines your positioning, your audience, your personality and your core messages before you make a single visual decision. That gives your identity solid foundations that hold up across every touchpoint, from your website to your sales materials. At Cross Origin, strategy always comes first.
— from Create
A brand guidelines document (also called a brand bible or style guide) sets out exactly how your brand should look and sound across every application: digital, print, social, signage. It covers logo usage, colour values, typography rules, tone of voice and imagery style. If you have a team, work with external suppliers, or plan to grow, brand guidelines keep your brand consistent as your business scales.
— from Create
Yes. Brand naming, tone of voice and messaging frameworks are all part of what we do under the Create pillar. A strong brand is more than a logo. It’s also what you say and how you say it. We help you find a voice that’s distinctive, authentic and right for your audience, so what you say and how you look work as one.
— from Create
We work primarily with ambitious established businesses approaching their next growth milestone, whether that’s professionalising their brand, repositioning in the market, or preparing for a new audience. We also work with a select number of emerging businesses that need a strong visual identity and launch platform. If you’re based in Sussex, the South East or London and want to make your brand impossible to ignore, we’d love to hear from you.
— from Create
A good freelance designer can be the right choice for a focused piece of work, such as a logo or a set of templates, where the strategy is already clear. A branding agency is better suited when you need strategy, messaging, identity and a website to work together, because it brings several specialists to one project. At Cross Origin, that means a small, senior team covering strategy, content, design and development, without you having to coordinate separate suppliers.
— from Create
Our Grow service covers the full spectrum of digital marketing that drives business growth: search engine optimisation (SEO), content strategy and creation, email marketing, social media strategy, and campaign planning. Everything we do is grounded in your brand strategy – so your digital marketing feels like a coherent extension of who you are, not a series of disconnected tactics.
— from Grow
SEO is a long-term investment, not a quick fix. Most businesses start to see meaningful movement in rankings and organic traffic within 3-6 months of consistent work. Competitive markets or heavily technical sites can take 6–12 months. The key is consistent, strategic effort – quality content, technical health, and authority building over time. We set realistic expectations from day one and track progress transparently every month.
— from Grow
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) focuses on ranking in traditional search results on Google and Bing. AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) focuses on structuring content so AI-powered search features, such as Google’s AI Overviews and featured snippets, use your content as the direct answer to a question. AIO (AI Optimisation), sometimes called GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation), goes further, building the authority and citation signals that lead AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity to recommend your business. All three reward clear, well-structured content and consistent information about who you are, what you do and where you work. At Cross Origin, we work across all three.
— from Grow
Not necessarily – it depends on your audience and goals. Social media is one channel among many. For B2B businesses, LinkedIn content and email marketing often drive better returns than Instagram or TikTok. For consumer-facing brands, social presence matters more. We always start with your audience and goals before recommending channels – we’d rather focus your budget on what works than spread it thinly everywhere.
— from Grow
A commonly cited benchmark is 7–10% of revenue for established businesses, with growth-focused companies investing more. In practice, for a Sussex SME, a meaningful digital marketing budget starts from around £1,500–£3,000 per month for a managed SEO and content programme. The right number depends on your goals, competition and timeline. We’ll help you understand what investment is needed to achieve what outcome.
— from Grow
Content marketing means creating genuinely useful, relevant content – blog posts, guides, case studies, videos – that your target audience actually wants to read or watch. For SEO, it matters enormously: Google rewards sites that demonstrate topical authority through consistent, high-quality content. For AIO, it’s even more critical – AI models recommend businesses whose expertise is evidenced across multiple pieces of well-structured content.
— from Grow
Our core focus within Grow is organic search (SEO), content strategy and digital marketing campaigns. For social media management, we can advise on strategy, content planning and brand voice – and we work with trusted partners for full social media management where needed. We’ll always be upfront about what sits within our core offering and what we’d bring in specialist support for.
— from Grow
We track what actually matters to your business – not vanity metrics like follower counts. Key measures include: organic search traffic and rankings, conversion rate (enquiries, form fills, calls), cost per lead, engagement rates on content, and return on marketing investment. We set up Google Analytics 4 and Search Console reporting from the start and provide clear monthly reporting against agreed targets.
— from Grow
Local SEO is the practice of optimising your online presence to appear in location-based searches – “branding agency Sussex” or “web design Haywards Heath”, for example. If your clients are primarily in a geographic area, local SEO is essential. It covers Google Business Profile optimisation, local keyword targeting, NAP consistency across the web, and building local citations. For Cross Origin’s own clients, local SEO is often one of the fastest-return activities.
— from Grow
Most digital marketing agencies work in isolation from your brand – they optimise clicks without considering whether the content actually sounds like you. At Cross Origin, digital marketing is always brand-led. Because we also handle branding and web design, everything is strategically aligned: your SEO content sounds like your brand, your campaigns reflect your positioning, and your website converts the traffic we drive to it. It’s the joined-up approach that most agencies can’t offer.
— from Grow
Website costs vary widely depending on scope, functionality and the agency you work with. A professionally designed brochure website from a boutique agency typically starts from £5,000–£8,000. A more complex site with custom functionality, e-commerce, or deep content architecture can range from £10,000–£30,000+. At Cross Origin, we scope every project individually — you’ll always know exactly what you’re getting and why before any work begins.
— from Build
A well-scoped brochure or service website typically takes 8–12 weeks from briefing to launch. More complex builds with custom integrations or large content volumes can take 14–20 weeks. The biggest factor affecting timelines is usually content — the faster you can supply copy, images and approvals, the faster we can build. We’ll set clear milestones at the start of every project.
— from Build
Yes — WordPress is our primary build platform. It powers over 40% of the web for good reason: it’s flexible, scalable and gives clients full control over their content without needing a developer for day-to-day updates. We build on custom themes (not page-builder templates) to ensure performance, security and a site that actually reflects your brand rather than looking like everyone else’s.
