As we enter the second half of 2023 it’s a moment for us to pause and reflect on what has been an incredibly busy 6 months here at PARK that began back in January when ownership of PARK transferred from Frans Joziasse to ourselves.

We have embraced our roles as business owners; navigating the legal transfer of PARK from Germany to the UK, simplifying our service offerings, launching a new brand identity, and unveiling our revamped website. Before we head off for our summer vacations, here’s a brief roundup of our personal highlights so far.

In April, we celebrated PARK’s 25th anniversary with the launch of our new website and rebrand. As part of this process, we renamed Grow to PARK Academy, creating a more intuitive suite of services that now seamlessly integrates our consulting, education, and coaching offerings. It was a challenging undertaking, and it will always be a work in progress! We’re always open to feedback so please take a look and let us know your thoughts.

Frans continues to work as a consultant, coach, and tutor, and in addition to advising us as new business owners, he has found a little more time to indulge his passion for speaking and writing. Frans’ diary is filling up with speaking engagements from conferences to podcasts, and the Industrial Design Society of America has just published a Design Entrepreneurship article from Frans’ in their Summer Innovation issue.

IDSA Summer 2023 Edition of INNOVATION Magazine. Click here to get the article.

Frans Joziasse speaking on Design for Humanity at Brdo Environmental Conference.

At PARK Academy, we continue to evolve our offerings to meet the growing demand for our services. We have been delivering customised and in-house training for design and innovation teams worldwide. While remote training remains an essential part of our approach, we have also increased our face-to-face interactions, providing memorable experiences for our clients and students from Billund to London, Munich, and New York.

PARK Academy Design Leadership Programme Norway 14 graduates 2023.

In-company training in Munich.

The first half of 2023 marked significant milestones for our flagship Design Leadership programme, with new programme launches in Norway, Germany, and Estonia. We also celebrated the graduation of participants from our 2022 programmes in Germany, Estonia, Norway, and USA. We are proud and thankful for the strong relationships we have built with Design Councils and Design Industry Organisations globally, watch this space for more (new) programme launches in late 2023 and early 2024.

USA PARK Academy Design Leadership Programme graduates 2023.

PARK Consulting continues to evolve, maintaining well-established partnerships in the pharmaceutical, FMCG, and consumer product sectors, whilst forging new relationships with projects in the areas of innovation, digital design, and service design. The ever-evolving and diverse landscape of design disciplines continues to challenge and inspire us.

We were inspired by many new innovations on our visit to Eurobike 2023 in Frankfurt.

James and Johannes on a break between client meetings at Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg.

Above all, the highlight of 2023 so far has been the excellent response from our clients and extended network. Taking custodianship of a well-established and beloved business is no small feat. We are so very grateful for the goodwill and support we have received over the past six months – thank you!

As we look to the future, we’re excited about the journey that lies ahead – continued partnerships, new clients, new projects, and the inevitable challenges that come with growth and entrepreneurship!

We wish you a wonderful summer filled with relaxation and adventure, and we look forward to continuing to support you on the journey ahead.