Our work is joyful and rigorous with a dash of whimsy. Take a look.

Website screenshots

Claret-Cup Architecture

claret-cup.com

The LA-based architecture studio Claret-Cup asked us to redesign their identity and website. They allowed us to be bold and weird—seesaw angles, fields of bright magenta, and giant tools included. A collaboration with Ella Gold.

Printed brochure

World of PCM

Poster/Brochure

We created a vibrant printed piece for the Pasadena Conservatory of Music that explains in detail all the programs and benefits students have when studying at the school.

Website screenshots

CalArts Art School Project Archive

projectarchive.art.calarts.edu

We worked with the CalArts School of Art to create an archive website that showcases the final projects of graduating students. A collaboration with Candice Navi.

Website screenshots

The Order of the Good Death Website

orderofthegooddeath.com

The Order of the Good Death confronts the many injustices of the modern “funeral industrial complex” and advocates for a more meaningful, eco-friendly, and equitable end of life. For their 10th anniversary, we reimagined The Order’s graphic identity and redesigned their website from scratch. A collaboration with Jessica Peng.

Identity designs

Willowcrest

Identity

Willowcrest School is an early education center for neurodivergent children. We designed a charming brand that shapes and reflects Willowcrest’s identity: playful, professional, quirky, sophisticated, optimistic, but also realistic without sugarcoating. A collaboration with Jessica Peng.

Website screenshots

LA Native Plant Source Website & Identity

lanativeplantsource.com

In this collaboration with Jessica Kao, we designed the identity and website for a small nursery in Los Angeles that specializes in growing native plants unique to the Los Angeles foothills. We adopted the magnificent Spotted Humboldt’s Lily as the logo icon, while the logo type relies on the LA in PLANT doing double duty. Jessica’s drawing skills get a welcomed workout on the website where her illustrations create a unique and special mood.

Oakwood School Annual Report 2019/20 Website

Website

In 2020, Oakwood School published an all-digital annual report for the first time. Collaborating with Ella Gold, we created a colorful and heartfelt web experience. Besides designing and building the site, we took the lead editorially and focused on telling short and engaging stories showcasing the Oakwood experience. We peppered the design with a few surprising interventions: rotating images, marquee text, and playful interactions to delight the viewer.

Website screenshots

CalArts thurs.night Website

thurs.night.calarts.edu

thurs.night was conceived at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020 when it became clear that the Thursday night gallery openings at CalArts were canceled for a while. We were part of the team that created this website, which aims to fascilitate the communal art event online. The first six virtual events were held from May–July. Our role was focused on the UX and UI design.

Book cover and one spread

Theater History Book

It was a special treat for Roman to work on a project about the theater history of his hometown Rostock, Germany. The book, written and published by the local theater booster group, chronicles the ups and downs of a 500 year history. Noteworthy: The oldest surviving German theater poster is from Rostock. It was printed in 1520.

Folded map and unfolded poster

Built By Woman Los Angeles 2020 Map and Poster

This year’s Built By Women competition, organized by Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, was held in Los Angeles. It was inspiring to learn about women’s contributions to the built environment of our hometown. The printed piece employs sparkling silver and fluorescent orange inks and folds out into a striking poster. Designed in collaboration with Ella Gold.

→ Watch the maps being printed...
Website Screenshot

DelMonico Books Website

delmonicobooks.com

We created this small but mighty site for the New York art publisher DelMonico Books. 400+ books are showcased in a classy, unfussy way. The powerful filter allows for quick finding of a specific title. We even took time to include a small "pick a random book" Easter egg (click on the magnifying glass). Designed and developed in collaboration with Jessica Peng.

→ Website walk-though...
Cover and featured article spread of The Pool Magazines issues 5, 6, and 7

The Pool Magazine – Issue 5, 6 & 7

Publication Design

We've been busily designing the semi-annual alumni magazine of CalArts. The last three issues featured Stephen Hillenburg, Ellen Reid, and John Baldessari. Collaboration with Kat Catmur.

→ See additional spreads...
Cover and featured article spread of The Pool Magazines issues 5, 6, and 7
Website screenshots

50+50: A Creative Century from Chouinard to CalArts Website

50plus50.calarts.edu

We designed the website for this new CalArts initiative: 50 alumni artist donated artworks, the sale of which will benefit future scholarships.

Logo before and after

Windfall Logo Redesign

Logo Redesign

We took the decades-old logo of Windfall Lumber, a Washington State– based manufacturer of architectural products, and sensitively redesigned it to be more usable, look more contemporary, and more closely represent the company’s evolved design sensibilities. Designed in collaboration with Ella Gold.

