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Wendy Puffer 1/6/23 Wendy Puffer 1/6/23

Newsletter 022

Did you fail at something in 2022? What a depressing question to launch our 2023 newsletter, but here’s why we pose the question. Failure remembered indicates that you’re pursuing something of meaning. Failure leads to regret and regret leads to action. What’s critical to our response to regret is whether we choose to fail forward. What does it look like to fail forward? First, lets look at what it isn’t. Actions that cover up, hide, or disguise the failure are just attempts to downplay its impact. These neither right the wrong nor improve the situation. They only deepen the pain by adding a new layer of regret to your relationship to the event or person.

Let’s consider failure as the launching pad for goals in the coming year. Rather than creating a check list of ways to right the wrongs, how might we use failures as tools for growth. First, let’s clear up one important fact. Failing something does not make you a failure. It does not define you. In fact, it empowers you to act. It gives you something to aim for. The pain of failure creates a yearning for success. Failure is fuel to propel you toward your goals.

As entrepreneurs, artists, and creative thinkers, failure is expected. It’s a sign that we haven’t settled, that we’re willing to break things in order to build sustainable ideas. Efforts to build something great starts with a simple mark on paper. Some of the best ideas are birthed from sketchy marks on cheap paper (napkin sketches) over lunch with a colleague.

Here are a few examples that come to mind:

Chicago’s grid of streets: inspired by a tic-tac-toe sketch during a social event with Ebert and Burnham.
A Bug’s Life, Monster’s Inc., Finding Nemo, and Wall-E: sketches on napkins during a lunch conversation between Lasseter, Stanton, Ranft, and Docter.
Super Bowl trophy: Oscar Reidner (Tiffany & Co.) sketched on a napkin his trophy idea at lunch for Commissioner, Pete Roselle.

So, here’s an idea to get the year started. Sketch out your best failures on napkins. They don’t have to be fancy. In fact, the simpler, the better. When you’re finished, step back and take a look at your sketches. What do you see? Do the shapes remind you of anything? Do you see words repeated? Do the scribbles inspire feelings? These sketches are now a part of a piece of paper that is typically disgarded...who’s original purpose was to make something clean.

Next, grab another napkin. Image it’s December 31, 2023. What goals have you attempted to achieve during the year? How did you fail forward? What did you attempt that didn’t work the first time? How did you leverage that failure to try again until your solution met the problem head on? Glancing back at the first napkin(s), notice what you learned from 2022’s failures. How might you apply those fail forward lessons to your goals for 2023? Chances are, your success will be found in your biggest failures, so lean into them and launch this new year with a few napkin sketches full of insight so you’re free to fail forward toward success!

Through subzero degree temperatures, hurricane strength winds, rain, snow, and a few days of sunny weather, the Stagg’s team finished tiling the entire facade of the Kennedy Art Center/Marion Design Co. studio! Once the black and silver metal trim arrives, it will be installed above the tile between the first and second story.

The brick wall on the back alley has a new opening for an exit door. Currently a interior wall is being built that will separate the future interior back staircase from the kitchen to the basement. In the basement, concrete block walls that previously housed the old HVAC system have been cut through to make way for a pantry and hallway that will lead to the print/production area. The stone walls are being sealed on the inside to prevent moisture from penetrating the walls. Watch on Instagram and Facebook for updates!

A key part of our criteria for saying yes to projects is ensuring it fits our mission to empower community through sustainable design solutions. This top priority allows us to step into stories of so many great people doing good things in our community. One example of an ongoing relationship is with the Third Path Cohort Grant, led by Meagan Mathias at the Community Foundation of Grant County. She first approached us in 2020 to lead a day long design thinking session at the Marion Public Library with 40 individuals, all a part of different organizations in the community. The COVID pandemic forced the session to take place on Zoom. Our team of designers and interns pivoted the design of all of the materials for the digital screen. From that session, three combined teams emerged with successful grant applications for projects that brought groups together who had never worked together previously. The grantees were awarded the grant for three consecutive years to continue pursuing projects to improve life for the people they’re serving.

Newsletter 021

What do numbers, flowers, dots and tittles have to do with Marion? In the same manner that marble, concrete, wood, and building materials comprise the landscape of the city, they tell a story. Objects are embedded with stories. Our own designers have created a series of postcards that reflect stories told through objects (available on our website to purchase). The postcards are simple white backgrounds with black shapes and forms to emphasize the simplicity and clarity of the embedded story without distraction. The simplicity makes room for the story. It may be as obvious as buildings named by their exact location or as illusive as an etching row of rectangles or concentric circles of lines that identify natural and manmade objects found on the streets of Marion. The story lies in the objects history, the person’s interpretation who drew it, and your response as you gaze at it. Objects are opportune for layers of stories over time.

This newsletter will introduce varying methods of intentionally curating objects in your life during this season. What stories might you discover as we introduce objects curated to bring joy and generosity to your closing of 2022 and welcoming of 2023?

The three key elements we consider as we select materials for our Marion Design Co. Store to sell are:

Beauty in the form. The object must reflect design principles that enhance the users visual and tactile senses when in use.
Classic in nature. While the object’s intent may be promoted as new, the function and form carries with it a classic human element that continues into the future. Whether it be the function of versatility (Baggu bags) or the proportion of balance (Baron Fig pen).
Design within reach. Good design should be available locally. While most of our items can be purchased online from a retailer many miles away, our intent is to bring those objects closer to home so you’re able to support Grant County’s local economy through your patronage and examine the objects before you buy. If good design is within reach, it’s more likely to become a part of your story.

The industrial revolution gets a bad rap. With the invention of manufacturing, machinery and the increased production process has been blamed for reducing the meaning of objects. Why do we blame technology? Technology brought us the electric hot pot! We’ve come a long way from the plug in metal hot pots we used to use in college (likely against dorm room policy). Technology also brought us the coffee percolator; that large metal and plastic decanter found at most church pot lucks that made industrial Folgers an important part of our stories.

Today coffee making is designed, through technology, to slow us down in our hurry up culture. The “pour-over” with its narrow, gooseneck spout and limited size curate a constrained, intentional cup of coffee. As the coffee slowly saturates the just-ground coffee beans, pauses are necessary to allow the water to seep at it’s own speed through the dense grounds. Every drip is saturated with smooth aroma and flavor. The perfect cup of coffee. We’ve selected the Fellow products with gatherings, conversation, and aromatic experiences in mind. With their beautifully shaped Move and Everyday mugs and the elegant Stagg and Clara series, we believe you’ll want to slow down for the moment to enjoy your cup of coffee with a friend.

Whether you’re eloquent or clumsy with words, we’ve curated books, journals and cards all geared toward bringing joy, gratitude, and balance to your relationships. What Do you Do with an Idea, a Problem or a Chance? These books by Kobe Ymada, Illustrated by Mae Besom are inspiring and empower the reader toward curiosity. Frank and Funny cards are written by two comedians. Their connection to the humor of everyday life send messages that feel impromptu with “ah ha” moments. True Gratitude, True Balance, and True Joy are inspirational activity books of encouragement and intentional care. We hope you’ll find something that will be an extension of the care you hope to pass on to others.

Our visible accessories on Zoom have been limited to what’s “above the shoulders.” We can sit at home in a top-level meeting with our pajama pants on and no one will be the wiser. The most significant fashion statement one can make might be what’s on the face!

Consider London Mole blue light blocking glasses. They meet our standards for beautiful form and function. Not only do they protect your eyes from the harming computer screen glare, but the fun styles will bring joy to the meeting! From red, to yellow, to tortoise, to clear rims and styles from aviator to scientist, you can literally have a pair for any mood or look you’re going for. We also carry some sunglasses, as well!

While we’re waiting for our new studio to be completed, we wanted to make these items along with many other available to you. Product lines we’re launching this month are: Frank and Funny greeting cards, Baggu reusable bags, Baron Fig journals, pens, and notepads, Newgate clocks, and of course, Our own custom designs, Fellow, and London Mole. We’ll add more lines when we open our Marion location, but in the meantime, buy local by purchasing online at mariondesign.co/shop and we’ll delivery to your home in Grant County. If you subscribe to our newsletter and live outside Grant County, we’ll arrange shipping with you.

We hope this list sparks a new way of approaching how you curate the objects in your life. Jump on our website and bring joy into someone life with an encouraging word or beautiful experience presented through an object gift! We’re grateful for your support of our studio!

We’ve been working in partnership with the City of Marion and Halstead Architects to gather the community’s input on developing green space for the public along Marion’s riverfront. This underutilized feature for the community is one that can improve the quality of life for residents significantly by providing gathering space, play and work space, recreation, event and performance areas once it’s developed. We’ve hosted two listening sessions, engaging design thinking methods to collect feedback.

We have one more session in January with the hopes of moving toward design soon after. We’ve been encouraged by the high attendance and significant conversations that are generating excitement about the future of the areas along Marion’s downtown riverfront from the downtown square to Ballard field.

We also just completed the design and manufacturing of 24 bike racks that will be installed in the spring around the downtown square. Inspired by the city’s branding (created by MDCO in 2016-17), the bike racks were manufactured by Diamond Metals (Marion) after a committee of local leaders including Riley (Tangeman) Sapp, Mikayla Mirazza, Michelle Doyle, and many others.

The tile installers are under the heated tent installing tile on the exterior as we speak. The gas is ready to be turned on and the dry wall installation has begun. While there’s still a long way to go, we’re seeing progress with the first floor renovation. Next time you’re downtown, let us know and we’ll give you a tour! Something new happens everyday!

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Joyous New Year!

