Inside the studio: SP1 Design
One creative UK design studio has quietly gone about its work for the best part of two decades, proving that agility, quality and capacity are not mutually exclusive
Nestled in an unassuming business park, SP1 Design is largely hidden from the outside world. But to those in the know, this multi-skilled design studio is far from incognito and has been the partner of choice for all manner of creative projects since 2012. From cars and motorcycles both production and concept, to boats and even official sports memorabilia, what began as a digital design house has blossomed into a much broader operation.
The studio’s founders Simon Philpott and Pete Stiller bring a wealth of knowledge from their time on the OEM circuit: both having worked as Alias specialists at the likes of McLaren, Tata, Aston Martin, Triumph Motorcycles and Kiska/KTM among various other brands. The wider team brings experience from the likes of JLR, Bentley, Lotus, Ariel and tech start-ups like HVS, Tevva and Arc Vehicles, which has allowed the co-founders to remain deeply embedded in design. There is no hand-holding required here; everyone knows their craft inside out.
The pair first joined forces in a different location that although idyllic was quickly outgrown, leading them to a quiet industrial spot in the UK automotive hub of Warwick. “We both started out as Alias modelers and that little studio sufficed for a handful of us to sit there doing surfacing,” recalls Philpott. “But as more people started knocking on the door, we began building a team that covered more bases and created this studio. It looked very different to how it does now.”
Digital modelling and engineering is carried out upstairs, bolstered by the presence of a simulator rig – complete with SP1’s own distinctive blue livery – and oftentimes the four-legged chief morale officer. Downstairs on the main shop floor is where hands-on technical work is carried out, with a multi-angle milling machine and an array of small-to-large 3D printers next door. On CDN’s visit, a clay motorcycle swing arm is being carefully trimmed down under the watchful eye of the team's master clay modeller.
All this can be seen from the gallery upstairs, with only a window separating the digital and physical workspaces. The mantra “you dream it, we create it” emblazoned on the adjoining wall feels appropriate, with the team handling everything from sketching to Alias and VR Sub D work to A-Class surfacing and rapid prototyping.
For many customers, it really is a case of going from idea to product. For others, it may be about exploring the feasibility of an innovative concept. Increasingly, overloaded OEM studios have come to rely on the team in Warwick to assist with time-sensitive projects and deliver quality output in a fraction of the time offered by larger outfits. To some degree, “agility” has become the company’s calling card.
Agility is indeed the operative word to describe contemporary design workflows. By maintaining a flexible team that makes the very most of its multi-functional studio, SP1 Design has weathered the various ups and downs of the industry through a lean, agile operation. This has proven useful for SP1’s clients, but also a sustainable business practice. It is no small matter – a swift online search makes clear the perils of keeping a large independent studio afloat.
Stiller explains that it is very much a boutique operation where ‘off-the-shelf’ does not sit within company syntax. For example, the complexity of certain projects prompted the team to develop its own CNC milling heads to ensure key details met their own high standards, let alone their customers’. That was a good decision. “People have seen the kind of work we’re able to produce and say: ‘I can't believe you've milled that out of clay, it’s a surface quality level’,” he explains. “We're really looking at our physical design work to see how we can replicate the CAD model and sketches.”
Looking ahead, the team is keen to continue exploring new fields of design including the broader world of ‘intelligent transportation’ and even the occasional restomod. Further expansion of the brick-and-mortar site has been considered – the list of potential and actual projects would certainly validate such a decision – but this tight-knit leadership duo have stuck to their original ideology: not too big, not too small, but just right.
In the company’s own words, it recently celebrated over a decade in “stealth mode” which, in start-up parlance, would imply a fledgling business that is still finding its feet. That could not be further from the truth with SP1 Design, which since 2012 has kept its raft of international success stories quiet – until now.
