Complement Studio celebrated its second year in 2024. After an intense first year, between challenges and adjustments, we were curious to see how our business would evolve. And let’s face it: 2023 hasn’t been an easy year.
Confirm our positioning, change our client type, and organize our approach... This transition has led us to rethink the way we work. Moving from a freelance operation to a more focused approach, with real work on our image and our offers, was not easy. Add to that a changing market and a time when results were slow to come, and you have a challenging year.
But 2024 has taken a different turn. Little by little, our efforts have paid off: projects that are more like us, customers that are better aligned with our vision, and most importantly, a growing sense of being on the right track. And today, early 2025, we can say that the year is starting off well.
In this article, we review the highlights of our year, what we remember and our ambitions for the future.
2024 highlights
Back to home studio
We decided to leave our offices and work from home after a tough financial year in 2023. A choice that worried us at first, because we had never worked 100% from home since our installation in the countryside. Fortunately, we have a dedicated room to separate professional and personal life, and we quickly adapted to this new pace.
The benefits
- Zero travel = more time for us.
- A calm and soothing setting (long live the countryside).
- All amenities at hand (a nap between two renders? Possible!).
But beware of pitfalls:
- Distractions are also at hand (hello video games).
- The temptation to do household chores in the middle of the day.
- Less social interactions, so watch out for isolation.
Agio: an international creative collaboration
At the end of 2023, we joined Agio, a collective of international creatives founded by Riccardo Agostinelli.The goal: to bring together talent from around the world to work together on major projects.
Since the beginning of the year, we have contributed to several personal projects to enrich the networks of the collective. This is how Satisfying, our first collaboration with such a large English speaking team on a common project was born. A very enriching human and creative experience.
A website, finally!
After 1+ year of existence, it was time to have a website that reflects our studio. With zero budget but a lot of motivation, we did everything ourselves: from design on Figma (a first for us!) to integration on Semplice, a builder based on WordPress.
We approached this project as a motion design production: searching for inspiration, moodboard, styleframes... until the online release. Thanks to the precious help of some webdesigners and developers friends, we managed to create a site that we are proud of.
We created a short video presentation for the launch:
And since we like to share our discoveries in motion, we also launched our blog and the Motion Dive section: a monthly selection of the best motion projects of the moment. To our surprise, it immediately found its audience!
New experiences
2024 was a year of first times:
- Work for international clients with daily exchanges in English.
- Realize our first 3D project for a client (an animation loop for a homepage). A real challenge, but successful!
- Give two-on-one courses, with a focus on pre-production and concept. As jury members, we often see students focus on the technique and forget about the substance. The idea behind our courses: to share that reflection is as important as execution.
Learn to face the “no”
As in 2023, we have received refusals of quotations, mainly for budgetary reasons. And as always, it led us to question ourselves. But in hindsight, we know that maintaining fair rates is essential to attract more ambitious projects.
The things we recall from 2024
One of the biggest changes this year is the place that the international has taken in our activity. In 2024, 34% of our revenue came from the US. Switching freelancers to Complement Studio was not an easy path, but today we feel more fulfilled creatively, with better valued projects and a better financial situation.
Some key projects of the year:
What’s next for 2025
Our goal is to expand on this momentum with more exciting and rewarding projects. Our goals:
- Work on major projects.
- Strengthen our international collaborations.
- Explore more 3D and enrich our skills.
The year 2024 was one of transition and evolution. After a period of adjustment in 2023, we have found a rhythm and direction that is more in tune with us. We have consolidated our positioning, tried out new approaches and gained confidence in our strategic choices.
We are starting 2025 with enthusiasm, ready to face new challenges and continue our development. One thing is certain: we are looking forward to see where this year will lead us!
