If Alongside Design has seemed a little still lately, there’s a good reason. My usual rhythm of creation has been replaced by a different kind of beat – a humid hustle far from the usual online hum, with a side of tropical humidity and a lot of sweat equity.
For the past few months, my focus has been entirely on building a website for a Teachers’ University while volunteering in Papua New Guinea through VSA (Volunteer Service Abroad). I haven’t been building traditional structures with my bare hands; instead, I’ve been shaping their digital infrastructure. By crafting a new website and, crucially, training the local team in its ongoing development, I’m planting seeds for enhanced educational access for future teachers across Papua New Guinea. This work often happens with a Kulau (coconut) in hand, navigating an intermittent power grid, and being deeply embedded in a community where collective well-being is paramount. The constant hum of commercialism, so familiar elsewhere, feels a world away here.
Alongside Design, for me, isn’t built to be a money-making business. It’s a passion project, a truly purpose-driven business giving me personal purpose and aiming to have a genuine positive impact. My time away has only sharpened my resolve. The idea of simply adding more ‘stuff’ to an already saturated world holds no appeal. My compass points toward leaving a net positive legacy and creating things that leave a positive mark on the world.
This conviction is why Alongside Design embraces a print-on-demand model. I’m not stockpiling; I’m crafting tools with purpose, only when they’re truly called for. My genuine hope is that these journals serve as quiet catalysts, offering clarity and a pathway to self-awareness, much as they have for me. It’s about igniting that internal spark, finding your own steady ground.
My commitment to positive contribution extends beyond the page. I’ve proudly partnered with One Tree Planted, ensuring that for every journal purchased, a tree takes root. Because personal growth shouldn’t exist in a vacuum; its ripple effect should extend to the planet we call home.
My recent months, building digital bridges and sweating in the tropics, have stripped away any lingering ambiguity: contributing positively isn’t just a tagline; it’s woven into the very fabric of Alongside Design. It embodies what I believe a true purpose-driven business should be: cultivating creations that genuinely matter, fostering both individual evolution and a broader, brighter impact in the world. As this assignment in Papua New Guinea continues, Alongside’s online presence might remain a little subdued, but rest assured, the gears are always turning on how I can best walk alongside you.
Ultimately, Alongside Design exists to offer meaningful tools, quiet companions for your journey toward a stronger sense of self and a deeper connection to the good you wish to cultivate. I’m here for the genuine work, one mindful page, one purposeful choice at a time.