Working at Qindle – BNO interview

This is a translation of an interview conducted by the Association of Dutch Designers (BNO) with Taco Schmidt, Managing Director at Qindle, on the 19th of March 2021 about the way of working at Qindle. The original interview has been written in Dutch.

Qindle is a creative consultancy focused on innovation and design. The agency works in the food, technology and health industries for multinationals in Europe, US, Asia, and the Middle East. Clients include Intel, Philips, Haier, Cloetta, Savola and Rituals, but also purpose-driven scale-ups such as Digital Diagnostics AG (Digid), Foamplant and Sensius.

Our studio in Amsterdam is the HQ for an international team of 15+ people. We are experts in creative consultancy, data analysis, brand strategy, design and engineering. The studio is further supported by a steady, flexible group of 10+ specialists in copywriting, animation, visualisation and prototyping.

Qindle is in a new growth phase and is looking for talent to fill a range of job openings. What kind of agency is it, and what is it like to work there? We asked Managing Director Taco Schmidt.

What makes Qindle special or unique?

“We embrace creativity and data to tackle business challenges and help our clients to build a bright future. The future requires meaningful changes and impact. Our agency can create impact across business models, brands, categories or products.

We bring strategy, design and technology together to innovate and to make this innovation testable and tangible for relevant stakeholders. We turn promising innovations into commercial realities. That’s why no two projects are the same. With a mix of accessible personalities, technical expertise and entrepreneurial mindsets we live up to our brand promise: Make It Real.”

What are you most proud of?

“We are most proud of the progress Qindle has made. In 3.5 years we have made the agency future-ready: free from limited creative focus on one specific brand or marketing touchpoint. Our agency knows how to realise change at C-level. Creativity in the boardroom has positive consequences on human, ecosystem and business levels as a result.

We have a unique business model that we have dared to stick to – from day one. We also make sure we have and search for the right people who can make a difference for our clients in our challenging projects.

At this moment you have 6 job openings. What is the reason for this?

“Qindle is in a third growth phase, where we want to scale up our teams. We are expanding our three teams: Innovation Strategy, Visual Storytelling and Design+Tech to serve our client portfolio even better. We are also expanding our services to give more guidance to the solutions we offer our clients.”

Is it hard to find talent that matches your agency and your way of working?

“A simple answer: yes. Working on an international level with business leaders in Tech & FMCG demands a ‘best of the best’ mentality, real commitment and dedication. Qindle tries to champion change.

Imagining the future means stepping outside of your comfort zone, while ensuring you have a strong point of view. Every day, we embark upon unknown journeys with our clients and think about creating and engineering the products and world of the future. This demands energy and courage, which in turn requires unique and powerful personalities.”

How do you make a Qindler out of new hires?

“We immerse our new employees in our way of working and culture from day one with a challenging on-boarding program.

We dream big for a small agency. We challenge the status quo and our customers – you never know what you might uncover. But stay true to yourself, we appreciate diversity of thought, intellect and expertise. Diverse thinking challenges us to create stronger, more impactful work that makes a true difference to both our clients and society.”

Find our job openings.