A NEW company launched in York by two designers has received a big welcome from the city's business organisations and creative community.

LazenbyBrown, a new graphics design company based at the Fishergate Centre, was the brainchild of Matthew Lazenby, the 29-year-old former creative head at The Morrice Partnership in York, and Gary Brown, 35, whose Aniseed Design at the Fishergate Centre is now superseded by the new partnership.

The new venture got a rousing champagne lift-off at its launch party at the bar 1331 Grape Lane, York, from the likes of Rob Chilton, of Business Link York and North Yorkshire, Peter Boardman, the City of York Council's cultural events manager, and Cherry Salt, operations director of Yorkshire's Media Centre Network.

At the Morrice Partnership, Matthew developed graphic design work for a host of regional businesses, including John Smith's Brewery, Tesco, Barclays, Venturefest Yorkshire, Animalcare, Theakstons and solicitors Harrowell Shaftoe.

He is also committed to creative education, often speaking in colleges, schools and staff rooms about business challenges facing the creative and digital industries.

Gary formed the influential York-based Orange Typography in 1990, then, after a spell at The Designers Republic, went on to design for numerous York success stories, including Shepherd Construction, SightSonic and Cellhire.

The new organisation has already hit the ground drawing - for projects involving Business Link's Customer First promotion and York's Sightsonic Digital Arts Festival marketing campaign.

Matthew said: "We want to offer a consistently creative service that develops according to our customers' needs over a period of time.

"Far too many agencies are adopting a hit-and-run policy, which leaves clients unhappy and with relationships in tatters."

Updated: 11:14 Thursday, September 08, 2005