Maya Research: The Business of Culture I 2026 I Download Now
Why PriestmanGoode is Among the Most Loved Companies to Work For
CULTURE 100 AWARD WINNER I 2026
The Culture Behind PriestmanGoode’s Mission to Design Better Experiences for People, Planet and Business
PriestmanGoode was built around the belief that design should improve the way people experience the world.
For more than thirty years, the London-based studio has designed products, services and environments used by millions of people every year. Its work stretches across aircraft interiors, airports, public transport, high-speed trains, hotels, consumer products and future mobility, but the purpose behind it remains consistent. Make things simpler, more intuitive, more sustainable and better for the people who use them.
That human-centred approach sits at the heart of PriestmanGoode’s work. The studio does not see design as style alone. It sees design as a practical and strategic tool, one that can transform how a brand is experienced, how a service works and how everyday journeys feel for the people moving through them.
Today, PriestmanGoode works across more than 30 countries, has won over 60 awards and has created designs used by more than 400 million people. Its international team of more than 100 designers brings together strategy, industrial design, branding, visualisation, colour, materials and finish, all shaped by a shared belief that good design should be thoughtful from the big picture down to the smallest detail.
Earlier this year, PriestmanGoode was named a winner of the Culture 100 Awards, which recognise the UK’s most thriving companies to work for. After reviewing more than 5,000 companies and surveying over 20,000 employees, PriestmanGoode stood out for building a studio where people feel genuinely invested in the work, because they share ownership of the place creating it.
PriestmanGoode became employee-owned in 2016 and moved to 100% employee ownership in 2024. Every person has a stake in the success of the studio, which changes how people think about responsibility, collaboration and the long-term quality of what they create together.
The culture is closely tied to the work itself. The team is designing things that become part of everyday life, from transport systems and public spaces to products and services people use at scale. The details matter because of what's at stake: a seat, a cabin, a passenger journey, a product interface or a material choice may affect how thousands or even millions of people experience something. That creates a culture where care is not treated as optional. It is part of the responsibility of the work.
The studio’s values reflect that approach. Inclusivity, vision, pragmatism, sustainability and collaboration all shape how teams think and make decisions. They are not separate from the design process. They help define what good design should achieve.
Inclusivity matters because PriestmanGoode designs for people. The studio wants its work to reflect empathy, respect and a real understanding of human experience. That also influences the kind of workplace it is building, one where different perspectives can improve the work and where people feel able to contribute fully.
Sustainability is treated with the same seriousness. PriestmanGoode designs with the future in mind, looking for ways to make better use of resources and reduce environmental impact. Its Green Manifesto supports that ambition internally, helping the studio think about sustainability not only in the work it produces, but in how it operates.
Pragmatism is also part of what makes the culture distinctive. The studio is known for ambitious thinking, but it also works closely with engineers, suppliers and manufacturers to turn ideas into something real. Creativity is strongest when it can survive the practical demands of delivery.
That is why collaboration is so important. PriestmanGoode’s projects often involve multiple disciplines, stakeholders and constraints. Strong work depends on people sharing knowledge, testing ideas and bringing different kinds of expertise into the same conversation.
The employee-owned model strengthens that behaviour. When everyone has a stake in the studio, the work becomes more collective. People are encouraged to think beyond their own task and consider how their decisions affect the project, the client, the user and the wider team.
That shared responsibility also shapes how people grow. Teams are involved across the full lifecycle of a project, from early strategy and concept through to delivery. That gives people ownership of both the idea and the outcome, helping them build confidence through real experience.
It’s clear PriestmanGoode wants people to feel trusted, challenged and supported. The work is demanding, but the studio recognises that people need space to develop at different stages of life and career. A flexible approach, alongside initiatives such as MyTime and funded extracurricular clubs, helps people stay connected beyond the pressure of project work.
Those initiatives matter because design work can be intense. The studio wants people to feel that their development and wellbeing are part of the culture, not something they have to fit around it. Learning, fitness, social activities and shared interests give people more ways to connect with colleagues outside the immediate demands of delivery.
The people who thrive at PriestmanGoode tend to care deeply about the impact of their work. They are curious about how things function, how people use them and how each detail can be improved. They hold themselves to high standards because they understand that the final design may become part of someone’s daily life.
They are also comfortable working through complexity. Many projects involve different client needs, technical requirements and user expectations. The people who do well are able to see constraints as part of the creative process rather than something that blocks it.
Generosity is important too. In an employee-owned studio, success depends on people sharing time, knowledge and experience. The strongest contributors are not only focused on their own development. They help others grow because the quality of the work improves when the whole team becomes stronger.
Recognition through the Culture 100 Awards reflects the workplace PriestmanGoode has built around shared ownership and human-centred design. Across thousands of companies considered and tens of thousands of employee voices gathered, PriestmanGoode stood out for making people feel part of the work in a deeper way, from the responsibility behind each project to the future of the studio itself.
As PriestmanGoode continues shaping products, and experiences used around the world, its direction remains clear. Design with people at the centre. Build for a more sustainable future. And create a studio where the people behind that work feel trusted, and proud of what they are helping to make.
