Akendi was founded in 2007 by Tedde van Gelderen, who opened the company as a research, design, strategy and training firm. The company emerged from Tedde's dedication to improving experiences for others and his belief that every organization and industry can benefit from Experience Thinking. After years of consulting work, Tedde and his team identified key pain points in the UX space, which shaped both the service offerings and certification programs. The company was built on the principle that experience design should go beyond singular products or services to create holistic, connected experiences.

While the specific etymology isn't detailed in our materials, Akendi represents our focus on human experience design. Our tagline 'Intentional Experiences' captures our philosophy - we believe experiences should be deliberately designed rather than left to chance. The company is built around the idea that every interaction someone has with your organization should be intentional and contribute to a connected, meaningful experience across all experience points.

Akendi is a multi-disciplinary team with specialists in systems engineering, behavioral sciences, data science, visual design, and experience research. Our team of 15+ professionals has completed over 509 projects across 17+ years of operation. Our team includes industry experts who are active professionals in the field, not just consultants. We maintain a relatively focused size that allows us to provide personalized attention while having the diverse expertise needed for complex projects.

Our core values are Excellence, Openness, Integrity, and Sustainability. Excellence means dedication to providing top quality results that meet expectations and requirements. Openness reflects our curiosity that feeds our process, allowing us to truly understand and design empathetically. Integrity represents our commitment to clear communication and total transparency with all stakeholders. Sustainability means designing timeless solutions that last beyond trends and keep humans at the core.

Akendi has offices in multiple locations: Canada (Toronto and Ottawa), the United States (New York City), and the United Kingdom (London/Cambridge). We work with clients internationally and have experience across different markets and regulatory environments. Our distributed presence allows us to serve clients in different time zones while maintaining local market understanding and cultural sensitivity.

We work across multiple industries including healthcare, government and public services, telecommunications, finance and insurance, energy and utilities, technology, education, and media. We focus on B2B, B2C, and G2C markets, specializing in complex systems, transactional systems, and big data/content systems that need to be easier to use. Unlike many agencies, we focus more on the 'how do I use' experience rather than pure marketing.

Akendi has completed over 509 projects across 17+ years of operation. Our client list includes major organizations like RBC, Rogers, Telus, CBC, Shell, Health Canada, Elections Canada, ARM, Aviva, and many others across various industries. We've worked with over 220 clients, ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Our track record demonstrates consistent delivery across diverse project types and organizational sizes.

Our team combines deep UX knowledge with diverse skillsets including behavioral science, experience design, data analytics, and engineering. We have specialists in systems engineering, behavioral sciences, product design, data science, and visual design. Our collective is made up of seasoned industry experts who are active professionals in the field, not just instructors or consultants. This combination allows us to bridge the gap between business, design, and technology effectively.

Tedde van Gelderen is the Founder and President of Akendi. He has dedicated his professional life to experience design, research, and strategy, deriving energy and purpose from improving the experiences of others. Tedde is the author of 'Experience Thinking: Creating Connected Experiences' and believes that every organization and industry can benefit from Experience Thinking. He infuses Akendi's services and methodology with his drive to make customer and user experiences go beyond a singular product or service.

Akendi's leadership team includes Tedde van Gelderen as Founder and President, along with other key leaders Leo Poll, Athena Herrmann, Dan Iaboni, Siobhan Kennedy, and Scott Plewes. Each leader brings specialized expertise - from technical implementation to strategic thinking to hands-on design and research. The leadership structure supports our multi-disciplinary approach, ensuring we have expertise across all aspects of experience design from strategy through implementation.

Our team members are active professionals who participate in industry conferences, contribute to research, and maintain connections with the broader UX community. We regularly publish insights through our blog, create educational content, and offer training programs. Tedde and other team members speak at conferences and events, ensuring we stay connected with emerging trends and best practices in the field.

We've built a team that combines diverse personalities with deep expertise, creating what we call 'a unique blend of personalities.' Our approach emphasizes both technical competence and collaborative working styles. We value team members who can work across disciplines and contribute to our Experience Thinking methodology. Our team culture emphasizes learning, sharing knowledge, and continuous improvement.

Knowledge sharing is central to our approach. We offer certification programs and training courses taught by our own practitioners who work on real projects. We believe in helping people who don't have time to go to conferences or read books by providing practical, hands-on learning experiences. Our training programs are designed to address the knowledge gaps we've identified in the industry through our consulting work.

Our culture emphasizes excellence, openness, integrity, and sustainability. We focus on creating intentional experiences not just for our clients but for our own team members. We believe in transparency, clear communication, and continuous learning. Our culture supports both individual growth and collaborative problem-solving, with an emphasis on understanding human needs and behaviors in everything we do.

Experience Thinking is Akendi's unique, collaborative approach that focuses on creating connected experiences across four key areas: Brand, Content, Product, and Service. Unlike approaches that optimize individual touchpoints, Experience Thinking ensures all experiences work together cohesively throughout the customer lifecycle. It's our innovation framework that tackles the complex reality of designing great experiences by considering how people experience your organization holistically over time.

