SEA turns 30 with a new anniversary book celebrating design that lasts

In 1996, the year Manchester United won the FA Premier League and the Spice Girls released Wannabe, SEA set up shop in Bermondsey. The London design studio, founded by Bryan Edmondson, is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a new book and a gathering of friends and collaborators from across the industry.

Marking such milestones has become a habit for the London design studio. It did the same for its 10th and 20th anniversaries, so SEA 30 continues its tradition of taking stock every decade. The silver-edged volume brings together highlights of its visual identity work in a 304-page hardback, limited to 300 numbered copies. I've got one on its way in the post. "Do you have a favourite number?" Bryan asks during our fun Zoom call. "53," I replied, reason being it's the year my parents were born. Designed and edited by SEA, the book is printed by TEAM and case-bound by Diamond, using paper from G.F. Smith.

The book's description reads: "Now, as we reflect on three decades of SEA, the themes at the heart of what we do haven't changed very much; our love for what we do is undiminished, and our appetite to create outstanding work is stronger than ever. We're driven by solving problems through intelligent strategy and distinct, beautifully executed design."

The celebrations also saw a sizeable gathering of industry pals at The Crypt in Clerkenwell. "There were quite a few older designers who worked with us all those years ago," Bryan recalls. I bet they all have stories. Bryan found himself on the receiving end of some harsh but affectionate roasting, not least from photographer Rankin, whose "brutal" speech (so says Bryan) had people not knowing where to look or whether it was appropriate to laugh along. The evening, he tells me, continued at the pub next door until closing. I was invited but sadly couldn't make it. From what I hear, things got a little messy, in the best possible way.

Naturally, I couldn't resist getting in touch with Alan Dye of NB Studio fame. He's currently having a jolly around South Korea with friends. I asked him for some dirt on Bryan. He sent this: "It was the last century. 1992, to be precise. Bryan and I had just started at Roundel Design Group. Britain was in recession, and we were both grateful to have jobs, especially at Roundel, who were famous and flying high at the time.

"I had long black hair, white Levi 501s and, probably, a black polo neck. I was perched on a high stool with my back to the door when I heard a loud, cheeky northern voice. 'Hello chuck, what's your name?' I turned around. 'Alright, Bryan.'

"We've been friends ever since. We started our own studios at roughly the same time, pitched against each other, confided in each other, celebrated the highs, survived the lows and generally grew up together in this beautiful, crazy industry.

"We've always admired each other's work, though never without some merciless piss-taking. Through it all, Bryan has been there. His work has consistently shone, his enthusiasm has never dimmed, and I'm going to stop there... Love you, chuck."

Well, that was a treat. Thank you, Alan. As you were. Moving on... Bryan has weathered as many storms as the rest of us, so he's obviously happy about its survival. But the thing he's most proud of? "Not one of our marks has been redesigned. Yet," he says with a cheeky smile.

Another proud highlight is that they've had client relationships lasting for 26 and 27 years, with Regatta among SEA's oldest. "The way we approach work is for keeps," he explains. And seeing their work out in the world still gives him "a massive buzz", including when he spots it on his commute. "There is a particular satisfaction in encountering something you helped create and finding it still doing its job," he says.

What else hasn't changed is SEA's scale. Bryan says its team has stayed at around 12 to 15 people for the past 20 years, and he remains involved in every project. He recognises that others in the team are better than him in particular areas, but his role is to stay close to the work and lead through what he does. "David Beckham wasn't that vocal on the pitch, but he led by what he did on the pitch," he says.

And he appreciates SEA isn't for everyone. Some projects naturally require much bigger teams. But their size is also a selling point. Bryan tells me about pitching for a major project when a chief exec asked whether the people in the room would actually do the work. "If you don't like us, then there's not that many more behind me," he replied. It worked. The client said yes.

This gives us some nice insight into SEA's success. "I think luck..." he says when I push him on the secret to lasting this long. "We've never been in one sector. That's helped." The studio works in various sectors from finance to hospitality, so it's never got all its eggs in one basket. And that's wise because Bryan remembers how quickly things can change in any one industry. Virgin Atlantic was one of SEA's biggest clients when 9/11 brought the work to a halt. After three decades of ups and downs, Bryan's learned not to expect things to run smoothly: "There is always something."

Is he ready to call it a day? I felt cheeky for asking, but I'm considering my own options now I'm approaching 50, so I'm curious. Bryan doesn't sound ready to stop. He's drawing every day. He still rolls his sleeves up and gets involved in the work. He even tells me he'd love to start a studio now, with all of today's tools and technology. "I still don't think we've done enough," he says.

After almost two decades of running Creative Boom, I can definitely see a theme among those who stick around, and it's the same with SEA. It's nice to look back and be proud of what you've achieved. But the more pressing urge is to see what it can do next. I get the feeling Bryan is only just getting started.