How To Survive Thrive And Go Again In Animation With Animade

Creative Boom: Insight Motion How to survive, thrive and go again in animation, with Animade As the London animation studio Animade celebrates 16 years in business, we spoke with its founders and identified seven key ways they've made it work through the ups and downs of the creative industry. Written By: Garrick Webster 14 April 2026 One Giant Leap - A Procreate launch film Goodness, is it really nine years since we ran this feature on Animade and its groovy studio in London's famous Old Street creative district?

Now the company has turned 16, it's had a glow-up, refreshed its branding, and put together a new reel that really highlights Animade's focus on character and personality, which has been core to the company's approach since it was founded in 2010. Given that about a fifth of small businesses fold in the first year, and three-fifths never reach their third birthday, staying the course for 16 years is a huge achievement worth celebrating.

When we caught up with the founders, Ed Barrett, Tom and Jen Judd, we were keen to find out what they've learned over the years and perhaps identify some points that other creatives with similar ambitions will find useful. Here are seven key things we think Animade has done right, despite the trials and tribulations it has faced in the UK creative industry. The all new Animade reel 01/03 Jen Judd 1. Complementary skills The core skills and interests of its founders also form the foundations of Animade's business: technical ability, animation, and business development expertise.

Around them, creatives, producers and account directors constitute a core team that enables the company to get things done. "Both Ed and I studied Animation at the RCA," explains Tom Judd. "I liked experimenting with coding and the crossover between animation and the interactive space, while Ed's passion for breathing life into inanimate objects has been instrumental in shaping the studio's renowned 'motion with character' philosophy.

Jen's background is in business development, and under her leadership, we've built enduring client partnerships and a creative workplace where our team thrives." One Giant Leap - A Procreate launch film Brain Rot - Sticker for Meta's Messenger Korean New Year for Apple 2. A clear sense of purpose Animade is known for its character work above all else. The studio sells this hard on its website, and it's a message that reaches and resonates with its clients – and, boy, has it got some big clients (read on).

"Bringing personalities to life, finding the wit and warmth in a brief, making something that feels genuinely alive rather than just well-executed – that's where we do some of our best work, and clients tend to find us because of it," says Jen Judd. "Our ethos focuses on animation being the life we add to our designs, and therefore is the character. With that mindset, a character can be a dot on a screen or a sophisticated 2D or 3D creation, but it's the way we make each design move that weaves the Animade thread through our work," adds Ed Barrett. And here's a fun fact.

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The article provides valuable insights from a successful animation studio's experience, which is significant for brand strategy professionals, though the concepts discussed are not entirely groundbreaking in the industry.