— from Build
A redesign typically means updating the visual design — new look, better UX — while keeping the existing structure and CMS. A rebuild means starting from scratch: new architecture, new theme, new codebase. If your current site has serious performance issues, outdated structure, or no longer fits your business, a rebuild is usually the smarter long-term investment. We’ll help you make the right call based on your existing site’s audit.
— from Build
Yes. Every website we build at Cross Origin is built with SEO foundations in place — clean code structure, proper heading hierarchy, optimised page speed, mobile responsiveness, meta tag framework and schema markup. We don’t bolt SEO on afterwards; it’s part of the build process. For clients who want to go further, our Grow service provides ongoing SEO strategy and content marketing after launch.
— from Build
Absolutely. We build every site so that clients can confidently manage their own content — updating pages, adding blog posts, uploading images — without needing to call a developer. We provide handover training and documentation as standard. If you’d prefer us to handle ongoing updates and maintenance, we offer support packages to cover that too.
— from Build
Website speed is critical — both for user experience and for Google rankings. Core Web Vitals (Google’s speed metrics) directly influence where your site appears in search results. We optimise every build for performance: lightweight code, image compression, lazy loading, caching and CDN setup. We test every site against Google’s PageSpeed Insights before launch.
— from Build
Ideally, yes — and this is one of Cross Origin’s key strengths. Redesigning your website before your brand is settled means you’ll be building on shaky foundations. When brand and web are developed together, every decision — from colour and typography to messaging and UX — is aligned from the start. It saves time, saves money, and produces a far more cohesive result.
— from Build
To scope a website project accurately, we typically need: a clear brief on your business goals and target audience, examples of sites you like and dislike, your existing brand assets (or confirmation that branding is part of the scope), a rough indication of the pages and functionality required, and your target launch date. We’ll walk you through a discovery process to capture all of this properly.
— from Build
Yes. Post-launch, websites need ongoing care — WordPress updates, plugin maintenance, security monitoring, performance checks and content updates. We offer monthly support and maintenance packages to keep your site secure, fast and up to date. We’ll recommend the right level of cover based on your site’s complexity and how frequently it changes.
— from Build
Not always, but it’s worth checking first. A new website built on a brand that no longer fits will carry the same problem into a more expensive place. If your positioning and messaging are still right, you can go straight to the build. If you’re unsure, a brand and digital audit will show whether the brand needs attention before the website does.
— from Build
Website builders suit simple sites that need to launch quickly on a small budget, and they work well for many sole traders and early-stage businesses. A bespoke website makes sense when your site needs to reflect a specific brand, support a particular customer journey, integrate with other systems or grow with the business. Bespoke sites also give you more control over structure, performance and search visibility, including how AI tools understand your content.
— from Build
A brand diagnostic is a structured audit of your brand and digital presence — identifying what’s working, what’s holding you back, and exactly what needs to change to drive growth. At Cross Origin, our Diagnostics service gets under the skin of how your business shows up: visually, verbally, digitally and strategically. It’s the intelligent starting point before any transformation work begins.
— from Diagnostics
Starting creative work without a diagnostic is like renovating a house without a survey. You might fix the wrong things, or miss fundamental issues that undermine everything built on top. A brand audit reveals the real gaps — not just the symptoms. It ensures any subsequent investment in branding, web or digital marketing is targeted, strategic and delivers a measurable return.
— from Diagnostics
You choose the report that fits your question: Brand Clarity Review, Website Health Check, Social Media Insights or SEO Data Report. Each one starts with a 30-minute discovery call to understand your business, goals and market. We then carry out the diagnostic and deliver a clear report with prioritised insights and actionable recommendations, plus a customised proposal for next steps where relevant.
— from Diagnostics
Our Diagnostics engagement typically runs over 2–3 weeks, depending on the size and complexity of your business and the breadth of the audit required. We work efficiently and without unnecessary back-and-forth — you’ll receive your report and recommendations at a scheduled presentation, with time to discuss and ask questions.
— from Diagnostics
You receive a written report for the diagnostic you chose, with prioritised insights and clear, actionable recommendations. For example, the Brand Clarity Review covers first impressions, visual identity and consistency, tone of voice, and positioning and brand story, while the Website Health Check covers structure and navigation, content, SEO, usability and accessibility, and overall brand experience. Where relevant, we’ll indicate which items Cross Origin can help with directly. The report is yours to act on, with or without us.
— from Diagnostics
No. The Diagnostics service is a standalone engagement with genuine value in its own right. Our job is to give you an honest, objective assessment of where you are and what needs to change. Some clients take the report and act on it independently. Others choose to work with us on the recommendations. Either outcome is fine — our reputation is built on giving you the truth, not telling you what you want to hear.
— from Diagnostics
Each Diagnostics report costs £495: the Brand Clarity Review, the Website Health Check, the Social Media Insights report and the SEO Data Report. If you decide to partner with us on a brand identity or strategy package, the £495 is deducted from the project fee. A Diagnostics report costs far less than discovering fundamental issues halfway through a rebrand or website build.
— from Diagnostics
Yes. Each report stands alone, so you can choose only the digital ones. The Website Health Check assesses your site’s structure, content, SEO, usability and brand experience, and the SEO Data Report covers site health, keyword opportunities, content gaps, search visibility and competitor comparison. If your brand is already strong but your website isn’t performing, one of these is the right starting point.
— from Diagnostics
Our Diagnostics service is designed for ambitious businesses that know something isn’t working but aren’t sure exactly what — or businesses approaching a significant growth moment who want to make sure their brand and digital foundations are solid before they invest further. It’s particularly valuable for established businesses that haven’t reviewed their brand or digital presence in 3+ years.
— from Diagnostics
After presenting your report, we’ll discuss the recommendations and help you prioritise. If you choose to work with Cross Origin on any of the areas identified, we’ll create a tailored proposal covering the relevant services – whether that’s brand transformation (Create), a new website (Build), digital marketing (Grow), or a combination. There’s no pressure and no predetermined outcome – the Diagnostics report is the honest starting point for whatever comes next. If you go on to work with us on a brand identity or strategy package, your £495 is deducted from the project fee.
