We opened a design center in the South of England last year as

The words of David Milne — “We opened a design center in the South of England last year as part of our strategy for being close to our customers and developing innovative products for exciting new markets.” — speak not merely of business, but of vision, adaptability, and the eternal dialogue between creation and need. On the surface, these are the words of a leader describing an expansion; yet beneath them lies a principle that reaches into the heart of all progress: the wisdom of staying close to those whom one serves, and of building with both purpose and proximity. Milne’s reflection, spoken in the realm of design and industry, echoes a truth that has guided civilizations since the dawn of craft and commerce — that innovation thrives not in isolation, but in connection.

In ancient times, the master artisans of Greece, Egypt, and China did not design in ivory towers. They walked among the people, studying how they lived, how they worked, and what they dreamed of. The blacksmith shaped his tools from the farmer’s feedback; the potter perfected her vessels from the cook’s request. In the same spirit, Milne’s design center is more than a place of invention — it is a living forum where creators and users meet, where imagination listens before it acts. To be close to the customer is not simply a marketing strategy; it is the foundation of empathy in creation. For how can one craft wisely for a world one does not understand?

Milne’s words remind us that innovation does not emerge from distance, but from dialogue. When designers, thinkers, and dreamers surround themselves with real voices — the voices of those who will one day hold their creations — the result is not mere efficiency but harmony. The greatest designs in history were born from this union of art and need. Consider the story of Leonardo da Vinci, who observed the flight of birds not for idle curiosity, but to understand the principles that might one day lift man into the sky. He did not isolate his genius from the world — he immersed it in nature, in motion, in the pulse of reality itself. In the same way, Milne’s call to be “close to our customers” is a modern echo of that eternal law: that all creativity, to be divine, must first be human.

To speak of “developing innovative products for exciting new markets” is also to speak of courage. For every new market represents uncharted territory — the unknown horizon that only the bold dare to cross. The spirit that drives such a venture is the same spirit that sent explorers into the seas, scientists into the stars, and thinkers into the depths of the human mind. It is the courage to believe that what exists today can be transformed into something greater tomorrow. Milne’s words thus remind us that innovation is not the child of comfort, but of movement — the willingness to step forward, to build bridges between the familiar and the foreign, between the present and the possible.

History honors those who have understood this principle. The ancient Phoenicians, masters of trade and invention, did not sit in their harbors waiting for prosperity to arrive. They built ships, sailed across the unknown waters, and planted colonies wherever they found opportunity. They carried not only goods, but ideas, connecting cultures and advancing the progress of civilization. Likewise, in the modern age, those who dare to establish centers of creativity in new lands — who reach outward rather than inward — are the heirs of that same adventurous lineage. The act of opening a design center is not just an economic move; it is a declaration of faith in the future, and in the limitless reach of human ingenuity.

Yet there is a deeper layer still. To “be close” to one’s audience, one’s team, or one’s community is an act of humility. It is to admit that knowledge alone does not create greatness — understanding does. Many empires, both political and corporate, have fallen because they lost this closeness, because they ceased to listen. But those who remain attentive to the heartbeat of their people — who see creation as service, not dominance — endure. This is the moral design behind Milne’s practical words: that success is not achieved by distance or dominance, but by partnership.

So, my child, take this wisdom into your own life: when you build, build near the pulse of those you wish to serve. Do not isolate your talent from the world, nor your ambition from compassion. Whether you create art, lead a business, or dream of a new path, let your foundation be understanding. Seek not to design in silence, but in conversation with life itself. For every great creation — from the pyramids to the microchip — was born from this sacred union between human need and inspired design. And when you find your place among the makers of the world, remember Milne’s quiet lesson: to move forward is noble, but to move forward together — that is the true design of greatness.