***Brittany Long***, Chief Operations Officer and Project Manager

Last weekend my family celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas on the same day. Our day was so full. Each moment was filled with fun and anticipation for the next item on our holiday traditions list. It’s interesting being an adult celebrating Christmas. I remember as a child hardly able to sleep because I was so excited for Christmas morning.

We’d put cookies out for Santa before we went to sleep. My sister, brother, and I would camp out together. We’d start the day with stockings, cinnamon rolls, and the Nativity story. The anticipation for such a magical day was always worth the wait.

Anticipation is my word for this season. From a business perspective, MDCO is anticipating the opening of our new building. Each day something new is installed or delivered. Our excitement is growing as we watch our dream of this space become a reality. MDCO also launched our store on November 26! We worked hard to pick products that fit our mission. We sit in waiting to see how that will turn out. We hope that people will visit our site and purchase our products.

This season is also the anticipation of Jesus Christ. Advent comes from a Latin word meaning “coming” or “arrival.” As followers of Christ, we are a people living between two advents: the coming of Jesus as a baby and His future triumphant return as the King of kings. During the Advent season, we remember that Jesus Christ came as the Light of the World. We also remember the life Jesus was born to live, the salvation He brings, and the ongoing kingdom work He invites us to join. During this holiday season and as we wrap up 2022, we invite you to join us as we remember the coming of Jesus Christ and what it means for our salvation. We also invite you to anticipate with us the joy of what 2023 holds for Marion Design Co.

“The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world” (John 1:9).

Wendy Puffer 11/1/22 Wendy Puffer 11/1/22

Newsletter 020

While this phrase of declaration carries a tone of fear, we embrace this phrase as one of our favorites! If we’re continually trying new things we’re in our happy place! Experience is over-rated, misunderstood. Experience doesn’t guarantee success. Experience just means you’ve done it before. The value of experience is in the individuals response to what they learned from “doing it before.” Experience provides a landing pad for discovery and improvement.

We’ve completed and are approaching some “never done before” opportunities. Over the course of the coming year, we’ll be stepping into new projects in new spaces to continue the mission we’ve carried since 2016. We’ve always hoped to carry products in a storefront available for the community to purchase. From our own MDCO product lines made by our own designers to vendors whose products we’ve carefully selected, we’re preparing to make these items available in our new location at the Kennedy Art Center!

Marion is full of amazing art learning opportunities from Tashema’s painting classes at Echo Gallery to dance and various art classes at CSA and other studios throughout the city. Learning environments have become so fluid the past couple years. Marion Design Co. and the Kennedy Art Center hope to compliment opportunities in the city through workshops and educational opportunities not yet available. From interior design to graphic design to design thinking and even cooking, we are creating workshops that will benefit our community. If you have a skill you’ve always wanted to learn, please let us know what it is and we’ll explore the possibility of teaching a class on it.

Email us at hello@mariondesign.co with your idea!

We’re grateful for the relationships of individuals and organizations who have entrusted their stories to us. We’re beginning to collect those stories and share them on our website. Take a look at two of Grant County’s most influential organizations who continue to do good things in our community! From brand story telling to design thinking, Marion Health and the Community Foundation of Grant County share their experiences working with us!

View our Client Testimonials

Imagine sitting across the street at Ashley’s Ice Cream in Ridley tower peering into the Kennedy Art Center/Marion Design Co. Studio. In the far east window you can see several community members sitting at our 20’ long table redlining plans for the downtown park while a team of interns are creating the next design thinking session from the conference room seen through the next bank of windows. Near the alley, the glass garage door is partially raised to allow fresh air to move through the kitchen where the team is preparing for a cooking demonstration. This is a glimpse of what we imagine as we wait patiently for construction to be implemented.

The ceiling’s been sprayed with insulating foam for acoustics. The main ductwork and HVAC units have been installed and are ready for the return air and fresh air branches. The conference room frame has been installed and the drywall is currently being hung. Next: electrical flooring, bathroom fixtures and cabinets, and the conference room glass walls.

***Peter Troutner***, Chief Creative Officer & Creative Director

Moving into something new can bring a fresh set of perspectives - it can be viewed with hope or with fear. What will the future hold - and yet the possibilities are exciting and endless. I think, however, there is something comforting in the unknown. Oftentimes in the new we are greeted with discoveries or glimpses that remind us of our past.

While attending a conference a few weeks ago one of the speakers said nothing we can create will be an entirely new idea - there is always a bit of recreation or co-creation going on. We as designers - or anyone who thinks - is working with a conglomeration or mash-up of existent ideas or things that have been done. When complete, something new emerges, but it’s built on the back of ideas we may be familiar with. When we think about it, would we actually ever want an idea so original that it has no relation to anything we have ever done? I think not. We as humans are drawn and attracted to a sense of familiarity and need some handle of the known to step into the unknown.

This idea plays into the way we direct conversations and inspire new ideas. We led a group of students this week in a design thinking strategy of object storming which allowed them to mash-up known objects to create a new and unknown solution. Their ideas were refreshing and inspiring - allowing us to see old problems in new ways and see them make connections they might not otherwise have made.

As we move into a new space, I am reminded of the various spaces we have been. I was telling a friend about the glass conference room wall that will be installed soon and their face lit up with excitement - “Just like the original Marion Design Co.!” I hadn’t thought of that similarity to our two small conference rooms down at 302 - but even there a glimpse of familiarity lies ahead in the unknown of inhabiting a new space.

Wendy Puffer 10/1/22 Wendy Puffer 10/1/22

Newsletter 019

Our work is often a story of connection. Perhaps a previous client has connected us to a new one or we have the opportunity to connect people, organizations, or ideas.

We had the immense honor of getting to work with Kalina on a project that held a close connection to her heart and her story. Now years after an event which made her feel like she had lost a beautiful connection in her life - she seeks to connect with teens who have experienced similar loss and grief. In addition to being tasked with designing a series of advent devotionals, Kalina asked us to name and create a brand for the work she is doing. Any time someone trusts us with their story we feel incredibly honored - especially when the work is so intimately wrapped up with a person’s individual story.

Kalina brought us a story of grief, loneliness, and loss - one of tears - like Mary’s tears at the foot of the cross. Lilies of the valley was the visual connection to a grief that still allows growth and beauty to arise from the heartache. Legend has it that as Mary’s tears fell from her eyes they took seed and in its place lilies grew.

The other phrase Kalina brought us was “the elephant in the room.” This phrase takes on a whole new meaning when one has experienced the close loss of a friend or family member and this absence becomes a hole in every room we wish they were.

Our team took the lily and the elephant and reconstructed it into li-el. Li-el takes the two words and puts them together with an absence in the middle representing the loss and grief. The L’s form two walls - a room in which beauty can grow out of. And in that room is i.e. subtly referencing a placeholder for people to place their grief and perhaps take seed like Mary’s grief and see what comes out of it.

We can’t wait for this project to begin making connections, showing people they aren’t alone, and allow grief to let some beauty in.

This month we added Raquel to our team! She’s a recent graduate of Ball State University who’s is a human-centered designer passionate about impacting people through innovative design. Born in Portugal, raised in Mozambique, and now living in the United States has challenged her to see people as unique pieces of the big puzzle that is life and has opened her eyes to the realities and stories of so many.

As a designer, innovator, and problem-solver, her hope is to design solutions that create a positive impact and improve people’s lives. Having completed a master’s in a unique blend of design thinking, human-computer interaction, and transmedia storytelling Raquel feels empowered by joining the Marion Design Co. team. She states, joining the team “allows me to see my passion and skills come together as I use design thinking to learn more about people and opportunities for innovation!

We just conducted our first Downtown Park Listening Session. With standing room only, through design thinking and discussion, we were able to hear everyone’s voice in some manner within a one hour gathering. This collaborative effort led by the City of Marion, Marion Design Co. and Halstead Architects was the first of several listening sessions we’re conducting as we empathetically apply what Marion and Grant County needs through our revitalization efforts.

We hope to see you at an upcoming session! Our next one is scheduled for:

4:30pm - November 14th
Obi’s Barbeque.

***Wendy Puffer****, Co-Founder &* Chief Design Officer

This week I was watching the contractors pry the metal window trim from the decades old front windows on the storefront of our future studio and Kennedy Art Center in downtown Marion. The intentional care yet physical effort it took to pry and tug at the trim caked with paint and sealant was laborious.

But once the last piece was removed, the glass was easily removed from the frame, making way for new windows with more clarity and better insulation.

I was struck by the similarity this process is to our community’s efforts to make real change for a sustainable future. Strongholds serve their purpose for the time they’re given, but they have a limited life. The pursuit of relationships with unified vision take time and effort but, when accomplished, they free us to have conversations and cast vision with unprecedented creativity. We’re living in that time!

Wendy Puffer 9/7/22 Wendy Puffer 9/7/22

Newsletter 018

Where do you belong? As a new semester is launched post pandemic, many individuals are shifting to new or familiar places to make their mark for the next nine months. From preschoolers to college students, there’s a freshness that comes with a bit more confidence that we’ll be together face to face for the duration of the academic year. The walls of schools and universities are critical spaces for learning.

This month we’re in the middle of construction on a teaching kitchen for preschoolers. The I Have a Dream Academy, located in Marion seven blocks south of the downtown square, is a dual language immersion preschool that champions racial reconciliation among children by creating diverse learning spaces that expand a child’s worldview through experiential learning. Marion Design Co. designed a STEM kitchen that allows children to cook traditional Latino/a and African American foods utilizing naturally grown foods from a greenhouse.This specialized academic space ensures that every child and teacher has a place at the table, creating a sense of belonging. Here’s a peak into where we’re heading. When it’s all finished, we’ll send you photos of the finished space!

