ABOUT US

Vanessa Cullen, Principal of Forward Thinking Design, secured her first commercial design commission at the age of 16. Throughout her university studies, she undertook freelance projects under her own name and then eventually as Forward Thinking Design (FTD). At the age of 25, Vanessa resigned from the interior design company she was employed with in protest against unethical business practices and took the plunge into FTD full-time. In early 2010, with Vanessa now in her late 20’s, Forward Thinking Design became a company. In 2019, FTD began collaborating with several partners to build upon Vanessa's circular economy and governance experience and advisory, launching FTD Circular as an additional trading name and division of FTD. Forward Thinking Design prides itself on being an ethical and socially responsible organisation, true to the original purpose of its creation. Forward Thinking Design is also a People & Planet First and Social Traders certified social enterprise.

FTD'S SOCIAL PURPOSE COMMITMENT (Excerpt from company constitution):

      1. The Company intends to operate as a social enterprise and to deliver a clear, ongoing, and measurable public benefit.
      2. The Company’s Primary Social Purpose is to advance positive social, environmental, and economic outcomes by transforming how the built environment is planned, designed, procured, delivered, managed, demolished/de-fitted, and reused, in order to reduce waste, lower embodied environmental impacts, strengthen community outcomes, and improve long-term value for purpose-driven organisations and the public sector.
      3. In pursuing this purpose, the Company seeks to multiply the impact of funds invested in (spent on) the built environment by charities, social enterprises, government agencies, and values-aligned organisations through the following activities:
        1. Delivering professional strategy, advisory, design and circular economy services that prioritise waste avoidance, material re-use, embodied-carbon reduction, sustainability, whole-of-life value and equitable access to material resources.
        2. Embedding circular economy principles and systems, including building-as-material-bank approaches, material traceability, reuse pathways, and demolition/de-fit guidance, to divert materials from landfill and extend the productive life of existing assets.
        3. Building capability and knowledge across private, public and NFP design, construction, property, and waste sectors through training, tools, guidance, research, and thought leadership, thereby enabling broader market adoption of circular and socially responsible practices.
        4. Improving access to professional expertise for charities, social enterprises, and community-focused organisations through pro-bono work, discounted services, cross-subsidisation, partnerships, and scalable tools that reduce financial barriers to good design and sustainable outcomes.
        5. Supporting ethical, inclusive, and responsible supply chains, including social enterprises, reuse organisations, and local providers, to deliver social value, employment pathways, increased equitable access to resources and community benefit alongside environmental outcomes.
        6. Contributing to systemic change by influencing policy, procurement practices, standards, and industry norms to support waste reduction, circular economy outcomes, and socially responsible investment in, and governance of, the built environment.
      4. The Company’s Secondary Social Purpose is to contribute to public benefit by enabling and cross-subsidising unpaid or under-remunerated public-interest work, including governance, advisory, consumer representation, and policy-influencing roles in the health, community, environmental, and not-for-profit sectors, where such work delivers demonstrable social and community outcomes.
      5. In performing it’s operations, the Company commits to advancing social inclusion by creating meaningful, flexible, and accessible employment and contracting opportunities for people who face structural barriers to equitable participation at work; including LGBQTI+, CALD persons, women, single parents, people with disability and neurodivergence, and individuals living in regional, rural and lower socio-economic areas - through values-aligned and intersectionality-informed business practices, and remote-enabled projects.
      6. The Company commits to prioritising purpose over profit by reinvesting 100% of any profit into furthering its social and environmental objectives, improving its impact delivery, and strengthening the resilience and reach of its social enterprise activities.
FTD declines to work with any client or supplier it knows, or finds to be, knowingly and significantly involved in the trade of tobacco, firearms/weapons, off premises alcohol and/or irresponsible service of on premises alcohol, factory farming, live export, child labour, human rights abuses, environmental degradation, discrimination, and the sale/marketing of consumables deemed detrimental to individual and community health and wellbeing.
We actively seek to engage with clients and suppliers demonstrating a strong commitment to social, environmental, ethical, cruelty-free and compassionate responsibility.
For more information please Contact Us

