Reflex Medical wanted to move forward, but their brand and single-page website was holding them back. It didn’t communicate the breadth or quality of their services. To bring them up-to-date, we designed new, brighter branding and made the website user-friendly by adding clear messaging, navigation, custom photography and content that is relevant to potential customers. Now their site reflects their reality. See full rebrand here.

Launched in 2015, Superior Switchel is a product of passion. Founder Melina, a former college hockey player, discovered switchel as a means to replenish and rehydrate after a night on the ice. She wanted to share this amazing beverage and had been personally brewing, bottling, distributing and promoting it. Having hit the ceiling of how much the brand could grow it was time to outsource the brewing and bottling, and a rebrand. ThinkDesign Group was thrilled to be entrusted with this rebranding project. Discovering the benefits of this healthy, hydrating beverage called switchel and the founding story led to a focus on Superior being Lake Superior—the greatest of Great Lakes. The brand was redesigned around the lake, water and spirit of Minnesota. With a new bottle, refined formula and wider distribution Superior Switchel’s ready for success.   See full project.

Emotions are raw after the recent U.S. election—and learning that 46.9% of eligible voters did not vote is so disappointing. Voter turnout is a serious issue in this country, and eligible voters need to take that responsibility seriously. The fact that votes are weighted differently due to the Electoral College just adds to the problem. Really, all votes do matter. Blue state stars, red state tears.

ThinkDesign Group celebrated 20 years & the people who helped get us there! Cheers, Salud, Prost, Kanpai, Salute! In a time of celebration, reflection, and gratitude, ThinkDesign Group recognized that over the past 20 years, many people have been a part of our world. “Group” is in our name for a reason­—it’s the coming together of like minds, utilizing the left & right sides of our brain—because we’re more than just ourselves. Together, we have problem-solved, developed, brainstormed, tested, collaborated & created—and for that, we salute everyone that has been a part of (and continues to be a part of) our journey!  

Because without think, it’s just design. Using both sides of the brain is where aesthetics and impact converge—and what inspires us to find the new idea in the work of our everyday. Here’s some highlights about our 2014 thinking and how we work to stay true to our name.  

InFaith Community Foundation • Rebrand Lutheran Community Foundation, a ThinkDesign client of 19 years, needed a brand refresh to align with their partner, Thrivent Financial, which dropped “for Lutherans” from their name and be relevant to a broader Christian audience. The rebrand for their new name, InFaith Community Foundation—including logo, color palette, custom illustrations, communications materials—aimed to invite current donors to be part of the change and yet demonstrate that the ideals of the foundation remained a constant presence.  

Contexts • Food Issue The quarterly publication of the American Sociological Association provides insight into sociology topics and makes them accessible to the general public. We design each publication cover to cover and find visual solutions to address a variety of topics—from the relevant to the serious. And nothing is more relevant to everyone than food. We had a ball concepting and creating the cover for the food issue to tempt the reader to sample the variety of flavors inside. See our previous blog post, Playing With Food, for more of the story and an animation showing how we made this cover.

Stop Carp Coalition • Infographic Knowledge is power for the Stop Carp movement: helping people to understand how harmful invasive carp could be to Minnesota, or what they could do to help, is key to bringing them on board. Our approach was to use eye-catching illustration to convey the danger and immediacy of the issue. This campaign specifically focused on ways to inform boaters about the danger of using river locks—one of the major ways invasive carp move upstream. Following the campaign’s launch, Congress voted to close the Upper St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam on June 10, 2015, to help prevent invasive carp from getting into the Great Lakes. To read more about our work on the Stop Invasive Carp System, see Designing the Fight against Invasive Carp

Dunwoody College • Anniversary Dunwoody’s innovation in the Minneapolis education scene has enabled generations of students to learn the skills demanded of them in today’s working world. To celebrate their 100th anniversary, we took advantage of Dunwoody’s latest technologies to create a piece that speaks to their ability to continually retool their educational offerings to the ever-changing needs of our communities. See more about Dunwoody’s donor fund at Almost 100—Helping Dunwoody with the Right Tools for the Job.  

Raw Bistro Pet Fare • Packaging Raw Bistro Pet Fare not only takes great care to provide dogs with premium raw pet food, but they also make a conscious effort to be a sustainable company. Made right here in Minnesota, Raw Bistro believes in the importance of local, organic, free-range and grass-fed ingredients. We’ve been working to build the Raw Bistro brand since the beginning, including their most recent “2.0” packaging to meet demand as they grow. We’re proud to be part of such a responsible company—see more about our work with Raw Bistro at RAWSOME Packaging.  

People Incorporated • Annual Report People Incorporated Mental Health Services empowers individuals with mental illness to live independently with the support of People Incorporated’s community-based programs. Providing that support is only part of the battle, however—public perceptions about mental illness is the other. Our design for their annual report theme, “Changing Minds,” aimed to strip down the “us vs. them” mentality that underlies the stigma of mental illness and highlight real people and their stories on the inside spreads. See our blog post for more on the 2013 People Incorporated Annual Report, Complicated issues. Clear thinking.