As we anticipate the opening of Marion Design Co’s studio in the new Kennedy Art Center, we’re anticipating a variety of activities for the community in the space. As we conduct daily design work for our clients and the community, we’ll also be hosting the KAC Art Gallery and workshops on topics that the community wants to learn more about in the area of design beginning in 2023. If you have a topic for a workshop you’d be interested in attending, send us a note at Marion Design Co. on the contact page and we’ll be sure and explore it!

***Angie Thompson***, Chief Financial Officer

Last month we moved our oldest daughter into her freshman dorm room and drove away with a flood of emotions. On one hand, there is a sense of accomplishment that we successfully transitioned a young adult into the next level of independence. On the other hand, though, there was a feeling of dread as we looked into a slightly panicked face questioning if she really belonged there.

I found myself affirming her several times saying to her, “You belong here. They chose you. You belong.” But I don’t know that she believed that….yet.

All across the country, campuses are welcoming new and returning students to their communities. You not only see it on campus itself, but also in the stores, restaurants, and yes the coffee shops! As I was in the store this weekend, I saw parents and young adults grabbing last minute items needed for their transition to their new homes. It was a familiar look on both of their faces of wonder, fear, excitement, and slight panic. I was secretly glad that it wasn’t me this weekend. It also made me ask myself what do we do to foster a sense of belonging in our community? How can we say to them “You belong here. Your child belongs here.”

Outside of a simple smile and act of kindness to those around us, there is also value in intentional connections and collaboration with the different organizations in our community. Making connections with our campuses and working alongside them builds a strong sense of belonging for those who are new and trying to find their passions. Collaboration does not mean that we each just do our part and live separately. Collaboration is truly coming together and building from each other’s gifts and talents. We have a new population joining us every fall. How can we connect and collaborate with them to help them feel like they belong and ultimately grow and better our community? Let’s all say it to each other and to those joining us. “You belong here. You chose us, so we are choosing you. You belong.”

Wendy Puffer 8/5/22 Wendy Puffer 8/5/22

Newsletter 017

What do bunnies, soil, and plants have to do with an innovation survey? Design has a unique way of bringing together partnerships of people, process, nature, and data to create a more inviting experience. We just wrapped up a project where design synthesis generated a combination of natural elements, rich colors, movement, and visual semiotics to bring about a more joyful experience of taking a survey.

Innovation Lab Center for Youth Ministry Training conducts a survey called the Innovation Culture Index with churches around the nation. This self-diagnostic tool measures a faith community’s outlook and attitude in key areas associated with innovative potential. This helpful tool reveals a groups collective perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes about these aspects of your community’s culture that influence innovative potential.

Marion Design Co’s challenge was to create a more inviting and joyful experience (keeping in mind sensitivities such as color blindness) for participants as they complete the online survey. We also partnered with Discipleship by Design’s Dr. Amanda Drury to create a follow up group discussion experience with leadership guidelines and group discussion materials that continued our custom design.

This survey and the group discussion materials will be available soon for church leaders ready to engage their congregation in innovative methods of reaching their communities. Marion Design Co. works to empower those doing good work to carry their efforts even further through good design. In this case, bunnies, soil, and plants became the elements to carry Innovation Lab’s vision to fruition!

We’ve all experienced visiting really nice restaurants or businesses whose main public areas are beautifully designed, but lacked luster and attention to detail in the restrooms. It’s easy to neglect the importance of restroom design for a business because only one person uses it at any given time. Actually, as a single use space, the individual using it tends to notice the experience even more. A poorly designed restroom can impact a restaurant patron’s appetite or a business employees motivation to work. The restroom may be one of the most important spaces to design!

We recently transformed six restrooms for a local manufacturing company whose original design dated back a couple decades. The design brief included utilizing the companies products (counterop laminate) to enhance the users understanding of how the laminate could be used. Through application on the wall and counters with undermount sinks, freestanding metal legs, and complimentary flooring and wall paper, we elevated the entire experience of personal care in these six restrooms. A key element to ensuring the user felt good in this space was the carefully designedl element of lighting. Selecting mirrors framed with clean-lit lines and sconces or pendants that acted as jewelry to the room, layers of light makes the experience richer. Employees feel cared for throughout the day and the client is able to show off their products through these unique applications. Enhancing people's experience as they work in a more human environment is an important goal for the work we do!

July marks the month we launched our company blog. As we continue the work with community, alumni, and clients, we’re learning so much that’s too good to keep to ourselves. So, go to https://www.mariondesign.co/blog to find out what’s inspiring us to do the work! Maybe it will inspire you, too!

Our alumni continue to make an impact in the design world. Here are just a few that we’re aware of this month. If you know of others who have recent news, share it with us so we can pass it along for everyone to celebrate! Send them an email to congratulate them!

Jenna Beemer (MDCO Intern 2019-2022 ) began a new career with Gensler in Baltimore. Of course, as a pioneer, they had to create a new job title for her, Strategist. Her email is jenna_beemer@gensler.com.

Yeabsera Tabb (MDCO Intern 2018) was awarded the Placemaking Residency at Big Car in Indianapolis. Her email is yeabsera@bigcar.org. Follow her @yeab_art and @bigcarpix

Michael Overbeck (MDC Team 2016) just became a dad! Leo Henry Overbeck was born six weeks ahead of schedule.

***Peter Troutner***, Chief Creative Officer and Creative Director

Collaboration is a little bit like preparing a meal - taking bits and pieces from diverse places and perspectives and making them work together towards a unified (and hopefully tasty) end result.

I learned this recently when my ever creative wife, Emily pulled together a decadent lunch from the remainders of our fridge. Some leftover rice, yogurt, and coconut were lovingly stirred together and made to collaborate. An unlikely trio - but one Emily had the instinct to pair together.

Just last night as we sat in our living room Emily and I talked about people in our community and outside our community who we wished could be put on a team to set the county on a new trajectory (like spices preparing the best dish possible) - as we talked we found not only were we collaborating on a vision - but we were learning about what these lists told us about what was important to the other person. I found it to no surprise that Emily’s list reflected kind and dedicated people and those you encounter in the day to day around the community and beyond. Her sweet and gentle spirit reflected in her choices as she welcomed those not normally part of the conversation (just like the ingredients in her rice dish) to collaborate on a stepping into an imagined future.

Collaboration is key to harmony - not elevating our ideas above others, but rather using collaboration to begin to truly know the other person. Who are the people you collaborate with daily? What have you learned about them through that collaboration that makes you sit back and marvel at the uniqueness they have to offer?

Wendy Puffer 6/30/22 Wendy Puffer 6/30/22

Newsletter 016

Grant County is home to several school systems that care deeply about students' education and wellbeing. Mississinewa School’s leadership has pursued excellence in technology, innovation, and quality for its students and wanted their website banner to represent that passion. Over the course of nine months, Marion Design Co. collected film footage at school and community events, places throughout the county, and in the classrooms that collectively tell the story of Mississinewa students and staff and the community that supports them.

This project highlighted the quality education our local college students receive, also. Two of our interns from Taylor University, receiving degrees in the Film and Media, were onsite for the majority of the project, interacting and directing the staff and students. Their production skills helped us create a cohesive narrative told through film. Go to https://www.olemiss.k12.in.us/ to view the entire video.

One marker of community impact is the course of time a story is told for the purpose of inspiration. Indy’s Pattern magazine reached out to us after connecting with us through our work with Indy Fashion Week. They became familiar with the Marion Made Fashion Shows we hosted in 2017 and 2019 and wanted to know more. We had the privilege of sharing our story and the ongoing community impact, partnering with many people to carry Marion’s story across the state. The article is in Volume 21 of Pattern magazine https://patternindy.com/magazine/ We’re looking forward to when we can continue the shows in our new studio gallery! In the meantime, check out the reel from our 2019 show here.

Throughout the history of Marion Design Co., we have been privileged to have many talented people work with us and we want to introduce you to the latest member of our team. Emily has been a part of the team for three months officially now in the role of Senior Graphic Designer and has been a major asset to our design and illustration offerings. She graduated in 2019 from Grace College with a major in Visual Communication Design and a minor in Marketing. Since then she has aided many businesses and organizations with her design talents. When you get a chance to meet her - you will find her asking insightful questions and delivering beautiful and on target work. She is a lover of flowers and little moments of whimsy in the world. Emily recently moved to Marion and married Peter Troutner.

***Brittany Long***, Chief Operations Officer and Project Manager

What do you remember about the 4th of July when you were a kid? Was it grilling hotdogs and hamburgers or having a watermelon seed spitting contest with your cousins? Was it the fireworks? Did you set off your own fireworks or go somewhere to watch them? Minus the mosquitoes, I love everything about the 4th of July. I remember as a kid going to Matter Park to watch the fireworks with the rest of the Marion residents.

I remember it being so hot and humid but the popsicles and food trucks and sparklers made it all worth it. I remember one year it felt like we were sitting right under the fireworks as they exploded above our heads. It was magical.

Working for Marion Design Co kind of feels like a firework at times. If you think about it, so much planning and preparation goes into a firework show. Planning for the event, ordering supplies, setting it up, prepping for everything. The anticipation. The details. The hard work. Is it going to be worth all the hard work in the end? Yes. Yes, it most definitely is. That’s how we’ve spent the month of June - planning, prepping, and organizing. We have a lot of exciting things coming our way this year - our “fireworks” if you will. One of which is our new building right in the heart of downtown Marion. We are currently working on those renovations and partnering with Marion-owned businesses to get the job done. Along with many other projects and partnerships we have in the works, we are excited to see what the second half of this year brings.

However you plan to celebrate Independence Day, I hope it’s magical, restful, and fun for you and your families. Happy 4th of July!