 

WE HAVE PROUDLY SUPPORTED

We-Proudly-Support

OUR AWARDS

  • GOLD WINNER BETTER FUTURE WILD GLOBAL DESIGN AWARDS 2024 - FTD CIRCULAR
  • GOLD WINNER BETTER FUTURE AUSTRALIAN DESIGN AWARDS 2024 - FTD CIRCULAR
  • GOLD WINNER SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2023 - FTD CIRCULAR
  • SILVER WINNER SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2023 - CLUB CATALINA BISTRO BAR & FAMILY AREA
  • FINALIST IN FINDER GREEN AWARDS 2021 - GREEEN LEADER
  • SILVER WINNER SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2020 - FORWARD THINKING DESIGN PROCESS
  • SILVER WINNER SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2020 - CLUB CATALINA MAIN BAR AND MEMBERS LOUNGE
  • INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY BLACKTOWN WOMEN OF THE YEAR FINALIST
  • SOCIAL TRADERS CERTIFIED 2020
  • CERTIFIED B-CORP 2017
  • SILVER WINNER – SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2016 – BROWN JERSEY
  • FINALIST – HILLS BUILDING AND DESIGN AWARDS 2016 – RETAIL SHOP FITOUT
  • FINALIST – SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2014 – NIJI
  • FINALIST- WESTERN SYDNEY AWARDS FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 2014
  • CEO OF THE YEAR 2013 – TEC – VANESSA CULLEN
  • FINALIST – HILLS BUILDING AND DESIGN AWARDS 2013 – RETAIL SHOP FITOUT – COSMO COFFEE
  • FINALIST – SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2013 – PACHAMAMA
  • FINALIST – ASOFIA 2012-2013 INTERIOR FITOUT AWARDS – SERGIO’S CAKE SHOP
  • FINALIST – SYDNEY DESIGN AWARDS 2012 – INTERIOR DESIGN/RETAIL
  • FINALIST – NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER AWARDS – 2012 – FUTURE BUSINESS LEADER
  • WINNER – WESTERN SYDNEY AWARDS FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 2012 – VANESSA CULLEN – YOUNG FEMALE ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR
  • FINALIST – WESTERN SYDNEY AWARDS FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 2012 – EXCELLENCE IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AND
  • EXCELLENCE IN EXPORT
  • FINALIST – TELSTRA AUSTRALIA BUSINESS AWARDS 2012 – HTC START-UP
  • WINNER – WESTERN SYDNEY AWARDS FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 2011 – BUSINESS OF THE YEAR 2011
  • WINNER – WESTERN SYDNEY AWARDS FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 2011 – EXCELLENCE IN PROPERTY
  • SHORTLISTED – ANTHILL MAGAZINE COOL COMPANY AWARDS 2011 – MICRO BUSINESS AND X-FACTOR
  • SHORTLISTED – INTERIOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2011 – SERGIO’S CAKE SHOP (RETAIL)
  • WINNER – SUNCORP WESTERN SYDNEY AWARDS FOR BUSINESS EXCELLENCE 2010 – CUSTOMER SERVICE
  • RUNNER UP – ANTHILL MAGAZINE COOL COMPANY COMMERCIAL CREATIVITY AWARD 2010 – SERGIO’S CAKE SHOP
  • RUNNER UP – ANTHILL MAGAZINE COOL COMPANY COMMERCIAL CREATIVITY AWARD 2009 – KRANK CLOTHING
  • WINNER – SUNCORP WESTERN SYDNEY REGIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS 2009 – HIGHLY COMMENDED
  • WINNER – SUNCORP PARRAMATTA REGIONAL BUSINESS AWARDS 2008 – CHAIRMAN’S CHOICE & NEW BUSINESS

AS SEEN IN

as seen in 051214

MEMBERS OF

Screenshot

OUR CLIENTS INCLUDE

Logos B and W
Scroll to Top