We started Big New Ideas to structure our ongoing exploration of the overlaps in our different fields. Whether through graphic design, industrial design, or policy making, we shared a passion for designing systems that harness the collective power of community to affect change. Through our individual disciplines, we had all been making things, connecting people, and telling stories. Big New Ideas is our experiment to scale our collective process of creating community, collaboration, and conversation.

Between client work and studio driven projects, we make websites, campaigns, strategies, and videos, that tell stories to engage communities. We’re fortunate to be surrounded by more talented friends and colleagues than we know what to do with, in part thanks to the slow economy and volume of unemployed talent around us, and are always looking for new outlets for that energy and creativity.

Last spring, Aaron came to New York and got dinner with Max, Greg, and Robyn. Aaron had been consulting on web projects, Greg and Robyn were new arrivals to the city as freelance artists, and Max was working with a new charter school. We were all following, in different fields and different mediums, the same feeling of community we’d all experienced. The conversation continued, and landed on an idea for a project that would build authentic community through the collective creation of something meaningful.

As with any project we encounter, the possibilities can sometimes be the most overwhelming part. In brainstorming ways to structure our project, we revisited a piece of text we’d found from Margaret Wheatley’s “Turning to One Another.” The text says everything we were trying to communicate beautifully, while leaving enough room for limitless unique interpretations. As artists and illustrators themselves, Robyn and Greg were ready with a community of artists eager to make these prints together. And by selling the posters to fund the next month’s printing, we could engage an even wider community of customers in that conversation by supporting, purchasing, and owning the prints.

We’re thankful for the opportunities your support affords us to make things with our friends. We appreciate you joining us in spreading this conversation about the power of community, collaboration, and conversation.

Aaron, Tino, & Max

Big New Ideas