Wendy Puffer 6/2/22 Wendy Puffer 6/2/22

Newsletter 015

Marion Design Co., Marion Arts Commission, and IWU Art + Design Faculty partner together for the first time to represent Marion at the Harrison Art Center Speck Gallery! You’re invited to our Opening Reception this Friday, 6:00 to 9:00 pm. The work will be on display for the month of June. Peter Troutner’s work is a series of collages that bring hope and satire through found images and words. Wendy rethinks Marion’s landscape utilizing its map. Shifting color, form, and shape she transforms Marion’s map to prompt questions of transparency, division, and story.

Friday, June 3rd
6-9pm
Harrison Center
1505 N Delaware St,
Indianapolis, IN 46202

While we tend to focus on increasing retail and dining establishments on the downtown square as we work toward revitalization, it’s important to maintain the strength and stability of our civic spaces. Marion’s library, courthouse, and government offices are critical places for ensuring the history and constancy of activity that these places bring on a daily basis. Listen in on the first of a series of conversations that Wendy, Tim, and Ed have on Marion’s downtown civic spaces here. The second conversation is Monday morning, 8:35 am on June 27th on the web at Good Morning Grant County, WBAT.

We spend 90% of our day indoors. Therefore, a well-designed built environment is
critical to your everyday life.

Look around you. Lift you eyes from the screen for a moment and take a look at your surroundings. Does your environment bring you joy? Does your office or home inspire you to do your best work? Here are some quick interior design methods if your answer isn’t a quick YES!

Shift your view so you have some access to daylight. It doesn’t have to be sunlight…just some daylight. Studies prove that daylight in workspaces improves mood, increases morale, reduces fatigue, and minimizes eye strain.
Color makes a difference. Red affects the body. Blue affects the mind. Yellow affects self confidence. Choosing the right color, color combination, and finish can impact your work quality.
Hire a space planner. Whether your area is a small office or large multi-user, multi-level office, space planning is critical to ensuring time isn’t wasted due to inefficient use of one of the most under recognized assets we have…space. Even a small shift can change your whole perspective on your workflow.

These are just a few of the simple considerations that can save you and your organization time and money. An interior designers purpose is to create spaces for the Life, Safety, and Well-being of her clients. Hire an interior designer and you might actually save money by improving your business’ work quality through well designed spaces for your employees and families.

You should begin seeing some activity again at our future downtown location. With every jot and tittle uncovered, we’re nearing the commence of renovations on the ground floor. We’ll keep you updated as things happen!

***Wendy Puffer****, Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer*

I have to admit, I didn’t want to move to Marion in 1991. The drive down Nebraska heading south toward the IWU campus felt unfamiliar and wasn’t the “welcome” I was looking for. I lived the first 15 years in Marion skipping from our home in the Oak HIll district on the north end of town to campus on the opposite, south end of town. With the exception of weekly visits to the Marion Public LIbrary, we were able to live outside the stories that needed to be seen.

But all that changed in 2016. As I completed my MFA in Design Thinking, I began seeing the world through a human-centered lens. This new view caused me to crane my “empathy neck” 180°. I began reading differently, watching different media, and listening to different influential voices. As a result, my language has changed.

I’m excited about the future of this community I now spend most of my time in the spaces between campus and home. The very places I avoided previously are now the places I live and work most days. I shared my story on a recent podcast, Where We Landed, answering questions about my journey to make Marion our family’s home and what my experience is in our community

Listening to that recording reminded me of the importance of shifting my own lens to see my surroundings in a new way. This isn’t a “one-and-done” process, but a daily muscle that has to be exercised. So, whatever your circumstances, I encourage you to keep looking intently…and be ready to see differently!

Listen to Wendy on Where We Landed

Wendy Puffer 5/6/22 Wendy Puffer 5/6/22

Newsletter 014

What do board games, innovation, and the church have in common? Their unifying thread was the brainchild of Amanda Drury in 2019 called Imaginarium. Marion Design Co. was hired to brand this new project funded by a Lilly Grant to help churches imagine new ways of doing church and studying the Bible. What began as a branding project has emerged as a partnership whose influence continues to flow into crevices of the church enlarged by the pandemic’s challenges.

Whoopsie is a colorful board game that helps organizations creatively examine sustainability of current or new programming and initiatives. Complete with cards, game playing pieces, score pad, instruction booklet, game board and box, this fun action packed game makes collaboration and examination fun for your organizations team!

Since the launch of Imaginarium and Whoopsie, we’ve worked with Dr. Drury to brand and develop Discipleship by Design, design thinking methods such as Journey Map, 16 Systems Calendar, Scripture Squared, Actors Map, Prayer Squares, Creative Conversations, and more! Through Hatchathons and other national conferences, we’ve traveled to several national and statewide conferences to introduce these tools to church leadership. We look forward to sharing more of these DBD and Imaginarium projects through this longtime partnership!

Angelica Oles, Food Photographer and owner of Lush Food Photography and the Lush Foods Pretty Things account on Instagram, worked as a Placemaking Design intern during her junior and senior years of college at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Now two years after graduation, she shares that the most valuable lesson she learned was listening…that listening is not only essential in design, but in leadership. Her favorite memory is working alongside Grace Woodard as creative directors for the Marion Made Fashion Show during her senior year. She states, I have never experienced such effortless collaboration and partnership, we had so much fun and worked so hard for each other!

Her favorite project was co-leading with Wendy Puffer a design thinking session on placemaking in Chattanooga, TN at the Project for Public Places Placemaking Conference. Through connecting our play practice as children to teaching community development leaders how to innovate, we simulated playing house with blankets, plastic play food, and cardboard boxes to encourage creative collaboration. Angelica carries her training in leadership skills and establishing confidence in business at Marion Design Co. into operating her own business. In September 2021, she took the leap and began to intentionally pursue food photography and launched her business, Lush Food Photography.

Angelica shares, “The idea stemmed from an instagram account I had started in July of 2020, @lushfoodnprettithings It was a place for me to express my creativity and share photos of all the food I was making. Eventually I realized that this was much more than a hobby, I was excited about creating in a way that I had never experienced before. Manically cooking and baking everyday, I started taking online courses on food photography, styling, and photo editing, developing my skills. Once I committed to pursuing this as a career, I knew I needed to hustle. I emailed countless brands, companies, and small businesses asking them if they needed photography and attaching a media kit I had created. That was how I found my first clients and continued to secure work. It also enabled me to establish relationships with brands and get hired for multiple projects. The fact that I am making money doing something I love still feels surreal. I am also an instructor and social media manager at a barre3 fitness studio. The combination of these 3 positions fulfills me beyond anything I could have ever dreamed for myself!”

***Angie Thompson****, Chief Financial Officer*

I’ve been working for Marion Design Co for 8 months now as the company’s financial manager, completing their invoices, payroll, and overall financial organization. One of my jobs is to make sure we are assigning the correct value to the correct item. Some things in my job are easy to put value to and some things are a bit harder. Resale product for example, is easy to assign value.

Design services, on the other hand, can be more challenging to assign value. There are many factors to include in this process, such as time spent with the customer learning about the individual or organization, hours spent transforming that information into ideas, and then ideas into a tangible process that we give back to the customer. One of the things I’ve been so impressed with is the way MDCO gets to know their clients before advising them on their design, their brand, or their overall presence. With each contract that comes across my laptop I see a description of the client, who they are, and what they are looking for from us. Wendy and the team truly want to know what brand or message the customer is wanting to portrait. So how do we assign a value to that?

Think about how important space and a brand is to a business or organization as a customer. Walking into a room that’s pleasing and clearly states what their business is and what they believe in provides familiarity and comfort to a customer. Seeing a brand on billboard is an expression of that business. When a customer starts to recognize an organization’s brand and space, then they hopefully become loyal to your business. That is where the value lies in our services. MDCO cares about the businesses and organizations in our community and wants them to perform well. There are opportunities upon opportunities that come from healthy organizations in communities. Whether it’s designing a space, a logo, a website, or video, MDCO can add value to an organization through thoughtful meetings, research, and action plans. That value keeps on giving.

Wendy Puffer 3/25/22 Wendy Puffer 3/25/22

Newsletter 013

MARCH 15TH: MDCO’S one year birthday as an LLC

While we’ve been in existence since the summer of 2016, March 15, 2021 marks the launch of MDCO as an LLC. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. We have so much to celebrate! Our list of projects indicate increased partnerships from new startups to established organizations located in Marion and beyond the state of Indiana. Here’s a run down of projects that we’ve accomplished this year!

14 Graphic Design projects (branding, books, programs, brochures, DT session materials, etc.)
12 Interior design and Placemaking projects (from space planning to urban planning)
6 Design Thinking sessions (for businesses, nonprofits, and churches)
3 Websites (for businesses and nonprofits)
2 FIlm production (for education and businesses)
2 Community events (local partnerships in Marion’s downtown)

We’ve accomplished this work with an amazing leadership team, three MDCO alumni (Visual Communication Design, Design for Social Impact, and Interior Design) and three cohorts (15) interns from IWU and Taylor University.

We’re extremely grateful to YOU for supporting our efforts to bring the power of design to Marion and Grant County through meaningful work.

As spring approaches, it’s a great time to expand and explore fresh ideas. Here are a few podcasts we listen to. They’re inspiring, funny, thoughtful, and sometimes irreverent. We hope you’ll find inspiration somewhere in the list! You can find them on your phone’s podcast app.

Where We Landed
Local people telling local stories. Imagine sitting on the porch with neighbors over a cup of coffee, having a casual conversation.

99% Invisible
This podcast will open your eyes to the stories and systems of the spaces we inhabit.

Song Exploder
Each episode tells the story of inspiration, collaboration, and rhythm of a song from the performers point of view.

Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
A hilarious game show featuring comedians who attempt to answer questions that inform and enlighten the listener to current news headlines.

