The JDJ Story...
Although JDJ Creative was established in 2011, the story of JDJ begins eight years earlier in 2003. Jean Prelorenzo, our Founder and Creative Director, was working as a freelance designer and illustrator. For her, graphic design was both her passion and her day job. Hence the creation of the brand - Jean’s Day Job.
When husband Mario - also an accomplished Designer and Art Director - joined the team in 2011, it was no longer just Jean’s day job, so JDJ Creative was born.
Since then, the agency has continued to grow, with new team members and areas of speciality being added to the mix. Many of our clients have been with us since day one, and continue to be an important part of the business. Proof that good customer service and attention to detail are key to ongoing success.
These 10 years have taught us the importance of being adaptable, but also to stick to our principles and ideals. That’s why we’ll never stop questioning. We’ll always be inspired. And we’ll continually be in search of wonder.
How design trends have changed since 2011
A decade of website design
In a fast-moving technological world, the area in which design has probably changed the most over the past decade is website design.
This impact is highlighted best by the rise and rise of mobile internet. Back in 2011, the iPhone was only on its fourth iteration and the Samsung Galaxy series only six months old. 4G wouldn’t be rolled out until 2012.
When we formed in 2011, 93.91% of all web traffic came through desktop devices. This meant that websites were crammed full of as much information as possible. Homepages were stuffed full of content, links and rich designs full of textures, gradients and shadows.
This changed with the rise of mobile browsing. A movement that was rapid during the 2010s, with mobile overtaking desktop traffic in November 2016, and staying ahead ever since.
The mobile effect was felt across the web design spectrum, with 2013 described by the news platform Mashable as the ‘Year of Responsive Web Design’. Since then, mobile devices have been front of mind when designing web pages, with technology allowing designers to push the boundaries further than ever before, including full-width pages, large hero images, and with video playing an ever-increasing role.
A decade of print design
With the rise of digital media, came the decline of printed advertising. From 2011 to 2019, magazine advertising revenue fell in the UK from £1.22 billion to just £0.65 billion, coinciding with a decline in sales from 820 million copies to 373.8 million copies (2011-2018).
But printed mediums remain one of the most trusted sources of information. Brochures remain a great way of demonstrating quality, which is why many high-end brands continue to utilise this medium.
In terms of design trends, the past decade has seen a lot of trends come and go. Inspired by the need for responsive web design, flat design and minimalism played a big part in print design during the early years of the decade. Likewise, infographics continued to increase in popularity to the point where they’re now commonplace across all media. Later on, more experimental trends would enter the mainstream, including duotones, glitch effects and artistic combinations of illustration and photography.
JDJ has continued to be at the forefront of design trends, continually pushing boundaries to create designs that are current but also timeless.
A decade of change
As machine learning has developed apace over the past 10 years, automation has become more and more prevalent in today’s world. Where design tasks were once undertaken with a pencil and paper, nowadays computer algorithms can do much of the heavy lifting. So JDJ’s offering has changed too.
We work alongside digital teams to create unique sensory experiences, combining infographics and illustrations with predefined layouts and automated processes that keep the audience engaged.
Automated systems have brought with them endless possibilities, but by keeping a human touch, we can push the boundaries even further.
