DCMS draws up shortlist in graphics roster shakeup

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is in the preliminary stages of reviewing its graphic design services roster. It is the first shakeup of the roster in five years.

The department is poised to create a shortlist of between 20 and 30 consultancies by the end of this month. The design groups are being selected from an initial pool of 150.

The DCMS received expressions of interest after it put out a tender in March. It is aiming to make the final appointments and compile the roster at the beginning of October.

It expects to select ‘about ten’ consultancies, says a spokeswoman for DCMS.

The department currently works with 13 design consultancies, including Attik, Lowe Broadway and CDT Design. The roster is reviewed every five years and was last changed in 2000, says the spokeswoman.

The appointed graphic design groups will be tasked with working primarily on DCMS’s various publications, such as annual reports. The roster will only be for the DCMS’s use, confirms the spokeswoman.

The DCMS recently compiled its first digital agency roster, appointing seven groups to handle Web-based projects.

The digital roster comprises M-Corp, Cimex, Random Media, Imaginet, Torchbox, Illumina Digital and Elmwood. The compilation followed an extensive tender process.

The roster is open to non-departmental Government bodies sponsored by the DCMS, including various museums and art galleries such as the National Gallery and The British Museum.

The DCMS reviewed its printing roster 18 months ago. The current line-up includes: Ancient House, BSC Print, Hendi Systems, Park Communications, Quadracolor and Taylor Bloxham.

DCMS graphic design roster (under review) • CDT Design • Spencer Du Bois • Attik • Christopher Lewis • Corporate Document • Graphics International • Iris Associates • Llewelyn Davies • Sheard and Hudson • Rare • BMB • Lowe Broadway • MM Design