Our journey began in 2005: Centigrade entered the IT world… when “UI design” still meant shiny interfaces and pretty icons were the ultimate goal, and hardly anyone talked about ‘usability’ or “user experience.”
Today, 20 years later, we look back with pride on two decades in which the world of IT technology has changed rapidly. Beautiful interfaces have become comprehensive experiences that connect machines, apps, and people. We have reinvented ourselves every year, advancing from a UI design service provider to an award-winning IT service provider with innovative AI products. But one thing has remained the same for us: people are at the center of everything we do.
Because without user research, without empathy, and without a genuine understanding of human needs, there can be no good products or services. We have worked intensively over the last 20 years to build our portfolio in line with this philosophy.
Our greatest success: the team
On our 20th anniversary, we had the opportunity to look back not only on our work, but above all on the people who have made Centigrade great: our team, our customers, our partners, and our companions.
Our founder and CEO Thomas put it aptly:
“You can’t speed things up by pulling on them wildly—and you can’t make people and teams better by putting pressure on them. Creativity and self-determination need space. That is the true task of leadership.”
A special highlight was the video that our team put together and presented as a surprise for Thomas – a selfie greeting from former employees and customers that showed how much heart, joy, and solidarity there is at Centigrade and how even as former employees or external parties, we always think back fondly on the great times we had together.
Experiences together in Saarbrücken
Of course, we also celebrated our anniversary in person – with a very varied company outing in Saarbrücken:
- A joint brunch as a leisurely start and a city tour that allowed us to experience our hometown in a new way.
- Exciting activities such as an alpaca hike, a coffee tasting, a culinary Eat-the-World tour, and adventures in the climbing park. Thomas was in the alpaca group, by the way, which inspired his quote 😉
- And to round off the day, we had dinner at Undine on the banks of the Saar.
As varied as the program was, together these activities showed what has connected us for 20 years: curiosity, community, and the joy of discovery.
To the next 20 years!
We would like to thank all our employees, customers, and partners who have made this journey possible—and we look forward to shaping the future of digital transformation with you in a human-centered way.
Happy Birthday, Centigrade!
