Each and every week the Square Holes team are deep in the bowels of a number of projects, working to mine all of the insights that we can to help grow businesses and support thriving cities.

These insights are used by businesses and organisations to innovate their offerings, move into new markets, track their impact and hone their products and output. Each week we will be sharing a broad insight that we have learnt for you to use in your own work.

Let us know what you find valuable!

Jason: Progress over poo

Henry Ford famously quipped: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

And to be fair, in 1900 the horse problem was very real – but not because of speed, but rather poo. Horses as general transport were producing millions of tonnes of the stuff every day. The smell, the flies, the disease, piling up faster than the carriages could move. That stinking reality didn’t just stimulate the nose, it stimulated innovation. The car wasn’t born because people wanted a fancier horse, it was born because the status quo was literally unbearable.

Fast forward to 2025, and DIY might be our version of the Model T. With cost pressures, tech tools and a dash of stubbornness, people aren’t asking for “faster horses” (or available / cheaper tradies), they’re rolling up their sleeves, making do and building their own car (or table, chairs, new business or whatever) in the garage or on the kitchen table. Sometimes it works, sometimes it looks more like Homer Simpson’s car, but at least the poo problem gets solved. In 2025 the non-literal shit we are standing in needs billions of people Doing It (Y) themselves for solutions.

Dylan: Risk for reward

This week we’ve been testing two different concept advertising campaigns. What we found is that it can be tempting to go with the safer option that appeals broadly in the moment, but memorability is what drives long-term brand equity. The more distinctive, riskier concept (even if slightly less preferred) is likely to create stronger mental imprints that influence consumer habits and behaviours over time. Familiarity and preference can be built with repeated exposure, but if an idea isn’t remembered, it never gets the chance. Choosing the bolder route is a risk but gives the idea the best chance to stand out and spark conversations, hopefully building lasting associations.

Mahalia: DIY for everyone

The beautiful thing about DIY innovation is that a great idea or solution can come from anywhere. Researching for this weeks article I stumbled across FabBRICK, bricks created using textile waste, dreamt up by young architect Clarisse Merlet in 2019. Merlet came to this idea when studying the impact of the building industry on the environment – creating a solution that helps to repurpose the staggering amount of waste created by fast fashion. The best part? She’s made her patented method accessible to everyone – so that it can be used freely and effectively. So many of the DIY innovations shared are about making great ideas accessible to those that need them the most. Where do you see a problem that needs a solution?

Think your business or organisation could do with some insights? Contact us here.