What Special Projects does

Special Projects is an award-winning London-based design and invention studio founded in 2014 by Clara Gaggero Westaway and Adrian Westaway, operating as a boutique with 1-10 employees out of a studio in Richmond. The studio translates human insights into products, services, and digital experiences for global enterprises, governments, and startups, operating across UX/UI design, app design, product design, service design, branding, IoT design, and immersive experience design. Its proprietary technology portfolio centers on human-centered, calm-technology principles and includes the patented Magic UX spatial AR interface (WO2018167501), the family of Qardio health-IoT devices (QardioArm EP 3024382 A1, QardioCore US D725276 S1, QardioBase), experimental apps built on Google's Digital Wellbeing Experiments platform (Paper Phone, Envelope, Aperture, Moving Buttons), and concept-stage products such as uunn (WO2021058930A1) and SkinDisplay (CA2750342 A1).

The studio's go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement: prospective clients initiate projects via [email protected], and work is delivered through bespoke project commissions rather than product subscriptions. Notable repeat clients include Google (eight-plus engagements spanning Paper Phone, Envelope, Magic UX, Pomelli, Aperture, Moving Buttons, and confidential Google AI work), Samsung (Out of the Box, NFC Cards, Map), Qardio, BBC, the UK Government Digital Service (Designing the Agentic State), King's College NHS Foundation Trust (SloMo), Decathlon (Future of Sport), Faith In Nature (The Art of Listening), and the Royal College of Art (Innovation Centre). Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed; the underlying revenue model is professional services with retainer or project fees. Credibility is reinforced by B Corp certification and awards from IxDA, Red Dot, Fast Company Innovation by Design, Webby, Dezeen, and the Guardian.

Recent strategic emphasis has shifted toward AI-era design, including Pomelli (an AI small-business brand tool built with Google), 'Designing the Agentic State' for the UK Government Digital Service, and confidential Google AI user-experience work, alongside continued activity in healthcare IoT, femtech (Aura), MedTech (uunn), and public-sector service design. The studio holds no subsidiaries, has no recorded external funding, and is privately held by its co-founders, supporting an organic, reputation-led growth model.

Name

Special Projects

Legal name

Special Projects

Website

https://specialprojects.studio

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Special Projects is a London-based boutique design and invention studio (founded 2014, 1-10 employees) that delivers UX, product, service, and experiential design for global enterprises, governments, and startups, with a portfolio spanning Google's Digital Wellbeing Experiments, Samsung inclusive design, Qardio health-IoT devices, and BBC media interfaces.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Innovation and Product Design Services

NAICS

Specialized Design Services (5414), Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Graphic Design Services (541430), Industrial Design Services (54142)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Innovation & Design Thinking Programs (EDAMAHAD)

Keywords

• Design innovation studio
• UX/UI design services
• Product design consulting
• Human-centered design
• IoT product design

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Design and Innovation Consulting: Project-based design and innovation consulting services for enterprise clients, governments, and startups. Engagements include research, strategy, UX/UI design, product design, and experience design across multiple sectors including health tech, consumer electronics, and sustainability.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Special Projects is a London-based boutique innovation studio that provides design and invention services for enterprise clients, governments, and startups. Their services span research, strategy, UX/UI design, product design, IoT design, service design, branding, and immersive experience design. They deliver project-based commissions that translate human insights into software, products, and service experiences for clients including Google, Samsung, BBC, and Qardio.

