About

Sensual Storytelling for a Digital Age

A multidisciplinary design practice based in London, Lucy Hardcastle Studio is a pioneer in using interactive technologies, 3D visuals and the moving image to tell complex and emotionally resonant stories. 

Under creative director Lucy Hardcastle, the studio creates immersive virtual worlds that combine the principles of craftsmanship with the possibilities of technology.
The studio’s work ranges from commercial campaigns to large-scale design installations and self-initiated research experiments, and spans both physical and virtual. Whether collaborating with scientific organisations, cultural institutions such as V&A and London Design Festival, or leading brands such as Chanel, Heimtextil, Nike or Alexander Wang, Lucy Hardcastle Studio places an emphasis on human perception and the realm of the senses, giving its work a distinctly sensual aesthetic.

 

 

 

 

Approach

Approach & Themes of Design

We subscribe to a radical use of the senses, challenging them through design in order to produce emotive and transformative responses from the viewer.

Our intention is to explore virtual and material forms of visual communication through principles of sensuous innovation in order to create a human-focused design language, intended for our digital future.

 

Suspended Realities & Physical Illusions

We intend to continually challenge our audience’s definition and perception of reality, blurring the boundaries between ‘real’ and rendered. Our practice has a sense of fluid reality and physics, coined as a ‘licking the screen’ sensation, expressing the impossibility and beauty of material form, both physical and digital.

 

User-lead Experiences

We believe in creating transformative moments in both physical and digital spaces through considered user journeys, where the intended outcome is as much influenced by the user’s involvement as it is through our design.

 

Poetic Data Visualisation

A key part of the studio’s development is expanding on emerging methods of communicating and providing knowledge extracted from data, to ultimately visualise in a way that speaks to humanistic storytelling. 

 

Speculative Materialism

Material exploration is deeply important to the studio’s research.
As humans we have a natural curiosity to play with malleable materials, unlocking an intuitive child-like way of learning. We consider all materials, tangible and intangible, as layers of information that are individually displayed and organised for our senses. 

 

Digital Craftsmanship

Fusing craft and technology creates a new narrative of human connection, our practice provides access to the digital craftsman. We believe digital makers and developers are the new wave of crafts people, weaving the principles of craftsmanship into these fields.

 

Methodical Innovation

We recognise that innovation within technological design does not solely emerge from the new, but also from a realignment, or reapplication of pre-existing tools and knowledge. 

 

Inclusionary Awareness

We believe that the core principles of moral design include inclusivity, accessibility and providing frameworks for learning and knowledge transfer.
Collaborations between ourselves and academic, scientific or research-lead institutions are of particular value in order to fulfil these for our audience.

Team

Portrait of Lucy Hardcastle - Founder / Director

Lucy Hardcastle - Founder / Director

Lucy is regarded as one of the leading voices of the digital art movement manifesting over the past five years, having founded LHStudio in 2016.
She was awarded her Masters in Information Experience Design at The Royal College of Art, having previously studied Textile Design at Chelsea College of Art.
Through this combined background of visual communication in a multitude of mediums, use of emerging technologies and craftsmanship, she has forged a niche within the intersection of design, advertising and art.

Portrait of Laura Vent - Creative Consultant

Laura Vent - Creative Consultant

Laura has spent over a decade working within the creative and cultural industries, as well as being an educator at leading international art & design institutions.
She has worked with LHStudio since its inception and brings her knowledge and experience to strategic planning and business development for the studio.

Portrait of Thomas Rawle - 3D Generalist / Composer

Thomas Rawle - 3D Generalist / Composer

Thomas is an experienced multi-disciplinary generalist, animator and composer, having been a prominent team member of LHStudio for several years.
Self-trained in both fields of animation and music, he brings this combination of experience to LHStudio, giving life to commercial projects.

Portrait of Martin Robinson - Technical Director

Martin Robinson - Technical Director

Martin is a highly accomplished production manager specialising in physical and interactive installations, overseeing national and international projects from concept to launch.
Having gained experience from the likes of Jason Bruges Studio and RenderHeads, he collaborates with LHStudio to provide technical insight and support.

Beyond our core team we have a network of regular collaborators, including animators, digital assistants, programmers and sound designers.

 

Identity & Site Credits

Graphic Design & Direction – Oli East

Web Development – DxR Zone (Rifke Sadleir & Daniel Baragwanath)

Web Design – Jess Mae

WebGL Dev – Haxiomic

Press

2024

The Times

24 must-see shows at LDF 2024

2024

Icon Eye

Six highlights from this year’s LDF

2024

Yanko Design

Exploring The Best Of LDF 2024

2024

London Design Festival

Spectrum by 2LG Studio

2024

Vanity Fair Italy

Parallel Montreux Jazz Festival

2024

Hypebeast Hong Kong

Montreux Jazz Festival Recap

2024

WeTransfer

What Is A World?

