21 years of doing business differently

On the 1st of November, I celebrated Purplelily Design's 21st business birthday!

When I started the business in 2005, I had a shiny new Apple Mac, eight years of design agency experience and one ambition: to make a living creating good design for good people, without the office politics (of the human variety, anyway!).

My main plan was to have the flexibility to choose the people I worked with, the projects I designed, and the kind of business I’d love to create. I didn't know then how bloomin' hard that would be, but I'm still here!

Twenty-one years later, a lot has changed. I've worked across advertising, marketing, education, corporate communications and the charity sector. I've designed everything from campaigns and brand identities to publications, annual, strategy and impact reports, infographics and large-format graphics. I've learned a lot, adapted to new ways of working and, along the way, become even clearer about the work I enjoy most.

My degree in Graphic Information Design taught me that design is about much more than appearance. It's about helping people understand information and making communication work for its audience. That's still at the heart of Purplelily Design today.

So, what does the next chapter look like?

I'd love to work on more projects that make a difference – turning complex research and data into accessible infographics, designing reports that bring an organisation's impact to life, creating publications people can navigate and understand, and developing visual communications that help people make informed decisions.

I'm particularly keen to collaborate with purpose-led businesses, charities and educators working across areas such as sustainability, education, social impact and animal welfare.

This year's business birthday design donation is going to the Spaniel Rescue Foundation, where I have recently joined the volunteer team as a designer.

I'm proud of how far Purplelily Design has come, grateful to the people who've been part of the journey and excited about all the creative possibilities ahead.

Twenty-one years in business. Still curious. Still creative. Still doing things differently.

If you've got a project that needs clear thinking, thoughtful design and creative ideas that come naturally, I'd love to hear about it. Here's to the next chapter. 💜

#PurplelilyDesign #21YearsInBusiness #PurposeLedDesign