Graven is an independent design studio based in the heart of Glasgow City Innovation District (GCID). Operating in over 40 countries, they assist global brands and ambitious start-ups, using their years of expertise to provide tailored design solutions that help businesses succeed.
Senior Enterprise Fellow at the University of Strathclyde Professor Janice Kirkpatrick OBE co-founded the design consultancy with her architect partner Ross Hunter in 1986. As a Fellow Janice plays a key role in inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurially-minded graduates, researchers and academics.
As a member of Design & Art Direction, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Visiting Professor of The Glasgow School of Art, Janice is a perfect Senior Enterprise Fellow and will play a key role in delivering the creation and strategy of Strathclyde’s world-leading entrepreneurship ecosystem and the development of a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship within GCID.
The Innovation District is the most amazing part of the city to work in. It’s a proper place with a distinguished history, great people and architecture, cafés, bars and shops. It’s walkable, train-able, and park-able, and enjoyable!
Janice Kilpatrick OBE, Founder Graven
Design, whether visual, linguistic, environmental and brand-based is an important aspect in reflecting the culture, personality, operations and messaging of a business. Design supports functionality and productivity and it can be the difference in building a successful brand and business. Graven has designed and built brands for clients both internationally and in the UK – visually, verbally and by creating functional and exciting workplaces, educational and banking environments, retail spaces, restaurants and hotels. Their expertise has seen them win awards for design in many categories and helped them secure well-known clients around the world.
Graven has also worked on projects for many businesses within the Innovation District such as the Love Loan property development, City of Glasgow College campus, Merchant Square and they led the place branding project that consolidated Glasgow’s Merchant City. They also helped the charitable organisation Friends of Glasgow Royal Infirmary by creating a visual brand and that proudly highlights the hospital’s enduring role in medical innovation.