Creative Agency vs Design Studio: What’s the Difference?

Amy Caulfield
Aug 8
2 min read

Looking to build your brand and not sure whether to hire a creative agency or a design studio? You’re not alone. It’s one of the most common questions founders, marketing leads, and growing teams ask - especially when every website seems to promise strategy, design, content, and everything in between.

In this guide, we break down the difference between a creative agency and a design studio, when to choose each, and what to expect in terms of services, mindset, and cost. If you’ve ever searched for "creative agency vs design studio," this is the blog that answers it properly.

Three people discuss ideas around a laptop displaying fashion designs. Camera and papers on the table, creating a focused, creative mood.

What Is a Creative Agency?

A creative agency is typically a multidisciplinary team that offers services across branding, campaigns, advertising, content, and digital experiences. Some may also handle strategy, media buying, or PR.

Creative agencies are often structured like traditional ad agencies - with account managers, strategists, copywriters, designers, and producers working together across multiple channels.

Common creative agency services:

Brand strategy & identity
Advertising & digital campaigns
Social media content
Film & photography
Copywriting
Web and product design

What Is a Design Studio?

A design studio tends to focus more deeply on visual identity, design systems, and brand experience - often with a smaller team of specialists who work hands-on.

Where an agency might delegate across departments, design studios are usually more involved in the craft itself - creating assets, shaping visuals, and obsessing over consistency.

Common design studio services:

Visual identity systems
Brand guidelines & typography
Website UI/UX design
Motion graphics
Art direction
Product & packaging design

Creative Agency vs Design Studio: Key Differences

Feature	Creative Agency	Design Studio
Scope	Full campaign, multi-channel	Focused on brand & visual identity
Team structure	Larger, often account-led	Smaller, design-led
Creative process	Brief > departments > delivery	Immersive, often founder-led
Ideal for	Brands needing end-to-end campaigns	Brand needing clarity + strong identity
Cost range	£30k - £200k+	£15K - £50k+

When to Choose a Creative Agency

Choose a creative agency when you:

Need large-scale, multi-channel campaign work
Want social media, film, and copy all under one roof
Have a complex marketing roadmap that needs coordination
Prefer a more structured, traditional agency model

When to Choose a Design Studio

Choose a design studio when you:

Want to build or refresh your brand identity from the ground up
Need a tighter, more craft-focused team
Value sharp visuals, consistency, and clarity
Care about design-led thinking that doesn’t feel templated

Why VMV.STUDIO Is Both - Without the Bloat

At VMV.STUDIO, we operate more like a design studio in philosophy, but offer the range of a creative agency - without the overhead, layers, or jargon.

We work hands-on across:

Design: brand identity, design systems, UI/UX, and motion
Film: cinematic production, animation, and campaign content
Strategy: brand architecture, tone of voice, and storytelling

We offer two ways to work:

Project (from £16,000): For one-off campaigns, rebrands, or launches
Tether (from £4,000/month): For growing brands needing ongoing creative firepower

Final thought

The label doesn't matter as much as the fit - your creative partner should get your vision, challenge your thinking, and bring consistency to your brand across every touchpoint. Want to talk through which model fits your needs best?