Anna founded AH Studio after more than a decade working across design, marketing and digital communications — for companies large and small, on multiple continents. Relocating to Northampton was the moment things finally crystallised. Away from the noise of London, she had the space and headspace to build something that was actually hers.

“Moving to Northampton wasn’t a compromise — it was what made this possible. I could see small businesses genuinely thriving in the local area and I wanted to be part of that. When the opportunity came to join Vulcan Creatives at Vulcan Works, I took it.”

That decision proved significant. Since joining the programme, AH Studio has doubled — built not on volume, but on the clarity of thinking behind each project. Anna has also completed an SEO course for Squarespace and a full SEO Masterclass, alongside ongoing development through local business support organisations. The Gold Partner certification she holds with Squarespace — a qualification with real practical benefits for clients, including discounts and access to features most designers can’t unlock — is one marker of that investment. The growth of the business is another.

As World Creativity and Innovation Day approaches on 21 April, there’s one conversation running through every creative industry: how much of this work could AI just do instead?

Anna doesn’t find the question threatening. She finds it interesting — and a little telling.

She uses AI every day. Agents, automation tools, platforms with AI built directly into the workflow — it’s part of how a modern studio operates efficiently. She’s not precious about that. But the reason people actually come to her, she says, has nothing to do with efficiency.

“I’ve rebuilt more than a few logos that were created by AI. They weren’t bad, technically. But the people who commissioned them came back wanting something different — something that felt like them. That’s not a criticism of the tools. It’s just the truth about what branding actually is.”