Beef and Dairy Network
A comedy podcast that has very little to do about beef and will be enjoyed by those who appreciate British humor.

Articles of Interest
A limited run series about clothing and fashion and the meaning of it all.

Sporkful
A podcast for people who like to eat!

The Bottom Up Revolution
A Strong Towns Podcast by movers and shakers about design, the built environment, and community development.

We would love to hear what you’re listening that’s inspiring you! Send your inspirational resources to hello@mariondesign.co.

***Brittany Long****, Chief Operations Officer and Project Manager*

If you’ve ever flown standby then you know the rollercoaster that it can be. Cheaper flights, but no guarantee of a seat. The possibility of sitting in business class or waving goodbye to the plane as you watch from the airport. This week I was supposed to be in Colorado. We were one of those people who were waving goodbye to planes, many planes.

My husband and I spent the better part of Sunday trying to figure out how to get to Denver and still make the trip worth it. In the end, we chose to scrap the trip and stay home. It was probably for the best in the long run but having a plan and seeing it not work out is frustrating.

As I ponder what could have been this week, I think about too - what has happened as a result of getting to stay home. I went back to Marion to visit family and pick up my puppy from my parent’s home. In doing so, I got to walk through our new building now that most of the demolition has been done. I got to see it back in December when we knew of the plans - but to see it actually start to come to life was so fun! The first floor has been stripped of all the walls and the clutter. It’s a big open space with high ceilings and lots of windows. There’s this beautiful bright orange beam that follows the length of the room. There’s space for a future gallery and meetings and gatherings. The possibilities are endless. And I thought to myself at that moment, sometimes things don’t work out like my flight or all of the other buildings MDCO has lived in. But sometimes things do work out and they are greater than we could ever imagine. I’m excited for you all to see our new building when it’s ready!

Wendy Puffer 2/19/22 Wendy Puffer 2/19/22

Newsletter 012

We’re excited to announce that Marion Design Co. will have a new home! After six years of moving to four different locations, we will soon make our final move to our new studio at 326 South Washington. Located on the southwest corner of Marion’s downtown square (across from Larks Song and Ridley Tower at the intersection of 18 and Washington), this building is an ideal space for our new home. It’s been just two weeks since the announcement and demolition is well underway.

This long, narrow three floor building whose storefront stretches from the street to the alley, was originally a Hooks Drug Store. It then became a men’s clothing shop, followed by a trophy shop. The Pregnancy Help Center resided there until 2020 and it sat vacant until Chris Kennedy (Hartson-Kennedy Cabinet Top Company) and the BDP Group made an offer to purchase it through a condo partnership. It’s only fitting that this investment is a partnership of three different stakeholders. BDP will develop the second floor into apartments and the Kennedy’s will build out the first floor and basement as the Kennedy Art Center and Marion Design Co’s studio. Marion Design Co. will lease out the space and serve as the project manager for the community art gallery (a longtime vision of Chris and Kim Kennedy) and other ancillary uses of the two floors.

We’ll be posting the construction process on social media and keep you updated in our newsletters of the progress of the renovation. If you were one of our first 17 interns who helped us launch in 2016, you probably remember the 20 foot long oak table that we carried from the second floor to the bank lobby as a “community table”? That same concept will continue in this new space. When you open the front door of our new studio, you’ll be greeted by a table that stretches 20 feet, inviting you to sit down and have a conversation. We’re excited about the relationships that will be generated over conversations in this new space at the table!

If you’re reading this newsletter, you’ve likely had some influence on the revitalization of Marion’s downtown and possibly even worked with Marion Design Co. To you…we express a deep gratitude for the part you’ve played in the process of helping Marion Design Co. use design to empower our community toward a new vision! We have a great future ahead and will work hard to continue strengthening our relationship with you!

In 2020, the Community Foundation asked us to create a Design Thinking Session to launch The Third Path grant in an effort to strengthen partnerships between local nonprofits who were ready to work collaboratively on a project. Thirty five people from 10 different organizations joined us on Zoom (yes, the pandemic hit, affording us the opportunity to prototype a virtual design thinking experience) for a four hour design thinking session in preparation for applying for the grant.

Three projects engaging seven different organizations won the grant, earning them a three year award to help fund their projects. Now, in year two, they asked us again to help the teams envision how they might creatively continue their mission through a design thinking session. The completely new DT process was created by one of our alumni, Jenna Beemer (2020). She led the MDCO team through developing the methods, design materials, and overall experience for the participants. Her leadership set the stage for a very successful, engaging, and inspiring four hour session. We were able to meet face to face in the new Co Fo community building where teams worked through Snowballing, Storyboards, a Future Wheel and more! At the conclusion of the session, one participant from Carey Services asked, “Can I keep this future wheel in a frame and put it in my office?” It’s so rewarding to witness how the tool of design inspires vision and mission!

Three projects engaging seven organizations continues as Carey Services now provides accessibility equipment on behalf of the GC Society for Crippled Children and Adults, Thriving Mill Township and the GC Rescue Mission serve the community through a new building, and Hope House, College Wesleyan Church, and the GC YMCA are creating an outdoor community space with programming to meet the needs of local residents.

***Peter Troutner****, Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer*

**Presence permeates.** When I first walked into Marion Design Co. in 2017 I was about to experience firsthand what I’ve come to know as the *Marion Design Co difference* “Presence changes perception.” That was true for me as I began to see the daily life of Marion from the Old Salin Bank. As I met the people of Marion I came to see a city alive and as I used the skills I have been given. I saw my own value to the community and that even my presence is important.

As we prepare for permanent presence in our downtown, I want to reflect and challenge. Each building or space which Marion Design Co has occupied has developed specific relationships, given life to new meanings, or cultivated interactions that brought insight into our downtown.

Salin Bank - The OG MDC, when we entered it was an empty space we made it our own - in that space we became the tellers of a new story for Marion brought to life by the voices our community brought forward to invest in our storytelling bank. No longer an actual bank (despite the multiple people who came in to deposit checks), but a metaphorical bank where investments blossomed.

Ride ’N Leather - The Design Dojo, when we moved in there was only a dream of a storefront and we filled the back of the space overflowing with creativity. Here we found some of our projects syncing to the relationships with those in the Ride ’n Leather community and the newspaper clippings in the back hallway. The space had an effect on us and we had an effect on the space as the store opened and grew.

Our homes - during COVID I remember Friday afternoon Zooms with interns and although we were all isolated from each other these calls became spaces for growth and desperately needed connection. Even here our presence virtually changed how we came to exist and show up in the rest of our lives.

Lark Song - Once again downtown and birthed as a business, we found our presence important in the life of downtown. New relationships formed and with Marion Made Mini our rhythms overlapped with people in our downtown and community.

The Jay house - Tucked behind the Library we kept on plugging along. New surroundings and new neighbors. Our neighbors different than previous locations but we brought to life the space and as I type I am seeing interaction in almost every room. Life is forming.

Kennedy Arts Center - Here we look forward, in many ways if you do a scatter plot of our locations this becomes the average and I find that a beautiful revelation. Interns who drew up plans in 2019 are now seeing the presence they had permeate. And we are excited about the new ways our presence permeates.

Since I first came to downtown I’ve watched it bloom as people - movers and shakers - stepped into the downtown with renewed vision and filled empty buildings and brought life back to our downtown. There is much more ahead.

And now a challenge: No matter where you find yourself today, take stock. Look around you - your presence has the ability to permeate and change perception. How are you showing up? In what ways does the way you show up change perception of those you are around? How are you bringing new life to the people and places you occupy? Good things can come from presence.
Go and be.

Wendy Puffer 1/17/22 Wendy Puffer 1/17/22

Newsletter 011

Do you miss shaking hands at the entrance of an initial greeting or closing of a meeting? There’s something to be said in this small gesture we’ve taken for granted before COVID (or The VID, a nickname we were recently introduced to). Handshakes communicate an affirmation, a mutual agreement, a professional approval. It's a gesture that’s acceptable even after an argument. It calms the waters and it levels the playing field. It doesn’t discriminate and it doesn’t separate. Our efforts to replace the handshake with an elbow bump seems to trivialize the vulnerability that comes from the physical posture of offering. The body turns away from the person when you reach an elbow which is very different from the open, front-facing posture of the handshake. Your hands are connected to your whole body, and especially your brain. "Your hands tell everything about your emotions and reveal how you're feeling at the moment," says body-language expert Bianca Cobb, PsyD.

In full disclosure, we’ve been shaking hands quite a bit in recent weeks. We’re carefully following CDC guidelines as a company, respecting and caring for the health and well-being of everyone we interact with. But as we’ve begun and continued partnerships with cafes, artists, manufacturers, government, not-for-profits, and educational institutions, we’re wisely building relationships from a place of openness and a gesture of mutuality. We plan on these relationships lasting long after The Vid dominates top news headlines. Through challenges and celebrations, our foundation is built on relationships. So, let’s continue with the long view in mind. In fact, let’s shake on it!

Caring for our mind, body, and soul is a journey that entails responding to the environment, elements of time, and circumstances out of our control. Towards the end of 2021 we took on a project from a Marion local who is setting out to try and provide services for those needs by coaching and guiding women through the journey of holistic health. As our client was wrapping up her training from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, we journeyed with her into strategic naming and branding for her new business. In the process, we gathered research and explored Sanskrit meaning that connected to her heritage. In the end we arrived at Sodashisoul which is derived from the Sanskrit word for wholeness and is then tied to the soul. This idea of wholeness plays into the final mark as the parts align and form together as the sum of the parts to represent the balance Sodashisoul provides to her clients’ mind, body, and soul on the path to wholeness.

