Design for York's Small Businesses & New Ventures

Graphic design services for Yorkshire businesses, from a friendly local designer.

I'm Colin, a freelance graphic designer based in York. I help local independents, startups and growing businesses present themselves professionally, with logos and visual brand identities, websites, leaflets and brochures, catalogues and other marketing materials.

Maybe you're about to open your doors, launching something new, or you've realised the logo you made yourself would benefit from a redesign. Whichever it is, I have the skills and experience to ensure your venture makes a great first impression with your target audience.

Goodramgate Christmas Jamboree poster for Discover Goodramgate, York, designed by Colin Boyter
Little Peanuts Day Nursery & Forest School sign near York

Making It Happen

Starting a New Business in York?

When Little Peanuts Day Nursery was still an office building in a village near York, the owner asked me for a "fun and upmarket" identity. By the time the doors opened they had a logo and visual identity, launch marketing and a website in place. A year on and proving a great success, I went back to take photos to update the website and film a promo video.

On York's popular Bishopthorpe Road, Rae & Rae Opticians went from freshly signed lease to a shop with its own identity, fascia, wall graphics and website.

Learn more about my logo and branding process.

‘Colin has taken a huge amount of stress out of the process of launching our business, and I honestly don't know what we would have done without him.’

Shrink business cards showing the new logo

We've All Been There

Outgrown Your Homemade Logo or Website?

Shrink, a York fat-loss clinic, asked me to tidy up the logo they'd made in-house. Once we'd talked about where the business was heading, I suggested a fresh design instead, and handed it over with simple guidelines so it's used consistently.

Dominus CrossFit had a home-built website that wasn't showing the gym at its best. I spent time there taking photos of members actually enjoying themselves and rebuilt the site around a clear route into a beginners' session. The team say new memberships have gone up significantly since.

Read more about my website design process.

‘Colin went above and beyond to capture the true essence of our business. Truly blown away with the results and can't thank him enough!’

— Rich Taylor, Co-Owner, Dominus CrossFit YorkView Project
Rae & Rae Opticians' Looking Out for Mother Earth sustainable eyewear poster in their Bishopthorpe Road shop window

Grab Their Attention, Deliver the Message

Marketing for York Shops, Streets & Events

For the Goodramgate Traders Association I designed and built the Discover Goodramgate website, a guide to the street's shops, cafés, pubs and history, and photographed the businesses and landmarks for it. The website now appears in the first few results in Google when searching "Goodramgate".

I've also branded their street events, including the Christmas Jamboree and the Flowers & Flames midsummer festival, where big outdoor banners helped spread the word. I provided Rae & Rae's sustainable eyewear event with a catchier name and designed the posters, flyers and social media graphics.

Ambiente Tapas website on a phone, showing their Goodramgate restaurant in York

Gain Advantage in a Competitive Market

Branding & Websites for York Hospitality

Ambiente Tapas has three restaurants in York, plus Leeds, Hull and Beverley. Most of their website visits are on mobile phones, so their redesigned website puts menus, locations and table bookings within easy reach of a thumb. Additional content offers a look behind the scenes for diners who are new to tapas.

The Yorkshire Collection owns holiday homes in central York. Their identity leans into a "quirky luxury" feel. The client was provided with brand guidelines and Canva templates so they can make on-brand social posts themselves.

Pages for Parents online shop shown on an iMac

3, 2, 1… Launch!

Launching a Product or Online Shop?

Pages for Parents grew out of Little Peanuts Day Nursery, turning the nursery manager's know-how into a library of eBook guides. They approached me to design the brand and the guides, and build the online shop.

Shelftrak, a retail analytics company working with leading global brands, was spun off from an established research business. They needed an identity that stood apart from their competitors, and a website that would present their suite of services.

York Businesses I've Worked With

Branding, websites, photography and marketing for independents, startups and growing businesses in and around York.

Questions York businesses often ask

How much does a logo or website cost for a small business?

It depends on what's involved, so once we've had a chat to determine the scope of the project, I'll provide you with a clear quote before any work starts. A logo on its own costs less than a full visual identity with guidelines and templates, and a simple brochure website costs less than an online shop.

Tell me what you need and roughly what you'd like to spend, and I'll be honest about what's achievable for your budget.

How long does a logo or website take?

That mostly depends on the size of the project and how quickly feedback goes back and forth. If you've got an opening date or a launch to hit, tell me at the start and we'll plan backwards from it. Several of my York clients had everything ready for the day their doors opened.

Should I hire a freelance graphic designer or a design agency?

For most small and medium-sized businesses, a freelancer is the better fit. You deal directly with the person doing the work, decisions are quicker, and you're not paying for an agency's overheads.

An agency makes more sense if you need a large team working on lots of things at once. If I'm not the right fit for your project, I'll tell you.

I haven't got a business name yet. Can you still help?

Yes. Lots of people get in touch before everything's decided, and it's a good time to start, because the name and the look can be shaped together. I'm happy to be a sounding board on names too. More than a few of my naming suggestions have been used by clients.

Do you only work with businesses in York?

Not at all. Most of my local clients are in York itself, from Goodramgate and Bishopthorpe Road to villages just outside the city, but I also work with businesses across North and East Yorkshire, Leeds, the rest of the UK and worldwide.

Can we meet in person?

Most initial chats with potential clients are usually phone calls or video chats. I'm based in York though, so a face to face meeting is easy to arrange if you'd prefer. Larger projects usually involve a face to face at some point during the process.

Can you do everything, or just the logo?

I have a wide range of graphic design skills and experience. I can design your logo and visual identity, then carry it through to your website, signage, packaging, print, social media templates and photography, so everything has a consistent look. Or I can produce materials that match what you've already got. Here's the full list of services.

What do I need to have ready before we talk?

Either an idea of what you want or even just a marketing, design or communication problem you're looking to solve. A rough idea of your budget is helpful for me to know too. Drop me a line using my online form and I'll get back to you to arrange an initial no-obligation chat.

Starting or growing a business in York? 👋

Tell me what you're working on and let's have a chat about how I can help.

Let's Talk