Crochet Coral Reef website screenshots

Crochet Coral Reef Website

crochetcoralreef.org

The Crochet Coral Reef is a wonderful project where art meets science and craft meets environmental activism. Created by the Institute For Figuring, the crocheted corals form gorgeous under-the-sea wonderlands that can be admired purely for their beauty, but also allude to Darwinian evolution and hyperbolic space. We were excited to redesign this website and to provide a contemporary and functioning platform showcasing this amazing project.

Pasadena Conservatory competition website image

PCM Chamber Music Competition Website (2019)

compete.pasadenaconservatory.org

For the third occurrence of the annual competition, we completely overhauled the site’s visual identity to create a fresh new look. Collaboration with Guanyan Wu.

Cover and featured article spread of The Pool Magazine

The Pool Magazine – Issue 4

Publication Design

In another fruitful collaboration with Kat Catmur, the fourth issue of The Pool magazine features conducting wunderkind Ryan Bancroft on the cover. We were excited about the spirited typography of the feature article opener.

LA Neighborhood Land Trust 2018 Garden Party invitation and envelopes

LA Neighborhood Land Trust Garden Party

2018 Garden Party Invitation

We worked with the LA Neighborhood Land Trust for a second year in a row to create luscious and playful visual for their 2018 fundraiser.

CalArts Poster Archive Website

CalArts Poster Archive

posters.calarts.edu

We worked with Michael Worthington and CalArts MFA students Guanyan Wu and Tracy Tran to develop the website for the CalArts Poster Archive. The physical archive started in 1995 when Shelley Stepp and Kary Arimoto-Mercer began collecting posters from the CalArts hallways in order to preserve the designs. Now, we are happy that a vast portion of these posters have found an online home. There are many more to come!

Condemned To Be Modern

Condemned To Be Modern

Publication Design

We worked with the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, the Department of Cultural Affairs, and curator Clara Kim to design the identity and catalog for their Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA exhibition, Condemned to Be Modern. The exhibition explored the work of 21 contemporary artists responding to the history of modernist architecture in Latin America, specifically Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico.

The Pool Issue 2

Publication Design

We jumped back into The Pool and designed Issue 2 of the CalArts alumni magazine. We worked with our friend Kat Catmur to bring it to life and expand on the design from the first issue. This issue features a cover story about artist/DJ Dave Muller, a Michael Jang photo essay from the early days of CalArts, and a story about three kidneys residing inside of one human being.

Pioneering Women of American Architecture Website

Pioneering Women of American Architecture

pioneeringwomen.bwaf.org

This site was nominated for a Webby Award!

We worked with the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation to create a website that celebrates women who were trailblazers in the field of architecture. The site’s navigation allows readers to browse the women’s profiles alphabetically, chronologically, and pictorially. Each profile—written by a leading architectural scholar—features an in-depth essay alongside bibliographical information and archival photographs. It was important for us treat the typography with a very considered “print sensibility.” We even wrote a few lines of JavaScript to prevent pesky (typographic) widows from ruining it all.

Cell Dogs Website

Cell Dogs

celldogs.org

Cell Dogs is one of those magical organizations that manages to help three distinct populations at once. They rescue dogs from local shelters, enroll them in basic obedience training programs at correctional facilities where inmates are the trainers, and finally find loving families to adopt the dogs. Pups that show exceptional talent are enrolled in advanced training to become service dogs for families in need. We had the pleasure of designing and developing the website that showcases Cell Dogs’ amazing work.

See more projects...
Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust Collateral

Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust

15th Year Anniversary Party Collateral

For the past 15 years, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust has been working with local communities to transform vacant lots into thriving parks and gardens. For their 15th Year Anniversary Party, we designed upbeat and colorful materials to celebrate their past while positioning them for an even brighter future.

Oakwood Athletics Annual 2016–17

Oakwood Athletics Annual 2016–17

Publication Design

We went to bat for the second time for the Oakwood School Athletics Annual. This time, the cover sports a giant collage of images from the 2016–17 athletic season.

Marciano Art Foundation

We designed and developed a beautiful website for the Marciano Art Foundation in 2016. Sadly, the foundation closed amid controversy in 2019.

The Pool

The Pool – CalArts Alumni Magazine

Publication Design

The first issue of the redesigned CalArts alumni magazine is out! We designed it with with our pal Kat Catmur. The Pool features a cover story about political cartoonist Ann Telnaes, a photo essay by Karolina Karlic, and a whole lotta quirky class notes from CalArts alums. Get ready to jump in!

PCM Chamber Music Competition

PCM Chamber Music Competition (2017–2018)

Website

We created a fun and colorful identity for the inaugural PCM Chamber Music Competition at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music. We deliberately stayed away from “serious” and “academic” to communicate to the classical prodigies that things are a little different here on the Best Coast. The competition was a success, so they will be holding another at the beginning of next year.