— from Diagnostics
Cross Origin is a branding agency that designs and builds websites. Brand strategy and website build sit within one small, senior team in Haywards Heath, so the thinking behind your brand carries straight through to the page structure, the copy and the code. Many agencies create a brand and hand the website to a separate developer working from someone else’s brief. Others build websites without first looking at positioning and messaging. Either way, something gets lost between the strategy and the finished site. We start with diagnosis: how your brand is seen today, what your audience needs to know, and where the gap sits between the organisation you are and the one people see. The same people who do that work then design and build your website. When you’re ready to grow, SEO and AI search visibility build on the same foundations.
— from About
Cross Origin was founded by Piero Barba and Tim Vaughan. Piero is Creative Director and leads brand strategy and visual identity. Tim is Digital Director and leads website development, digital strategy and search. Both work directly on client projects, alongside Claire Scott, Head of Content Strategy, and Paul Block, Senior Designer.
— from About
Brand strategy and identity projects are led by Piero Barba, Creative Director and co-founder. Piero leads the diagnosis, positioning and visual identity work. Claire Scott shapes the messaging and content strategy, and Paul Block, Senior Designer, develops the identity across every touchpoint.
— from About
Digital strategy is led by Tim Vaughan, Digital Director and co-founder. Tim oversees website architecture, development, hosting, SEO and AI search visibility, making sure the decisions made in brand strategy show up in how your site is structured, built and found.
— from About
Yes. Cross Origin is based in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, in the heart of Mid Sussex. We’re a short journey from Brighton, Crawley and Gatwick, and on the main line into London.
— from About
Cross Origin works with businesses and charities across Sussex and the South East, including Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill, Brighton, Crawley, Horsham, East Grinstead and Lewes. We also work with organisations in London, across the UK and internationally.
— from About
Yes. Most of our clients are in Sussex and the South East, but we work with organisations across the UK and internationally. Workshops can happen in person or online, and the rest of the project runs just as well remotely.
— from About
Yes. Haywards Heath is around 45 minutes from central London by train, so meeting in person is straightforward. London clients work with the same small, senior team as everyone else, with workshops held in London, in Sussex or online.
— from About
Good brand thinking and good digital execution don’t always speak the same language. We built the agency to sit exactly where they cross over. Turns out there was already a word for that - we just borrowed it.
— from About
As Smart Aviation approached its 20th anniversary, its brand and website had stopped keeping up with the business. The site worked but felt like a booking engine, while the business itself felt more like a personal, knowledgeable phone call, so a refresh was needed to close that gap.
— from Smart Aviation: Evolution, Not Revolution
The homepage was led by an Avinode search box, which made the first impression transactional, as if Smart Aviation were just another price comparison site. The colour was bright and saturated, the imagery was mostly aircraft, and there were very few people shown.
— from Smart Aviation: Evolution, Not Revolution
Yes. The Smart Aviation icon, two arrows forming an S, was kept because it is distinctive and well known in the industry. Cross Origin paired it with a cleaner wordmark so the brand feels more current without losing the mark clients already recognise.
— from Smart Aviation: Evolution, Not Revolution
Sea Green and Raspberry are now used as accents rather than backgrounds, with charcoal and soft grey doing the heavy lifting for a calmer, more assured look. Photography moved from aircraft shown on their own to the people around them, including the team, clients, and the moments before and after a flight.
— from Smart Aviation: Evolution, Not Revolution
A refined serif handles headlines to bring a sense of occasion, while Montserrat is used for navigation, body copy and detail to keep everything clear and easy to scan.
— from Smart Aviation: Evolution, Not Revolution
The project was shaped around executive assistants to HNWIs and CEOs, event and travel management companies, and the people who move sports teams, film crews and touring artists. These audiences are organised, time-pressed and brand-aware, and choose a charter partner based on trust.
— from Smart Aviation: Evolution, Not Revolution
AiCan is a digital learning hub built to help autistic people understand and use AI in everyday situations such as money, forms, food, home and social situations.
— from AiCan: building a brand that doesn’t shout
Because autistic users can be highly sensitive to bright colour, visual clutter and busy layouts, so Cross Origin designed AiCan's brand to feel calm before it feels clever, balancing warmth and trustworthiness with clarity.
— from AiCan: building a brand that doesn’t shout
Cross Origin tested three colour directions — a sharp tech-forward palette, a soft muted one, and an organic natural one — judging each on whether it calmed or agitated users, and applied the same filter to typography, rejecting traditional serif as too corporate and quirky sans-serifs as gimmicky.
— from AiCan: building a brand that doesn’t shout
AiCan's robot is cartoon-soft and more mascot than machine, designed to avoid making people nervous, and it was one of the details the co-producers responded to best.
— from AiCan: building a brand that doesn’t shout
AiCan was co-produced with Active Prospects, Pro-Active Community, and the University of Surrey's Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing, and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
— from AiCan: building a brand that doesn’t shout
AiCan was inspired by Matt Leadbeater, whose own experience of AI making daily tasks easier shaped the whole programme.
— from AiCan: building a brand that doesn’t shout
Emojo is a digital wellbeing web app where each Emojo character represents a key area of life, such as health, environment, relationships, and skills. The character has its own personality and subtle animation, growing as users progress so that self-improvement becomes something they can see, feel, and connect with.
— from Let’s Set A New Goal Today!
After Active Prospects and JPMorgan's CSR initiative, Force For Good, developed an early version of the wellbeing web app, Cross Origin stepped in to give it a brand with personality and clarity, covering naming, visual brand concepts, UX, UI, development, animation, and design.
— from Let’s Set A New Goal Today!
Active Prospects wanted the experience to feel less like a tracking system and more like something engaging, motivating, and enjoyable, so the challenge was to create a brand that inspired rather than just informed, with a personality closer to a game than a tool.
— from Let’s Set A New Goal Today!
