Had to hint at the eclectic mix that makes up the gay, hipster, urban neighborhood of Seattle known as Capitol Hill. Round at the edges, but still smartly dressed. We had a couple of meetings with the team of people who “had to do this.” It was a nonprofit. They reported to a board. It started slow, but picked up momentum.

People started to see that design can drive strategy. Usually, that’s what our homebrewed Orangutan Swing method does. Drawing out their innermost ideas on what the Capitol Hill Chamber of Commerce could be really worked. Swells of excitement at the meeting with the mood board. Different people come together, and share their big-picture ideas. What makes a brand work is finding the overlap between what everyone really cares about and giving that a visual voice. Originally posted in 2007: “Design Kompany rebrands the Capitol Hill Chamber.”