After meeting a few years prior, co-founders Sam & Patrick recognised a need in the market for a specialised technical design and consultancy service that had increased capacity, capability and end-to-end design support. By combining their respective client bases and skillsets they realised they could provide a more holistic design service to their clients and support multiple projects with complex requirements and tight deadlines. So in the spring of 2019, they decided to join forces and Step2 Design was officially born!
2019
In what was a challenging year for the market, Step2 Design showed determination and creative resilience by diversifying their skillskets and expanding their services to offer photo-realistic rendering and 3D product animation. Although the first half of the year was slow to start, the pace soon picked up and Step2 Design completed some exciting new projects for a host of internationally-recognised clients - closing out the year with a spring in their step!
2021 signalled strong growth across all areas of business and this required expansion into a new serviced office to help facilitate this growth. This dedicated workspace greatly improved both collaboration and productivity amongst the team, and further solidified Step2 Design's growing reputation as an innovative and reliable technical design partner. Alongside this expansion, Step2 Design invested in two new rapid prototyping machines (a dual filament FDM and DLP resin printer), further enhancing the range of prototyping services they could offer to their clients.
The beginning of a new era, as Step2 Design expanded the retail arm of the business by recruiting Mark - an expert in the fields of retail design, industrial model-making, and manufacturing. He helped onboard a multitude of new clients through his network of commercial contacts and vast industry experience, enabling Step2 Design to further grow their portfolio of innovative design work. Upgrading to a larger premises also enabled the team to enhance their prototyping capabilities with a dedicated workshop and assembly area.
Step2 Design continued to deliver in 2023 by expanding its network of suppliers to meet increased demand for its services. The team further solidified its manufacturing presence in China with a month-long trip to Shanghai, helping to support client prototyping requirements whilst assessing the feasibility of future large-scale projects in the area. In addition, Step2 Design completely overhauls its branding, marketing & online presence, looking to start 2024 with a fresh and reinvigorated sense of purpose.