Usability was defined through the perspective of those with lived experience, and a co-production process with Active Prospects and individuals in care helped refine the language, tone, and interaction so the experience resonates comfortably with users with autism and learning difficulties.
— from Let’s Set A New Goal Today!
The brand concept was translated into a digital experience by mapping detailed user flows and developing wireframes, creating a clear interaction framework so both stakeholders and users could intuitively understand the journey ahead.
— from Let’s Set A New Goal Today!
Cross Origin built a richly decorative, Victorian-inspired identity using ornate typography, gold frames and detailed illustrations, then swapped traditional elements in the artwork for donuts to add a playful twist to the classic refinement.
— from Taking The “Ugh” Out Of Donuts
The Sweet-Talking Donut is a bespoke Shopify app Cross Origin created that lets customers record a personal voice message when sending a giant donut as a gift. The message loads onto a device built into the packaging and plays when the box is opened, helping increase average order value and encourage repeat purchases.
— from Taking The “Ugh” Out Of Donuts
Cross Origin built The Donut Club's eCommerce store on Shopify, designing every step from landing page to checkout to feel on-brand, while structuring the site to make the most of Shopify's SEO power to boost visibility and traffic.
— from Taking The “Ugh” Out Of Donuts
Cross Origin's project scope for The Donut Club covered branding, visual brand concepts, packaging, Shopify design and development, and social media management.
— from Taking The “Ugh” Out Of Donuts
Yes, Cross Origin continues to manage The Donut Club's social media strategy, bringing consistency to their content and building steady, sustainable growth through clear brand voice, strong visuals and joined-up campaigns.
— from Taking The “Ugh” Out Of Donuts
Cross Origin partnered with Rose Media Group to give clients access to in-depth B2B PR expertise, including press coverage, reputation building and headline-grabbing moments that elevate the creative work Cross Origin does.
— from What’s Behind Our New Partnership with Rose Media Group
Rose Media Group is a team of seasoned PR professionals with deep roots in traditional media and an instinct for stories that cut through, understanding long-term relationships, insight-led storytelling and placing messages where they matter most.
— from What’s Behind Our New Partnership with Rose Media Group
The partnership complements Cross Origin's brand, digital and campaign services, creating more joined-up campaigns that blend strategy, design, digital and PR so every part of a brand sings from the same sheet.
— from What’s Behind Our New Partnership with Rose Media Group
Rose Media brings the PR firepower while Cross Origin brings the creative spark, together building campaigns with reach, relevance and resonance.
— from What’s Behind Our New Partnership with Rose Media Group
The project scope covered brand strategy consultation, brand research, visual concepts, and website design and development.
— from Evolving into a New Breed of Estate Agency
Cross Origin experimented with a new colour palette, a simplified yet striking logo, and bold typography blending classic elegance with contemporary appeal, amplified by dynamic video content and high-quality imagery crafted by a team assembled by Josh, PSPHomes' Managing Director.
— from Evolving into a New Breed of Estate Agency
Cross Origin took a ground-up approach, stripping the website back to its essentials and rebuilding it with a mobile-first focus, with every element designed to enhance user experience and highlight PSPHomes' core USPs.
— from Evolving into a New Breed of Estate Agency
Design sprints were used to work closely with PSPHomes to uncover possibilities, test ideas, and explore different directions, since significant changes can feel daunting for stakeholders who have dedicated years to their business, with the goal of finding solutions aligned with the business's growth and development objectives.
— from Evolving into a New Breed of Estate Agency
The new website seamlessly integrates engaging video content optimised for mobile platforms, championing the team's expertise and approachable nature while projecting PSPHomes' brand personality.
— from Evolving into a New Breed of Estate Agency
PSPHomes described their old website as dated and clunky, and said the new one looks cool, modern and sleek, adding that Cross Origin's knowledge and enthusiasm made the experience really enjoyable.
— from Evolving into a New Breed of Estate Agency
As demands and technology in the residential solar and battery sector evolved rapidly, Home Smart Energy needed to segment its visual brand to create clarity and focus for different audiences with very different needs, including eco-conscious homeowners, tech-savvy early adopters, and energy sector partners.
— from Future-led Energy Innovations
The Powermark is a flexible visual device that captures sustainability, forward-thinking, and energy in motion. Its dynamic arrows subtly form a lightning bolt in the negative space, nodding to power and innovation while echoing the feel of a recycling symbol, reinforcing HSEnergy's commitment to renewable energy.
— from Future-led Energy Innovations
The project scope covered brand strategy consultation, brand research, visual brand concepts, motion graphics, and brand assets.
— from Future-led Energy Innovations
The new visual system gives HSEnergy the tools to speak to different audiences in a way that connects, whether highlighting product benefits or tailoring messages to different customer types, while keeping everything consistent and on-brand for both residential and commercial customers.
— from Future-led Energy Innovations
Yes, the new brand architecture had to create room for growth in new markets and product categories, delivering a future-ready identity that represents HSEnergy's growth, innovation, and future trajectory.
— from Future-led Energy Innovations
Just Charge approached Cross Origin seeking a rebrand consisting of a new visual identity and marketing approach that makes their EV charger management tool look as good as it sounds.
— from Charge Your Way. Just Charge
Cross Origin addressed a clear pain point for businesses managing EV charging, which seemed more complicated than it needed to be, by building a brand that helps Just Charge show how simple they make it.
— from Charge Your Way. Just Charge
The charge bar is the foundation of Just Charge's new visual identity, created to reinforce the message 'Charge your way.' It's a flexible, open-ended design element that can be molded to compose, communicate, emphasise and excite in many ways while maintaining Just Charge's distinct personality.
— from Charge Your Way. Just Charge
Yes, following the launch, Cross Origin created a short video called 'This is JustCharge' to re-introduce Just Charge and show off the new identity.
— from Charge Your Way. Just Charge
Just Charge said Cross Origin truly understood their vision and created a visual identity reflecting the simplicity they aim to bring to customers, stripping away complexity often found in their industry and delivering a design system that's clear, flexible, and easy to understand.
