Since its inception in 2015, Proto Proto has been on a development journey. Today, the company is both an international design studio and a platform where people learn to trust their creative abilities. Now the door to the future is ajar - if you ask founders Anna and Jeff Parry, it's bright.
After travelling around Southeast Asia for some time, Anna and Jeff Parry finally ended up in Sweden in 2015, where they met several artisans and designers who asked for help in reaching the Western market. This is where the business idea was born, which led to the launch of the company, now called Proto Proto.
In everything we do, we aim to increase people's creative confidence and belief in their own ability to create. We do this by getting more people to collaborate and create and design together. It's about people at all levels and in all parts of the world," says Anna Parry.
Today, the company has developed two branches under the same roof for which they are each responsible.
It's about making a profound difference and awakening the creativity and imagination that are the basis of our collective problem-solving capacity.
Anna Parry, Proto Projects
Jeff works with Proto Proto which is the original idea. Here they curate collaborations between artisans and designers carefully handpicked from all cultures of the world. Together they produce small collections of premium products that are sold and marketed through Proto Proto's channels. They also design their very own lines of jewelry and accessories.
We saw that there was a need to help skilled craftsmen and designers from parts of the world that don't usually reach a wider market. We want to promote equality and at the same time spread really quality design that both inspires and stimulates creativity," says Jeff Parry.
Proto Projects: a natural evolution of the company
Anna has quite recently started Proto Projects which is the second part of the company. Through the branch Projects they offer everything from large companies and organisations to schools and non-profit organisations the opportunity to learn to think with their hands, to prototype and to create. Anna says you don't have to be a designer or have attended a fancy training to be creative and develop their problem-solving skills.
Proto Projects became a natural evolution of the company as the demand for more knowledge and methods to boost and develop people's creative abilities grew. Now that society is starting to find a new normal, assignments continue to pour in. At Proto Projects, Anna's passion and skills really come into their own.
To make big companies dare to play or to see how a student who usually sits at the back of the classroom lights up and gets involved, that's really important stuff. It's about being hands on, about building. In all the workshops we run, we build with our hands. It breaks hierarchies and changes so much, under the surface. It's about changing something at a deep level and bringing to life the creativity and imagination that is the basis of our collective problem-solving ability. Serious play, in other words. It creates change for real," says a passionate Anna.
New challenges await after time at eXpression Umeå
Anna and Jeff have been part of the eXpression Umeå incubator since they came to Sweden and Umeå in principle. It rented the space next door and thanks to Jeff and the then CEO playing ping pong every now and then, one thing led to another.
Now Proto Proto and Proto Projects are on their way out of the incubator and Anna looks back:
We have been helped with different things at different stages. In the beginning we needed a lot of pep and energy, then we got it. Then, when it became important to get help with corporate legal issues, that was there too. It's just that smorgasbord of different types of support you get presented with that is so luxurious. But most of all it's the people, especially other entrepreneurs but of course also the people who work in the incubator. Together, it all creates a great environment to grow your business," says Anna.
Looking ahead, what does the future look like? If you ask Anna and Jeff, it's bright. A move back to Australia, where the family used to live and where Jeff comes from, is on the cards. But collaborations and projects in Sweden will not stop. Borders seem to be there to be challenged according to Anna and Jeff.
We want to promote equality and at the same time disseminate truly quality design that both inspires and stimulates creativity.
Jeff Parry, Proto
We are working on a new website which has been quite a big project. It combines the web shop with telling the stories behind different collaborations. It's an important part of our work with Proto Proto. When we visit a place and curate new collaborations, we want a platform that gives space to the whole story, which is the people, the culture and the outcome in the form of products. Then we prepare more new and exciting collaborations now that the pandemic seems to be receding," says Jeff.
I truly believe that the future is bright. The more we understand our niche, who to speak to and how to shape our offerings, the better and more fun it will be. Even though the pandemic has been incredibly tough, it's really back on again now. Being part of building a better world using creativity and design, that's our dream. I really never want to do anything else," concludes Anna.
Worth checking out
" Visit Proto Proto's newly launched website
" Follow Proto Proto on Instagram
" Check out Anna's work with Proto Projects on Instagram
