“What’s Skidmore Studio?”
The question was asked over and over when I announced I was leaving Chicago for Skidmore.
To be fair, the questions came from clients, colleagues and friends outside of Detroit.
In New York, Skidmore is a college.
In Chicago, it’s an architectural firm.
In London, it’s a person.
But I wasn’t going to college.
Winning Jenga was the height of my architectural career.
And I wasn’t starting a lifestyle change in London.
I was headed to Skidmore Studio in Detroit.
My heart never left, so my return was inevitable.
Then they would ask; “But is it an agency?”
We don’t use that word around here.
In fact, the only time that word appears on our website is to explain why it’s not used here.
It’s a small distinction, but it’s done for a reason.
To let the clients know to expect something different.
Anyone who has worked with me knows that “different” is definitely what I’m into.
Skidmore is inherently different.
We walk away from what doesn’t feel right.
This creates value for our employees who have something to believe in and our clients who reap the benefits.
“But what does Skidmore do?”
Skidmore Studio specializes in extraordinary design.
“Kick-ass design since 1959” is our tagline.
We apply design thinking to everything we touch. And this “kick-ass design” comes in many forms.
From strategy, graphic design and motion graphics, right down to a hand-drawn illustration.
The end product can take any form, but design thinking is how we get there.
“If it’s not an agency, what is Skidmore Studio?”
Skidmore is a full-service creative studio.
Made up of 30 creative souls.
Located at the epicenter of Detroit’s creative community.
“What creative community?” asked many people outside of Detroit.
Come visit the studio.
Meet the people.
See the generations of work on the walls.
Then you’ll have your answer.
If you live in Detroit, you already know this.
If you don’t, you’ll hear from us soon enough.
- Michael Hill
@MikeEHill
Michael Hill is the newest member of the Skidmore Studio team. Michael has spent the last 14 years as a marketing industry executive at agencies including JWT, BBDO and McCann-Erickson. Prior to joining Skidmore he spent nearly six years at Young & Rubicam Chicago, developing award-winning work for clients including MillerCoors, Hotels.com and several non-profit organizations. The accounts he oversaw won numerous awards from the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, London International Awards, Clio Awards and The One Show.