Graham Powell-Wood

I design and build
AI-native companies.

Small teams. Agents doing the work that doesn’t matter. People owning the calls that do. Co-founder of Alternative Company; before that, fifteen-plus years designing for Audi, Apple, Tesco Bank and cinch.

Thinking
Latest
The end of leverageWhy the consulting pyramid doesn’t survive a small senior team with agents.
Essay · 5 min
2025What’s wrong with AI UXEssay · 4 min2023Generative AI in designEssay · 6 min
Work14 entries
Selected
2026Venture
Laid & Wove
A publishing house run on agents.
2026Venture
Cartogra
A coordination layer for people’s agents.
2026Client, with AltCo
Agentic HR for hospitality
35% fewer first-line queries; 100 hours a month back.
2026Laid & WoveA publishing house run on agents.Venture2026CartograA coordination layer for people’s agents.Venture2026Ethics in DesignA field guide to harmful patterns in AI-era products.Not-for-profit2026Agentic HR for hospitality35% fewer first-line queries; 100 hours a month back.Client, with AltCo2026Designing for the advice gapA working prototype in three weeks became the build spec.Client, with AltCo2026AI literacy across seven agenciesMore than 80 people across The Partnership Group.Client, with AltCo2025–AltCoConsulting built for a small senior team and a lot of agents.VentureEarlierAudiA design language adopted internationally.AgencyEarlierMetisA consumer solar brand, and a charging network to go with it.AgencyEarlierBritish GasService design at the centre of the energy crisis.AgencyEarliercinchA new business, inception to launch in six months.AgencyEarlierVolkswagenThe Board of Customer Obsession.AgencyEarlierApple, Enterprise NextShowing enterprises what Apple could make possible.AgencyEarlierTesco BankA banking app built from the ground up.Agency

Also: HSBC, Lloyds, Halifax, Clydesdale & Yorkshire Bank, Lego, Vodafone, Atypical Partner.