About Psycle

When we started Psycle in 1997, nobody really knew what "digital" was going to become. We certainly didn't. We weren't following a business plan or trying to build a software company. We simply wanted to build somewhere we'd enjoy working. A company where we worked with people we genuinely liked, on projects we found interesting, solving problems that mattered. Nearly thirty years later, we'd like to think we still do.

Our earliest projects explored how people learn, interact and engage with technology through our work with The Open University. That work shaped far more than our first projects. It shaped the way we think. Technology should help people, not get in their way. Solve the real problem. Keep things simple. Build systems that last. We've tried to stick to those principles ever since.

We've always said yes to interesting problems. Some of those stories are still covered by confidentiality agreements. The ones we can tell are only a small glimpse of the last thirty years. Along the way we've found ourselves working on projects we never could have imagined.

Building the world's largest online congratulations card to celebrate the birth of Prince George, bringing together tens of thousands of messages in a single interactive experience.

Creating an online global talent competition platform for Simon Cowell that launched simultaneously across 26 countries, with One Direction helping kick things off.

Supporting Formula One campaigns where software we'd built appeared at Singapore Changi Airport one week and trackside at the Singapore Grand Prix the next.

Working with Tate Modern to create installations that explored how visitors experienced art in new ways.

Attending Google's Zeitgeist Minds events because we'd built the platform.

Even organising flash mobs around Barcelona for Royal Caribbean and DreamWorks, trying to keep Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra and the Madagascar Penguins heading in roughly the right direction.

They're good stories. Not because they're glamorous. Because every one of them started with somebody asking us the same question: "Can you help us solve this?" None of it was really about us.

Those projects are fun to talk about, but they've never been the reason we do what we do. Our job has always been to help our clients succeed. Sometimes that means creating something entirely new. Sometimes it means quietly fixing something that nobody else can. Sometimes it means being the people behind the people, making sure everything works exactly as it should.

If we've done our job properly, people remember the experience, the campaign or the platform. Not the company that built it. We're perfectly happy with that.

The technology has changed. The principles haven't.

Today we're more likely to be talking about cloud platforms, information security, accessibility, AI governance and enterprise architecture than interactive museum installations or global digital campaigns.

But the questions we ask haven't really changed. What problem are we trying to solve? Will this still work five years from now? Is there a simpler way? Can we make our client's life easier?

We think that's why we're still here. Not because we've been the loudest. Or because we've chased every new trend. Because we've built relationships. Relationships with colleagues who've stayed with us for years. Relationships with clients who've trusted us through multiple generations of technology. Relationships built on honesty, quality and doing what we said we'd do.

Some of our best projects have lasted well over a decade. Many of our client relationships have too. We're quietly proud of both. The people have always been the interesting part. Technology is simply how we've helped them. That's why we still choose to work with organisations we enjoy working with, on projects that matter, alongside people we'd happily share a coffee with.

Nearly thirty years on, we remain a team of people who enjoy solving interesting problems for organisations we genuinely like working with. We'd like to think that simple idea has made all the difference.

Left Brain Right Brain is the result of a long standing partnership between Zaang (a design first agency with whom we have collaborated for many clients) and Psycle about how design thinking and technical thinking can work together in harmony to create huge value.

Every week, Left Brain Right Brain is the sharing of experience-led thoughts and insights, an exploration of how people, creativity and technology come together. A space for thinking out loud about all things digital and product development. At its core, it is a natural extension of how we work, combining practical engineering with curiosity.