We help clients drive intentional change by designing and advancing brands, services, and products.

We are a strategic design firm.

We work with our clients to create brand and corporate communications that deliver strategic advantages by reinforcing positive attributes and enhancing every interaction. We partner with them to research, visualize, and understand their unique challenges and opportunities, and to help them define, articulate, and communicate the things that set them apart.

Through workshops, alignment tools, and efficient communication we build consensus and buy-in among all stakeholders, and enable collaboration and value co-creation.

Our mindset.

Be strategic.

Help our clients identify, articulate, and solve their brand challenges.

Be tactical.

Actually move the needle for the people who hire us.

Be beautiful.

Solve all problems with style and efficiency.

Our services.

Strategy

Research, analysis, data visualization, product roadmapping, content strategy, campaign strategy

Content

Copywriting, photography, video, motion graphics, social content, illustrations

Technology

Systems architecture, front-end development, back-end development, content management systems

Branding

Positioning, messaging, naming, nomenclature, visual identity systems, brand guidelines, brand application

Design

Integrated campaigns, digital experiences, print/packaging, environmental experiences

Marketing

Social media campaigns, email campaigns, SEO/SEM, content marketing, analytics

Our capabilities.

No two clients—or the business challenges they ask us to help meet—are ever exactly the same. We are an independent partner with our clients to identify and understand their unique opportunities and characteristics that differentiate their business from the competition. Then we use our skills as strategic, visual, and systems thinkers to create brand programs that work across the media ecosystem.

The diagram below outlines our capabilities and visualizes the extent to which we’ve employed them during select client engagements.

Client
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Rotary International
Fresenius Kabi USA
Great Lakes Protection Fund
DePaul University
Cusp Conference
Driehaus Foundation
Royal Caribbean Cruises
PowerPlayer
Sedgwick
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
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Spider Chart
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Individual
Subgroup
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Spider Chart
Line Chart
Individual
Subgroup
Capability
I Understanding / strategy
  • A Research
  • B Data visualization
  • C Brand strategy
II Conceptualization / articulation
  • D Naming / nomenclature
  • E Creative consultation
  • F Positioning / message development
III Communication design / execution
  • G Content development / copywriting
  • H Branding / identities
  • I Print design / packaging
  • J Web design / development
  • K Video / motion graphics
  • L Digital media / marketing
  • M Events / experiences
  • N Physical spaces

Our clients.

We’ve worked with people and organizations in virtually every industry. And we’ve helped a diverse range of clients—from startups to leading educational institutions to the Fortune 500—create strategic brand communication designed to catalyze intentional change.

Arts & Culture
Chicago Children’s Theatre
Cusp Conference
Spertus Institute
The Nantucket Project
Vancouver Art Gallery
Education
AccelerEd
Adler University
Calgary Academy
Columbia College Chicago
DePaul University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Heedo
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
iCarnegie Global Learning
Indiana University
Laureate Education
McGraw-Hill Education
Northwestern University
Pearson Education
Ringling College of Art + Design
The Children’s School
The University of Chicago
UIC College of Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago
Healthcare
Adello Biologics
Alcon Laboratories
Ameritox
Amica Mature Lifestyles
BC Cancer Agency
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Evolved Science
Fresenius Kabi USA
Meitheal Pharmaceuticals
The Joint Commission
Hospitality & Leisure
Black Blanket Farms
ForthLevel
Intrawest
Royal Caribbean Cruises
Manufacturing
Amlan International
AptarGroup
Avcorp
Constellation Brands
Devon Energy
Formica
Georgia-Pacific
International Truck
Navistar
PepsiCo
Rexnord Corporation
Swiss Army Brands
The Coca-Cola Company
Whirlpool
Not-for-Profit
Advance Illinois
Atlanta Mission
BC Children’s Hospital Foundation
Bright Hope International
Center for Public Integrity
CEOs for Cities
Chicago Community Trust
Chicago Loop Alliance
Chicago Public Education Fund
Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Driehaus Foundation
Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation
Great Lakes Protection Fund
Greater Chicago Food Depository
Heartland Alliance
i.c. Stars
PGA TOUR
Prevent Child Abuse America
Rotary International
Sesame Workshop
Success by Six – United Way
Take a Hike Youth at Risk Foundation
The Ounce of Prevention Fund
Professional Services
8th Light
AIGA
Aion Solutions
American Marketing Association
Aon
Brandtrust
Colville Bookkeeping
Eby-Brown
GolinHarris
Identiti Resources
Insurance Corporation of British Columbia
JP Morgan Chase
Peppercomm
Performance Food Group
Perkins + Will
Security Point Media
Sedgwick
Society of Graphic Designers of Canada
Stack Brogan Collective
The John Maxwell Company
West Central Association
Wolters Kluwer
Real Estate
British Columbia Real Estate Association
Essex Realty Group
Taubman Centers, Inc.
Retail
Ahold USA
Albertson’s
American Freight
Lyric Motion
Meijer
Nonna’s Nuts
Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores
Technology
32LOUD
Amdocs
CircleIt
Cisco Systems
Dubbl
eGate Solutions
Indigo Space Systems
Motorola
One20
OpinionLab
Oxbow Social Media Monitoring
PowerPlayer
XRS Corporation

Principals

Our principals have been commended for excellence by their peers and served as guest speakers and design competition jurors all over the world.

Our Team

We’re strategic designers, developers, writers, and producers working from three offices in two countries. And whether we’re working with a startup or with a global leader, our approach is always the same: personal, perceptive, collaborative and creative.

Careers

We’re always looking for people with the skill sets, energy, and attitude to be part of our team. If you’re communicative, collaborative, and creative, know what GSD means, and can actually GSD, shoot us a note, or check out the current job posts.