Kenfolk

Verified

Web DesignWeb DevelopmentUX DesignPR

About Kenfolk

Kenfolk is an independent brand and design studio based at the North East BIC in Sunderland. We create brand identities, rebrands, websites and publications for organisations across the North East and the wider UK, from housing associations and screen agencies to manufacturers, charities and cultural organisations.

Much of our work is long-term. We act as the embedded design function for clients’ own marketing teams, and are the sole retained creative agency for both BSW Group and believe housing. We created the brand identities for North East Screen and Screen Alliance North in 2022 and still look after both, alongside their annual reports, exhibitions and print.

We’re a lean, senior team: our creative director leads every project, supported by a trusted group of Kenfolk Associates. That means you deal with the people doing the work, not an account layer.

Kenfolk is a member of the Design Business Association, and was Sunderland’s first creative studio to be accredited by the Living Wage Foundation. We’re also Disability Confident and Cyber Essentials certified, and a 2026 finalist for Agency of the Year at the North East Marketing Awards.

Services

Web Design

Brand-led websites for organisations that need their site to explain who they are clearly, from charities and cultural bodies to business groups. Recent examples include the new Sunderland BIDS site, covering both the City Centre and Seafront BIDs, and brand-and-web projects for GLOW Newcastle and SPACE North East.

Web Development

We build on WordPress and Shopify for small and mid-sized sites, including a Shopify theme reskin for coffee roaster FC Roast. For larger or more technical builds we design in-house and partner with trusted North East developers, so clients get one point of contact and a site that stays true to the brand.

UX Design

UX is built into every web project rather than sold separately. We map the site’s structure and user journeys around what visitors actually need to find, which matters most for organisations with complex offers, such as multi-partner bodies, funders and membership organisations.

Brand-aligned communications for clients who want their news to look and sound like them: press releases, launch announcements and supporting assets. It works best alongside a rebrand or launch, so the story and the identity land together.

Branding

Our core work: brand strategy, identity, naming and guidelines for organisations going through change, whether a new venture, a merger or a rebrand that’s overdue. Clients include North East Screen and Screen Alliance North, whose identities we created in 2022 and still manage, and SPACE North East, a men’s charity rebrand.

Social Media

Social content design and templates that keep a brand consistent across channels, so in-house teams can post quickly without going off-brand. We typically support marketing teams with campaign assets rather than running community management ourselves.

Advertising

Advertising creative for print, outdoor, exhibition and digital placements, designed to sit within a client’s brand system. We focus on the creative itself and work alongside clients’ media partners for placement and buying.

Graphic Design

Publications, reports, brochures, exhibitions and recruitment material, often as an ongoing retained service. Examples include BSW Group’s annual 100-page product brochure, annual and impact reports for North East Screen, Screen Alliance North and Liverpool Film Office, and two and a half years designing the business publication Portfolio North.

Notable Clients

BSW Group
Tilhill Forestry
believe housing
North East Screen
Screen Alliance North
Liverpool Film Office
Sunderland BID
North East BIC
GLOW Newcastle
SPACE North East

As listed by Kenfolk.

Key Facts

Founded

2020

Team Size

1-5

Services

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you only work with businesses in Sunderland?

No. We’re based in Sunderland and work across the North East, but our clients include organisations in Liverpool, Scotland and nationally. Much of our relationship work happens over video calls; one long-standing brand client has been run entirely remotely since 2022.

Can you work as an ongoing design team rather than on one-off projects?

Yes, and most of our work runs this way. We’ve been the embedded design function for BSW Group’s internal marketing team since 2020, and are the sole retained creative agency for believe housing, handling publications, recruitment material, exhibitions and overflow for their in-house designer.

Are you an accredited supplier?

Kenfolk is Living Wage accredited, Disability Confident, Cyber Essentials certified and a member of the Design Business Association. We regularly work with public-sector, education and charity clients, and are registered on the Central Digital Platform.