Who we are is best captured in a colleague’s story.

Twenty years ago he worked in a large company, but decided to leave the comfortable, safe, well-paid job just as the world entered yet another recession. The dominant emotion that drove his motivation, and overcame his many anxieties, was frustration.

Frustrated as he watched the enthusiasm of good people ebb, their energy wasted, their potential unchallenged, money and time frittered away. People thought it refreshing he still cared - he did. He felt things could be made better, it was important to him that he was in the vanguard of those who would make things better.

As an engineer he brought a designer’s perspective to the many challenges businesses face. His career had often presented him with problems where easy answers were few, but this had honed his design skills and helped him to be creative and innovate, because solutions had to be found.

Any of our colleagues from over the subsequent years could tell a similar story, although another place, or a different context. The constant in everyone’s story has been the desire to make a difference, and apply a designer’s view and methods to come up with solutions that made a difference; made things better.

Over the years the businesses have ranged from those with turnovers measured in thousands, to millions, even billions. Size may comfort the ego, but satisfaction still comes from knowing that we have made a positive difference in peoples’ working lives no matter the size of the enterprise.