Making Things People Want is greater than Making People Want Things

Smithery is practice born of and for change.

Since 2011 we have helped a variety of organisations, from the largest to the smallest, with their vital next steps. Ours is the kind of work that more often than not lives in between existing departments and disciplines, roles and responsibilities. Sometimes it is focussed on particular, appropriate innovation, and sometimes it is more concerned with the complex social and material factors around what it is you see or feel is needed.

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FAQs

What sort of clients do you work with?

We are experts in exploring the edges for emergent practices, and we thrive in the liminal spaces between departments and disciplines, roles and responsibilities. This means we typically work across existing teams, or with those empowered to explore future-facing strategy. Our experience is much broader than most as a result. Recently, we have been:

  • Helping an Intergovernmental Organisation build out a Future Trends and Signals System
  • Shaping a strategy around learning capability for a large multinational FMCG
  • Creating a strategic customer-service framework for a housing association
  • Designing online micro-network services for government innovation
  • Working with a fast-growing dating start-up with their future business strategy

We have also worked with clients across the following sectors:

Financial services companies

Media corporations

Interior designers

Global and local charities

Technology giants

Government science groups

University leadership teams

Legal firms

Global brewing companies

Toy manufacturers

Professional bodies

National and local museums

You can read more about our client work here.

How do you typically work?

We like to start small.

Designing quick, creative research discovery sprints helps us understand what makes your problems unique, or what we’ve seen before.

We then want to support our clients by helping them build skills and knowledge internally which will help them thrive. We will recommend bringing some of our collaborators network, but prefer to build the skills of your own team.

What sort of projects are you interested in?

We are fairly agnostic to the type of project that a client brings us, or indeed the sector it comes from – what matters most is that the people involved are truly up for exploring broadly and imagining wildly.

Currently we are particularly interested in clients who are looking to explore what a regenerative future would look like for their organisation. What does it mean for your organisation to contribute to the healthiest environment, with the greatest economy, for all in society?

How could we explore a potential partnership?

Talking about a thing is the best way to start.

After an informal conversation we can arrange a deeper discussion with others in your organisation, as long as we agree that there is something interesting to explore.

Get in touch with us here.

Relationality

Things that you see,
things that you don’t.

Things that’ll move,
things that just won’t.

Things that loom large,
things that seems small.

Things that won’t change –
until change comes to call.

Futures Through Design

Royal College of Art

Battersea, London

February 2026

Discover how to use design futures methods and tools to unlock new thinking and transform strategic uncertainty into innovative opportunities for your organisation, industry sector or community.

This in-person, intensive three-day experience is designed for organisational leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals and high-performing recent graduates who are seeking to transform strategic uncertainty into innovative opportunity.

Book now via the RCA website