We build brands people love. Our work reflects the quality of our process. We design without ego. We bring our best minds to the table to imagine new possibility. It’s all practice. And practice makes progress.
↘ Who We Are
We are brand alchemists & seasoned storytellers. Conductors of imaginative energy & excellent conversation. We create the conditions for brilliance to emerge.
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Kristin is a Virgo and creative strategist who brings a joyful sense of play and precision to the creative process.
She’s led award-winning brand campaigns, developed strategic plans and communication strategies, and crafted impeccable copy for hundreds of mission-driven organizations, emergent businesses, and practicing artists.
She’s helped shape the editorial standards and strategies for Planned Parenthood and Braver Collective, a storytelling platform for survivors of sexual assault, and facilitate for the Alliance Table, a national coalition of reproductive justice organizations. She defined the voice and story for the Disability Cultural Center at UIC and the Terra Foundation for American Art, and helped launch New Mexico Native Workforce Partners and the Center for Reflective Intelligence.
Her work has been honored by the Webbys and Communication Arts, while her creative writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best of the Net, and Best New Poets. She’s published two chapbooks and writes a lyrical monthly newsletter called The Animal Eats. Kristin holds an AB in English from Princeton University and MA in Humanities and Creative Writing from the University of Chicago. She lives in northern New Mexico, where she’s a member of the Santa Fe Design Corps and loyal jurist for the New Mexico Book Awards.
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Nermin is a brand alchemist—a designer, creative director, and whole-hearted champion for form, function and care.
Syrian-born and fluent in Arabic, Nermin has helmed numerous bilingual brands and campaigns, locally and globally. She’s designed boundary-breaking brands and creative strategies for Watermelon Pictures and the Terra Foundation for American Art, developed holistic brand standards for Planned Parenthood National, and led exquisite print campaigns for the School of the Art Institute Chicago and Art Design Chicago. Her work has been honored in the STA 100, Typewolf, Brand New, Communication Arts, and Fast Company Innovation by Design.
Nermin was featured in New City’s Design 50 for her leadership in Chicago’s creative community, which includes co-chairing Typeforce, an annual typographic art show; co-founding The Watermelon Tee, an apparel line supporting displaced families in Palestine; and regular guest lectures in classrooms and conferences across the city and country. She’s spoken at Brand New, First Round, and User Journey, the Society of Typographic Arts podcast.
She holds a BSc in Visual Communications from the American University of Sharjah (UAE), and an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts, Media and Design from OCAD University. She lives in Chicago, where she takes every opportunity to kayak on the river with her son.
© Photos by Olivia Kohler
HOW WE WORK
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HOW WE WORK —
We make the map together, tailoring our approach to meet your goals, priorities and capacity.
Discovery & Learning
We dig deep and ask good questions to understand who you are, who you serve, and what matters most.
Brand + Landscape Audit
Co-Design Workshops
Stakeholder Interviews
Audience Profiles
Journey Mapping
Opportunity Framing
Strategy & Design
We metabolize insight into coherent strategies that lay the foundation for beautiful, scalable brand identities.
Brand Positioning, Values + Attributes
Brand Voice + Messaging
Communication Strategy
Visual Territories + Design Directions
Visual Identity System
Brand Guidelines
Launch & Activation
Time to apply the design. We’ll work with you to determine priorities and opportunities for impact.
Print + Packaging Design
Brand Collateral + Merch
Environmental Design
Art + Creative Direction
Website Design
Social Templates
Launch + Creative Campaigns
Copywriting + Content
↘ Honors
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
2025 — Comm Arts Interactive Award
2025 — Comm Arts Design Shortlist
2025 — STA 100
2025 — STA 100 Judge’s Prize
2025 — Webby Honoree, Websites
2024 — Chicago Design Archive
2023 — Comm Arts Design Shortlist
2020 — FastCo Innovation by Design
2020 — BrandNew Best Wordmarks
2019 — Webby Winner, Websites, Activism
TALKS & PUBLICATIONS
2026 — STA Transitions Conference, Chicago
2025 — Designers in Context, Columbia Chi
2025 — Designing Wellness, Columbia Chi
2024 — Faculty Magazine
2024 — Confronting Design, CGDC
2024 — Design as Activism, IIT
2023 — Designing Your Life, Northwestern
2023 — BrandNew Conference, Chicago
2022 — BrandNew Conference, Austin
2019 — First Round Conference, Chicago