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.
Reel
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Team
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.
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.
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.
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
Contact
Address
London
SE5, UK.
Social
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