With over 70 Marion Design Co. alumni scattered all over the world, we want to share your stories. We’re planning our Alumni Highlight schedule for 2022 so if you list MDCO on your resume, send us an email at hello@mariondesign.co and we’ll be sure to include you in our publication!

***Wendy Puffer****, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer*

I was watching Ryan Chetiyawardana give a demo on how to make a Mojito. My daughter, Brittany, and I often enjoy sharing a Mojito during our regular dinners so this Masterclass workshop sparked my interest. The Mojito is made of lime juice, sugar water, white rum, mint, and ice. What intrigues me is not only the blend of ingredients, but the beautiful methodology to bring the concoction together.

Proportions of lime to water, rum and mint, but in particular, the vital overabundance of crushed (not cubed) ice to bring the temperature down quickly is key to experiencing the flavors. A room temperature Mojito is not refreshing. It’s the drastic cold drop in temperature produced by the ice crushed that makes the flavors sing.

As we launch a new 2022 spring season at Marion Design Co. our studio’s ingredients and proportions are vital to creating the flavor that makes our design studio unique. Blending a strong internship pool, collaborative leadership team, loyal industry partners, amazing client friendships, and a balanced mix of project types, the flavors integrate for a rich experience. But it’s the mission of empowerment and revitalization of our rural community that intensifies the ingredients and makes the work sing! When we see those around us succeed, we share in their success. As new businesses launch, buildings are revitalized, and stories are shared, we celebrate alongside those who persevere to reach toward a shared vision. So, let's raise a glass and celebrate success throughout Marion and Grant County as we launch a new year! Here’s to the emerging stories of 2022!

Wendy Puffer 11/15/21 Wendy Puffer 11/15/21

Newsletter 010

Over the past year, our company has seen many changes, from moving locations in downtown Marion to transitioning from a nonprofit to an LLC. We have collaborated with several cohorts of interns, and completed projects that have pushed our innovation and design work, from design thinking sessions to branding identity projects. Throughout all of these changes, big and small, our mission has remained the same as when we founded Marion Design Co: to revive, empower, and propel community forward with design.

While our mission emphasizes strong actions like revival and empowerment, these actions depend on you--our community. Every facet of our creative work depends on community members willing to collaborate as we work towards accomplishing our mission, together. And, the past year is a testament to the ways our tenacious community has consistently embraced our work as their own, providing us with encouragement, opportunities, and resources to continue working towards our mission. We are endlessly grateful for our community, for you.

We are grateful for the way our community shows us warm hospitality and provides us with studio space.
We are grateful for the way our community entrusts us with their business identities and transitions.
We are grateful for the way our community welcomes us into their homes and workplaces to transform their interior spaces.
We are grateful for the way our community invites us to share in developing public spaces to grow in together.
We are grateful for the way our community collaborates with us in envisioning all that our city can become.
We are grateful for the way our community sustains our collective passions for innovation and design, persisting into the future.

We are grateful for you.

STORIES OF COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS!

Becca Kleppinger was a Marion Design Co. intern from January 2019 to September 2020. During her time with MDCO, Becca played an integral role in the Imaginarium project led and inspired by Dr. Amanda Drury. She described the experience as being magical, and Becca loved being able to bring Dr. Drury’s ideas to life through design, working on the entire process from initial sketches and prototypes to final production.

Becca also shared that working at MDCO shaped her into a stronger leader. Looking back, she recollected different moments where projects allowed her to step into the role of “leader” at moments. While at times challenging, these opportunities empowered her with more self-confidence. Additionally, Becca shared that creating with MDCO sharpened her analytical and organizational skills, which she has found allows her to be her truest self in any work setting.

Currently, Becca is in graduate school at Indiana Wesleyan University where she studies Student Development. She is grateful that continuing her education comes with remaining connected to the Marion community. As she is discerning where her passions for design and college-aged students will lead her, she is finding inspiration in everyday life. Becca shared that her goal is to create every day, whether she is creating physical art or organizing her dishes creatively, remembering that creativity does not have to be limited.

***Brittany Long,*** *COO and Project Manager*

The month of November is my favorite time of the year. The weather is cool, the leaves have changed, and the excitement of the holidays is beginning to build. I absolutely love the anticipation of Thanksgiving and Christmas. I love wearing cozy sweaters, drinking hot cocoa, and watching all of those holiday movies that I’ve been waiting all year to watch. Even school is wrapping up for the semester. The students are preparing for finals and are readying their bags to head back home. As our world winds down and heads back indoors to wait out the cold, I think to myself - how can we continue to build community even in these winter months?

At Marion Design Co, our mission is to “revive, empower, and propel community forward by creating sustainable design solutions developed through education and collaboration with local students and community.” This can look like so many different things. For us at MDCO, it looks like partnering with the city of Marion to enrich our downtown area or conducting design thinking sessions with a local church. It also looks like designing window treatments for downtown apartments or building a website for a local business. We are working to connect with people all across our city.

Maybe our next project will be collaborating with you! Reach out to us if you have a project or a big idea. We would love to partner with you. Check out our website, share this newsletter, follow us on Instagram. Join with us and together we can work to revive, empower, and propel our community forward.

Are you hard-working, smart, brave, innovative, humble, and willing to take design to the next level? Go to our website to apply. If you don’t see a position that fits you, create one and send it to us. Candidates who bring a diverse skillset and unbridled creativity will be strongly considered!

Wendy Puffer 10/15/21 Wendy Puffer 10/15/21

Newsletter 009

Our design process centers on relationships. When we design for you, our client, we don’t just want to design for you; we want to get to know you, and we want to know you long after we finish collaborating with you.

Our relationship with Marion Philharmonic Orchestra began in 2018, just before their company turned fifty, when their leadership determined they needed to reinvent their company identity to better serve Marion and the broader Grant County community. As we created their new brand identity, we met with Joy Frecker, the orchestra’s executive director, and Matthew Kraemer, the orchestra’s current conductor. As we continued to share in conversation with these two leaders, we found we had a better understanding of the story of their company not just as an orchestra but as a collective of musicians sharing their craft with their communities.

While our collaboration began by designing a new brand identity for the company nearly two years ago, we have continued to maintain our relationship with the orchestra. Each concert season, we create promotional materials for their shows. Most recently, we designed postcards for their upcoming October 31 show, Disney in Concert: Around the World, working closely with Disney’s own designers to ensure that our proposals aligned with their brand standards.

We are grateful for MPO, as well as our other clients, who continue to participate in the Marion Design Co. Community long after our initial design work is complete. It is a privilege to call our clients friends.

You can visit MPO’s website, mpomarion.org, to learn more about how you can connect with them and experience one of their upcoming concerts!

**Marion Made Market and Fashion Show**, originating from our own interns’ creativity, are two of our favorite events here at Marion Design Co. We loved celebrating the creativity of our community in 2017 and 2019, exploring their innovation and imagination through the two downtown events. Fall 2021 marked the next Marion Made, but we are sensing more time will provide us greater opportunity to build on what has been accomplished in order to create a more sustainable future for Marion Made.

We appreciate your patience and grace as we continue to discover all that Marion Made can be in the coming months

**On October 1,** Marion Health officially launched their new brand. We have already seen the brand work to tell Marion Health’s vision of growth with pride and care, continuing to tell their story with empathy. If you drive along the Marion bypass, you may even notice a couple of new billboards featuring the new logo.

We have loved celebrating alongside Marion Health, and can’t wait to watch the brand continue to come to life! Check out our case study to learn more.

MARION HEALTH CASE STUDY

**Allie Lumpkin**

**Allie Lumpkin** interned with Marion Design Co. in 2018 and was part of the Summer Cohort in 2019. She graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2020 with a B.A. in Graphic Design and is currently working towards her MFA in Design Research and Development at Ohio State University.

Allie shared with us that the most valuable thing she learned during her time at MDCO was how to take risks. “I’m naturally a risk-averse person,” she said, “but being swept up in the ethos of MDCO showed me how embracing the unknown can help propel your work beyond what you ever would have expected.” She also shared that her time with MDCO helped root her design process in research, with has been foundational for the knowledge she is gaining from her research-based MFA program.

As she works toward her MFA, Allie is finding inspiration in the work of her peers. Allie expressed that seeing the design work other 2020 and 2021 graduates are creating is a source of joy and excitement for her. Watching her friends be creative fuels her own creativity.

***Peter Troutner****, Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer*

**Ever since Marion Design Co. began** there has been an aspect of education involved in the work we do. Whether that’s working with talented interns growing their skills, helping clients to see the importance of space and brand, or expanding our own knowledge of our community.

Recently, I was asked to speak to a class at IWU about the branding process of Marion Health. It gave me a pause to step back to see the work we do as a whole and all that goes into the relationships we form as we develop work that is meaningful and intentional to the client. The entire design process is a learning experience where we serve as both educator and student, and our clients educate and learn in tandem with us. The students I spoke to listened and asked inquisitive questions - desiring to better their practice and continue on the never-ending path of learning.

We are constant students of our surroundings and always welcome new relationships which push us to research new areas and design through the lens of lifelong learning. As we come to sit with our clients we come to be not just masters of design but educated in the industry of our clients. Soon we become knowledgeable about music, healthcare, basketball, cabinet construction, and space planning. What new area could you introduce us to?

Wendy Puffer 9/17/21 Wendy Puffer 9/17/21

Newsletter 008

The I Have A Dream Preschool Academy, located just south of downtown Marion, is an early-childhood educational program focused on empowering young learners to love their neighbors well through an immersive bilingual curriculum. Over the past year, we have worked alongside the Dream Academy to use placemaking design to create both indoor and outdoor playspaces for young learners. While the outdoor playspace is still in progress, we recently completed the indoor space.

