Finding My Why: An Interview with one of the Founders of Sketch Design Consultancy

Welcome to the Sketch Design Consultancy blog.

This is the first in a short series of posts introducing who we are — not just as engineers and designers, but as people. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing a bit more about our story: how we started, what drives us, and why we work the way we do.

We’re kicking things off with a conversation with one of our founders, Oliver Diebel, exploring the “why” behind Sketch.

What was the moment you realised you wanted to start your own design business?

I was working as a mechanical design engineer in the aerospace industry, looking to develop further. But the path forward pointed toward seniority and management roles. The thing is, I didn’t want to step away from the design work. I enjoy the day-to-day challenges of engineering: problem solving, collaborating with a team, and creating products I genuinely believe in.

I like to think I’m good at what I do — better than I’d be in a purely managerial position. That’s when the idea took hold: what if we went out on our own and offered a specialist service that really reflected our skills?

The first step was contracting, but that evolved into consultancy — with a key difference. We didn’t want to become a black-box service. We wanted close collaboration to stay at the heart of everything we do.

What kind of work makes you feel energised — even when it's challenging?

It’s the challenges in the work that give me the most enthusiasm for what I do. I’m drawn to the kinds of problems that seem impossible at first — the ones that force you to think deeply, test ideas, and sometimes realise the original problem wasn’t the real issue after all.

There’s something deeply satisfying about getting to the solution. The final result of knowing you’ve overcome the issue, and the feeling of “I did that, I found the solution” gives you the drive to do it again, and better.

When you reflect on your best projects, what role did you play that felt most natural or rewarding?

I often think back to my very first role after university. I was lucky to be surrounded by great people, and I learned a huge amount — not just about engineering, but about myself.

I wanted to be hands-on. I was eager to understand every aspect of what I was designing: how it worked, how it failed, how it was tested. That early exposure to the full development cycle gave me a foundation I’ve carried into every project since. I still get the most satisfaction when I’m right in the middle of the work — solving, testing, building.

What gap in the market did you see — and how did you want your company to fill it?

At the time, we didn’t see many companies doing what we wanted to do. You had permanent engineering teams and a growing pool of contractors. If work was outsourced to a consultancy, it often came back as a black-box solution — minimal communication, minimal integration with the client's systems or ways of working.

We believed there was room for something in between. Our goal was to offer clients a flexible, high-quality design resource that could plug in seamlessly with their existing teams — more of a partner than a supplier.

We’re there to lift the pressure off their engineering team, integrate with their workflow, and deliver designs that feel like they came from inside the organisation — not bolted on.

Who do you love helping most — and why?

I’ve always enjoyed working with companies that have production lines on-site. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the product move from screen to shop floor — to be part of that full cycle from concept to something physical, functional, and customer-ready.

Whether it’s a startup or a market leader doesn’t matter — what matters is that connection to real-world outcomes. That’s where we love to make an impact.

When a project wraps up successfully, what’s the part that gives you the most pride?

There’s nothing better than seeing the first units rolling off the line — tested, validated, refined. Knowing you had a hand in getting it there is a fantastic feeling.

And I’ll admit, I do enjoy those everyday moments when I spot a product we’ve worked on out in the wild. I always nudge my wife and say, “See that? I designed part of that.” Whether she appreciates it… is up for debate!

What values do you want your business to reflect — not just in the work, but in how you work with people?

Trust and reliability are huge for us. We aim to deliver more than just top-notch models and drawings — we want to be the people clients trust to understand their product, their process, and their goals.

We take on the day-to-day of engineering so clients don’t have to worry about it. We adapt when the brief changes, when timelines shift, when priorities evolve. And we always aim to give honest, useful advice — even if it’s not the easy answer.

Ultimately, we want our clients to feel like we’re on their side, part of their team, helping them move things forward.

If you could describe your “why” in one sentence, what would it be?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. At first, I kept coming back to things like “I like the challenge of finding a solution where others can’t,” or “I love seeing a design go from concept to the assembly line.”

But when I really reflect, it goes back much further — to childhood hours spent building anything I could imagine out of LEGO. I’ve always been fascinated by how things work, why they work, and how to solve problems in ways others might not see.

My real “why” is simple: I’m driven by curiosity, creativity, and the challenge of turning ideas into real, working solutions.

Thanks for reading. In our next blog, we’ll share more about the team behind Sketch — the people, principles, and skills that shape how we work every day.

In the meantime, if this post resonated with you or you’re curious about how we could support your next project, get in touch.