For over thirty-five years, Webb has worked at the intersection of design, industry and social and environmental change. Founded in 1989, the London-based studio has built a reputation for human-centred industrial design and long-term partnerships across healthcare, transport, consumer electronics and public infrastructure. Every project begins with people, regardless of sector or scale.

Following a management buyout, the team that had shaped the studio from within now held it outright. The work remained strong, but the brand no longer reflected the studio as it exists today. Our collaboration focused on a full rebrand and digital platform, repositioning Webb for the future while respecting its heritage.

Webb’s reputation was built through the quality of the work itself and the longevity of their client partnerships, not through outward positioning. As the studio looked to broaden its reach, this became limiting. The identity, largely unchanged for twenty-five years, no longer communicated who Webb are today; their methodology, their depth across sectors, their way of working with clients over years rather than isolated projects.

Webb are also designers — they lead creative processes; they don’t typically hand them over. Trusting a partner to interpret the studio faithfully was as much a consideration as any visual outcome.

"We are usually in control, here we’re conceding control. With this, choosing the right partner was huge for us.

It was clear that we were in safe hands with Engine – their experience, broad skillset, expertise, and track record was clear.

Whilst it was scary, we were never nervous, unsure, or in doubt of the process and the output. We were confident thanks to Engine’s delivery throughout the process." — Tony da Costa, Creative Director

We began with the business itself. Through structured conversations, we explored the motivations behind the rebrand, the implications of the buyout, and the legacy held within an archive stretching back to 1989, examining the gap between how Webb described themselves internally and how they were perceived from outside.

This stage was focused on alignment rather than aesthetics. It allowed both teams to challenge inherited language and establish shared ground before anything visual was developed, giving Webb the confidence to step back from a process they would ordinarily lead.

Rather than replace the existing logo, we deconstructed it. The original mark carried a geometry that reflected the physicality of industrial design; we retained that logic while giving it a contemporary expression. The rebuilt identity shifts subtly across applications, each character carrying a slight variation that references the bespoke nature of Webb’s process and the collective voices within the studio.

The website was designed as a space for curation. Webb’s projects differ widely in format, so we developed a flexible system that allows imagery to sit comfortably regardless of resolution or context, with historic and recent work presented alongside each other to demonstrate both longevity and relevance. Controlled pacing creates depth without excess.

Webb’s human-centred methodology now has a clear presence on the site, alongside a journal intended to open the studio to new audiences. The rebrand extended to business stationery, email templates, social assets, reports and presentations, ensuring cohesion across every touchpoint.

Since launch, the strongest response has come from audiences encountering Webb for the first time. The studio’s existing relationships didn’t need convincing; what shifted was reach, with new conversations opening across sectors that previously had no awareness of the studio. As varied content is added, the system continues to hold. What began as a rebrand has evolved into an ongoing partnership.

"Engine’s response to the site has been brilliant too. Like us, they always strive for better and do not rest on their laurels. Proactively making tweaks for efficiency and highlighting potential areas of improvement." — Tony da Costa, Creative Director