This interactive, interior space celebrates and affirms children of color in different roles or careers. Children of color may not experience similar representations elsewhere, and seeing themselves within different roles allows them to act without limits and dream big.

The IWU Human-Centered Design class, led by Marion Design Co. leadership, sketched iterations of the interactive indoor space, identifying different roles that could be represented throughout the space. After presenting four concepts to Dream Academy leadership, two top ideas rose to the surface. Tashema Davis (Echo Gallery) merged the two concepts together to bring the ideas to life in a four-wall mural covering the whole room. Scattered throughout the room are colorful hooks holding professional costumes such as a doctor's uniform, a scientist’s lab coat, and an artist’s apron that allow the students to strengthen their imagination and physically step into the roles they see on the walls around them. Jared Strand, a former MDCO intern, created stacking wooden boxes that Tashema painted with the same figures illustrated in the murals that the students can use to build their own personas, continuing the interactive goal of the design concept.

This fall, we are thrilled to welcome a new cohort of interns!

Starting in September, we began work with a group of four interns: Mark Fisk (IWU), a graphic design intern from Fishers, IN, Jessica Moore (IWU), a placemaking design intern from New Haven, IN, Isabel Bostick (IWU), a copywriting intern from Brownsburg, IN, and Anna Rodman (Taylor University), a videography intern from Peoria, IL.

We are also welcoming Jenna Beemer back to Marion Design Co. as a designer! She previously worked with us as an intern from 2018-2020, and you may recognize her from a July issue of our newsletter.

This diverse group brings a wide range of gifts and talents to the team and we are looking forward to creating together this fall!

We are excited to share an alumni highlight on Summer Fisher, a member of our very first intern cohort!

Summer interned during our initial launch of 2016, the year Marion Design Co. was founded. Working with MDCO during its most formative year, she played an integral role in the City of Marion branding project, creating some of the first sketches and iterations of the brand. Summer shared that the experience of listening to community members and engaging in conversation with them was life-changing, and the experience continues to influence the ways she solves design problems.

Immediately after her undergrad, she worked as an IWU adjunct professor and a designer for a local church, until Studio Science noticed her portfolio. Today, Summer works as a Brand Designer for Studio Science in Indianapolis, alongside other MDCO alum. The experience she had with MDCO reminds her to investigate her assumptions as she designs, always asking “Why?” throughout her design process. Summer shared that she is continually inspired by her coworkers, as well as designers from around the world--their work broadens her imagination.

***Wendy Puffer****, Co-Founder and Chief Design Officer*

**I’m easily bored...**and repetition, well, feels too repetitive. As I approach the first September in 21 years as a non-faculty, where I haven’t needed to create a syllabus, craft the perfect learning outcomes, and form a calendar full of events that always gets wiped off the map within the first two weeks, I’m definitely not bored! I’m still considering how students--MDCO Interns--might gain the richest professional experience and build empathetic community relationships, but with a more refined focus for Marion Design Co., the local community, and our clients.

It’s so fun to dream and plan with a long view in mind. In just the few short months since we launched as an LLC, we’ve designed for medical facilities, homes, manufacturers, conferences, performances, exhibits, athletics, schools, small businesses, and philanthropic organizations. We’ve developed and built meaningful relationships with local, regional, and national partners. We’re creating a rich rhythm of quality design development, with repetition that creates value and sustainability! And, with repetition in all the right places, there’s no future for boredom!

Wendy Puffer 8/25/21 Wendy Puffer 8/25/21

Newsletter 007

In the fall of 2020, we began collaborating with Marion General Hospital as they embarked on their rebrand project to become Marion Health. We are thrilled to finally share the visual brand we created!

The brand has been months in the making. We began with thorough research, visiting MGH sites, and exploring the ways they used their past branding to represent their company. We talked with staff members, conducted company and community stories through surveys, and investigated other healthcare imagery in the region. These methods, especially the surveys, ensured the resulting brand carried the voices of the community and was true to who Marion Health has been and hopes to become. We created hundreds of sketches, each encapsulating elements of what makes Marion Health an integral part of the City of Marion and Grant County. In total, fourteen Marion Design Co. designers touched the project throughout its various stages, making it a truly collaborative endeavor.

Our final design embraces Marion Health’s established presence and continual growth, as well as its intentional care. Not only has this project stretched us creatively, but we have also grown in our appreciation for Marion Health’s positive imprint on our community. We look forward to watching the brand come to life as MGH transitions to Marion Health!

**We are excited to announce that we are now operating out of the historic Jay House on W 7th Street!** Over the past year, Lark’s Song has been incredibly gracious to us as we shared space with them. We are sad to leave, but are excited to activate another space in Downtown Marion while at our next temporary studio. As we continue to look for a more permanent location, we are thankful for the generosity and hospitality of our downtown Marion neighbors.

As we’ve worked with a multitude of interns, we have loved catching up with each individual, as we swell with pride when we hear how they have grown since working with us. **This week, we are highlighting Grace Woodard, who interned with us first in the summer of 2018, then in summer and fall of 2019, and worked with us into 2020.**

Grace shared with us that the most valuable thing she learned from working with MDCO was “how to lead well and how to follow well.” She said that, during her time at MDCO, she was given many opportunities to lead and guide others, but an equal amount of opportunities to follow and learn from others. She said she saw this modeled by leadership, as well, “being intuitive enough to lead and grounded enough to follow.”

She says that her time at MDCO impacts her work today because it taught her how to work with and for humans. Her methodologies and ways of thinking that she learned with Marion Design Co have made her a more empathetic and considerate designer. Today, Grace works as a full-time designer for Ramsey Solutions in Nashville, Tennessee. She stays inspired by most things, including (but not limited to): Heidi Harner, Studio Matthews, Kehinde Wiley, Holly Warburton, clouds, the feeling of fuzzy sweaters, Lorde’s newest single, patchwork bikinis, and Olympic female skateboarders.

Why is Marion so special? A question I ask myself as someone who grew up in Marion. Many of you may not know me in regards to my role at MDCO. I tend to stay in the background and work behind the scenes. My role is primarily to support the efforts and planning of our designers and the projects we have. I wasn’t a part of MDCO when it first started. I heard about it through my mom and Co-founder as she and her team worked tirelessly to make MDCO what it is today. Only in the past 2 years have I worked with MDCO and what a pivotal time it was to join!

The train is moving. Big things are happening. The Lord continues to provide and bless our efforts. What started 5 years ago and what it is today is vastly different ... but in a good way. MDCO in a way reflects the city of Marion. It consists of a team of people who have committed to pour their lives into the city. A team of people who have ebbed and flowed throughout the years as we celebrate the process of growing. And it’s a team of people that has partnered with many other teams to come together to build something beautiful in this city.

We wouldn’t be MDCO without this community. If you’re reading this newsletter and are inspired to hear more or join our team, reach out to us at www.mariondesign.co or on Instagram @mariondesignco.

Brittany Long,
COO & Project Manager

Wendy Puffer 8/6/21 Wendy Puffer 8/6/21

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.)

Wendy Puffer 7/23/21 Wendy Puffer 7/23/21

Newsletter 005

This year, the Indiana Arts Commission selected Marion as one of six locations to host On-Ramp, a three-day workshop for creative entrepreneurs to help grow their businesses. We are thankful to have the opportunity to collaborate with the Indiana Arts Commission to help host On-Ramp in conjunction with other leaders and sponsors: Marion Arts Commission, Marion Design Co. Clique Creative Photography, Echo Gallery, and Henrik Soderstrom Studio's, and Lark’s Song.

Artists from all around Indiana traveled to downtown Marion to participate in the workshop. As soon as everyone arrived on Thursday, they filled the space with life and connections, as every participant had the opportunity to build relationships with each other throughout the conference. As much as we loved engaging in On-Ramp, we also enjoyed observing as the participants worked together to help each other grow as they learned about their respective work. It was a joy to watch a camaraderie of artists grow before us amongst many people who had never met before.

Top to bottom: Cohort members Jaylan and Melissa discussing the course content, Wendy Puffer speaking during her panel, On-Ramp Marion group photo, On-Ramp Marion Leadership (Left to right: Eric Marshall, Tashema Davis, Anna Tragesser, Wendy Puffer, Henrik Soderstrom).

We are grateful for the opportunity, and we cherish the relationships we gained through our involvement in On-Ramp. Every artist who attended brought inspiration and encouragement to us to continue our work in
downtown Marion!

Ben Tadevich

**We are excited to highlight another MDCO alumni, Benjamin Tadevich!** Ben was part of the 2019 Summer Cohort at MDCO. He graduated from IWU in 2020 with a B.A in Graphic Design and is currently located in Gas City.

Ben shared with us that the most valuable thing he learned during his time at Marion Design Co. was learning the value of working as a team. He said that, though his school projects allowed experience in teams, they did not compare to his time at Marion Design Co., as he worked with the same team for months, and he felt like that reflected a more honest experience of working in a design team than his classes provided.

One of his favorite memories, besides “the whole summer,” was a night he had spent with one of his cohort members, as they had stayed at the bank building until two or three in the morning working on a 3D model of the space they had ideated over the summer. The model they finished reflected a majority of the work they had done throughout the summer and finishing it brought an indescribable sense of fulfillment he had not experienced before.

Currently, Ben works as an in-house Graphic Designer. He shared with us that Marion Design Co. impacts his work today by teaching him how to communicate to a more realistic, or modest, audience, who are not always willing to try new things.

**Come and see us and our neighbors tonight for Christmas in July downtown!** We are showing It’s a Wonderful Life and hosting a design-thinking gift exchange! We will have treats and gifts to share - we hope to see you there!
Show times: 5-7pm,
7-9pm; 401 S Washington St.

