As we enter 2023, npd have the biggest project pipeline we have ever seen. With more clients returning to work with us and increasing numbers of new clients, established businesses and new start-ups too, wanting to partner with us, we are growing our team to ensure our clients are getting the best service we can possibly offer. We interviewed our Founder,, Nathan Partington, to see what he had to say about winning work and maintaining effective relationships with existing clients.
Why do you think the start of 2023 has been so successful for npd?
For lots of reasons to be honest. I’m sure much of our success is down to having a happy workplace; it’s clear to clients when they speak to us or meet us that we’re happy in our work – people like to be a part of that too. We have grown in confidence a lot over the years too and this is down to being a part of our clients’ successes and seeing our products being so well received. We have close working relationships with a number of established clients who are coming back to work with us on a regular basis – we’re enjoying collaborating with other teams and seeing them develop too.
What are the immediate plans for the coming year?
We have so many exciting projects that we’re currently working on and have also invested into two new startups that are about to start trading. The projects we are working on bring so much variety to the studio and are rewarding and challenging in equal measure. With ever increasing interest in npd and companies and new start up businesses wanting to collaborate with us, we’re excited to be growing the team too. This has been the plan for some time now and we are eager to welcome our new members to the npd family. We’ve listened to our customer feedback and have also invested in new equipment in order to reduce development times. Having SLA 3D printers in house allows us to review and sign off parts all in the same day now, without having to rely on third party companies.
Will your role change at all, given the growth of the team?
I am a product designer first and foremost and I don’t want that to change. I’ll always have a leading role in our projects and will continue to work closely with clients to ensure we are meeting their needs and expectations. As the team grows however, I will need to dedicate more time to the sales and marketing side of the business to ensure that a steady flow of new projects aere coming into the studio.
What does the future look like for npd?
We have always tried to work with clients who want to make a difference, make a change. It sounds cliche – answers to a question like this often do – but we mean it. We will continue being true to our design beliefs – we’re not designing something just because it’s on trend and we’ll never do next season’s style or colour type projects. We’re designing products we believe in, products that solve problems, and we always will. You can see some of our projects here to really understand what this means.
If you have a great idea – we’re always interested to hear from you.
