Square Banana Ltd. is no more.
To be more specific, Square Banana has been merged with a like minded business based in Bristol called Kinneir Dufort. Those that know anything about the design industry will be very aware of KD. They are an incredibly well respected, integrated innovation business who have been delivering design solutions to clients all over the globe for 40 years*.
The timing is key.
KD have just been through a second MBO, resulting in a new, ambitious and more nimble management team who are keen to see the business realise the growth they know is possible with the talented team they have in Bristol. However, one position they have been keen to fill in this restructuring is the role of ‘Head of Design’.
This is why I’ve decided now is a great time to become a part of that new ambition. I’ve accepted the ‘Head of Design’ role and look forward to working alongside Craig and Merle and the rest of the KD team to create the kind of business that we all know is possible.
All that is Square Banana will be fully integrated into Kinneir Dufort….
It is important to understand that the client relationships that we have worked so hard to develop at Square Banana will be unaffected. We have every intention of continuing and delivering the same quality of work with the same curiosity and vigour as we have done to date, but with the huge benefits of something much larger. A larger design team, more resource, multiple specialist teams in research, human factors, UX, innovation and engineering, a fully integrated offer and amazing modelmaking, prototyping and technology capabilities on tap. 80+ talented people all working together to deliver beautifully resolved, intelligent solutions.
Equally, I look forward to working with KD’s clients and helping to deliver amazing, creative and insightful solutions across the board.
The next few days will see us transition swiftly and smoothly from our base in Cheltenham to KD’s impressive studios in the centre of Bristol. There will be no change to how existing SB clients should get in touch, and in time, I look forward to introducing each and every one to the new setup and the opportunities that it affords. Please do get in touch…it’s well worth a look.
From Monday 8th May, we will be fully relocated in Bristol.
Square Banana has been one hell of a ride, and I’m incredibly proud of what it has achieved, but I’m more excited by what the future holds. I’m not one for sentimentality, but I’m a huge fan of ambition!
Here we go. I’ve got a lot of names to learn…
*By chance and coincidence, I signed on the dotted line exactly 40 years to the day that Kinneir Dufort was incorporated as a business back in 1977. Go figure.
This article first appeared on the Square Banana Blog and on LinkedIn as a personal article.
Square Banana Ltd. was the business I owned and ran from 2005 until 2017 when it was acquired by Kinneir Dufort. Square Banana no longer exists but I have republished the posts from the Square Banana Blog on this site as an archive and for the interest of anyone who might find the content useful or insightful.
The opinions are always my own. Nobody else’s.
