We love an opportunity to showcase creative talent. This freshly curated list includes a range of perspectives from 20 type designers and foundries who are taking creative risks and shaping the type scene. Here’s who we think you need on your radar:

When Outdoor Wise Living reached out to PDC in August of 2021, it was pretty much a no-brainer—we were thrilled to partner with the new company to create a lifestyle brand centered around inspirational and accessible outdoor content for families. As a purpose-driven brand that was founded on giving back and getting outside, we were in complete alignment with their brand mission and values (we take our mid-day woods walks very seriously!)

Fast forward to May 2023—Outdoor Wise Living has done an incredible job of consistently building their brand while inspiring audiences to make a meaningful impact on both people and the planet. They pledge to donate 5% of sales to non-profit organizations that encourage people to spend more time outside, and we especially love their emphasis on all ages.

We recently had the opportunity to chat with OWL about the inspiration behind their brand, what their experience working with PDC was like, and more!

Design by committee is an approval process in which a team of people, (3 or more) gets to have their say in approving a design—essentially a full critique of the work as well as authority on suggesting design revisions.

While key stakeholder input from a variety of sources can be incredibly useful for informing the direction of a project, there’s a fine line between successfully balancing design feedback and letting the group lead the design direction from start to finish. When too many opinions enter the process, the original timeline and scope can be negatively affected. April’s blog post explores a few reasons why we prefer to avoid committee-led design. We also share a few tips on how to successfully collaborate with large groups.

Typography plays a central role in the success of a design and can strongly impact how viewers react. In this month’s blog post, we’ve compiled a checklist of key factors we consider when selecting a typeface for a project or brand. How does a particular typeface make us feel? Does the typeface’s emotive considerations suit the intended project? Does it have the basic weights and font styles? Are we thinking about accessibility more than usual for this particular project?

There is much more progress that still needs to be made to achieve systemic equality for Black people in the U.S. Learning about the wealth of contributions made by Black people who have shaped and who continue to shape the social and political fabric of this country is critical and we want to celebrate that. We’re grateful for the leadership and expertise of Black activists, lawmakers, artists, and more who inspire and remind us to be persistent in the fight for equality.

We strongly believe in celebrating and highlighting Black businesses, authors, musicians, and creators year round. Buy from Black-owned businesses, read anti-racist literature and books written by Black authors, and continually seek out organizations that support Black communities. This post outlines some of our favorite ideas and resources to get you started.

A strong visual identity is vital for businesses of all sizes. It helps companies build a competitive edge and long term recognition; creating a personal connection that draws people in and makes them want more. Professional branding should make you feel something. It’s not necessarily about communicating a promise that your brand will make people feel one way or another, but instead leaves your audience feeling something positive, familiar, unique, and memorable.

Learn about our favorite projects, how we gather inspiration, what fuels our creative process, and more.

We’re thrilled to share PDC’s 2022 curated gift guide with you—featuring some of our favorite ways to shop small this year. When you support a local business, you’re strengthening and contributing to the livelihood of your own town, city, and neighborhood. We love supporting local creatives and makers and hope this list inspires you on your search for thoughtful gifts this holiday season!

Cover image credits: Winky Lewis for Herself x TACHEE, Andrew Xenos for Xenos Works, Jiwana Soleimani for LOQUAT

“The purpose of your logo is not to explain or define what your business does. It’s primarily meant to create consistent emotional engagement. This is where simple logos excel, as the calling card for your brand’s image; the first and last way your brand connects with the hearts and minds of its users.”

Design awards and competitions are a great way to have your work recognized by the creative community while establishing trust with potential clients. They create a heightened awareness over your studio’s quality of work and gives clients a sense of the projects you’re good at, and love to take on. By its very nature, the application process is a great learning experience on how to present and speak about your work thoughtfully, how to follow guidelines, and meet application deadlines. We’ve compiled a short list of competitions below, followed by a few tips and tricks when applying.

At Portland Design Co, we spend weeks, months, (and sometimes even years) crafting a visual identity for our clients. The client has been invested in the collaborative process right alongside us. To protect and preserve all of that hard work—and the new brand's integrity—we create a set of brand standards outlining how the logo and visual assets should be used.

Whether we’re working on a brand refresh or full redesign, we strive to create simple, memorable logos that aren’t cluttered with unnecessary extras. Here’s a handful of before and after logos designed for clients in a broad range of industries and sectors.

Emma Sampson and Andrew Xenos have brought life to a historic grange hall in Phippsburg, Maine that dates back to 1889. They’ve established their roots in Midcoast Maine, creating a warm and welcoming space that lifts artists and makers up—while providing a sense of community to locals and visitors alike.

Sometimes a creative brief calls for a simple refresh—working with a brand’s existing logo elements to modernize the iconography and typography for a much needed reboot. In other cases, a complete rebrand is necessary to adapt the brand’s look and feel to current times, changing target audiences, and/or to create alignment with the organizations’ updated mission, values, and goals. Regardless of the brief, our common goal throughout each of these redesigns is to create a simplistic, legible, timeless logo that lasts for a decade or more.

Like so many people in Portland and beyond, we’ve thoroughly enjoyed following along on the Adamses’ journey to see what exciting new project or wall will be graced with their creative genius next. From bold and powerful murals to unique apparel and textiles filled with personality—Ryan and Rachel Gloria Adams have been catalysts in transforming spaces, (and products) into vibrant and energizing experiences for visitors and locals alike.