Red Dog opened for business on November 2nd, 1993 – the morning after founders Mary Doherty and Irene Gough graduated from the National College of Art and Design.
Based in Dublin and with an office in New York, we’ve built our reputation over the last 20- plus years by conceiving, designing, writing, producing and managing great work that helps our clients’ businesses thrive. Whether it’s a local start-up looking to carve out a niche or a big-name brand looking for new ways to be heard, we’re confident that we can help.
Our philosophy is simple: we work hard, we love what we do and we always deliver. We work closely with our clients, de- mystifying the creative process, and bringing it back to what it’s really about: communicating with insight and air.
Ultimately, the most effective creative work comes from curiosity. So we work with people who are inquisitive, passionate about creativity, and focused on results. That’s why, in addition to the 14-strong team in our studio, we also work with the best writers, photographers, illustrators, and strategists to help us do the best work we possibly can. And it is events like Offset that inspire us to try even harder to make Red Dog as good as it can be.
The work we are showing here is a testament to – and a celebration of – some of the creative collaborations we have had over the years.
When we commission photographers we try to use the best Irish talent we can find. Paul McCarthy has worked with us for years and recently created a series of portraits for Walk – an organisation that works with people with intellectual disabilities. Red Dog designer Catherine Robertson put a lot of thought and consideration into the styling and layout of the shots and it paid off in the final product.
Davys is Ireland’s largest stockbroker and financial advisor and we are currently rolling out a new visual language across their business. Photography plays an important part in creating the perfect tone for them so we chose Laurence McMahon to create a series of portraits of customers and staff. They are exactly what we wanted – high-end and authoritative while also retaining a sense of warmth.
And when budgets don’t allow us to commission, we will even set up shots ourselves in Red Dog and do the photography in-house – like this one for Irish Film Board. Thanks Stu!
One of Red Dog’s all-time favourite projects has to be Concern Worldwide’s annual report and we are currently working on our 17th…that has to be some kind of record! Although we do know that the designer who does CRH’s has being doing it for over 50 years – and really deserves a plaque or something at this stage! Above is an example of photography shot for the report which Paula McEntee designed, beautifully placed and relevant objects taken by Ros Kavanagh. These have now being used in a series of posters to help educate Irish children on how well off we all are in Ireland. Below is an image of a Concern report designed by Kim Robinson – the cut-outs on the cover nearly put our printer in therapy!
Illustration is another love of the Red Dog team and, when we can, we commission this locally. Ireland is steeped in talent but we believe that there is a lot more out there that we do not know about so we welcome illustrators sending us samples of their work. Below is a glimpse of some illustration-based work from our studio.
‘Three little piggys’ commissioned by Paula McEntee for her visual brand work with The Old Spot Gastropub. We also developed playful copy lines to support the visuals: ‘quaff or scoff’, ‘dine or devour’ and ‘sip or swill’. For us, the verbal identity is as important as the visual. Illustrations by Bradley Jay.
Beautifully illustrated lettering by Fatti Burke for a book designed by Red Dog‘s Catherine Robertson.
Design by Paula and illustrations by Margaux Carpentier for a new education book for children from Concern Worldwide.
Fuschia MacAree created a beautiful suite of illustrations for this Walk annual report.
Red Dog is a business that must thrive and grow, so even though our heart belongs to the non-pro t sector we
have spent the last few years building our private sector offerings. We now work with banks, lawyers, fintech companies and more recently, due to the rebirth in commercial activity, we work with property developers.
We recently completely the marketing assets for Number 32 Molesworth Street, it started with an elegant mark, beautifully printed materials and grew into 12 foot tall steel- cut letters and hoardings that are lit up like a club at night.
Many organisations going through rebrands at present as
a lot of them have ‘outgrown’ themselves and need to reposition. There are many factors that come into play here but being relevant for the digital world is one of the biggest. Red Dog are now well placed to manage this work. Being involved in brand strategy really helps you understand the client from within and makes for a stronger creative solution. The Health Research Board is an example of one that we just delivered. Senior designer Susan Carberry nailed the identity piece and it has opened up a visual language that will stand the client well for many years.
Red Dog has changed a lot over the years and we are excited as we feel we are entering a new phase of our work. We recognise that technology is simply just a part of all our lives and we embrace this. We know that the fact that we are now 22 years old brings with it a knowledge that has its uses but we also acknowledge that new talent is required to sustain growth. Offset for us is a time out from the day- to-day, a chance to take a breath and remind ourselves of why we are in this crazy business in the first place. Its simply because we just love design.