Morrama marks a decade of design excellence at Hackney Depot
A milestone worth celebrating
Ten years ago, Morrama opened its figurative studio doors with a simple ambition: design products that put people first and leave the planet better off. A decade later, we brought the design community together at Hackney Depot to look back, look forward, and raise a glass to the work, the people, and the values that have shaped us.
The evening doubled as the official launch of From People to Planet: Lessons from a Design Agency, the debut book by our founder Jo Barnard. Part memoir, part manifesto, the book distils the insights Morrama has gathered while helping brands move from idea to impact. Its themes: innovative design, compelling storytelling, and environmental responsibility, set the tone for a night that felt both celebratory and thoughtful.
Hackney Depot, the home of Morrama’s studio, is a former transport depot with soaring brick arches and plenty of daylight. The central hall, bathed in summer evening light, made the perfect location for the party.
Set against the industrial backdrop was an exhibition of ten posters. Each designed by a different Morrama team member to capture what the studio means to them.
In the two weeks leading up to the party, each director, designer, strategist, and studio manager received a single brief: create an A1 poster that reflects Morrama’s first decade. No further guidance. The results were refreshingly diverse.
Printed by our friends at Calverts on 100% recycled paper using vegetable-based inks, the posters were a celebration of what Morrama stands for; individuality, play and planet positivity.
Continuing on the theme of working with independent businesses, drinks came courtesy of a partnership with wine supplier Sustainable Wines, whose bottles are collected, washed, and refilled after each service. And empanadas were provided by Argies, a London-based startup making delicious Argentinian street food.
Mid-evening Jo Barnard stepped up to the mic to introduce her book, acknowledging the colleagues, clients, and mentors who helped shape its pages. From People to Planet is organised around three disciplines that have guided our studio from day one:
1. People – Every successful product begins with empathy for the user.
2. Story – Narrative is what turns a functional object into a meaningful experience.
3. Planet – Design must respect finite resources and work within ecological limits.
Jo read a short excerpt on the naming of Morrama and the early days.
“With no ChatGPT to consult, Rob decided to try a random word generator he had found online. Selecting a rough word length he pressed the spacebar… again and again … and again, writing down the words that caught our eye. I decided I liked words beginning with ‘m’. Rob decided he wanted all the letters to be on the same level. After 20 minutes we found a name we both agreed on: morrama.
I still don’t know if it was a good choice. It’s certainly a pain to tell people how to spell it. But after 10 years I’ve grown quite fond of it.”
Jo went on to thank all team members for their service over the last 10 years and lovingly dedicated her book to her wife, Liz. It was a beautiful moment.
If the Hackney Depot celebration taught us anything, it is that community and creativity are inseparable. They will guide us through the next decade just as surely as they fueled the first.
