Canadian design firm expands into UK market with new office opening
Canadian design firm Overlap Associates is expanding into the UK market with the launch of a new office in Leeds.
The Leeds site will be the first international office for Overlap, which is headquartered in Kitchener, Ontario.
Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council, said: “We are really pleased to welcome a respected global company like Overlap to Leeds. They will be a valuable addition to our efforts to make sure people are at the heart of our vision to have a strong economy in a compassionate, caring city.”
Over the past two years, Overlap has working for clients based in Canada, Sweden, Indonesia, Jordan, and New York. Last year, the firm co-designed a human-centred design project, Aging By Design, for a major foundation in New York State.
Lisa Grogan, Overlap’s co-founder and president, said: “It’s an exciting time in Yorkshire and across many of the northern cities in England. There are many visionary leaders in place across local authorities, the broader public sector and private sector organisations, who are leading long-term change initiatives.
“At Overlap, we believe that better is absolutely possible. We harness the power of design to support people to understand the needs of their community and use real insights to get to ‘better’.
“We love complex problems and our work takes on many shapes and sizes. We’re looking forward to bringing our expertise to the UK market and partnering with inspiring people who are making a difference in our world.”
“We’ve built an incredible foundation in Canada. We’re looking forward to expanding our team of multi-disciplinary designers and growing a new team in the UK. With the local universities and strength of talent throughout Yorkshire, Leeds couldn’t be a better base for Overlap.”
To mark the opening of the new office, Overlap will be hosting a launch event in Leeds on 18 September and have participation from a number of leaders including, Leeds Councillor Lisa Mulherin, John Grogan MP, Leeds Chief Executive Tom Riordan, UNICEF Global’s Meg French and Moderator Colin Philpott.
