Our Approach

People-centric, Human-led

We’re a people-centric company, where human bravery and creativity take centre stage. We push for boldness and use machines to scale it fast.

Critical thinkers, sharp questions

We slow down where it counts, questioning assumptions before we chase solutions. In a world racing to move fast, we think it's more valuable to move right.

Leading with empathy and kindness

We understand that business building is tough, especially when it’s your own. That’s why we lead with politeness and empathy whenever we’re building a brand, experience or platform with you.

Proven methods, results driven

We’ve developed a tried and tested model that fosters ambition and boldness. All whilst making businesses and brands for the real world, and create results that build momentum

Our Story

Common Ideas is founded by Bhav, who is an award-winning design leader, venture builder and founder with over 15+ years experience. An experienced practitioner in product innovation, design and venture building, he has built and scaled tech businesses, created user-centric products, engaging brands and all within diverse, happy teams for seed, Series A and B companies

Selected Clients

ContentSquare
GOV.UK
Founders Factory
The World Bank
YouGov
The Guardian
3Ventures
CellVC
Antler
Reckitt Benkiser
AVIVA
Johnson & Johnson

What we offer

Leadership

Design-led integratation within the leadership team, shape strategy, and drive delivery. Get a seasoned leader without the hassle.

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Fractional, Consultant, Coach

We join your team as a fractional designer, from IC to helping you scale your team.

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Facilitator, Borrow My Brain

Simplify the complex and solve some of your big problems. Help solve some of your businesses most thorny issues.

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Projects

Delivering end-to-end projects through our studio COMMON

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Selected Client Work

Implement AI

Design Consultant

Product Consultant

Fractional Design Leader

Six months of embedded fractional and facilitator support across brand, growth, product and design, helping Implement AI move from a service business to a fundable SaaS product ahead of a Series A.

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“We knew we had something real, we just didn't know how to say it. Getting the messaging, the product story and the onboarding right in parallel is what made Implement AI look like the product business we actually are, not the services business we started as.”

Aalok Shukla, Co-Founder
Implement AI

Refiant AI

Design Consultant

Product Consultant

Fractional Design Leader

Fractional brand, strategy and design support taking Refiant from a $6m seed raise to a live business with its first customers, in a space that sat at the meeting point of AI, energy and climate.

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“We went from a funded idea to a business we could actually point to: a story, a brand, a product, in months, not years. That pace changed how investors and customers saw us.”

Viroshan, CEO
Refiant

ContentSquare

Design Consultant

Product Consultant

Fractional Design Leader

Fractional strategic and design support shaping ContentSquare's next phase of growth: pushing into AI and beyond consumer apps, working closely with the SVPs of Design and Product.

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“The visiontype gave the business a way to talk about AI that inspired people, rather than locking us into decisions too early. It's become the reference point for how we prioritise.”

Jane Austin, SVP of Design
ContentSquare

Coinrule

Design Consultant

Product Consultant

Fractional Design Leader

Facilitating a company-wide away week to realign Coinrule's product vision, roadmap and team around a new phase of growth, with the whole company in the room.

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“We went to Common Ideas to help facilitate workshops at our offsite. Common Ideas created, managed and facilitated some of the most valuable workshops we've had as a company. It was our best ever offsite and the team loved them.”

Gabriele, Co-Founder
Coinrule

Byway Travel

Design Consultant

Product Consultant

Fractional Design Leader

Fractional Head of Design support transforming Byway Travel's design function in three months, pushing the business to be design-led in its decision making and building out the new design team.

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“Design leadership has been the difference between building something transformative and something just ‘fine’.”

Cat Jones, CEO
Byway Travel