The company focuses on long-term impact – not only for the consumer, whose card protectors are durable and easy to repair, but also in its production process. This includes caring for the people who assemble the products and taking their needs into account. “We look at all our stakeholders throughout the entire process,” says Marianne. “At every step, we ask ourselves how it can work best for that person.”
Secrid invests 1% of its turnover through the Impact Fund to support talented designers who drive sustainable change in their industries. Since 2022, Secrid has been a partner of Dutch Design Foundation (DDF). The Secrid Talent Podium has since become a fixture at Dutch Design Week (DDW) each year. For Secrid, it’s all about collaborating with design talent to explore different – and above all social, ethical and sustainable – ways of doing things. We speak with Marianne and industrial product designer Jerusha van Vliet about how Secrid makes a difference.
Precision and perfection
Secrid proves that things can be done differently in every respect. Cardprotectors are assembled by employees of a social enterprise (formerly a sheltered workshop). “The Netherlands has a unique and wonderful system for people distanced from the labour market,” says Marianne. “As a design agency, we had already been working with these workshops. We never produced anything ourselves – our creations were assembled there.”
After assembling the first 13,000 Cardprotectors themselves in 2009, René and Marianne took their idea to the social enterprise in Leiden. “Once you’ve put so many together yourself, you know repetitive work is really tough,” says Marianne. “After about a hundred, you start making mistakes. But there, the staff work with utmost precision and without error. From our perspective that everyone deserves suitable work, outsourcing assembly to a social enterprise was a natural choice.”
Special tools help the assembly teams put the products together. “From the very first design stage, we think about assembly,” says Jerusha. “The supporting tools also help make the work as comfortable as possible.”
Their babies
Jerusha joined Secrid five years ago as an intern and stayed on as a designer. “I felt at home straight away. Design really is in the company’s DNA.” She frequently works with the social enterprise teams. “When I visit to explain a change or a new product, the welcome is always so warm. People want to ask questions or point out if something isn’t practical. They’re our most critical colleagues – in the best possible way. They handle the products daily and spot every detail. Their involvement keeps driving quality higher.”
In total, around 150 people assemble products at three different locations. “Within the social enterprises, there are Secrid departments where people work mostly on our products,” says Jerusha. “There are even Secrid posters on the walls. It really makes them feel part of the company.”
BBC StoryWorks, in collaboration with B Lab Global, produced a film about Secrid and its partnership with social enterprises as part of its Common Good series.
Meaning and rhythm
For assembly workers, Secrid brings a real sense of purpose, say both Marianne and Jerusha. “They become attached to the workplace – it gives meaning and structure,” says Marianne. “If it’s closed on Easter Monday, they’ll still drop by in the hope of seeing someone.”
“It moves me every time to see their skill and dedication,” adds Jerusha. “Oscar, who appears in the BBC video, assembles the tiny buttons on the base all day long. They’re such minuscule parts – I still can’t do it properly after five years. But Oscar does it in a flash. And they love it when I try to assemble something – they find it hilarious when I can’t!”
Adding value together
Secrid makes a difference in many ways. “There’s so much knowledge here about how a good product can contribute to a better world,” says Marianne. She’s delighted with the collaboration with DDF: “Together, we can share our experience with the industry and with designers who also want to add value.”
The Secrid Talent Podium at DDW offers talented designers an annual platform. Since 2022, they have received a grant of €7,777, plus coaching and networking opportunities. The Impact Fund has already supported over 40 designers through the Talent Podium.
“What I love,” says Jerusha, “is that you [Marianne and René] genuinely share your experience. You started with something small and fragile, without knowing if it would succeed. And now you’re passing on the same encouragement you once received.”
Marianne recalls helping a paint-maker who uses bacteria to produce paint. “He thought he needed a large investment and was looking for shareholders. René asked him what the money was for. Often, the real need is smaller. He wanted to buy production machinery and rent a warehouse. René coached him to look for a manufacturer instead – someone who could produce the paint for him. He eventually found a company with the right machines and time – and even made contact with a major Dutch DIY chain.”
A community of designers, businesses and consumers
“Being able to think differently and creatively is a designer’s strength,” says Marianne. “Approaching every challenge as a design question makes you see things differently. You focus on long-term impact, without knowing the outcome. With this platform, we show that Secrid is in the same process – facing dilemmas and making choices.”
Through its collaboration with DDF, Secrid is building a community that inspires not only designers, companies and start-ups, but also consumers. Marianne shares a favourite example: “A local woman who visits DDW every year told me how much she values what we do. She uses a wheelchair now, and it made her think about how she could contribute to a better world. She cut the hems off all her blouses so they would fit more comfortably under her jumpers without bunching. She said, ‘Now they fit perfectly, and I didn’t have to buy anything new.’ I thought that was so beautiful.”