Any seasoned designer has the skill of knowing when it’s done. When whatever project needs to be over. No more iterating, exploring, concepting, or otherwise. Nope. Done and done. This includes taking no more feedback from the client. Sorry folks, it’s officially over. We can go on forever but no one wants that. We want to be done. And we want to move on.
We work with nonprofits, sometimes
We want to change the world. We want art to bring people together for social change, we want kids to grow up in healthy homes, we want our public schools to be the best they can be, and we think high quality education is a right for all. Design can’t do these things alone, but partnering with the right nonprofit organization can help move the needle. Every little bit helps. We truly believe that. So does The Union for Contemporary Art, Omaha Healthy Kids Alliance, I Love Public Schools, and BARR Center. We’ve done this work for years. There’s no stopping now.
We work with political campaigns, sometimes
The state of the world is we all need to get to work making things better before it’s too late. Organize, fundraise, march in the streets, knock on doors, and write letters. Do what you have to in order to get power so you can make a difference. Sometimes, alongside these very important skills, design is needed. The fight to stop the Keystone XL pipeline is one example. Building the Nebraska Democratic Party is another. Protecting voting rights with the ACLU yet another. We helped these campaigns with design that motivated, informed, and inspired. And the fight goes on.
We work with institutions, sometimes
When you want to make change happen, sometimes you have to go big. When design is a small part of a much larger project, and everything works together just right, it can really be magical. Bringing important resources and people to the table is what foundations and universities do well. Whether with The Landscape or Omaha Gives, both powered by the Omaha Community Foundation, or Equity and Inclusion at UMass, design was key. As were so many other things. Because we had a lot of moving parts and crucial stakeholders, we stand a much improved chance of changing our city and our communities for the better.
We work with companies, sometimes
Good design is good business. If we’re into what you’re selling, we’ll help you sell more of it. Having grown up in the land of consumption, we have an inherent understanding of marketplaces. Surrounded by advertising for an entire life has its consequences and we’re more than comfortable jumping into the action to do what we think should be done in any given market. We’ve used our design approach for AO*, Birdhouse Interiors, and Picture Motion. All in the business of ideas and creativity, which at the end of the day is a perfect fit for us.
We work with startups, sometimes
The excitement associated with startups can be contagious. It’s nice to think about all the new things you can make with a visionary founder and a great idea. Startups can also suck really bad. Working with low budgets on someone else’s dream can be frustrating at best, toxic at worst. When we do work with startups, we’re certainly selective. Back in the day, MindMixer had a lot of high moments. Straight Shot and The Exchange were also projects in the world of tech startups that I look back on fondly. Nowadays, if the idea is compelling, the founders are good people, and the budget is reasonable, working with startups can lead to a solid fusion of design and business.
We work with candidates, sometimes
It’s not a lucrative endeavor, working with candidates. So when we do it, it means we’re really excited about the candidate. Like Megan Hunt or Tony Vargas or Heath Mello. All Omaha folks who work like hell to make our city better. Progressive, tough, open-minded, Democrats. For each we provided a logo, a website, and brand assets to help their campaign succeed in the great battle for ideas in our time. Not all candidates are a good fit for how we work, but for the ones that are, it’s been work we’re really proud of and so glad was able to happen.
