About Lyon & Lyon
What is Lyon & Lyon?
Lyon & Lyon is a Sheffield and Barry-based design agency that crafts brands focused on sustainability and positive impact. Per the about page: "We craft brands for a better future that bring joy to eyeballs around the world… Much like a killer album, the mission of this band of mavericks is to create unique work that moves people, changes perspectives and creates positive change for people and the planet."
The studio's explicit purpose: "to use our gift of creativity to leave the planet in a happier, healthier and more joyful state than when we started. We have a deep commitment to environmentally responsible design and employee well-being. We even run a 4 day week."
The agency operates a sister venture, Undo-Undo-Undo, described as "a reaction to our own eco anxiety. We're all aware of the problems we (humans, animals, insects, plants, etc) are all facing, so it's time to work on some of the solutions."
Named clients include Urban Outfitters, The Tetley, Who Gives a Crap, Love Raw, 4media Group, ActionAid, Wall's, Box Bar, Supernatural, and S1 artspace. Services span Branding, Product, Interiors, Packaging, Editorial Design, Illustration, Strategy, Brand positioning, Photography, Web Design, Product development, Video, Print Design, and Naming.
Where will I work?
Lyon & Lyon operates from two offices: Wizu Workspace, 32 Eyre Street, Sheffield S1 4QZ, and Goodsheds Lofts, Hood Road, Barry CF62 5QT (south Wales). Team members work across the two offices plus remote setups. From the people page: "With team members across two offices and remote setups, it's super important to get some facetime IRL."
What is the Lyon & Lyon team like?
A tight-knit team described as "Free-spirited, conscious minds." The named team includes Ben Lyon, Mat Lyon, Sam Orea, Alexa Meffe, Annie Timmins, and Jim Kuwamura. Self-description from the people page: "We're a lively bunch of creative visionaries, beautiful oddballs and good souls. A tight-knit crew who are bound by our collective obsession with meaning behind 'things' and using bold creativity to make a positive impact on the world."
The team meets in person monthly for L&L VIBE TIME: "We meet once a month for a 2 day stopover in a UK city, where we work / eat / drink / hike / play street golf / drink so more / eaaaatt and replenish our souls with team goodness."
Work-Life Balance
Lyon & Lyon adopted a 4-day working week during the March 2020 lockdown. Founder Ben Lyon, writing on the studio blog: "Last year, in the midst of lockdown, we made a big decision to adjust to a 4 day working week. We could see the toll that the pandemic was having on everyone around us and felt it was time to take a fresh look at our team's work-life balance."
Results Ben reports: "Since we started taking Fridays off, we've only seen positive results. The welfare of the team is better with the work-life balance definitely tipped in favour of fully experiencing life. It's really interesting to observe how everyone uses their extra time – some of the team like to spend it with their children, others may paint or develop creative skills and some have even taken up woodwork."
On business impact: "It hasn't had an impact on turnover. In fact, it's the opposite – in the last year we've increased our turnover, despite the madness of the pandemic. In those four working days, we're much more focussed and no one's burned out or fed up." The studio's 4DW move was profiled in Forbes.
Perks and Benefits
- 4-day week since 2020 — Fridays off, with no reduction in pay; profiled in Forbes
- Self-Dev Fund — "Everyone gets access to a pot of money to go towards personal development and training"
- Monthly L&L VIBE TIME — 2-day team stopover in a UK city for face time, hikes, and team goodness
- Two offices plus remote — Sheffield (Wizu Workspace) and Barry (Goodsheds Lofts), with hybrid flexibility
- Sister-agency exposure — Undo-Undo-Undo for projects focused on climate and eco-anxiety solutions