Wendy Puffer

**What does it mean to be a Korean American female leader?** To be honest, I hadn’t really asked myself the question until recently--I mean, really asked the question as if it made a difference. I’ve spent my whole life trying to blend in and to be like everyone else. As a Korean daughter, adopted by Caucasian American parents (who adopted four more Korean and Bi-racial children), I didn’t like being different. During my formative years, I worked hard at being the same as my friends. It’s hard work to see the world through this lens. Rather than embracing the natural intuition that makes life joyful when a person is working from their own human-centered design, my focus was outward, figuring out what I had to do next to “blend in.”

If we approached our design process for our clients or the community in this manner, we would miss the mark. Why would we create a design proposal for the purpose of making their brand identity, urban or interior space, or city look like someone else’s? We would create confusion and ultimately lose their trust—quite a foolish strategy.

So, as a Korean female leader, it’s critical to design with an embrace, first, for the attributes that define what is true. I’m carrying into this new chapter of Marion Design Co. a sense of joy as I embrace passions, intuitions, and methods from 61 years of rejecting and accepting my uniqueness. As a Korean, I’m birthed out of a culture of beautiful design. As a woman, I carry a holistic and relational way of seeing people. As a leader, I empower and accelerate potential. Thank you to the smart, innovative, and “a bit crazy influencers” who started Marion Design Co. with me (Herb and Luke). Your voices speak into every decision we’re making for our bright future!

Grateful for you,
Wendy

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Wendy Puffer 7/9/21 Wendy Puffer 7/9/21

Newsletter 004

Welcome to the MDCO Newsletter! We are so excited to share with you a variety of what we’ve worked on, an alumni highlight, and a piece of gratitude towards one of Marion’s Local Businesses, Lark’s Song. We appreciate your commitment and time towards our team!

**In anticipation of hosting the Indiana Arts Commission On-Ramp Workshop, we created a brand for the three-day event.** Inspired by educational materials - created by Minerva - prepared for the workshop, we developed a mark that employs the playful, imaginative nature of vibrant colored dots to reflect the boldness required when starting a creative business. We are eager to watch the brand come to life next week as we learn alongside the team of creators!

We are joining the downtown community by celebrating Christmas in July! Stop by 401 S Washington St. anytime from
5-9pm on July 23 for a movie night and gift exchange, as well as other stops along the square! We can’t wait to celebrate the joy of Christmas with you, our neighbor!

Last week, Jenna came through Marion and visited us at Lark’s Song to see the Summer Cohort. Jenna became an intern in the fall of 2018, and stayed involved with Marion Design Co. up until her recent graduation in April 2021. Jenna graduated with a B.A in Design for Social Impact and is currently located in her hometown, Muskegon, Michigan.

Jenna worked on a variety of projects during her time with Marion Design Co., but she told us her favorite and most memorable work was her first project, the SEAD Conference. She said one of the most fulfilling parts of SEAD was working on it from start to finish, from planning the event to seeing it in its full fruition. As well, the conference was brand new, as Jenna and her team made the very first SEAD conference. With nothing to reference as a “past event,” Jenna and her team had the freedom to imagine and come up with ideas with little restriction. She said that Wendy did a great job of “coaching through the chaos” throughout the planning and execution of the event.

As Jenna has graduated and is currently looking for her next step, she shared with us how Marion Design Co. has impacted her work today. She said that, through her experience doing workshops through MDCO, she has a greater interest in roles that involve teaching, or have a more educational strategy at their core. She said that “Marion Design Co is a philosophy, or way of working, that you can apply anywhere you go.” Now, Jenna is looking for jobs in Placemaking and Strategy and is taking routine walks with her 80-year-old neighbor, and a 90-year-old friend. As a recent graduate, Jenna is taking time to explore opportunities as they arise.

**Beginning in Fall 2020, Lark’s Song has welcomed Marion Design Co. into their building and shared their workspace with us.** Access to the building has allowed us to continue working at the heart of downtown and remain connected to our community, while also actively collaborating with Lark’s Song.

Since Lark’s Song’s origins in 2013, Megan Gilmore, the nonprofit’s founder, shared their journey has been full of “unreal, wild, synchronous, divine-timing stories.” Providing wellbeing education, certified coach training, and culture care, Lark’s Song exists to courageously and holistically cocreate a flourishing world. As larks represent daybreak and courage, Lark’s Song offers programs that empower individuals towards the courage to notice and engage with newness, honoring their own song.

Lark’s Song moved to the corner of 4th and Washington in 2015. While the scope of Lark’s Song’s impact reaches far beyond Indiana, their vision of transformation and life purpose discovery remains grounded in downtown Marion. Megan shared that their consistent presence has meant the people of Marion now see them as a safe space and a loyal friend.

Marion Design Co. has been collaborating with Lark’s Song since 2016, when Megan worked closely with our founders to translate community stories into the Marion values now found in the 4th St. Alleyway. From hundreds of post-it notes revealing community members’ perspectives of the city, we were able to collaborate in extracting the values from the stories of our neighbors.

During coaching sessions, Megan explained that clients create a life purpose statement. For Megan, this statement says, “I am the lark’s song that awakens courage.” As Lark’s Song continues to grow, Megan shared that she is excited about the way the nonprofit has realized its purpose, courageously embracing its identity and awakening the community to its potential.

*Brittany*

**It’s been 4 months since we officially launched Marion Design Co as an independent business.** In that time, we have been able to partner with so many people and build connections with small and large businesses.

Design is not an individual sport. It’s a process that requires problem-solving and collaboration. As I reflect on the work we’ve done this summer so far, one word that comes to mind is THANKFULNESS. I am blown away by what our team has been able to accomplish and how many awesome people we have been able to partner with along the way.

Our 6 interns continue to push the envelope with creativity, leadership, and ingenuity. Our leadership team continues to lead with confidence and grace. Our partners continue to join with us in the creative and problem-solving process, showing up with excitement and hopefulness for what we can create together.

Altogether, I am thankful. Cheers to our future and what we can accomplish together!

Wendy Puffer 6/25/21 Wendy Puffer 6/25/21

Newsletter 003

As designers, we value empathy and understanding in all aspects of our work. In the past few weeks, we’ve started a web design project for Compete Training Academy, a basketball training program founded by Jordan and Courtney Delks in Sweetser, Indiana. To better understand their programs, we took a trip to visit two sites: Oak Hill, where Courtney was coaching elementary students, and The Barn, the facility owned by Jordan and Courtney, where they do most of their training. The unique quality of their training programs, both in credibility and in character, sets CTA apart from their competitors.

As we’ve worked with Courtney and Jordan, they have generously shared their stories with us. When they purchased their barn, they were looking for houses. They had seen pictures of the inside of the house they were inquiring about but had seen none about the Barn. As soon as Courtney saw the Barn in person, she went to see if she could shoot a basketball without hitting any of the supporting beams. After a successful shot to an imaginary hoop, Courtney fell in love with the Barn and was ready to make an offer before even seeing the house. “By the grace of God,” She said, they purchased the Barn in 2017 and underwent renovations right away to make their facility.

At Marion Design Co., we encourage and strive for understanding for all of our projects. Since visiting CTA, seeing their work in action and the humble but catching atmosphere of their “barn-turned-gym,” we have gained a greater appreciation for Courtney, Jordan, and all of the programs they offer to all ages. We are so excited to tell their story and make something great together!

Follow CTA on Instagram and Facebook to browse their programs!

Today marks our final Marion Made Mini of the summer! We started Marion Made Mini back in May, with the goal of building community. Each week since, we have not only fallen in love with every baked good Kate Luttrull crafted, but we have also built meaningful relationships with our Marion neighbors

Jessica Moore, a placemaking intern, organized the event each week. Over the last two months, she has found joy in watching people come not just for food, but to connect with each other. Jessica sees this presence downtown as an accessible and physical representation of the revitalization Marion Design Co. is working towards in the heart of Marion

Placemaking design is at the heart of Marion Made Mini. As Jessica explained, “By having Marion Made Mini we make a space where people want to come and participate in Marion, which brings hope, inspiration, and aspiration for what Marion has the potential to become.” In the future, she hopes more businesses bring their stores outside on the square, continuing to create spaces for the community to flourish.

Thank you for your support week after week; we couldn’t have done it without you! We would also like to thank True Envy Boutique for hosting Marion Made Mini last week. We couldn’t have pulled it off without their wonderful staff!

If you would like to enjoy more of Kate Luttrull’s baked goods, you can follow her @gday.bakery on Instagram.

Peter Troutner, *Creative Director and Chief Creative Officer*

**In many ways we exist to connect, collaborate, and co-create.** It’s a reminder that the Co. in Marion Design Co. has a lot of meanings and that ultimately what we do is all about people. And it’s about telling those stories well.

Connect | Our city is a place of connection. As I’m writing this it’s a cool 75 and we pulled the tables out on the sidewalk to work. Cars drive by giving us looks and smiles. A cyclist just drove up saying he was late to the meeting it looked like we were holding. In passing, we got to hear his story and how he began cycling from Santa Barbara to Chicago and now is on his way to New York City. Just think: Marion, Indiana, became part of his story since he was looking for a coffee shop and we got to be part of his story if even for a moment as we sent him down to Sender Cafe.

Collaborate | We took the afternoon Wednesday to understand not only how we collaborate with our clients and community, but how we collaborate with each other. We met with Jessica Gormong and Keith Puffer to understand our Enneagrams and careers in order to better collaborate with each other as well
as our clients

Co-create | Walk through the doors of the studio and get ready to be a part of something. We want you involved in our story. As we design solutions, create graphics, discover place, and beautify space we know it’s because of you and your story that we get the chance to be here. Let’s tell a story together.