About Us.
Our mission is to challenge the fundamental concepts that inform creative processes in an effort to maintain progression within design.
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About
Our Story
We approach design with curiosity, subversion, equity, sustainability, affinity, and cross-functionality in mind. Good design requires strategy and direction, but great design requires purpose and empathy.
Our organizational structure is decentralized, we don't believe in titles or the marginalization of creatives. Each studio member owns an equal stake in the agency and profits are split equally according to project scope and resourcing. We are not "another agency". By applying the Bauhaus pedagogy to our onboarding process and establishing a cross-functional structure to our organization we expect designers and artists alike to develop, understand, and determine their own role. We embrace and encourage multidisciplinary skillsets, how we can apply them to projects, what we can learn, and what we can teach or share with others.
Our organizational structure is decentralized, we don't believe in titles or the marginalization of creatives. Each studio member owns an equal stake in the agency and profits are split equally according to project scope and resourcing. We are not "another agency". By applying the Bauhaus pedagogy to our onboarding process and establishing a cross-functional structure to our organization we expect designers and artists alike to develop, understand, and determine their own role. We embrace and encourage multidisciplinary skillsets, how we can apply them to projects, what we can learn, and what we can teach or share with others.
our 12 principles
Pause / Breathe.
Productivity and efficiency are fundamental in design, however both concepts require mental clarity. You must take a break from your tasks, even if only a few minutes though regular vacations and time off are suggested.
Mix Mediums.
There are effects and methods you will never master until you mix mediums. Try design with markers, pencils, scanners, paint, analog photography, or letter-pressing. A sustainable and continuously evolving practice is the future of our field.
Typography First.
Start all design projects with type first. Gather as much copy as possible from the client, reference novels, or use lorem ipsum. Once you can design a beautiful layout without relying on pictures or graphics then you can design anything.
Purge.
Misplaced items and overload are synonymous. Part with futile items and donate them to someone else. Allow the principles of design to flow into your personal life. Everything on the artboard serves a purpose, and so must everything in your life.
Conclude.
Always subsequently reestablish yourself in your mission and values. Leave no page unturned and always close the chapter both in your personal and professional life. Completed tasks, projects, promises, and ideas are a sign of reliability.
Immerse.
Surround yourself with the arts as often as possible. Creative stimuli is essential to imaginational growth. Consider film, music, fine art, choreography, or architecture. Immerse yourself in the world of creativity and you will never run out of ideas.
Write It Down.
An idea is best captured on paper. The tactile feel of a pen or pencil will help you better retain information. Always keep a notebook or stack of post-it notes to write down tasks or anything that comes to mind.
Listen To Everyone.
Everyone’s input within the studio is valuable. There is no right and wrong in creativity, there is only productivity and counter-productivity. Design is visual communication and proper communication requires inclusivity.
By Hand = Forever.
A designer is obligated to maintain the integrity of typography and pay homage to the scribes and writers responsible for the conception our field. We must never abandon serif or script typefaces. There is no future without knowing and understanding the past.
Freelance.
The modus operandi of your company may not support an individuals’ optimal working style. The encouragement of freelance work promotes experimentation of interests, alternative forms of working, and expansion of skillset.
Think > Speak.
Be certain that when you speak your words are magnanimous, researched, and thorough. Criticism without thought and empathy is brutality. A thought without research and evidence is merely an opinion.
Always Together.
You will never accomplish anything on your own. Whether you acknowledge it or not, you have never accomplished anything entirely on your own. Give due diligence to those who have helped you. Encourage teamwork and use your network as a support system.
foundation
Mission.
Interdiscplinary Design
When our studio was first established, we sought out how we could set ourselves apart from the countless agencies around the world. Step one was realizing we did not want to build another agency. Our brand pillars are grounded in the idea of what a creative workplace can be.
System.
By The Numbers
What started out as an internal file organization system evolved into our way of communicating with the rest of the world as well. Our creative projects are broken down into three different categories based on who and what the project serves.
CLTClient projects include all external facing work from consulting to branding and identity development. Any project starting with the acronym CLT is a client project that is now public. Our clients must have principles and pillars that align with our own. We have no interest in the dilution of the design process, using our skills as a commodity, or creating harmful products.OBJPonderStore is an e-commerce platform we operate from our studio. Objects are industrial design, fashion, and print projects unrelated to our client work and sold on PonderStore. Our store sells assorted ideas brought to life from our studio team from printed matter to merchandise. The store is currently closed for redevelopment and will reopen in spring of 2023.PS7LAB_7 is a design lab and platform for our studio members to practice non-commercial unrelated to clients and our agency duties. PS-7 projects typically involve research, experimentation, creative theory, and design thinking, and are usually open sourced.
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Insights
By the numbers
5
years of experience
18
projects completed