Product overview

Special Projects is an award-winning innovation studio based in London offering design and invention services across UX/UI design, app design, product design, service design, branding, IoT design, industrial design, and immersive experience design. Their portfolio includes experimental apps (Paper Phone, Envelope) for Google's Digital Wellbeing platform; patented technology concepts (Magic UX spatial interface); healthcare IoT products (QardioArm, QardioCore, QardioBase for Qardio); inclusive design solutions (Out of the Box, NFC Cards, Map for Samsung); and various client engagements with organizations including BBC, Decathlon, Google, NHS, and University of Bristol. The studio works across sectors including healthcare, fintech, consumer electronics, sustainability, and entertainment, applying human-centered design methodology to create products and experiences that blend calm technology with emotional design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Paper Phone: An experimental app which helps users take a break from digital world by printing personalized booklets with essential daily information.
• Magic UX
• Envelope
• Magic Card
• Bit Planner

Products and services

• Special Projects Design & Invention Studio Boutique innovation studio providing UX/UI design, app design, product design, service design, branding, IoT design, industrial design, and immersive experience design services for enterprise clients, governments, and startups.
• Magical Interactions Design Service IoT-powered design experience service that merges physical and digital elements to alter consumer perception of a product through elevated design and magical interaction principles, delivered for consumer goods clients.
• NFC Cards Magic cards with NFC technology designed for Samsung that allow elderly users to tap cards on phones to launch functions, part of the Out of the Box inclusive design project.
• Media-based User Experience Design Future-proof digital interface concept for BBC.com developed through collaboration exploring fresh perspectives on media consumption habits and personalized interaction.
• Brand Identity Design Branding service for 125-year-old Italian acoustic materials company Becchis Osiride, using a participatory design approach engaging stakeholders in workshop to distill brand essence into forward-looking identity.
• On-Demand Broadcasting Platform Vision Platform vision for a large national audio and video broadcaster focused on healthy consumption habits, discovery, anticipation and sharing; 18-week project with over 40 concepts developed.
• The Future of Perfume Research & Design Research, design and prototyping for future perfume products and experiences involving over 25 locations and 10 different experts, taking a multisensory approach combining magic and invisible technology.
• Chill On-Demand Healthcare Service Design On-demand healthcare service design enabling people to conduct health checks using kits mailed to them, with results returned via app within days, designed to remove stigma from medical appointments.
• IoT Mobile Accessories Design Design service for smart, sharable mobile computing accessories for digital gifting that combine physical tangibility with digital connectivity.
• Empathetic Design Solutions Inclusive design research and solutions for a global medical company addressing psychosocial consequences of chronic conditions, aiming to restore wellbeing and encourage medication engagement.
• Innovation Centre Interior Design Interior design for InnovationRCA at Royal College of Art's Battersea Campus, designed for 28 startup incubatees featuring reconfigurable offices, meeting areas, and showcase spaces.
• Curriculum for Degree Apprenticeship in IoT Six-year degree apprenticeship curriculum design for University of Gloucestershire covering Human, Product, Software, and Hardware strands with modules including Design Research and Applied AI.
• Secret Styling Unboxing Experience Design Unboxing experience design for a global consumer electronics company's product launch, creating a delightful first-24-hour user journey with confidence-building mechanisms.
• Large-Scale Theme Park Concept Large-scale theme park concept for a global entertainment company, blending immersive theatre with child-friendly architecture inspired by nature and underpinned by technology.
• Online Shopping Experience Design E-commerce platform concept featuring window displays where global users can become store owners without physical inventory, curating visual displays and telling stories.
• NEW OLD Exchange Installation Participatory installation at Design Museum where visitors engage in intergenerational conversations with older adults, sponsored by HAY, Unto This Last, and G.F. Smith; toured to Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts in Taiwan.

