Newsletter 006
Our Summer 2021 cohort wrapped up their work at the end of July. Over the past three months, the team has grown close as they used their individual creativity to design collaboratively. Together, we accomplished so much, from launching Marion Made Mini to completing major branding projects. We also pushed ourselves to discover creative solutions for a variety of problems: from creating a new recipe from leftover ingredients to trying to unpack a couch from a compact SUV (campus police can be a solution, at times).
Looking back on the summer, we have so many favorite moments!
Jessica enjoyed getting to know community members and meeting wonderful clients. Audra loved getting closer to all the interns, both inside and outside of work. Isabel loved being able to work with each of her fellow interns in ways that highlighted their specific strengths. Hannah enjoyed working with a client who had a distinct passion and goal, finding the precise design solution to fit their needs. Mattea had fun touring Ridley Tower and other downtown spaces with the group. Jared shared that he loved working toward the revitalization of Downtown Marion and experiencing the mission of Marion Design Co. firsthand.
While we will miss our summer interns, we are looking forward to the upcoming semester and all that our next cohort will accomplish!
On July 23, we celebrated Christmas in July alongside other Downtown Marion businesses. At the event, we embraced our Marion community by exchanging gifts, writing letters, and enjoying a movie together. We were thrilled to connect with so many of our neighbors as they stopped by!
As part of the gift exchange, we invited the community to share their dreams for Marion in exchange for an ornament inspired by the architecture downtown. We asked our community, If Santa could pull anything out of his bag that would make downtown feel like home, what would it be?
This Christmas-themed design thinking session, presented as a Christmas wish list, allowed us to engage with the ideas swirling within our community and, in the future, will allow us to better serve our community. We found that the community answered in unexpected ways, thinking imaginatively about what Downtown could become.
As we read through responses, we were inspired by the hopeful spirit of our community and were reminded of the power of sharing ideas. Our community champions big dreams.
Sydney Bounyavong
We are excited to share another alumni highlight - Sydney Schmidt Bounyavong! Sydney interned with Marion Design Co. a variety of times: first during her sophomore year of college in the Fall of 2018 and the Spring of 2019; In the Fall 2019, she was part of the leadership team for the Marion Made Market and Fashion Show; and in 2021 Sydney joined the Spring Cohort, working on a variety of design projects. Sydney graduated in April of 2021 with a B.A in Graphic Design and Photography, and is now located in Greenville, South Carolina.
Sydney shared with us that the most important thing she learned from Marion Design Co. was how to work within a team to work on multiple projects at a time. She said one of her favorite memories was working on Marion Made in 2019, as she got to see the design elements come to life and collaborate with a wide range of people. She said it was amazing to see all the overlapping teams work together to host an amazing day for the city of Marion, support small businesses, and bring awareness to the dangers of fast fashion.
Today, Sydney works at Dapper Ink in Greenville, South Carolina, as a Graphic Designer. She shared that her time at Marion Design Co. provided technical skills that have allowed her to work more effectively in creating design solutions. She is finding inspiration from other storytellers, interior designers, van-lifers, gardeners, and her new coworkers, as she is hoping to find opportunities to serve communities through creative solutions.
Peter Troutner, Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer
YOU ARE THE ANSWER has been at the forefront of our messaging since we began over 5 years ago, proudly greeting Marion drivers on a large banner for several years and it’s a statement we still hold close to our heart. We believe it with every bit of our being and it guides Marion Design Co. as we take on projects and work with people.
But what does it mean? You are the Answer means just that - that you are someone who holds the key to making things happen - your ideas are full of value and if you choose to take that step momentous strides can take place. It also means we want to hear your voice. We may be a studio solving problems through design but we do so alongside you and alongside people holding incredible vision yet to be realized. You hold the key in understanding your business, organization, amazing idea, or community goal. We want to partner in that with you.
Early on as we talked with many in our community with doors open wide, we discovered that we believe Marion has everything it needs to thrive. Thriving means we all join in and all become part of the work. You can be part of that undiscovered potential ready to launch. Although we may be the ones bringing some of your ideas to life - you are the ones whose ideas launched them. We are just happy to be with you as we make them a reality together, (“together, together” as the Summer 2021 cohort would sing.)