The Experience Thinking framework examines four key experience areas that need to be researched, strategized, and designed in close collaboration with stakeholders. Brand experience covers how people feel about your organization, Content experience handles how information is packaged and consumed, Product experience focuses on usability and functionality, and Service experience encompasses all interaction points. The framework ensures these areas work together to create connected, end-to-end experiences.

Our research approach combines deep user insights with strategic analysis. We use various methods including ethnographic research, contextual inquiry, interviews, surveys, and usability testing. We focus on understanding not just what users do, but why they do it and how it fits into their broader context. Our research is designed to inform design decisions and validate assumptions throughout the project lifecycle.

We believe that user needs and business requirements should align rather than compete. Our Experience Thinking approach helps identify where user satisfaction drives business outcomes across all touchpoints. We work with stakeholders to understand business objectives while ensuring user needs remain central to our design decisions. This dual focus helps create solutions that are both user-friendly and commercially viable.

Our design process is built around the Experience Thinking framework, which ensures we're creating connected experiences rather than isolated solutions. We combine equal parts user experience research and creative design excellence. Our process includes innovation, strategy, design, and build phases, with continuous user involvement and stakeholder collaboration throughout. We focus on creating experiences that are effortlessly intuitive and delightful to use.

We specialize in complex systems, transactional systems, and big data/content systems that need to be easier to use. Our approach focuses on understanding the complex workflows and user needs within these systems. We have experience with enterprise software, government systems, and other complex applications where usability and efficiency are critical. Our team includes specialists with systems engineering backgrounds who understand technical constraints.

We measure success through both user experience metrics and business impact indicators. This includes usability improvements, user satisfaction scores, task completion rates, and efficiency gains. We also track business outcomes like increased conversion rates, reduced support costs, and improved customer retention. Our Experience Thinking approach enables measurement across all touchpoints to demonstrate comprehensive value.

We offer a comprehensive range of services including Strategy & Innovation, Research, Design, Testing, Development, and Team Solutions. Our services span from initial strategy and user research through design and development to testing and optimization. We also provide training and certification programs, staff augmentation services, and ongoing support. Our goal is to provide complete user experience services that de-risk your experience designs from initial concept to launch.

Yes, we offer comprehensive UX training, workshops and certification programs facilitated by our own practitioners who work on client projects. Our programs include User Experience Design and User Experience Research certifications, each following 5 days of intensive training. We also offer specialized workshops and courses in Journey Mapping, Service Design, and other UX disciplines. Our delivery combines in-depth theory with practical application exercises using real-world case studies.

We work on a wide range of projects including website and app design, enterprise software interfaces, government service portals, e-commerce platforms, and complex data systems. Our projects range from greenfield product development to redesigns of existing systems. We also work on service design projects that span multiple touchpoints and channels. Each project applies our Experience Thinking framework to create connected experiences.

We offer various team solutions including UX staff augmentation, fractional UX leadership, delivery pods, self-managed teams, and multi-disciplinary teams. Our team augmentation services can provide additional capacity when you need it most, while our leadership services help guide UX strategy and implementation. We adapt our team structure to meet your specific needs and organizational context.

We're actively exploring how AI can enhance UX processes and create better experiences for users. Our approach to AI focuses on augmenting human capabilities rather than replacing them. We help organizations understand how AI can improve user experiences while maintaining human-centered design principles. We also provide AI UX research and design services to help organizations create effective AI-powered products and services.

Yes, we believe in long-term partnerships and provide ongoing support through various models. This can include monitoring and optimization services, additional training, consulting on new features or improvements, and team coaching. We also offer maintenance and evolution services for design systems and other deliverables. Our goal is to ensure your investment in UX continues to provide value over time.

We work with organizations of all sizes, from startups and small teams to Fortune 500 companies and government agencies. Our approach scales from focused improvement projects to comprehensive experience redesigns. We offer flexible engagement models including project-based work, ongoing retainers, and team augmentation services. We work with clients to find approaches that fit their budget and timeline constraints while maintaining quality standards.

We work with over 220 clients across various industries and organizational sizes. Our client list includes major corporations like RBC, Rogers, Telus, ARM, and BlackBerry, government agencies like Health Canada and Elections Canada, healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and technology companies. We serve B2B, B2C, and G2C markets, with particular expertise in complex systems and enterprise applications.

Project duration varies significantly based on scope and complexity. Simple usability improvements might take a few weeks, while comprehensive experience redesigns can span several months. Training programs are typically 5 days for certification courses. Team augmentation and ongoing support arrangements can last months or years. We work with clients to establish realistic timelines that balance thoroughness with business needs.

Our engagement process typically begins with understanding your specific needs and challenges. We offer complimentary consultations to discuss your situation and how we might help. From there, we develop a customized approach that fits your organization's context, timeline, and budget. Our process emphasizes collaboration and transparency, with regular check-ins and stakeholder involvement throughout.

