Design has emancipated itself and developed into a corporate strategy problem solver. Design also includes strategy, consulting and technical know-how; the competencies include concept strength, empathy towards the user, integrative and interdisciplinary thinking. We accompany a product development and communication from start to finish, often in a moderator role. Therefore, the relationship with our customers is very close, and that’s exactly what we want. We invest a lot in our work and strive to satisfy the customer with the result. This works only if you actually sit down together with the responsible persons so we can also respond to nuances, or hear them. Whether we involve the customer in a co-creation process or present the design after the design phase – the prerequisite for mutual success is partnership-based cooperation and close communication. We are not wild about status and/or symbols. But very wild on excellent and meaningful design, on an excellent team, on curiosity and openness, faith-love-hope, on-fire for all projects no matter how high the budget is (and no, not just a phrase).

In-house specialists unfortunately lose their cross-industry and cross-media thinking within a very short time, which is absolutely normal. However, many companies have realized that they need precisely that creative skill to meet future challenges. That is why design studios and agencies are strategic partners that are involved in the planning of new projects at an early stage. As experts, we are increasingly involved in the projects, analyze them and name problems, define processes, write project briefings and develop products. Over several years, we have evolved from a communications service provider to a sparring partner in corporate governance. In addition to our skills as a designer, our job today above all requires the ability to empathize and collaborate.

As we spend more than half of our lives at work, the most important thing is that we work with clients who we like, who care about us, who care about the chemistry between us. So it can happen that we turn down a project because it just does not fit. Then neither the customer nor we will be happy – and we need both sides to get along very well. Just like in a relationship ;-) Incidentally, it’s the same with our partners and freelancers – we require professional competence, but the chemistry must be right and we must be on the same vibe.

The pitches ... honestly – it’s a hassle. Especially because it seems “hip” to do, even if it is for a small-budget project. As the agency management consultancy Cherrypicker found out in the most recent Top-of-Mind Index: there are more pitches than before, pitches are more complex. Nevertheless, the fees fall for it. And the budgets for the agencies are also shrinking. So the conclusion is obvious: if customers continue like this, they endanger the quality of the agency and, above all, their own brand work. This is why we no longer take part in unpaid pitches.

Design has matured from brand-driven visual styling to people-centered problem-solving. For us, Design Thinking combines top-down business analytics with bottom-up technical capabilities, giving deep consideration to the actual people touched by the solution. End users are an integral part of the process to discover and serve their unfulfilled needs. It’s not enough to do things that look good. It’s not enough to design “only for the end user”. In a business context, the implementation of great design requires all business units to rethink their core products and services. Design thinking is not just for designers. It’s a multidisciplinary process that brings together business people, technologists, companies, designers and end users.

Digital technologies are transforming all industries – how companies and employees interact, communicate and work together. Design helps to recognize and shape these opportunities. It focuses on the human lens and makes it accessible, meaningful and personal. Uber is a great example of this transition between digital and design. It uses a range of digital technologies and mobile communications to connect drivers and customers – without the usual overheads of real estate, fleet or driver colleagues. And yet it has destroyed and redefined an entire industry. Design helped identify this potential and define how it would fit into people’s lives. It met a need that could be difficult for users to formulate before the solution came into their hands. Digital technology made the opportunity possible and design experienced it.

The boundaries between industrial design, graphic design, interaction design and business design will become increasingly blurred and pooled under the brand. As a design studio, we take on various other functions in the development process and bring along an interdisciplinary vision. We are analysts, strategists and consultants with high visual, media and technological competence as well as moderators. The previous agency briefing increasingly takes a back seat in favor of a cooperative development of a brand strategy across all areas of competence. We are much more closely involved with the client throughout the process.

From the beginning, it was a principle that we always want to bring ourselves to the limits and do not work according to regulations. The best solutions arise when you move out of your comfort zone as a team and consciously think for every project outside the box. The slogan should encourage us every day to grow beyond what we believe is possible. Work can only be meaningful if it offers the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills. By creating a supportive environment, we encourage our employees to grow beyond what they believe is possible. We believe that everyone has a unique gift – and that’s what they need to set free.

The question we get really often at first contact. One simply pronounces it “we” “ad” “you” and in this case the “ad” does not mean addition but the word “advertising”. I do not think we need to explain the meaning of that, do we? Meaningless or profound, that’s up to everyone to interpret for themselves.