We get that designing for impact is different
We are as well versed in behaviour and social change frameworks as we are in design methodology and business model development. Designing digitally-centric for-purpose products and services is our primary focus, and has been for many years. So we know, from first hand experience, the tensions involved in adapting business-focused approaches (such as Lean Startup) to outcomes-driven ventures and projects. We take an holistic and integrated approach to evaluation, driving decisions from multiple metrics and data at both the business and social/environmental outcomes end of the spectrum wherever feasible.
We work with you, not at you
We don’t throw things “over the wall”, creating so-called “shelf-ware” that no-one reads or uses once it’s produced. We engage you and your key stakeholders in collaborative activities throughout our process. We recognise and respect that your team, and the people you serve, are often the domain experts. So while we’re often responsible for key deliverables, frequently we are engaged as a guide and facilitator, building capability within existing teams.
We are adaptive, flexible and effective
We assemble our project teams from our network of trusted, experienced specialists specific to your requirements. We collaboratively engage with your team, not replicate it. We apply only the aspects of our process that are relevant to you and the project we are working on—we don’t take a one size fits all approach. Nor are we a “one stop shop” or “full service agency”. Thus we don’t design solutions with the next up-sell in mind. So you’re not paying for the overheads of a bunch of people or deliverables you don’t need. All of this combines to deliver a much stronger “bang for buck” than comparable agencies.
We know what it’s like “on the inside”
We recognise that sometimes the challenges in delivering a successful strategy or project come from inside an organisation. We work with you and your key stakeholders to develop a shared vision and address potential blocks. Our clients often lean on us to be a credible objective voice that is able to build alignment across different individuals, teams and departments. This high degree of stakeholder engagement extends to supporting teams through the transition to new ways of working—process design and organisational change—that are often required to deliver innovative solutions.
We sweat the big picture into the details
Attention to detail while keeping the big picture in mind is often identified by our clients as a strength. Our process and approach, which enables us to zoom in and out during the design process, is key in achieving this. There is always clear reasoning behind the design decisions we make, from the change logic model to the wording of a widget, to the choice of technology or the selection of an image, colour or typographic treatment—everything is purposeful.