Studio Values

Our values guide how we show up, choose partners, and make work that lasts. This page turns past notes into a clear, living reference for the studio.

Who We Are

• Strategic design studio: We use design to create value for brands, products, and people.
• Applied creative think tank: We explore new ideas, technologies, and methodologies through both client work and self‑initiated projects.
• Small, senior team: You work directly with the people doing the work.

What We Do

• Digital interaction and product design
• Brand systems and integrated voice & tone
• Concept development and creative direction
• Purposeful playfulness: weird (in the best ways) when it serves the idea

What We Do Best

• Interaction craft that feels intuitive and surprising
• Cohesive brand voice across touchpoints
• Strong, opinionated concepts
• Thoughtful, discovery‑driven experiences

What We’re Building Mastery In

• Physical–digital interactions and new modalities
• Process and tooling for emergent interaction patterns

How We Work

• Concept‑first, then build in small, testable steps
• Open communication and transparency
• Make space to experiment and learn
• Collaborative, respectful, and people‑first

What Makes Us Different

• Ability to make something from nothing
• Tools and range to execute almost anything we can imagine
• Agility and flexibility without the handoffs of a large agency
• We ship self‑initiated projects alongside client work

Who We Serve

• Teams who value strong ideas, thoughtful craft, and honest collaboration
• Partners in culture, technology, and mission‑driven business

What We Value

• Strong concepts: Ideas with clarity, depth, and purpose
• Responsibility: You’re accountable for what you put into the world
• Pushing the work: If no one feels anything, it’s not memorable
• Access and inclusion: Create entry points where there are none
• Time for craft: Give important work the time it deserves
• Curiosity: Keep learning, keep experimenting

Non‑Negotiables

• Health, family, and dignity come first
• Ethical work over short‑term gains
• Sustainable pace and real balance

Projects That Feel "Builtwell"

• Visible, challenging, and genuinely new
• Strong concept, thoughtful craft, and cohesive execution
• Discovery moments and delightful interactions

Projects We Avoid

• Work misaligned with our values
• Endless in‑house agency cycles
• Scopes with no budget, no impact, or no authorship

Roles & Growth

• Share responsibility for new business; avoid overloading any one person
• Track skills we want to learn and what’s blocking certain clients

Money & Sustainability

• Clear payment terms and scope agreements
• Transparent approach to speaking fees and pro bono work
• Define “enough”: runway, reinvestment, and fair compensation

Goals

• Creative independence: Make our own things
• Financial independence: Choose work for fit, not necessity
• Location flexibility: Do great work from anywhere
• Continuous challenge: Improve the craft and the process

Open Questions

• How do we want to handle payments and speaking fees in detail?
• What happens if new business slows—what’s our plan and runway?
• Which skills unlock the next tier of clients, and how do we acquire them?

Last reviewed: 2025-08-29