Finding your niche
How I found my creative agency “niche outside of the box” as a founder who always gravitates towards shiny things.
Ideate
As a creative, to pigeonhole myself into a box is quite literally the opposite of what I do. I draw outside of the lines (theoretically speaking that is), and I dream about doing things differently, creating within unrestricted boundaries.
nooh Studio is and has been a place where I can create in the way I want to. My business has a focus on building communities through design work that oozes creativity. We create fantastic designs and support businesses to take their branding to the next level.
To market a business, however, takes more than just awesome design work. To sell a service (or even a product) you have to have a backbone… a story, a method, an identity.
I have spent the last few years trying to create a niche for my design work. In the agency world, a niche might be a service type (eg. Branding or Marketing Design), a technology type (eg. Webflow or Wordpress websites) or a sector type (eg. Healthcare or Sport).
Personally, I am a graphic designer by trade. Much like a magpie, I chase the shiny things. The design work that makes me excited but balancing that with ensuring it is commercial and brings in money has always been a challenge. I’ve known that finding my niche would allow freedom for both, but how do you find your niche?
Iterate
What niche iterations have I gone through:
2021: Wordpress Websites (tech)
2022: Healthcare (sector)
2023: Branding (service)
2024: Co-design (process and values)
So how did I niche outside the box?
Pondering the questions below, asking brutal questions and getting brutal answers.
What are the areas of the services we provide that makes my design-led heart happy, but also leaves my brain satiated?
In which of the sectors that we serve can I be of most use?
Where have I found the most joy?
Where have I found the most success?
So in conclusion, by answering these personal questions I have felt more in control of my business direction. I now know that our niche isn’t our sector, service or technology, it’s our process. It’s how we treat people, how we work with others, how we always aim to collaborate; it’s co-design. A process that came from my values, linking everything together in a personal process-led niche.
Implement
🧠 What is your niche?
Fantastic piece Helena. Really resonates with me on many levels. Great to see how much your business has grown, lots to learn from. Thank you for this.
Best,
Yusuf