Quantifiable outcome

• 55% of participants reported eco-labels positively impacted their decision-making and raised awareness in Eco Lenses study with University of Bristol
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Bristol School of Experimental PsychologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration with University of Bristol's School of Experimental Psychology to support research study investigating the impact of sustainability labels on packaged food. Special Projects designed packaging labels for the study, which showed 55% of participants responded that eco-labels positively impacted their decision-making.
• Helen Hamlyn Centre for Inclusive Design at Royal College of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Inclusive Design at RCA for SkinDisplay project - an investigation on how technology can be used to diminish digital distractions.
• MAWO CollectiveminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership to create the brand strategy and product development for a new disruptive sustainable fashion brand reinventing the white shirt.
• Buffalo GridminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovate UK Design Foundations programme engagement to uncover innovation opportunities for Buffalo Grid's mobile phone charging technology in urban India market through immersive user research.
• Secret Healthcare ClientminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign of an on-demand healthcare service enabling people to conduct health checks using kits posted to them, with results returned via app.
• Secret Global Client (Perfume)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and design of innovative products and experiences relating to perfume, including over 25 location visits and 10+ expert consultations.
• Secret National BroadcastercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner18-week engagement to redefine media consumption for one of the largest national audio and video broadcasters, involving user research, expert interviews, and concept development.
• University of GloucestershireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurriculum design for a Degree Apprenticeship in IoT - an integrated 6-year course equipping apprentices with skills across technology, design, and humanities.
• Google Digital Wellbeing ExperimentscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple collaborations with Google's Digital Wellbeing Experiments platform including Paper Phone, Envelope, and Magic UX projects.
• Ministry of StoriesminorOthersPro bono design work for Hoxton Street Monster Supply Store, which supports the Ministry of Stories - a creative writing and mentoring charity for young humans.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Atomic London: UK-based independent creative and innovation agency building brands, digital products, and customer experiences using technology. Comparable on UK/European service reach and enterprise brand clients, though bigger and more ad-agency in character than Special Projects' invention-led model.

Direct peers

• Smart Design: Independent design consultancy focused on human-centered product, digital, and brand innovation with strong healthcare and consumer electronics credentials. Closely comparable in scale, methodology, and sector mix (IoT, medtech, consumer), serving enterprise clients with award-recognized outcomes.
• ustwo (now ustwo studio): London-origin digital product studio combining strategy, design, and engineering to build apps, products, and services for enterprise and startups. Closely matches Special Projects' boutique size, London base, and emphasis on award-winning UX/UI, product invention, and human-centered digital wellbeing work.
• Map (project & design): London-based independent design consultancy delivering product, brand, and digital experience design, with a strong heritage in consumer electronics and human-centered innovation. Comparable on city, scale, methodology, and client type (global brands, IoT, inclusive design).

Broad incumbents

• Pentagram: Independent design consultancy housing partner-led studios doing brand identity, product, digital, and environmental design for major institutional clients. Overlaps with Special Projects on design-thinking-led, partner-driven engagements, though Pentagram focuses more on brand identity and has a much broader partnership.
• frog (formerly frog design): Internationally recognized design and innovation firm blending strategy, design, and technology for global brands across consumer electronics, healthcare, and mobility. Comparable in offering human-centered, multi-disciplinary design and IoT/physical-digital projects, but materially larger and integrated within Capgemini Invent.
• IDEO: Global pioneer in human-centered design consulting that translates user research into product, service, and experience innovation for enterprise clients. Directly comparable in methodology (deep user insight, prototyping, cross-sector projects) and client tier (global brands, governments, healthcare), but operates at much larger scale with a broader practice.
• Method (Global Logic): Global experience-driven design and engineering consultancy combining strategy, brand, and product design for enterprise digital transformation. Comparable on service breadth and enterprise focus, though now part of GlobalLogic and far larger than Special Projects' boutique model.

Emerging players

• Studio Proper: Independent London design studio working at the intersection of strategy, branding, and digital product design for ambitious brands. Comparable in city, scale, and offering human-centered, award-eligible design services.
• Greatest Good (formerly Part of Ustwo): New venture from ustwo's founders focusing on social-impact design, including digital wellbeing and mental health applications. Comparable in mission emphasis (calm technology, digital wellbeing), boutique scale, and London roots, and overlapping with Special Projects' Paper Phone/Envelope space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/special_proj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/special-projects-design-and-invention-studio
• Instagraminstagram.com/special_proj

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Special Projects