As Softhouse celebrates 30 years, we look back on a journey defined by growth and courage. An important milestone along that journey came in 2021, when the communications and design agency Milou Communication became part of the Softhouse family. At the helm of Milou — a company with an impressive 28-year history of its own — is CEO Annica Lagergren.
When asked to describe herself, Annica paints the picture of a highly active and creative person. She keeps a fast pace in life, something she laughingly attributes to what she calls her “catastrophically bad patience.” Her philosophy is simple: it is usually better to act quickly, test ideas, and adjust along the way if needed.
When she is not being a mother or wearing her CEO hat, she is often organizing gatherings for friends, attending concerts, or coaching a group of people with disabilities on Saturday mornings. Those sessions give her enormous amounts of energy — energy she brings back to the workplace and invests in what matters most to her: people.
The dream job and the synergies that shape the future
Five years ago, Annica received a call from a recruiter while standing in a parking lot outside Väla shopping center, preparing for a full day of shopping with her children. The recruiter could not reveal the company’s name, but Annica quickly figured it out. It had to be Milou.
“Getting the opportunity to work at Milou felt like a rockstar job to me. The agency had such a strong reputation, amazing employees, great clients, and a fantastic culture. I felt honored, incredibly humbled, and honestly a little terrified about taking over the baton,” she recalls.
At almost exactly the same time, Milou was approaching another major milestone: becoming part of Softhouse. The transition was exciting. Milou went from being owned by four founders to becoming part of a larger software group, while continuing to operate successfully under its own brand.
“It became an incredibly fun challenge, and we’ve had an amazing journey together with Softhouse. Suddenly, I had a whole group of CEO colleagues to exchange ideas with, which is quite a luxury in my world. Usually, you’re rather alone in your role and your decisions. Now I even had a manager to bounce ideas off,” Annica says.
From the very beginning, there was a strong sense of familiarity between the two companies. While their focus areas differ somewhat, strategic design, UX, and software development naturally go hand in hand. Both companies already had offices in Karlskrona and shared nearly the same number of years in business. 
“There are so many synergies in it. Being able to lead a company in transformation while having access to all the expertise and knowledge within the group is incredibly inspiring. We are experienced and established in the industry, but we still need to keep breaking new ground and stay one step ahead.”
The sense of community among the CEOs and the support of the wider group have played a significant role in Annica’s growth as a leader. New perspectives and shared knowledge have given her the confidence to make bold decisions and embrace new opportunities. With offices in Kalmar, Karlskrona, and the newly opened office in Kristianstad, Milou’s local presence and team spirit are stronger than ever.
From seven people to a shared everyday life
Creating seamless experiences where design and technology work together is something Björn Andreasson is passionate about. Having worked at Milou for ten years, he helps transform creative visions into reality while always keeping accessibility at the forefront, ensuring solutions work for everyone.
Lotta Danielsson joined the company in 2009, when the agency consisted of just seven people. Over the years, she has held numerous roles — from project manager and strategist to HR manager and people leader. Today, she is incredibly proud to have grown alongside a company in constant transformation. The warmth was there from the very beginning. 
“One of my very first memories is getting a hug from one of the founders on my first day, along with the words: ‘Finally, you’re here, Lotta!’”
For Björn, the strong sense of community lives in the small moments of everyday life.
“The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Milou is our Friday breakfast, often combined with a team meeting. It’s such a wonderful way to start the final day of the week.”
The courage to be kind
Rather than embracing the stereotypical agency culture that can sometimes be characterized by sharp elbows and individual prestige, Milou has built its success on something much warmer.
“We care deeply about being kind,” Annica explains. “It sounds boring and simple, but when we’re kind to each other, we also dare to speak honestly. We help each other, and we become incredibly good at working as a team. We all agree on one thing: we are nothing without each other. Nothing we do is a one-person show.”
That sense of psychological safety creates both pride and engagement. When colleagues describe one another, a clear picture emerges. Björn chooses playful, meticulous, and attentive. Lotta adds honest, creative, and hardworking.
Annica contributes engaged, passionate, and knowledgeable.
That spirit is reflected in the strong community that exists throughout the company — whether it is getting snowed in together during a conference at Ystad Saltsjöbad or isolating themselves in the forest during a team retreat.
“When I left our kickoff at Korrö and sat in the car on my way home, I felt this strange sense of emptiness. Like when a vacation ends and you think, ‘Is it already over?’ That says a lot about how good we are when we’re together,” Annica says warmly.
Shaping the future together
As Softhouse celebrates 30 years, Annica feels a deep sense of pride in everything the team has built through hard work, determination, and persistence.
At the same time, she admits that the incredible pace of change in the industry — especially driven by AI — can feel both intimidating and exciting.
“I was there when the industry moved from print to digital, when computers became mainstream, and when smartphones arrived. Now development is moving at an incredible speed and creating entirely new demands on our industry. But there hasn’t been a single challenge we haven’t solved so far.”
Together, the team is more than ready to continue building strong brands and shaping the digital experiences of tomorrow.
Because no matter how quickly technology evolves, their guiding principle remains unchanged:
Beautiful experiences. For everyone.