Quality and consistency come from our Experience Thinking framework combined with our team's deep expertise. All team members are trained in our methodology and proven approaches. We have established processes for research, design, strategy and testing that ensure consistent quality. Regular reviews and peer feedback help maintain standards. Our multi-disciplinary team structure means projects benefit from diverse expertise.

Clients consistently highlight our methodology, collaborative approach, and the quality of our deliverables. Clients appreciate our ability to bridge business and user needs while maintaining high design standards.

We maintain strict confidentiality standards and have comprehensive processes for protecting client information and intellectual property. All team members sign confidentiality agreements and we have established protocols for handling sensitive information. We respect client ownership of their data and insights while maintaining our own methodological knowledge and expertise.

Our Experience Thinking framework sets us apart by focusing on connected experiences rather than isolated touchpoints. We combine equal parts research and creative design excellence with a multi-disciplinary team that includes behavioral science, engineering, and data analytics expertise. Our focus on complex systems and enterprise applications, combined with our training and certification programs, distinguishes us from agencies that focus primarily on marketing or simpler consumer applications.

Our team combines credentials in Behavioral Science, Experience Design, Data Analytics, and Engineering. We have specialists with backgrounds in systems engineering, behavioral sciences, data science, and visual design. Our multi-disciplinary approach means we can address both the human and technical aspects of experience design. Team members have advanced degrees and extensive industry experience across various sectors.

We maintain active involvement in the UX community through conference participation, research publication, and industry collaboration. Our team members regularly contribute to UX knowledge through blog posts, speaking engagements, and training programs. We also learn from our diverse client base and project experiences, continuously refining our approaches based on real-world outcomes.

Accessibility and inclusive design are integrated into our Experience Thinking framework. We understand that creating connected experiences means ensuring they work for users with diverse abilities and needs. Our team has experience with accessibility standards and inclusive design practices. We approach accessibility not as a compliance requirement but as an essential component of good experience design.

With offices in Canada, the US, and the UK, we have experience working across different cultural contexts and regulatory environments. We understand that user behaviors and expectations vary across cultures and markets. Our Experience Thinking framework helps us adapt our approach to local contexts while maintaining consistency in quality and methodology.

We have extensive experience working with agile development teams and other methodologies. Our Experience Thinking framework integrates well with agile approaches, allowing for iterative design and continuous user feedback. We understand the importance of staying ahead of development sprints while maintaining flexibility for changing requirements. Our team can adapt to your preferred development methodology.

We focus on how emerging technologies can enhance user experiences rather than adopting technology for its own sake. Our approach considers how new technologies fit into the broader experience ecosystem and whether they truly serve user needs. We have experience with various emerging technologies and help clients understand their potential impact on user experience and business outcomes.

We specialize in complex systems, transactional systems, and big data/content systems that require sophisticated UX solutions. Our client list includes major corporations, government agencies, and technology companies with complex requirements. We understand the unique challenges of enterprise software, including multiple user types, complex workflows, and technical constraints. Our multi-disciplinary team is well-equipped to handle these challenges.

The best way to determine fit is through a conversation about your specific needs and challenges. We offer complimentary consultations where we can discuss your situation and how our Experience Thinking approach might help. Consider whether you need connected experiences across multiple touchpoints, have complex systems that need to be easier to use, or want to build internal UX capabilities alongside project delivery.

Think about your current challenges, goals, and constraints. Consider what you're trying to achieve, who your users are, and what success looks like for your organization. If you have existing research or user feedback, that's helpful context. Also consider your timeline, budget parameters, and internal team structure. The more context you can provide, the better we can tailor our approach to your needs.

We develop customized proposals based on your specific needs and requirements. Our pricing reflects the value we provide through our Experience Thinking approach and multi-disciplinary expertise. We work with clients to find approaches that fit their budget constraints while maintaining quality standards. We believe in transparent communication about costs and deliverables from the beginning.

Start by contacting us for a complimentary consultation where we can discuss your needs and how we might help. From there, we'll develop a customized proposal that outlines our approach, timeline, and deliverables. Once we agree on the scope and approach, we can begin work quickly. Our goal is to make the engagement process as smooth and transparent as possible.

We value long-term partnerships and work to build relationships that extend beyond individual projects. This might include ongoing consulting, team augmentation, training programs, or support services. We adapt our services to your evolving needs and help build your internal capabilities over time. Many of our clients work with us across multiple projects and years.

You can learn more through several channels: read Tedde van Gelderen's book 'Experience Thinking: Creating Connected Experiences', explore our blog and case studies, attend our training programs, or schedule a consultation to discuss how Experience Thinking might apply to your specific situation. We're always happy to share our knowledge and help organizations understand how to create better connected experiences.

We offer various forms of ongoing support including monitoring and optimization services, additional training, consulting on new features, and team coaching. We can also provide maintenance for design systems and other deliverables. Our goal is to ensure your investment in UX continues to provide value over time through whatever support model makes sense for your organization.