As we step into the year ahead, we’re starting 2026 with a milestone worth celebrating. Our Managing Director, Graham Cook, is marking 40 years with GIA!
What began as managing his own clients in a small, founder-led business became a career defined by partnership, trust and long-term thinking. Along the way, he took the leap into ownership (despite, in his own words, “lacking in confidence at the time”) and went on to lead GIA for longer than the original founders themselves.
Design, for him, has always been a tool for marketing, operational efficiency and return on investment. Whether that means challenging a brief, rethinking a layout or advising a client to take a completely different (and often more cost-effective) route, honesty and value have always come first.
That approach has shaped who we are today:
Long-standing relationships built on trust
Clients who see us as partners, not suppliers
A studio culture where people are encouraged to think commercially, creatively and collaboratively
Listening to the brief and not giving the client what they want but what they need
As he often says, “Winning awards is great but they’re simply the icing on the cake.” Hearing that turnover has improved, visitors have increased or whatever the metrics are, we want to know that our design has helped to achieve better results.
We’re proud of the legacy built over the last 40 years and even more excited about what lies ahead as we continue designing for results, listening to our clients and learning where necessary alongside them.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far – our clients, contractors and the GIA team past and present. And of course, a huge congratulations to Graham, who will probably kill me when he sees this post (especially for including the old photo!).
Here’s to a successful, collaborative and exciting year ahead!
As we step into the year ahead, we’re starting 2026 with a milestone worth celebrating. Our Managing Director, Graham Cook, is marking 40 years with GIA!
What began as managing his own clients in a small, founder-led business became a career defined by partnership, trust and long-term thinking. Along the way, he took the leap into ownership (despite, in his own words, “lacking in confidence at the time”) and went on to lead GIA for longer than the original founders themselves.
Design, for him, has always been a tool for marketing, operational efficiency and return on investment. Whether that means challenging a brief, rethinking a layout or advising a client to take a completely different (and often more cost-effective) route, honesty and value have always come first.
That approach has shaped who we are today:
As he often says, “Winning awards is great but they’re simply the icing on the cake.” Hearing that turnover has improved, visitors have increased or whatever the metrics are, we want to know that our design has helped to achieve better results.
We’re proud of the legacy built over the last 40 years and even more excited about what lies ahead as we continue designing for results, listening to our clients and learning where necessary alongside them.
Thank you to everyone who has been part of the journey so far – our clients, contractors and the GIA team past and present. And of course, a huge congratulations to Graham, who will probably kill me when he sees this post (especially for including the old photo!).
Here’s to a successful, collaborative and exciting year ahead!