The Design Firm of the Future
In September 2024, I hit a turning point in my career. After two and a half years as a CMO for one client, the end of my contract brought both challenges and opportunities. I had no idea what to do next.
The next four months turned into a time of deep reflection and a chance to reassess my strengths, passions, and the best way forward and then something happened.
I was feeling lost and then something happened
The range of my career path left me feeling a overwhelmed. Graphic Designer, Creative Director, Brand Strategist, Business Development, Online Course Creator, CMO, and the list goes on.
Then, a LinkedIn message from a design firm in India shifted my perspective. They were looking for a business development person to to help them secure clients in North America. They said that design firms in North America were outsourcing to India because of high overhead, low profit and other issues. Intrigued, I dove into some research to understand what was going on.
A perfect storm for clients
First I looked at what was going on for clients. I learned that client specifically have been facing a wave of disruption over the last few years, influenced by inflation squeezing profit margins, escalating energy costs increasing operational expenses, geopolitical Instability disrupting supply chains, rapidly evolving consumer priorities reshaping demand, private-label brand growth intensifying competition and rising sustainability expectations demanding innovation.
The Agency-Client Relationship Crisis
Then I learned that the agency landscape has been undergoing a significant transformation as well. My colleague Jonathan Kirk in the UK publishes the annual "What Clients Think" report, which provides insights into agency-client dynamics. The recent report highlighted some of the frustrations clients have with traditional agencies:
Slow Execution
High Costs with Low Perceived Value
Unmet Expectations
Diminished Perception of Agency Worth
So what was I to do with all this new information? Clients having serious challenges, Agencies having serious challenges. I became aware that it’s time for something new and it’s not to do with AI or business development training. My research made me realize that although it’s important to have business development skills, it’s more important to offer services that are unique and relevant to clients. I came to the realization that Design Agencies need to explore entirely new offers and business models.
True Differentiation
Most design firms lack true differentiation and the market no longer rewards agencies that merely claim to be different it demands something different.
Back in 2010, when I trademarked "Know Your Difference" my idea was to help businesses stand out. The idea of knowing your difference is more relevant today than ever: differentiation is no longer optional; it’s essential. Most design firms will say they’re different but they aren’t. I created the Next Agency Program in 2025 to plant the seeds of something different.
In 2026 I’m going bolder. Next Agency will venture into new territory. The design agency of the future will look very different from today and this is not about AI. It’s about changing the paradigm of what design studios provide as services. I invite you to join me in the exploration of creating something entirely new for your business and for the industry as a whole.