— from Charge Your Way. Just Charge
Over the past four years, Cross Origin has worked with PSPHomes to evolve their brand beyond traditional estate agency norms, refining their visual identity and rebuilding their website for mobile-first browsing and short-form video content, reflecting where their audience now spends time.
— from Adapting to audience behaviour to stay ahead of the game
PSPHomes recognised that their audience's attention is earned, not given, so Cross Origin rebuilt their website for mobile-first browsing and short-form video content because that's where their audience lives now, giving them a competitive edge in a fast-moving market.
— from Adapting to audience behaviour to stay ahead of the game
Through strategic brand evolution with Cross Origin, PSPHomes has transformed from familiar to standout, investing in a digital presence that reflects both their heritage and their ambition.
— from Adapting to audience behaviour to stay ahead of the game
A diagnostic report from Cross Origin gives an honest opinion and a clear plan for transformation across your brand, social media, SEO, or paid ads.
— from Adapting to audience behaviour to stay ahead of the game
Cross Origin's designer Sam says that attention is currency, and if your brand isn't moving, it's standing still.
— from Adapting to audience behaviour to stay ahead of the game
Cross Origin explains that posting is actually the easiest part of the process. Real social media management involves strategy, researching your ideal customer, keeping your brand sharp, staying on top of fast-changing platforms, being genuinely social rather than just posting and ghosting, and using social listening and copywriting informed by consumer psychology - all of which add up to a full-time job.
— from Social media strategies for business success
Cross Origin likes to use Agorapulse and Brandwatch to 'eavesdrop' on customer conversations, helping brands learn what their audience cares about, what frustrates them, and how they speak so content can be built that truly connects.
— from Social media strategies for business success
Cross Origin points out that vanity metrics are outdated, and that a local trade business only needs 10 of the right people to contact them, rather than chasing large follower numbers.
— from Social media strategies for business success
Cross Origin suggests joining the right Facebook groups and answering questions helpfully with no sales pitch, so that when someone needs a service, like a roof replaced, that business is the name they remember.
— from Social media strategies for business success
It's an option for businesses not yet ready to commit to a full project, where Cross Origin shows exactly where to focus and what to let go of in a social media strategy.
— from Social media strategies for business success
Cross Origin will refund the cost of the Social Media Insights Diagnostic if the business then chooses to partner with them on a full social media management project.
— from Social media strategies for business success
Cross Origin identified that the mismatch between the shopfront name 'Property Sales Partnership' and the URL www.psphomes.com created customer perception and SEO issues. Cross Origin recommended dropping 'sales' since people don't like being sold to and search for 'homes' rather than 'properties', and ensuring the URL matched the business name, leading to the rebrand as PSPHomes.
— from The Power Of Brand Identity In An Evolving Estate Agency Market
Under Managing Director Josh Wickwar, PSPHomes had prioritised integrated advanced digital solutions, which diluted its brand vision. Its content-heavy website, built on a complex template, was overly intricate and lost the essence of the brand's identity, so Josh approached Cross Origin to refine the balance between technology and brand personality.
— from The Power Of Brand Identity In An Evolving Estate Agency Market
Cross Origin experimented with a new colour palette, a simplified yet striking logo, and bold typography blending classic elegance with contemporary appeal, amplified by dynamic video content and high quality imagery. The website was stripped back and rebuilt with a mobile-first focus, integrating engaging video content optimised for mobile platforms.
— from The Power Of Brand Identity In An Evolving Estate Agency Market
Cross Origin has partnered with PSPHomes for the last four years, though the relationship traces back to 2005 when Cross Origin first worked with the business, then known as Property Sales Partnership.
— from The Power Of Brand Identity In An Evolving Estate Agency Market
Since the rebrand, PSPHomes has expanded into lettings, opened new offices, and won British Property Awards in 2022 and 2023, cementing its status as one of Sussex's leading estate agencies.
— from The Power Of Brand Identity In An Evolving Estate Agency Market
The rise and fall of Purplebricks shows that a high-volume, low-cost model combined with an overly ambitious expansion plan is not the right approach for estate agencies operating in today's competitive property market.
— from The Power Of Brand Identity In An Evolving Estate Agency Market
Cross Origin developed a unique visual system for Autism West Midlands (AWM), designed to be eye-catching while authentically reflecting who they are—built around a strong visual language rather than just a new logo.
— from Embracing Difference, Empowering People
Cross Origin uncovered adaptability as the key attribute, drawing on AWM's open, passionate nature and decades of care and commitment since 1985, reflecting how they embrace change for themselves and the people they support.
— from Embracing Difference, Empowering People
The brand identity uses soft, merging shapes to reflect understanding and flexibility, while geometric shapes frame messages and hero images to build connections within the layout and guide the audience through a story.
— from Embracing Difference, Empowering People
There are around 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, with 60,000 of these living in the West Midlands.
— from Embracing Difference, Empowering People
Autism West Midlands said Cross Origin did a fantastic job on their rebranding and new website, praising the creative solutions and the team's work to accurately capture what they were looking for.
— from Embracing Difference, Empowering People
Cross Origin doesn't just animate things — it builds custom motion systems that reflect a brand's personality, values, and voice, working closely with clients to translate business goals into motion that gets results.
— from Meaning in Motion: Why Brands Can’t Afford to Stand Still
Cross Origin treats motion as strategic because the pace, rhythm, direction, and easing of movement all shape how a brand feels, turning motion into a visual tone of voice that expresses a brand's personality within the first few seconds.
— from Meaning in Motion: Why Brands Can’t Afford to Stand Still
Motion design can increase website traffic by 157%, and 46% of users made a purchase after seeing a brand video on social media, alongside improved brand recall given the average user attention span of just 8 seconds.
— from Meaning in Motion: Why Brands Can’t Afford to Stand Still
Cross Origin points out that most brands rely on the same templates, static carousels, and AI-made animations, so a unique motion identity sets content apart from this sea of Canva posts and auto-generated animations, making a brand memorable in a feed that resets every 24 hours.
