the customer: Standfirst and Design Week

Standfirst is a leading design and development agency specializing in the publishing sector. Known for powering media brands with elegant design and robust functionality, Standfirst manages the technology behind platforms like Design Week and The Critic.

Design Week, a flagship brand within Standfirst, exemplifies their commitment to quality. Acquired to preserve its legacy, Design Week serves the creative industry with in-depth articles and stunning visuals. The publication is a trusted source for designers, making impeccable image presentation vital to its reputation.

In the competitive world of publishing, where content needs to be timely and visually engaging, Standfirst sought a solution to meet growing demands for speed, quality, and adaptability.

the cHALLENGE: Ensuring quality under pressure

As Standfirst expanded its portfolio, it faced several challenges with image management:

• Cumbersome manual processes: Editors had to resize and crop images manually, which was inefficient and prone to errors, especially for fast-paced news cycles.
• Visual consistency for demanding audiences: Publications like Design Week cater to visually discerning readers. Designers expect high-quality imagery that respects original compositions.
• Diverse device requirements: Readers accessed content across various devices, from mobile phones to 4K monitors, creating a need for perfectly responsive images without sacrificing quality.
• Image overload: Handling millions of monthly image requests strained infrastructure and required scalable, cost-effective solutions.

David Coveney, Managing Director of Standfirst, explained, “Quality and speed are non-negotiable for us. Our audience expects flawless visuals, whether they’re browsing on a phone or a high-resolution display. Managing that demand efficiently was our biggest challenge.”

the solution: Automating workflows and elevating visuals

Standfirst partnered with Imgix to integrate advanced image optimization and delivery capabilities into their workflow, resulting in significant time and cost savings.

Responsive design made easy: Standfirst implemented dynamic image resizing to ensure visuals were tailored to every device. Images automatically adjusted to screen resolutions, maintaining quality across platforms—from mobile to 4K displays.

Automation of manual tasks: Face detection and custom cropping parameters eliminated tedious manual work. Editors could now focus on content creation, knowing images would display correctly without intervention.

Seamless content delivery: With real-time processing, Standfirst delivered high-quality images on demand. By serving images via dynamic URLs, they reduced storage requirements and improved flexibility.

Respecting artistic integrity: For Design Week, Standfirst preserved original image aspect ratios, honoring the creative efforts of contributing designers while ensuring responsive performance.

the results: Elevating the publishing experience

With automated workflows and powerful image delivery tools, Standfirst transformed its image management approach. Key outcomes include:

• Dramatically reduced image sizes: Compression averaged 84%, speeding up page load times without compromising quality.
• Efficient handling of requests: Over 10M images are served monthly with ease.
• Time savings for editors: Automated cropping and resizing freed up valuable editorial time.
• Improved user experience: Responsive design ensured stunning visuals on every device, enhancing audience engagement.

By streamlining image workflows, Standfirst empowered its team to focus on creating great content while maintaining exceptional visual standards. Beyond Design Week, Standfirst uses Imgix to power other prominent publications like The Lawyer, Prime Resi, and Creative Review, as well as unique projects such as The Fence and Plaza Cinema’s desktop-focused site.

This breadth of experience demonstrates how effective image management can transform agency operations, setting a new standard for efficiency and creativity.

A vision for the future

By streamlining image workflows, Standfirst empowered its team to focus on creating great content while maintaining exceptional visual standards. As the publishing landscape evolves, Standfirst continues to lead with innovative tools and a commitment to quality.

Their journey demonstrates how effective image management can transform publishing operations, setting a new standard for efficiency and creativity in the industry.