Earlier this year, The Zebra announced that the company would become a remote-first workplace, meaning it would open up hiring opportunities to candidates outside the Austin area and even allow for employees in Austin to stay fully remote.

With this shift in our workplace landscape, it became critical for our design team to adapt in how we collaborate. By...

Not to be weird about it or anything, but we freakin’ love Austin Design Week. It’s among the highlights of our year, every year, and we’re really excited that this year we’re back in-person for an event or two. We’ve missed seeing you all, even if it may be through a mask now.

Perhaps we should introduce ourselves: we are M+P, a boutique creative staffing agency for creatives by creatives....

Before joining The Zebra, I worked on a team as the youngest and only female designer. In that role, I often hesitated to speak up and felt my point of view was not sought after by my peers. I felt isolated and I vowed to be an advocate for myself and design moving forward. My next role at The Zebra allowed me the chance to reflect on how my own actions as well as a team’s culture contribute to an inclusive workplace. Every manager I’ve had...

Whether you want to get hired in the creative industry or are hiring for your creative team, there are a few things to keep in mind. Luckily, the folks at creative staffing agency, The Creative Party (Mathys+Potestio) know a thing or two about hiring.

Below, they share a few tips for those who are building a team or looking for a job in the creative industry.

“The economy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the environment, not the reverse.” - Herman Daly

With everyone traveling much less and eating more at home, this year’s virtual format will make #ADW20 the most sustainable Design Week yet!

But our passion for environmental stewardship doesn’t stop with Design Week itself—last year we had a half-dozen events that explored the intersection of...

In an effort to provide the ADW community with thoughtful resources for navigating the current reality, we asked #ADW19 hosts to share their insight on life and work at home. Below, Jannis Hegenwald, staff designer at Atlassian and Trello and host of last year's event "Beyond Being There: How Remote Design Can Make Space for the Best Ideas" shares six tips on how to improve your team's remote collaboration.

Over the last couple...

Reposted from The Creative Party

Austin Design Week is running from November 4-8 this year, and it promises to be better than ever. We’re always eager for a week’s worth of events that educate and bring the design community together, and that is precisely what...

Looking for some recommendations for a fun, informative and impactful itinerary? Take a look at our top picks, and find out what Praxent designers Andy, Debra and Doug are most looking forward to at each event.

As we get ready for #ADW19, we asked our community partners to share with us how they #MakeSpace. Here's a post by Devon Bieniawski, former Director of IIDA (The Commercial Interior Design Association) in Austin, about the role of an interior designer and how to make designs that last.

William Coombes is kind of a big deal at Visa.

As the VP of Core Design and Austin Site Leader, it’s safe to assume he’s got a lot on his plate, and a lot of people eager to work with him. This year, Austin Design Week was lucky enough to win him over, and by extension partner with Visa.

We asked William a few questions to better understand his vision as a design leader, and how that plays out in the context of Visa, the city of...

I’ve spent most of my career building design capabilities and communities within organizations as a recruiter and team builder and when I think about corporate design architecture my mind immediately goes to a defined space with doors, walls, windows, desks, too many displays, and probably fairly empty on any given Tuesday afternoon. However, after a geek out session with our friends over at PDR Corp (a local architecture and design...

We knew early into planning that an event with a packed schedule in a packed city like Austin needed to help its attendees get around. So, we were lucky enough to find Austin B-cycle, a public bike share system owned by the City of Austin and operated by the local 501c3 non-profit Bike Share of Austin.

“If we can provide a solution to a problem for local Austinites looking to increase Austin’s ranking in the design world, then yeah,...

A week of learning, exploring, and creating certainly breeds growth, but it might also breed fatigue. As tempting as it might be to head home early and cuddle with your dog, we’ve got just the thing to help keep you going: the Hub.

What’s the Hub, exactly?

It’s our dedicated chill space...

In her novel White Fur, Austin-based writer Jardine Libaire said of the transition from day to night, “Even a city that’s broken and dirty can, in that time, be divine and intimate.”

Not to call Austin broken and dirty, but the sentiment rings true. We trade squint-inducing light for orange and purple hues, have-to’s for want-to’s, hustle for tranquility.

The Austin Design Week programming reflects the pace of our lives. During...

If you’re anything like me, you probably hyped yourself up about Austin Design Week, only to remember that you also have a job, and boss that expects you there when all of the ADW fun’s going down.