— from Meaning in Motion: Why Brands Can’t Afford to Stand Still
Cross Origin explains that motion expresses a brand's personality consistently across platforms like websites, product videos, and Instagram Stories, and this consistency builds recognition, which builds trust, which in turn builds sales.
— from Meaning in Motion: Why Brands Can’t Afford to Stand Still
Cross Origin repositioned Penwortham Home Improvements as a specialist construction business covering roofing, garage conversions, landscaping and driveways, rather than general handyman work. The new identity, PHI Builders, was designed to communicate trust, scale and expertise so Daryl Herring could win larger, higher-value jobs.
— from From one man in a van to a £1.2M builder’s brand
Daryl had been running his own Meta ads and getting decent impressions but few serious leads. Cross Origin replaced the DIY boosted posts with a full-funnel Meta ads campaign featuring clear messaging and bespoke video creative, which produced instant results.
— from From one man in a van to a £1.2M builder’s brand
The early Meta campaign used 1 ad at £300/month, reaching 45,000 people and generating around £15K/month in revenue. After optimisation, PHI Builders ran 3 ads at £600/month, reached over 240,000 people, generated 4,500+ engagements, and the business reached £1.2M turnover.
— from From one man in a van to a £1.2M builder’s brand
Over a six-month period, PHI Builders' Google Ads campaign generated 2,865 conversions from over 67,000 impressions, with a cost per click of £0.65 and a conversion rate of 20.27%.
— from From one man in a van to a £1.2M builder’s brand
Cross Origin's content-led website refresh targeted high-value local keywords such as 'garage conversions Lancashire,' helping PHI Builders improve organic rankings to 2nd in Google Search for key phrases and reach 1st place in AI search results for key phrases.
— from From one man in a van to a £1.2M builder’s brand
According to Daryl Herring, Managing Director of PHI Builders, the business now receives high-value enquiries every day and has grown to support a team of seven, a transformation he credits to Cross Origin's marketing strategy.
— from From one man in a van to a £1.2M builder’s brand
Cross Origin spent a day with Amber Housing's management team tackling big questions about their future and uncovering the purpose driving their brand, giving the team the chance to voice their vision directly.
— from Transformative journey towards registered provider
Cross Origin gave a subtle nod to the affiliation with Ambient Support without overshadowing Amber Housing's own identity, balancing the connection carefully as part of the rebrand.
— from Transformative journey towards registered provider
As Amber Housing shifted to becoming a registered provider, its rebrand needed to balance growth, reliability, approachability, and expertise.
— from Transformative journey towards registered provider
The project scope covered a visioning workshop, visual concepts, brand identity, and website design and development.
— from Transformative journey towards registered provider
Cross Origin used authentic people photography and a colourful, friendly palette to dial up the approachable vibe, putting the people of Amber Housing center stage in the visual identity.
— from Transformative journey towards registered provider
Solo Property Group, a property company with over 50 years of experience, needed to visually unify its four companies under one umbrella brand as the next generation stepped in to make strategic changes, repositioning the group as a forward-thinking property investment organisation while honouring its legacy.
— from A proud past driving future vision
Cross Origin spent time with the owners exploring the family history and core values, then focused on restructuring the umbrella brand and refining naming conventions so each sub-brand felt connected to a unified visual identity while still maintaining its own independence.
— from A proud past driving future vision
The pillars are a graphic element symbolically shielding Solo Property Group, embodying dynamic growth while evoking the protective structure of a home's roof and walls, and they provide a visual framework that integrates the naming conventions of the umbrella brand and its sub-brands.
— from A proud past driving future vision
The colour palette is designed to be divided to represent the four companies that make up the group, ensuring each retains a distinct yet cohesive identity.
— from A proud past driving future vision
The project scope covered brand research, visual concepts, group brand identity, website design and development, and motion graphics.
— from A proud past driving future vision
Eight years after founding LCW, Lucy Williams wasn't sure how to steer the website in a direction that reflected the team's achievements and future ambitions, while regularly competing with other large agencies.
— from Reflecting Excellence and Innovation in Medical Communications
Cross Origin worked closely with LCW's senior team, delving into the history of the name, logo, and website, then helped develop a set of brand values and a value proposition aligned with LCW's approach and culture, including crafting a new strapline, URL, and key messages. As part of this, LCW decided to remove the reference to 'consulting'.
— from Reflecting Excellence and Innovation in Medical Communications
Cross Origin redesigned letter shapes, resolved negative space issues, and repurposed a petal from the original logo into a unique 'W', combined with subtle colour updates.
— from Reflecting Excellence and Innovation in Medical Communications
The project covered Brand Consultancy, Brand Voice, Visual Concepts, Brand Identity, Motion Graphics & Editing, Website Design & Development, and Branded Templates.
— from Reflecting Excellence and Innovation in Medical Communications
The redesigned letter shapes, resolved negative space, repurposed logo petal, and updated colours provided the creative assets for a stunning 3D brand video showcasing LCW's capabilities.
— from Reflecting Excellence and Innovation in Medical Communications
The Social Media Insights diagnostic from Cross Origin gives a deep dive into your current performance, first impressions and content, telling you what's working, where you can improve, and where your audience actually is, so you can stop guessing and start showing up where it matters.
— from Time to leave the party: signs you’re on the wrong platform
Signs include posting without getting any response, using the wrong tone or language for the platform, spending time and budget reworking content to fit multiple formats, and chasing vanity metrics like high view counts instead of results that actually drive revenue.
— from Time to leave the party: signs you’re on the wrong platform
Not every platform suits every brand, and audiences engage differently depending on where they are and what they're looking for, so a brand catering to distinguished gentlemen aged 60+ is very unlikely to find that audience on TikTok.
