Brilliant minds. Thoughtful design. Brands that work.

A leading branding, graphic design and website design agency in Highbridge, Somerset, built on clarity, craft, and collaboration.

About Design Hive

Founder Mel launched the business in 2009 from a box room upstairs at home, building brands with a laptop, a clear point of view, and a belief that good design should always have a purpose. What began as a one-woman studio quickly gained momentum, and before long the spare room was no longer enough.

The next step was a purpose-built office extension at home - complete with its own entrance and toilet facilities - giving the business space to grow and clients a more professional place to meet. It was a sign of things to come.

Our team creates beautifully executed graphic design and powerful, considered WordPress websites that help businesses scale and evolve.

As the work evolved and the team expanded, Design Hive outgrew the house entirely. Today, we’re based on an industrial estate in Highbridge, Somerset, working from a shared space inside Quicksign, a signage company. It’s a setting that suits us perfectly – practical, creative, and rooted in making things properly.

Now an established branding and design agency, we work with ambitious businesses who want clarity, consistency, and design that actually works. From brand identities and websites to print, signage, and digital design, everything we create is built to be used in the real world, not just admired on a screen.

While the studio has changed, the mindset hasn’t. We still believe in taking the time to understand our clients, asking the right questions, and creating work that earns trust and delivers long-term value. Design Hive has grown from a box room into a buzzing studio, but at heart, we’re still about people, partnership, and thoughtful design done well.

Strategic thinkers. Creative partners.

Your senior team focused on building brands that work in the real world.
Mel Downing - Design Hive
Mel Downing
Founder & Head Designer
Karl Stephens - Design Hive
Karl Stephens
Lead Developer
Adam Bowyer - Design Hive
Adam Bowyer
Graphic Designer
Christopher Mufudzi  - Design Hive
Christopher Mufudzi
Studio Coordinator

Ambitious customers. Genuine feedback.

I asked Design Hive to do what I thought was the impossible. Design a postcard and a pop up banner, get both printed, and delivered within 3 days! Also I needed quality. Wow, they stepped up to the task. Providing a quote within hours. And then sending me the first proofs within a day. Once I’d signed those off, the materials arrived the day after to my home address. Absolutely amazing! Would certainly use again.

Corinne Matthews
-
Somerset Council

That’s the moment I knew Melanie Downing and the team at Design Hive had quietly pulled off something brilliant.

It’s easy to undervalue design. Until you realise it’s not just how you look, it’s how you’re understood. So, here’s to the designers who see what we can’t, and who say “yeah… no” in the nicest possible way, when they hear a bad idea!

Neil Fellowes
-
Sedgemoor FM

Inside the Hive

A look behind the scenes at how we think, work, and solve problems. From strategic insights to practical advice, this is where we share ideas that help brands grow with clarity and consistency.
Consistently rated ★★★★★ on Google by our customers Consistently rated ★★★★★ on Google by our customers Consistently rated ★★★★★ on Google by our customers Consistently rated ★★★★★ on Google by our customers