Building aconia: James Simpson on the pivot from service to product

James Simpson’s route to co-founding aconia started with interior architecture, retail set design for Dr. Martens and UX/UI concept work posted on the side. He now splits his time between aconia, the SaaS-focused boutique building digital assets, and Seed Collaborative, the studio he runs with the same two long-term partners. aconia grew out of Seed when the three of them niched down out of necessity; its product range now spans mockups and UI backgrounds, with more to come. Its motto, ‘Build Beautifully,’ nods to the Greek transcendentals. In this conversation, Simpson talks through the evolution, why he wants SaaS to feel less dark mode and more personal, and the thinking behind aconia’s approach to products. TBI: Hi James! How are things? JS: All good mate, currently overseas, so it could be worse.