It can be important to make a good impression. A memorable one. Think slobbish Y-fronts wearing…read moreSpike in the film Notting Hill. Think again. Martin Hopkins Partnership could have rebranded Spike, and they can help you create the right impression too. In business since 1985, this design company concentrates on providing 'quality, creativity, reliablity, combined with a sound marketing approach.' Services they offer include corporate identity, website design, annual reports, promotional and marketing literature, exhibition and packaging, brochures, catalogues, magazines and advertising. They also provide a service for any creative problem from direct marketing, packaging, exhibitions and a little bit of everything in between. Their design is photo-led and they also offer photo shoots and packages to clients. They deal with a wide variety of clients in the industrial, commercial, public and leisure sectors.

From the owner: Brand, design and digital agency, Cardiff. We're a design studio formed of passionate creative…read morethinkers. We build brands that make your business grow. We're an independent creative agency with more than 32 years' experience creating communication for clients of all shapes and sizes, across many different sectors. We work with our clients to understand their ambitions and work tirelessly towards their end goals - creating communication that achieves fantastic results.

Baa Baa Black Sheep have you any wool? "NO!"…read more Oh, what have you got then? "Erm some blimmin fantastic graphic design capabilities?" Oh, right... In 1998, this woolly design business was set up by people who asked, 'how about being the best?' In 2010 are they the best? Not necessarily, how can one measure these things anyway? They bleat about success, and they certainly aren't the black sheep of the design family though, having built up a rep for top creative work like managing of all strategic and creative marketing for the Barratt iPad Apartments in the Copper Quarter of Swansea including: creative, media buying, print management and strategic marketing. Clients: Audiences Wales, Pontardawe Arts Centr and NHS Wales. Design Capabilities: Graphics, Branding, CDROM, Multimedia, Packaging, Web

SpinDogs is 'an exceptional mix of creative and technical minds, curing web and design headaches…read morewith an array of print and online solutions for a rapidly growing client base.' This design agency specialises in three main areas: graphic design, web design and development and product aesthetics. Their design capabilities stretch across: Graphics, Branding, Packaging, Illustration, Web, Web E-Commerce, Web CMS, Web Bespoke, Furniture, and Product. They are a friendly agency who listens to their client's needs; essential in branding frankly. Clients include: Blue Arrow Design, Park Row Associates, Welsh Assembly Government, and France Galles. If all the technical jargon in branding and digital design has you tearing your hair out SpinDogs are happy to pop the kettle on and provide you with a free easy-to-understand consultation too.

From the owner: We strategise, design and build websites and marketing campaigns that meet our clients objectives…read moreand exceed them whenever possible. Over the years we have delivered hundreds of digital projects, varying in size and budget, and we always have the same focus on building long lasting relationships with the people that we work with.

Established at the turn of the millennium, Creo Interactive is no Dome Flop. Instead they are a…read moreCardiff-based web development company that specialises in creating websites that are: 'effective, creative and efficient.' They have some top clients including companies I like such as Academi, Seren Books, and Spillers Records not to mention International Baccalaureate organisation, Coleg Sir Gar, Tanni Grey-Thompson, South Wales Probation Service, and Maes-b (National Eisteddfod). For Welsh Literature Promotion Agency Academi they redesigned their new bilingual content managed site and developed the comprehensive Writer's Database. These are just some of the skills that Creo offer: * Web Design * Usability * Graphic Design * E-Marketing * Ecommerce * Content Management System (CMS) * Accessibility * Online Marketing * Coldfusion Developers Other Creo services include website hosting, search engine optimization, identity creation and website maintenance solutions. They aim to make robust sites that look good and fit around your budget requirements.

These people design the brilliantly useful Crefft - the quarterly bilingual newsletter for the Arts…read moreCouncil of Wales containing news, features and listings which is distributed free of charge across Wales. Anyone who has read it will know it is a simple yet quality literature product. Designworld have had over 20 years to nurture their industry skills, and their team combines 'youth and experience, creativity and practical knowledge.' As well as good literature the company's design capabilities include exhibitions, graphics, branding, and websites. Clients include Rowecord Engineering, Royal College of Nursing, Age Concern Cymru, Entrepreneur Action, Terram Ltd, and Aviza Technology. The agency is adaptable and works well across all manner of media from ads with a conscience to trade press recruitment, avoiding cliché through innovative but certainly not kooky marketing solutions. I think they need to work on their teen branding attempts, but otherwise a decent enough design agency. Solid.

This digital marketing company offers a pretty comprehensive service to companies looking for web…read moresite design and management, 2D and 3D animation, illustration, marketing strategies, brand development, video production, graphic design and print, CD and DVD authoring, photography, PR and even search engine optimisation. That's quite a list, and may leave some worried that they can't possibly deliver it all to a high quality. Yet looking at the broad skills of their team, and the resulting portfolio, it seems they can. Big names such as ITV, BBC, BP and Microsfot are amongst their client list, and their portfolio is impressive, with video presentations showing some of their work with CNN, Crystal, Transcanada and others. Very slick.

Atticus is an inventive, creative, strategic digital design agency that works with boutique…read moreindependents and global companies. Their team of dedicated, experienced professionals can fix it for you whether in print, motion graphics, video production, multimedia, web design or 3D animation. They have worked within the film and media industry for many years. They like to get up close and personal with their clients, which include Abbey Road Studios, BP, BBC, CNN, ITV, Microsoft, Pinewood Studios, and the Welsh Assembly. They are pretty darn good at delivering on time and on budget too. If I were you, I'd use them for all things 3-D. Design Capabilities: Exhibitions, Graphics, Branding, CDROM, Multimedia, Photography, Web, Web E-Commerce, Web CMS, Web Bespoke

I could tell you that they're different, creative, award-winning and passionate; that they're brand…read moredevelopment and graphic communication experts, book designers, producers of strategic marketing plans and mighty fine graphic design work, marketing literature, websites and digital presentations - but why would I bother when their website already says all of this? Since 1996 Staziker Jones is based in Cardiff. They have built an enviable track record in delivering innovative and bespoke communications solutions for their clients. Their clients come from a wide range of sectors and include organisations such as McKinsey & Company, Lloyds TSB, The Orion Publishing Group and the Central Illustration Agency. They can do these things for you: brand strategy, brand development, graphic design, marketing, advertising, design for print, direct marketing, exhibition design, website design, online marketing, book design and packaging.

The South Wales Echo is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff and distributed throughout…read morethe South Wales region. It belongs to the Trinity Mirror group, the UK's largest newspaper company, and has been published since 1884. Each day there are actually two editions published - what's referred to as 'News Extra' for morning buyers, and 'City Final' for the evening readers. There is also a weekend edition published every Saturday. It has a much more local feel to it than the Western Mail, which covers news and features across Wales, and a lot of the news really isn't that gripping. I can't say I ever buy this newspaper - but if I find a copy on the train I'll have a flick through and find a few interesting local news articles.

The South Wales Echo is a daily tabloid newspaper published in Cardiff, Wales and distributed…read morethroughout the surrounding area. Founded in 1884, the newspaper is published by Media Wales Ltd (formerly Western Mail & Echo Ltd), part of the Trinity Mirror group. In 2008 Media Wales moved into from Thompson House to Park Street, next to the Millennium Stadium. It is a good source of local news, sport, business and entertainment for the Diff, leaving all-Wales coverage to The Western Mail. The writing isn't astoundingly brilliant, but for a quick catch up on your local vicinity you can flick through it over a cuppa and it'll only set you back a little shrapnel. You can also read articles from the Echo on Wales Online (http://www.walesonline.co.uk/).