We believe in people and what they can achieve together
About us
We believe in people
and what they can
achieve together.
Our story
Optimistic Futures is a young studio with a pedigree of experience. In 2014, David Kester, a former CEO of the UK Design Council, set up a new type of design agency. DK&A sought to put design to work on purpose-led client challenges and pass on innovation skills through a Design Thinkers Academy. Three years in, Craig Fallowfield-Tomkins, a transport designer with a Masters in Service Design, joined the team.
Over seven years David and Craig worked as a duo across sectors, geographies and topics, tackling knotty problems, developing innovative products, brands and services, and coaching company teams. In 2024, after a decade of projects with inspiring clients and a talented team, DK&A, like many small consulting firms in that period, closed its doors.
It might have been the end of the story. It proved to be a new beginning. Encouraged by clients, David and Craig went back to the drawing board, refreshed their vision for a new agile tech-enabled era with rapidly changing user needs and demographics. The Optimistic Futures Partnership was born. And so, in 2025, a new chapter opened.
