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Copyright 2026 ArcTouch
Copyright 2026 ArcTouch
For nearly a decade, the Toronto native has been building lasting partnerships — and bringing ‘boomerang’ clients back to ArcTouch
6 min. read - February 4, 2026
[Editor’s note: This is part of a series of articles about app makers, highlighting talented team members at ArcTouch. The app makers we feature crave getting their hands on the latest products and finding creative new ways to apply technology to their projects.]
When it comes to client relationships, ArcTouch VP of client services James Patriquin doesn’t just think about the project in front of him. He’s also looking years down the road — and making sure there’s a path for a client to return, even if a partnership takes a pause.
ArcTouch calls these “boomerang clients” — companies that come back to ArcTouch after months or even years away. For James, a boomerang client is a measure of how well he did his job when he first worked with the client. It means he built genuine, multi-level relationships, and demonstrated he cares about the people behind the project. Despite the fact that ArcTouch has clients we’ve worked with continuously for nearly 15 years, there are plenty of times that engagements start and stop through the course of normal business. But by delivering great results when we work together and maintaining an ongoing conversation, James is always ready to catch that boomerang when it’s in flight.
For example, ArcTouch started working with one specific Fortune 500 company more than a decade ago. There have been gaps between projects, but that company recently returned to get help with new products this year, thanks in part to James’s ongoing connection with former team contacts.
We sat down with James — who calls Toronto home — to discuss his approach to client services, his most memorable success stories, and the trends shaping the next decade of digital experiences.
Waze. Toronto traffic can be brutal, and I almost never leave home without turning on Waze. If I can save five minutes or avoid construction and accidents, that’s a big deal.
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With roots in app delivery and a passion for people, he leads ArcTouch business development in Europe — working with clients and partners to craft experiences that are lovable
Exploring the critical role of the ArcTouch Discovery Process to find the intersection of business opportunities and user needs
We help companies of all sizes build lovable apps, websites, and connected experiences.
My Ring doorbell. My office is in my basement, so being able to see who’s at the door during calls is a big convenience.
Canada is famous for a few foods. I’m not a huge poutine fan, but as a native of the East Coast, I have an appreciation for world-class shellfish from the Maritimes. I’m pretty proud of my lobster club sandwich and risotto with scallop dishes. Shucking fresh oysters is therapeutic.
I’ve spent a lot of time in hockey rinks with my son as he’s grown up playing rep hockey. It’s a fantastic team sport for kids, and some of our closest friends come from hockey families. Personally, I love downhill skiing. The closest slopes are about an hour and a half north of Toronto, so I don’t get to go as often as I’d like. Spending a day outside on a mountain is a great escape.
One from an older gentleman I worked with years ago: “Pass the glory, not the buck.” Taking ownership and being accountable is important to me — and my clients and colleagues know they can count on me, even when things are challenging. And when you succeed, make sure you share the credit. Don’t just keep it for yourself. So many team members contribute to each win, and everyone deserves to be celebrated.
At its heart, it’s about building relationships with clients — making sure they see real value in our work and services, and ideally exceeding their expectations with what we deliver.
It’s a mix of responsibilities, from acting as an account manager to handling contracts. Most importantly, it’s aligning what the client needs at that specific moment with the right ArcTouch team and solution. That can mean matching skill sets for our people on a project, but it’s also looking at it from a personality fit. Ultimately, we need to maintain alignment with business goals, ensuring day-to-day project execution while keeping longer-term client needs and goals in perspective.
I believe if we’re truly client-focused, sales will take care of themselves. One thing I’m particularly proud of at ArcTouch is the significant business we win from expansion within existing clients, returning clients, and referrals from past partners. Clients want to work with people they can trust.
Projects end for all kinds of reasons — maybe the client doesn’t have the next round of funding, or their priorities change. But if you’ve been a reliable partner and have built strong relationships across the organization, you have a much better chance to reconnect down the road. At ArcTouch, we consider boomerang clients a key success metric. If clients continue to come back to us, we know we’re on the right track.
Fortune 500 companies often have established teams and well-defined goals. We can leverage much of their existing data and user research to help make the right decisions for their projects. They often come to us looking for an injection of new ideas and want help exploring innovative technology to give them a competitive edge.
Funded startups are often more cautious — they may have only one shot to get it right, so they do a lot of due diligence when choosing a partner. They need to really trust the partnership. The Lightship RV project is a good example: It took multiple proposals, and ultimately an introduction between our two companies’ founders — they really hit it off — to close the deal.
With startups, we aim to help them reach the market quickly and efficiently — spending their money wisely to gather product feedback early, rather than building everything for launch and realizing they didn’t actually need a quarter of what they paid for.
Cirrus Aircraft. We began working on a very small project with them a few years ago, and today we’re helping them across multiple groups. We’re proud to be part of their recent launch of Cirrus IQ, a connected app that helps pilots manage their aircraft and gain more insights into their flights. Cirrus embraces innovation, so we align with them extremely well. Every group we work with has given great feedback, and the relationship is growing steadily.
Over-communicating. That means constant alignment and validation with the client before moving forward at any stage in the project. I like to tell our project managers: Explain everything, get buy-in, and confirm so we don’t drift off track.
Our Discovery Process. Early in my ArcTouch career, I didn’t fully appreciate its value, but now I see it as critical. Many clients think they know what they want, and they might even say they don’t need discovery. But these sessions uncover gaps, dependencies, and opportunities that can save months of delay and prevent costly rework. I hear again and again from clients who have gone through a Discovery Workshop how valuable and enjoyable the experience was.
AI has been front and center for the past few months. Beyond that, there’s interest in iOS-specific opportunities, such as widgets or Dynamic Island, as well as connectivity features for devices like AR glasses and other wearables. We aim to identify opportunities with new technologies and match them to client needs.
AI. It’s a once-in-a-generation shift that’s changing how we work and develop apps. Clients love how we use tools like Vercel to bring concepts to life more quickly during the Discovery Process. I’m a lifelong learner, so I enjoy tackling the challenge of figuring out how to use AI effectively — without overusing it.
Building relationships. I love seeing my clients happy and helping them achieve business success.
