Happy Holidays
Bike Commute Challenge: Pumped Up
I love to ride my bike. I commute every day, I’ve raced for years (and won) and so for me and a core group at Mayer/Reed every month is Bike Commute Challenge month. That’s just how we roll. Sure, we do the official challenge, but I mainly use it as opportunity to send an unsolicited and over-the-top email about the virtues of cycling. That gentle reminder and a promise of cookies usually gets a few of the less inclined to pump up the old tires.
And so out march all of the bikes with their proud owners. Some of us have carbon fiber bikes, others ride electric bikes or bikes with warn-out knobby tires. Other bikes are retro classic racers and there is one much-beloved yard sale “gem.” All the different bikes at Mayer/Reed underscore the different personalities that play through the firm in a magically cohesive way.
Cycling is also a terrific way to see our city and region. I think it is the best way actually. Each of us at Mayer/Reed takes great personal pride in our work and cycling is a wonderful way to keep tabs our projects. This isn’t just during construction mind you—we are invested for the long haul. For this reason many of us find cycling is the best way to go. That is just how we roll.
Finding the Next Generation of Designers
When we were ready to expand our Visual Communications group earlier this year, we asked ourselves, “Where do we find the next generation of Environmental Graphic Designers?” — those individuals driven to explore the intersection of architectural space, public places, wayfinding and graphic design. Finding designers with this combination of interests and skills can be a challenge. We look for smart people with the capacity for critical design thinking, who also expand our collective skill set.
When Ryan Swedenborg and Margaret Drew joined the studio this year, group dynamics changed. Talents, interests and personalities interact in ways that compliment and inspire each other. Ryan and Margaret are graduates of graphic design programs at PSU and OSU, respectively. Their personalities add to the studio socially and creatively.
Working with young designers brings energy to the studio and stimulates the give-and-take relationship of learning and influence. As they learn more about designing for the built environment, they share with us their own passions in design and the next generation’s perspective.
Launching Our New Website
It was 2002 when we launched our first website. Trends in web design have come and gone over the past 11 years, but our site has remained, mostly, in its original design. Technology changes prompted the redesign, but after some serious introspection, we decided it was time for a big change and not a face-lift. The strategy then was to stay away from distracting bells and whistles and focus on a clear presentation of our studio, services and portfolio.
Our new website was created in collaboration with Brewhouse, who masterfully programmed the site to be responsive whether your portal is the desktop, tablet or smartphone. The minimalist aesthetic and navigation of our new website stays true to our approach to design—clean, efficient, and strategic.
The process of redesigning the website gave us the opportunity to look over 35 years of work as a summary of who we are as designers, our values, and the ways in which our community has grown. It became a process of asking, “who do we strive to be?” —and confirming that our work embodies these ideals.
There is a lot of depth, so please explore and tell us what you think. Check back for regular updates to the NEWS section, or subscribe for updates in the sidebar.