

It was the year 2000. I had been with digital shop Agency.com for less than six months when I got the call. It was Jon, one of our business development people. “We got it,” he said. “We won the Grainger.com business!” Huh? I was less than enthusiastic. WW Grainger is a large b-to-b supplies distribution company. They sell everything from duct tape to flashlights that can open up a beer bottle. Seemed like unglamorous work for someone lured to a digital agency that boasted clients such as Coke. But what I failed to see back then has been what has best served me in my career in the digital agency space thus far. Grainger.com presented a unique opportunity to solve complex problems using user-centered design techniques.