Default to Designed
For agency leaders who want better retention, stronger culture, and a reputation that wins clients
About the programme:
Not being bad is not the same as being fair.
The 5Rs framework
Default to Designed is my 6-month cohort programme for agency leaders.
The default position in most agencies is loaded with systemic inequality. Not because leaders are indifferent, but because unexamined processes, habits and norms quietly compound over time.
Closing the gap takes intentional, proactive action across every part of the employee experience. That is what this programme is built for.
The gender pay gap isn't created in one moment. It compounds across the entire employee lifecycle, through everyday decisions about who gets hired, who stays, who gets recognised, how the business is perceived, and who gets access to opportunity.
Each pillar covers the data, what good looks like, and the practical actions your agency can take.
Why smaller agencies are doing this now
UK law requires businesses with 250 or more employees to report their gender pay gap. Most agencies are well below that. But the gap doesn't wait for a legal deadline.
The gender pay gap doesn't magically appear at 250 people. It starts on the very first rung of your career ladder and compounds quietly from there.
Agencies working on this now are doing it because:
They want to demonstrate to their ideal clients that they genuinely walk the talk
They can see it could be the missing ingredient to improve financial performance
They want to reduce recruitment costs and improve retention
They're thinking about M&A and want a positive, inclusive culture that will appeal
They want the data to include in their impact reporting
And because passiveness isn't neutral. Not being bad actively supports inequality. Achieving fairness takes intentional action, which is exactly what this programme is built for.