Hope For Wernham Hogg

If you're selling office supplies you are faced with two options. Spend your day planning your night out down Chaser's in Slough with Finchy, and wrestle with your personal insecurities. Or you could try something else.

I stumbled across the story of Staples and their Design Initiative programme on Influx. It's helped them post record sales in the first quarter of this year. Sales of Staples branded goods have boomed from 9% to 20% of total sales, with a target of 30% in mind. And they've done it with world class design, married with basic consumer insights. By sitting and watching people use their products, they've elevated design in this apparently low interest sector, and are now reaping the rewards.

People like to shred mail in the kitchens where they open their mail. So Staples designed the MailMate Shredder, a neat compact shredder that sits next to the toaster or kettle. They developed the One-Touch stapler that works its way through 20 sheets of paper in one touch. There is plenty more besides. Proof, if it was needed that big insights and big ideas, aren't just fluffy creative nice things - they grow businesses spectacularly.