About The Spark Labs. The studio behind the brand you’ve been trying to build.
Hi, nice to meet you.
You’re here because something about your brand isn’t quite working yet. Maybe you can’t pinpoint what. Maybe you can, and you just haven’t found the right way to fix it.
Either way, you’re in the right place.
The Spark Labs is a strategic brand and creative studio built for business owners who are ready to close the gap between the quality of their work and the way the world sees it. We work through conversation, not briefs. We explain every decision as we go. And we stay until you feel genuinely confident carrying your brand forward.
We’re glad you’re here.
Our Story. Why We Exist
The Spark Labs was built around a simple belief: that the best brand work starts with understanding, not assumption.
Not a brief. Not a template. A real conversation, the kind that uncovers what you can’t quite put into words, and turns it into a brand that finally reflects who you are.
What started as a desire to work differently has become a mission-led brand consultancy with a clear purpose: to help founders, small business owners, and service providers build brands they can stand behind with full confidence. Brands that don’t just look right, but feel right. Because the people behind them finally understand them.
Our Approach. How We Work
We believe strong brands are built on clarity, and that clarity only comes from genuine understanding. So before anything is designed or written, we listen.
In every engagement:
- We start with a conversation, not a brief, because what you can’t quite say is often more important than what you can.
- We lead with strategy, so every creative decision is grounded in something real, not guessed at.
- We work alongside you, your insight shapes the work at every stage.
- We explain every decision, because a brand you understand is a brand you can carry forward with confidence.
What We Value
Our work is rooted in three core beliefs.
01
Clarity Before creativity.
Understanding comes first. We never begin the creative work until we know exactly who you are, who you serve, and what your brand needs to do. That's what makes everything that follows feel intentional rather than assembled.
02
Calm, Not Chaos.
We take things at the pace they need to go. Considered decisions, unhurried conversations, and a process that builds confidence rather than overwhelm. Branding shouldn't feel stressful. With the right foundation, it doesn't.
03
Partnership, Not transaction.
We work with you, not for you. Your understanding of every decision is part of what we're building together. And the work we create is yours to own completely, long after our engagement ends.
These values are part of how we work, not just what we say.
Meet the Founder
I’m Jo Spottiswood, brand consultant and founder of The Spark Labs, based in North East England.
I’ve spent over 20 years working with brands, design, and creative strategy, developing a way of working that blends visual communication with marketing thinking and something harder to name: an instinct for what’s really going on beneath the surface of a business.
I started The Spark Labs because I wanted to build something honest. A studio where the work was grounded in real understanding, of who you are, what you’re building, and what it needs to look like for the right people to finally see it.
What I bring to every client relationship is an unusual combination: strong design skill, a genuine marketing brain, and a curiosity about people that means I often understand what a business needs before it’s been fully articulated. That’s not something I can explain entirely, it’s just how I work. And for the right clients, it’s the thing that makes all the difference.
I work with a small number of clients at a time. Not because I have to, because I believe the depth of attention this kind of work deserves can’t be spread thin.
Our Creative Network
As a brand consultant, I lead every client relationship at The Spark Labs, I work alongside a trusted network of specialists, designers, developers, copywriters, and marketers, who bring additional depth and expertise where a project calls for it.
This means you get the personal attention and continuity of working with one consistent partner, alongside the breadth of a wider creative team when you need it. The best of both.
Why This Matters to You
When you work with The Spark Labs, you’re choosing:
1.
A brand that actually reflects who you are.
Not a version of your business built on assumptions just strategic branding for small business owners who deserve better.
2.
A process you're part of, not handed the result of.
Every decision made with you. Every choice explained. Nothing finalised until it feels genuinely right.
3.
A partner invested in your independence.
We stay until you're confident. And when we're done, what you have is completely yours, to understand, to use, and to carry forward on your own terms.
FAQ
What is The Spark Labs?
The Spark Labs is a strategic brand and creative studio that helps business owners build brands that finally reflect the quality of their work. We do that through honest conversation, clear strategy, and a collaborative creative process that keeps you informed and involved at every stage.
How do you approach branding?
We begin with a conversation, not a brief. We listen for what you can’t quite articulate, follow the threads that matter most, and use that understanding to build something that feels genuinely true to who you are. Strategy always comes before design.
Who do you work with?
Established business owners, founders, coaches, consultants, and service providers who know their work is better than their brand suggests, and who are ready to change that. People who want to understand the process, not just receive the output.
What makes The Spark Labs different?
We start with listening. We explain every decision. And we measure success not just by what you walk away with, but by how well you understand it and how confidently you can carry it forward. That shapes everything about how we work. It’s what you’d expect from a brand consultant who measures success by your independence, not your reliance.
Where is The Spark Labs based?
The Spark Labs is a brand consultant studio based in North East England, working with clients across the UK and internationally through online collaboration.
Ready to find your spark?
A discovery conversation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Just an honest, unhurried conversation with your brand consultant, the kind we start every client relationship with.