2024

The Guardian

Immersive Exhibitions

2023

Victoria & Albert Museum

Digital Design Acquisition

2023

London On The Inside

Bubbles of Serenity

2023

Design Week

Things To Do: December

2023

Icon Eye

Digital Age Colour Trends 2024

2023

Diseño Argentino Exponencial

Narratives of Storytelling Talk

2023

Pulsar

Pulsar Visual Identity

2023

Studio Magazine

Coco Crush

2023

Dazed Digital

ASMR Art

2023

Creative Review

Beauty In Decay

2023

LSN Global

Beauty: Need To Know

2023

Wembley Park

Equilibrium Art Trail

2023

The Spaces

Equilibrium IWD

2023

SPACE10

The Regenerative Home

2022

Elephant Art

Art Crush October

2022

Elle Decoration

October Issue 2022

2022

MIX Magazine

Colour Directions AW 2023/24

2021

Its Nice That

Digital Dawns - Concept D

2021

The Brand Identity

The Edit Vol. 81

2021

Dazed

Celebrate Running Culture

2021

Highsnobiety

Celebrate Marathon Season with On

2021

GQ

10 Coolest Things of The Week

2021

Hypebeast

Experience the Final Stages of a Marathon

2021

Soho House

Design Prize + Judges Announcement

2021

MIX Magazine

Colour Directions AW 2022/23

2021

Wallpaper Magazine

Beauty in 2030

2021

Loadmore

Website Showcase

2021

The Future Laboratory

Beauty & Wellness 2030

2021

Mix Magazine

On Colour Interview

2020

Creative Applications

Wetlands

2020

Design Collector

Wetlands

2020

Design Wanted

Wetlands

2020

Domus Web

The New Dimension

2020

Inanimanti

Close Encounters

2020

Print Mag

Brainwave Ecosystem

2020

WWD

Post-Covid Landscape

2020

Wix

Sensory Aesthetics

2019

V&A

Kalostasis LDF

2019

BHF

Kalostasis

2019

Echo UK

Kalostasis

2019

CMIB

Kalostasis

2019

The Week

LDF 2019 Highlights

2019

Icon Eye

London Craft Week

2019

Apple Podcasts

Stories of Growth

2019

Cactus Magazine

Cactus 8

2019

Arts and Collections

Luminesce

2019

Craft and Travel

LDF 2019

2019

Art Pil

LDF

2019

Harpers Bazaar

Modern Craft

2019

The Future Lab

Future Pres. 2019

2019

RCA Youtube

RCA Alumni Interview

2019

Entity Magazine

Female Artists

2019

Crafts Magazine

Crafts Issue No277

2019

LSN Global

Nordic Health Lab

2019

Time Magazine

Planets

2019

Cult London

Creatology Report

2019

LBB Online

Adobe Live Events

2019

Fold Magazine

Challenging Digital

2019

Digicult

Touch an Image

2019

Virgin

Exploring Solar

2019

Pop Web Design

Web Design Trends

2018

It's Nice That

Air Monuments

2018

Lecture In Progress

LH Advice

2018

It's Nice That

LH & Ryan Hopkinson

2018

FranklinTill

Better Than The Real

2018

Adobe

Artist Spotlight

2018

The Future Lab

Fashion Futures

2018

Elle Magazine

Female Artists

2018

Sight Unseen

Week of July 2nd

2018

Wix

Innovative Web

2018

It's Nice That

Ones To Watch 2018

2018

Wallpaper Magazine

Instagram Hotlist

2018

Design Week

Female Designers

2017

LSN Global

Challenging Flat

2017

Vice Magazine

Curved Glass Touch

2018

Its Nice That

Digital Artist Sculptor

2017

Comm Arts

intangible Matter

2017

Connections Le Book

Intangible Matter

2017

LSN Global

Lucy Hardcastle

2017

Riposte Magazine

Alda Levi's

2017

Metal Magazine

Chromotherapy

2017

Huck Magazine

Tactile Sensations

2017

US Art News

Alda

2017

Candid Magazine

Unconscious Desires

2017

Tout Pres Art

Pillow & Ball

2017

Design Collector

Alda

2016

LSN Global

Tangible Scent

2016

Wallpaper Magazine

Lucy Hardcastle

2016

Frame Web

What's The Matter

2016

Sight Unseen

Week of April 4th

2016

Tout Pres Art

Lucy Hardcastle

2016

Design Week

Intangible Matter

2016

Design Collector

Intangible Matter

2015

Sight Unseen

Lucy Hardcastle

2015

Neoprisme

Slowness

2015

Nowness

Genderless

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