The Year of Do: Our Journey with Will Gardner
2024 has been our ‘Year of Do‘ – a time where we’ve turned bold intentions into meaningful actions. As a company and team, we set out with ambitious goals, and I’m proud to say we’ve been checking them off one by one.
If you’ve been following along, you’ll know that this summer we achieved our B Corp certification, which was huge. Of course, we’ve kept pushing forward with our core mission too – winning exciting new clients and designing impactful work.
But as part of our ‘Year of Do‘, we’ve also spent some time looking inward.
Starting the journey
As a small agile team, we all get along really well. We aim to be open with each other and are invested in each other’s professional development and personal endeavours.
But could we go deeper?
In early summer, we embarked on a different kind of journey led by Will Gardner – a team coach and change leader. Will attended People Planet Pint last fall and quickly became an Orangery ally. This year, Will has been coaching the Orangery team, challenging us to be honest and to have difficult and uncomfortable conversations. He’s implored us to explore what the future holds for the team and Orangery as a business.
Creating a safe space
The sessions are a judgment-free zone where we were encouraged to speak our truth. Through various exercises, we’ve not only gained a deeper understanding of our individual strengths and weaknesses but also discovered something truly rewarding: we all share a similar outlook on the world. Together, we believe in the power of good design and its potential to shape meaningful progress for Orangery and beyond.
Exploring our original myth
One of the most interesting sessions of note was one in which we explored the past and present. For the past, we focused on the ‘original myth‘ – what led each of us to Orangery and why we’re still here today.
When we talked about what brought us to Orangery, there were some common threads: many of us had frustrations with previous roles – things like boredom, feeling restricted, lack of ownership, and not-so-great management. Some of us were just done with that exhausting London commute. Almost all of us were looking for real flexibility and better work-life balance.
First impressions to lasting impact
As for our first impressions of Orangery, we all loved how we could actually be creative and flexible here. There was this immediate sense of trust and ownership that felt different. Here was a space where we could actually collaborate, not just talk about it. The team showed real patience while we were learning the ropes, and honestly? We just clicked as a group of people.
And now? Now we appreciate how we can truly own our work and have creative freedom. We’ve each been able to make our roles our own, growing them around what we actually want to do. There’s this shared passion and ethos that just works. Management sees us as real people with lives outside work – not just employees clocking in and out. There’s genuine empathy here. Plus, Simon’s enthusiasm is pretty infectious!
The core of Orangery
Through the coaching sessions, we uncovered the heart of what makes this studio unique for us as a team. Orangery is more than just a workplace—it’s a safe haven for creatives, a welcoming and inspiring environment where ideas take root and flourish. It’s a supportive space that feels like home, designed for creatives to grow alongside one another.
Here, every team member is empowered to explore, create, and thrive together, grounded in trust and a shared sense of purpose. At Orangery, creativity, collaboration, and growth are deeply valued, making it a true home for innovation and inspiration.
Looking forward
Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep growing with Will’s guidance. This ‘year of do‘ has shown us that when you pair good coaching with real openness to change, amazing things can happen. Will’s helped us build stronger connections and get clearer on where we’re headed – and we’re just getting started.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue this journey together…