We get it: Bosses care about things like outputs and deadlines, and we might distract you from that for a little bit. But we believe ADW is time well-invested, not wasted. Read on to see what you can take back to work...

When we asked for proposals that centered around the theme “Open Doors,” we emphasized that designers take as broad of an interpretation as they see fit. We had no clue what would come to us from the other side of that submission portal.

One reason for this: Part of learning new things is discovering new things to learn. Asking designers to conform their proposals to our motivations behind “Open Doors” would’ve not only contradicted...

Jane Hervey, founder of #bossbabesatx, headed a show-stopping event during last year’s Austin Design Week.

Working alongside &Feminist, #bossbabesatx organized a panel and art installation that explored the place where our personal/political narratives intersect with our social/built environment. Hosted at Lewis Carnegie Design Studio, the...

Members of our Advisory Board share why they’re excited for this year’s theme, along with advice for submissions.

TGIF!!!!!! This Inspiration Friday welcomes us into the month of November and is the very last one (sniffles) before the 2017 AUSTIN DESIGN WEEK!

In this Inspiration Friday, discover designer/artist Jessica Fontenot and architect...

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Hellooooo Austinites!! Guess what?! Only FOUR more days until our annual Austin Design Week! I hope you’re prepared for everything to come, and if you want to learn more about what to expect read of our features on our blog page!

This wonderful fall Friday welcomes Principal Architect Mark Odom and Project Architect Mari Russ from...

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It's Inspiration Friday, a weekly series where Austin designers talk about the things that spark their creativity.

Happy Best Day of The Week!!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully you checked out our most recent, and very first ever, Inspiration Friday from just a few Fridays ago. If not, check it out so you know what we’re up to on some random Fridays.

This week we got an inside scoop on the...

Last week, I enjoyed a cup of coffee and the, unfortunately temporary, nice and cool weather at Cenote with local street artist Liza Fishbone. Liza, originally from St, Louis, has recently found her home here in the colorful city of Austin— locals, don’t kick this one out, she’s really cool, I promise.

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Every Friday morning our agency holds a team-wide roundup called Inspiration Friday. This is a time when we all share with each other things that we’ve seen during the week that we personally applauded or found particular inspiring to our practice.

With Austin Design Week approaching, I thought this format would be an exciting way to get primed for the conference, as well as learn a little more about the hosts of the many workshops,...

By now, you’ve hopefully glanced over the schedule for this year's Austin Design Week! And, if you’re like me, you have been tediously reading every single event, organizing and creating your very own schedule. And let me tell ya, it is a difficult task to select which events out of the 60 you want the attend.

From a tour at...

The time has come. It's... here!! dun dun duuuun

The announcement that you, the creatives, have been oh-so patiently waiting for is finally here. And, I get the honor to amp up the anticipation for the 2017 Austin Design Week!

Over the summer, I conducted an interview series “Design Phase Zero”, where I met with local Austin designers, including interior design, fashion design, and entrepreneurs. This week, we’re kickin’ it back up again with our final designer of the series! Last, but certainly not least, architect Beau Frail shares his design processes covering the community-based and sustainability realm of architectural design.

Beau Frail earned his...

Hurricane Harvey is the most destructive hurricane since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, resulting in up to $125 billion in damages. The eye of the storm rolled over Rockport, completely demolishing the town. Other areas, such as Port Aransas, Port Arthur, and Lake Conroe are severely affected as well; and, unfortunately, many areas in Harris County experienced the most damage.

According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA),...

#DesignWeLove is a trending hashtag on our Instagram page, where we share the most creative Austin designers as well as snippets of inspiring art that we come across. In my most recent...

In our latest blog post, we explored Isabella Rose Taylor’s successful career in the fast-paced fashion industry. Recently, I got to speak with the lovely Denise Roberts, an interior designer who started her very own home staging and interiors company called...

Last week, we began our interview series: Design Phase Zero with entrepreneur Hayley Swindell from The Refinery. This week, I had the pleasure to meet with the extremely creative and very intelligent...

Get excited, because our interview series Design Phase Zero is in full swing! In the upcoming weeks, we will be featuring various Austin designers and reveal their stories working in the design world. Design Phase Zero uncovers the steps and early processes that creative professionals endure as they venture on to their next project.

Our series starts with entrepreneur and business owner...