— from Time to leave the party: signs you’re on the wrong platform
While LinkedIn generally won't fill a nail salon's bookings calendar, it can work well if the salon is launching a new training programme for aspiring nail techs, since in-depth think pieces suit LinkedIn's professional, networking-focused audience.
— from Time to leave the party: signs you’re on the wrong platform
Cross Origin argues that vanity metrics are never the goal because getting thousands of views on a platform your ideal client doesn't use is good for the ego but probably doesn't drive revenue, whereas speaking directly to your target audience lets conversions take care of themselves.
— from Time to leave the party: signs you’re on the wrong platform
Omnia Resource Solutions needed a distinctive visual identity that embodied professionalism and approachability, reflecting its commitment to a personalised, end-to-end recruitment service in the cyber security sector rather than a traditional resume-focused approach.
— from Omnia – Prepared in all things
Cross Origin used motion as a tool to communicate Omnia's values without words, creating a brand system designed to express the company's passion for going above and beyond for clients and candidates.
— from Omnia – Prepared in all things
Cross Origin created a refined, bold logotype that positions Omnia as a premium service, along with a striking, dynamic graphic that expresses the brand's values around connections, security, and going the extra mile.
— from Omnia – Prepared in all things
The project scope covered Brand Consultancy, Brand Voice, Visual Concepts, Brand Identity, Motion Graphics & Editing, Website Design & Development, and Branded Templates.
— from Omnia – Prepared in all things
Omnia Resource Solutions said Cross Origin took the time to truly understand their needs and delivered a branding solution that exceeded their expectations, and they highly recommend Cross Origin's services.
— from Omnia – Prepared in all things
Ifchor Galbraiths needed to establish itself as a formidable presence in the shipbroking services industry while nurturing the loyalty and dedication of its employees. Cross Origin worked closely with the management team, using design sprints and engaging key stakeholders to integrate the new brand across the organisation.
— from Our Partners In Maritime Services
The scope covered naming, brand research, brand strategy, visual concepts, brand identity, print design, motion graphics and editing, and website design and development.
— from Our Partners In Maritime Services
The solid circle encapsulates a strong sense of unity between the two merged companies.
— from Our Partners In Maritime Services
Cross Origin developed a unified visual language inspired by the motion of a radar, integrated into bespoke photography and filming across all 19 global offices.
— from Our Partners In Maritime Services
It provides a framework supporting reports, presentations, research documents, and marketing communications, ensuring the brand stands out consistently across various platforms.
— from Our Partners In Maritime Services
Typeface selections and colour palettes were taken from the heritage of both Ifchor and Galbraiths to create familiarity.
— from Our Partners In Maritime Services
As part of Jumpin Fun's branding refresh, the inflatable theme park needed a versatile, cheeky mascot that could be animated to keep kids hooked and entertained while learning important health and safety details.
— from Creating Jumpin Jax!
Jumpin Jax faced a competitive audition against a colourful cast of characters and won the role thanks to a talent for climbing, jumping, falling, and even having a taste for beer.
— from Creating Jumpin Jax!
Jumpin Jax is intentionally crafted to captivate kids aged 4-11, with no hint of gender, religious, or race specificity, and is depicted as being from another dimension.
— from Creating Jumpin Jax!
Jumpin Jax was brought to life through designing and storyboarding the character's everyday adventures combined with After Effects rigging.
— from Creating Jumpin Jax!
Feedback has been very positive. The kids love it and seem glued to the video no matter how many times they've seen it.
— from Creating Jumpin Jax!
Cross Origin competed against 9 other agencies and was selected to name, design, and develop brand assets for the collaborative care recruitment initiative rolling out across Surrey, a decision made with 7 care organisations involved.
— from Fast Track Brand for Care Talent Collective
Cross Origin began with a naming workshop exploring essential brand attributes and turning them into naming triggers, using collaborative brainstorming to narrow down potential names through a joint decision-making process with the involved care organisations.
— from Fast Track Brand for Care Talent Collective
The brand emphasises the need for individuals with Care Talent to bring enthusiasm and energy into the lives of those with learning disabilities and autism, centring on the question 'Do you have care talent?'
— from Fast Track Brand for Care Talent Collective
Cross Origin used a vibrant colour palette and created a visual representation of a journey that is exciting and rewarding, reflecting a path that's never straight.
— from Fast Track Brand for Care Talent Collective
The scope covered Naming, a Branding Workshop, Brand Research, Visual Concepts, Brand Identity, Website Design & Development, and Branded Templates.
— from Fast Track Brand for Care Talent Collective
It is designed to fast track careers in Learning Disabilities & Autism support across Surrey, bringing together 7 care organisations in a collaborative recruitment effort.
— from Fast Track Brand for Care Talent Collective
Although engagement was steady, it wasn't translating into website visits or leads, so Cross Origin recognised that Dorton needed a targeted campaign that drove the right people to the website, where the experienced sales team could convert interest into sales.
— from Making Sure Dorton’s Hidden Treasures Don’t Stay a Secret
Cross Origin optimised social accounts for discoverability, ran audience tests to find best-performing demographics, developed Meta and Google Ads campaigns targeting high-intent, location-based keywords, designed ad creative and video, tweaked website UX elements like calls to action and contact visibility, built a relocation campaign, created short-form Instagram reels, collaborated with influencers like Salvage Sisters, wrote SEO-focused blog content, and continued organic social posting.
— from Making Sure Dorton’s Hidden Treasures Don’t Stay a Secret
Dorton saw a 405% increase in website traffic, a 233% increase in page views, a 330% increase in enquiries, over 10,000 organically built local followers, and a 168% increase in Instagram reel views among a younger, more local audience.
— from Making Sure Dorton’s Hidden Treasures Don’t Stay a Secret
Cross Origin built a relocation campaign to generate buzz around Dorton's move and new facility, forming part of the wider, evolving strategy that combined social, SEO, paid ads and influencer collaboration.
— from Making Sure Dorton’s Hidden Treasures Don’t Stay a Secret
Duke Harvey is the Managing Director of Dorton Reclaim. He said Cross Origin took the time to understand the business, its customers and its uniqueness, and that website traffic, enquiries and audience reach all improved significantly as a result.
