The 2000s and early 2010s were the golden age of the independent agency as we know it. Carefully structured teams, clearly defined departments, glossy studios and steady headcount growth were all seen as markers of success.
Then, around 2020, the world changed as we faced the pandemic, and the industry had to adapt quickly. Overheads became harder to justify, clients grew more demanding, budgets tightened, and suddenly the old models felt more like baggage.
In their place, a different kind of studio has emerged. They’re smaller, more nimble, and built around networks rather than hierarchies. They’re less interested in looking big and more focused on working well. London-based In-Col Studio sits squarely within that shift, operating as a lean creative studio with a global network and a dual focus on AI-led tech brands and major cultural institutions.
Iain Worgan
Niall Lewis
Founded by Iain Worgan and Niall Lewis, In-Col officially began taking shape during the pandemic years, when remote working stopped being a perk and became a necessity. The pair met while studying at the Royal College of Art, drawn together by a shared interest in typography, systems and cultural work, but arriving there from very different paths.
Iain, originally from Manchester, had already spent a good few years in the industry before enrolling on the RCA’s master’s programme. “I wasn’t particularly happy with where my career was going,” he says. London felt like a reset button, and the RCA, he hoped, would introduce him to people who wanted to work differently.
Niall’s route was less conventional. Raised on the Isle of Wight, he worked in a wind turbine factory before pursuing graphic design more seriously, immersing himself in typography through programmes with Fraser Muggeridge and Erik Brandt. By the time he reached the RCA, he was already freelancing for Nike and record labels, bringing a deep typographic sensibility shaped outside traditional agency culture.
As a result, contrast became one of In-Col’s strengths. “We’ve had very different journeys,” Iain says, “but we’ve come together with different skill sets, which is really useful.” When the pandemic flattened distinctions between office-based and remote work, it also created space for the studio to form without the usual pressure of scale. Clients became collaborators, and shared projects turned into a shared business.
Today, In-Col operates with a deliberately small internal team: Iain, Niall and one designer. Everything else is built through an external network spanning the UK, Europe and the US. “Instead of huge overheads, we keep our internal costs really lean,” Iain explains. “Then if a brand comes to us with a specific need, whether that’s 3D rendering, set design or motion, we build the right team around the project.”
It’s a model that reflects wider changes across the creative industries. Budgets, particularly for founder-led tech and AI startups, rarely stretch to six-figure brand programmes anymore. At the same time, expectations remain high.