Enhancing the service offer: how freelance writing and editing boosts creative design
Savvy creatives, like Leading Hand Design in Sydney, know the value of freelance writing and editing - and how best to make use of them.
Reading time: 2 minutes | By Lee Ellwood
Leading Hand Design, led by creative director Jamie Carroll and managing director Brett Osmond, is one of EllWords' major freelance editing and writing clients.
This vibrant agency has delivered innovative design solutions since 2000 for clients in the arts, architecture, local government, community legal, medical and health, social purpose and education sectors. Leading Hand is renowned for its creativity, strong client relationships and high-quality design solutions.
Having started with just one graphic designer, Leading Hand is now a full-service marketing and creative team, bridging design, technology and storytelling in exciting, innovative ways. Service offers included design, branding, strategy, digital, print, animation and motion graphics.
The challenge: an identified service gap
Then, in 2021, the agency began to consider the strategic value of being able to deliver professional copywriting and editing as well.
"We wanted to improve our client’s communication pieces and provide a professional, fast and reliable service to proof, edit and – in more and more cases – write copy,” Brett Osmond explains.
After 20 years in the publishing industry, Brett knew the value of quality writing and editing. The clarity, integrity, purpose and accuracy that professional editing and writing brings boosts a client's credibility, professional image and trustworthiness. But with the need being inconsistent, hiring a permanent editor and writer wasn’t practical.
The solution: freelance writing and editing
Initially, EllWords provided only copyediting and proofreading. However, Leading Hand’s confidence in our services grew very quickly. We began receiving more requests for deeper editing, content writing and copywriting.
"Basically," Brett (pictured left) says, “I was super-pleased with the first few jobs we worked on together. It felt natural to direct more work to EllWords. It’s really been very organic and has grown and grown.”
The result: outstanding client solutions
Consequently, Leading Hand’s clients love the holistically high-quality outputs. They are impressed that their project’s written components receive as much attention and expertise as its visual design.
So what exactly has this successful partnership delivered?
- High-quality content for the elder abuse resource, Compass.info
- Lots of varied content and copy for FIRECOAT, the world’s most fire-retardant paint
- Localisation of Australian copy to US English
- Editorial input to the St Vincent’s Curran Foundation’s annual philanthropy report
- Access to a select network of journalists and writers to meet peak demand
- Editor–writer peer review and collaboration to ensure deadlines are met and work is high quality
Brett believes that the enduring partnership with EllWords has enabled Leading Hand’s continued growth. On our side, we’ve enjoyed supporting so many purpose-driven brands and organisations in their efforts to make a real difference.
Take the opportunity
At EllWords, we help purpose-led organisations write effectively for impact – from reports and analyses to storytelling, content and copy.
Everything you write is an opportunity to make an impact. Don’t waste your chance with ineffective writing: find out how we can tailor a ‘good writing’ solution that will help you change the world.