— from Making Sure Dorton’s Hidden Treasures Don’t Stay a Secret
Ambient Support was a large charity operating under six different names and logos, and the challenge was to bring them together under a single, unified brand umbrella.
— from Working with an organisation where people really do care
Cross Origin travelled the country to experience Ambient's care homes first-hand, interviewed staff and service users, ran workshops and conducted online surveys to determine brand perceptions.
— from Working with an organisation where people really do care
The project was carried out over a two year period, with Cross Origin working closely with the communications director and her team throughout.
— from Working with an organisation where people really do care
The project scope covered Market Research, Brand Research, Visual Concepts, Brand Identity, UX-UI Design, Website Development, Print Design, Animation and Art Direction.
— from Working with an organisation where people really do care
The project produced a strong brand strategy and a clear path to further success, with Davina Sellick, Communications Director, noting that Cross Origin made the very complex situation manageable by working as part of her team.
— from Working with an organisation where people really do care
The name emerged from an energetic naming workshop led by Cross Origin, drawing inspiration from the dynamic spirit of team sports, particularly football.
— from Giving children the building blocks to cope with life
Cross Origin immersed themselves in a local football club atmosphere to strike a balance between fun and credibility, resulting in typography with playful shapes resembling children's building blocks that assemble into a symphony of togetherness, along with a mischievous icon featuring a smile in place of the letter U.
— from Giving children the building blocks to cope with life
An initiative led by local sports clubs and town councils aimed to establish a support center dedicated to helping children build confidence across emotional well-being, fitness, and nutrition, with the mission of creating a professional organisation with a robust support process while swiftly gaining credibility.
— from Giving children the building blocks to cope with life
The project scope included Market Research, Naming, Brand Research, Visual Concepts, Brand Identity, Print Design, and Animation.
— from Giving children the building blocks to cope with life
The Huddl offers a safe environment where a child can share their concerns with a feeling of trust and well-being, giving them the building blocks to cope with life's challenges.
— from Giving children the building blocks to cope with life
Cross Origin references Gartner's Marketing Budget Research Report 2022, which found that offline channels are experiencing the greatest gains in marketing budget investment when compared to digital.
— from How does your brand translate from on-screen to in-person?
Cross Origin's single most important tip is bringing your brand with you so it remains consistent across everything you do, since this builds trust and cohesion in a saturated world.
— from How does your brand translate from on-screen to in-person?
Cross Origin advises considering every aspect of your identity, including taglines, fonts, colourways, photography, tone of voice, and customer service, so your online brand translates consistently to the analogue world, since customers won't differentiate between engaging with you digitally or offline.
— from How does your brand translate from on-screen to in-person?
Cross Origin recommends taking time to understand your customers and considering where your target audience is going to be, whether that's billboards, bus sides, trade fairs, or magazines, so you can engage with them in the right places.
— from How does your brand translate from on-screen to in-person?
Cross Origin suggests adopting a hybrid approach by using real-world marketing to send people back to your website, and interrogating the success of offline campaigns through offer codes or by asking customers how they found you.
— from How does your brand translate from on-screen to in-person?
Cross Origin says you should make sure the campaign supports your overall business objectives and that you have robust plans to measure your return on investment before diving into an offline campaign.
— from How does your brand translate from on-screen to in-person?
As Jumpin madness spread across the UK with five new sites opening, Jumpin Fun needed to unify their brand and amplify the vibrancy and fun factor for its core target market.
— from Taking The Leap Into 2025!
Cross Origin created a new logo that lets Jumpin Fun tag their location and features an enormous, contagious smile, echoing the beaming faces of kids bouncing around.
— from Taking The Leap Into 2025!
Jumpin Jax is a versatile, cheeky mascot created as part of the branding refresh, designed to be animated so kids stay hooked and entertained while learning important health and safety details.
— from Taking The Leap Into 2025!
The project scope included Market Research, Brand Research, Visual Concepts, Brand Identity, UX-UI Design, Website Development, Print Design, Animation, and Art Direction.
— from Taking The Leap Into 2025!
Cross Origin injected an urban vibe into the interior and social media graphics, an essence that was then carried through seamlessly into Jumpin Fun's new website.
— from Taking The Leap Into 2025!
Since its launch in 2018, seven more JumpIn sites have opened up around the country, demonstrating the attraction of the product as well as the eye-catching and effective brand identity.
— from Taking The Leap Into 2025!
It allows designers, architects and clients to create their own brick façade using Michelmersh's full range of products, choosing from 150 bricks, 29 mortar colours and 4 bond types, with up to 10 different brick types per wall, before rendering and emailing the finished visual to themselves.
— from How we made the Michelmersh’s Façade Designer
Each brick png has bespoke edges depending on whether the brick is man or machine made, and mortar texture is applied for extra visual authenticity, so the wall develops visually in front of the user as they build it.
— from How we made the Michelmersh’s Façade Designer
Customers must supply a little information to the Michelmersh sales team before emailing themselves the design, since the tool is integrated into Salesforce for data capture.
— from How we made the Michelmersh’s Façade Designer
Cross Origin built the plugin to work with Michelmersh's existing WordPress website, using a combination of Fabric.js, HTML 5, Canvas and Asynchronous AJAX so the render appears within a few seconds of a customer choosing their options.
— from How we made the Michelmersh’s Façade Designer
Cross Origin began by discussing Michelmersh's requirements and ambitions, researched feasibility within budget and timeframes, created documents including user journey diagrams, specifications and coding parameters, then worked on UI designs and prototypes before testing, reworking and repeating until the product was right.
— from How we made the Michelmersh’s Façade Designer
Established in 1997, Michelmersh produces premium precision-made bricks, pavers, shaped bricks and bespoke terracotta products, and was the first UK clay product manufacturer to offer intuitive Building Information Modelling (BIM) files before introducing the Façade Designer.