"Creative" is no longer a dirty word, and if you are labeled as one, you can bet you're right at home in Austin. Austin is a wonderful community of artists, designers, and makers of all kinds, and these groups are convening in some amazing formal and informal gatherings all over town.

From collaborative workshops to guest speakers, creative people all over Austin are coming together to explore innovation and participate in conversations...

Oh, how fortunate we are to live in a city that sparks creativity. A city that welcomes a variety of unique personalities, all of which contribute to the wonderful world of design that surrounds Austin, TX. Whether we come across snippets of inspirational art or bump into magnificent architectural and technological masterpieces, we are opened to an entire and never-ending world of creativity. And for that, we thank you,...

Austin Design Week announces its theme for 2017 (drum roll please)... Finding Place!

Finding Place… no, we’re not wondering how you find your way home after a late night on Rainey Street - unless it’s in a creative and inspiring way that relates to design (then definitely let us know). Rather, we are diving into the designer’s mind and discovering how local designers “find place”.

Whether you find place within your home,...

At last year's inaugural Austin Design Week, many designers, artists, and creatives were welcomed to participate in various events, where they showcased their talent and shared their minds with each other and the community. Due to the event’s success, this year we are extremely excited to hold our second annual design week and give designers of all disciplines another opportunity to experience everything that is ADW.

So what is ADW?...

I've been a digital designer for 20 years. There, I said it!

Since moving to Austin from NYC a year ago, I've actually been shy talking about my career in public creative settings. For me, it's kind of like talking about my age. I've been around since the Dotcom boom doing print, web, app and mobile design. I've consulted, held full-time jobs and worked in many industries. I thought I did and saw just about everything. However, it...

Austin’s inaugural design week was a success; bringing together over a thousand designers over five action-packed days. We're all a little more connected and a lot more in-the-know about what’s happening across Austin design.

Check out a few highlights from all five days of Austin Design Week where we toured some amazing design studios, got hands on with...

How did you get involved with Austin Design Week?

I was recommended by friends at SXSW. Since they are the real cool kids I tend to follow where they lead me.

What is DesignThinking?

The top of mind concept as we approach the mentorship of Gensler designers: DesignThinking. What is it, how do we cultivate it, how is it part of the unique perspective of each of our...

Austin Design Week is just one week away. Our team has been busy getting ready for all of the incredible events happening.

Next week the best creative minds in Austin will come together to share their work, ideas and spaces with us. Each day we’re inviting the community to participate in riveting design talks from local leaders, hands-on...

Though hard to believe, when I graduated from SCAD there was no formal UX program offered there or at any other design school like it. Similarly, when I was applying for jobs most were a mix of research, visual design, and business with ambiguous titles (ones that rarely included the word “experience”) and a long list of desired skills. We learned about User-Centered Design in school through whatever skill or craft we were majoring in at the...

As Austin continues to rapidly transform from it’s former alternative college town persona into a highly populated, world-recognized urban destination, the role and culture of our downtown has shifted. We are growing denser by the minute and the cranes in the skyline and renderings of fancy towers in the news indicate we are not slowing down anytime soon. With new office buildings, hotels and residential destinations springing up constantly,...

Design is something my parents don’t get. Twenty years after I started my first design job at IDEO (and where I spent a dozen years in total, in three stints), they still struggle to explain to their friends just exactly what their son does. But not to worry - a year after co-founding the Design Institute for Health, a joint collaboration between the new Dell Medical School and...

Design is a broad and nebulous term. I have to admit that my definition of design changes as often as buildings rise and fall in Austin. My work at SXSW has given me the opportunity to meet with and work with an incredible and diverse set of designers who never fail to introduce me to new ideas, methodologies and design philosophies. This constant discovery of new approaches to problem-solving through design is at the root of my ambiguity,...

I started my career in design in 1997 for frog, the iconic design firm known for their work with Apple. We had opened our first digital office the year before I started after acquiring Virtual Studios, a digital design company started by Collin Cole and Mark Rolston. frog was interested in adding digital interfaces to their products and Collin and Mark were local pioneers in that...

When I first moved to Austin and asked a UX designer about the design community, I was surprised by his response: “There isn't really a community.” There are a lot of talented designers, and some great organizations, but not one community.

Design can be found in our living rooms, at the office, in our cities, and in our pockets; Innovation in design has radically changed the world we know. With this has come a shift in what...