A Greater LA: Climate Action Framework website

A Greater LA: Climate Action Framework

climateaction.la

The folks at the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative (LARC) have been hard at work, writing their research report “A Greater LA: Climate Action Framework.” The report offers a plan of action for regional collaboration to fight climate change in the Los Angeles area. We worked with LARC to create an identity, infographics, and website for the report.

The Institute of Domestic Technology website

The Institute of Domestic Technology

instituteofdomestictechnology.com

We worked with the Institute of Domestic Technology to give their website a much needed facelift. It even works on mobile now. What a relief! The ticketing for upcoming classes is handled via Eventbrite and imported into the website dynamically through their API. Check it out. You might even be inspired to take a class. Cheesemaking or coffee roasting anyone?

MAK Center Visitor Guide

MAK Center Visitor Guide

Booklet

For many moons, the MAK Center handed out an unfolded legal paper to its visitors. At last, those days are over. We designed a beautiful, new visitor guide for the Schindler House. It’s based on a self-guided walking tour of the house that enables visitors to gain insight into its history, residents, and architectural significance. To keep printing costs down for the high-volume job, we opted for newsprint. Though, we did splurge on three spot colors.

Oakwood Stories website

Oakwood Stories

stories.oakwoodschool.org

We worked with Oakwood School to design a platform to share their inspiring stories about students, faculty, and alumni. Among the inaugural posts are an interview with L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, a profile of the Oakwood debate team, and a story about students making charming ceramic rain catchers.

Bronstruction website

Bronstruction

www.bronstruction.com

We worked with Carl Bronson to design and develop a new website for Bronstruction, a Los Angeles based general contracting firm specializing in custom and mid-century modern homes. We were inspired by the logo to create a randomized honeycomb grid to display the projects.

As Is: Noah Purifoy, Joshua Tree book

As Is: Noah Purifoy, Joshua Tree

Publication Design

We worked with East of Borneo, Susan Morgan, and Dominique Vorillon on a new book about Noah Purifoy’s outdoor museum in Joshua Tree.

Oakwood School Annual Report website

Oakwood School Annual Report

Website

We designed the digital version of the Oakwood School Annual Report. It’s a narrative scrolling site that features quirky animations alongside the technical information to create moments of surprise and delight.

Natalie Bookchin website

Natalie Bookchin

bookchin.net

We worked with artist Natalie Bookchin to redesign her portfolio site. For the design, we drew inspiration from her work, especially her video installations and films.

The Witness Tree website

The Witness Tree

thewitnesstree.org

The Witness Tree is a project by artist Carolyn Monastra that features photographs and essays documenting the effects of climate change around the world.

Wildflowering L.A. Book

Wildflowering L.A.

Publication Design

We had the pleasure of working with artist Fritz Haeg and LAND to design the book documenting the Wildflowering L.A. project.more...

Wildflowering L.A. meditates on the life cycles of native wildflowers in seemingly seasonless Southern California. At 50 sites around Los Angeles County, volunteers sowed native wildflowers in the fall of 2013 to bloom in spring 2014.

In 2013, Roman had worked with Fritz to design the identity for the project including the wooden signs, flyers, and posters. Yay Brigade designed the book documenting the project. It features essays, site documentation journals, planting instructions, and beautiful photos of urban wildflower fields. The book can be purchased via LAND (Los Angeles Nomadic Division).

less...
Schindler Lab Online Publication

Schindler Lab

schindlerlab.org

Schindler Lab is an online publication that documents a series of exhibitions highlighting the Schindler House, the groundbreaking residential dwelling built by R. M. Schindler in 1922 in Los Angeles.more...

Our aim was to create a focused, readerly experience that did not feel like a traditional website or blog. We wanted to emulate the rigor and gravitas of a print publication while still building a truly contemporary website. Ultimately, we created a site that provides space and tranquility for readers to get immersed in the writing.

The essays and proposal pages are structured simply, giving most of the attention to typography and large, full-bleed images. For the color palette, we drew inspiration from the materials used in constructing the house: muted blues (concrete), mahogany reds (copper and wood) and yellowing browns (canvas).

We explored alternative forms of navigation instead of a traditional menu. The table of contents clearly outlines the scope of the publication. It can be seen on every page as abstracted color bars along the top of the browser window, or accessed as a more detailed, full-page overlay.

less...
Pasadena Conservatory of Music Website

Pasadena Conservatory of Music

pasadenaconservatory.org

The Pasadena Conservatory of Music (PCM) is dedicated to teaching traditional and contemporary music to children and adults.more...

One of PCM’s main goals was to reflect the school’s diverse offerings and student body, while highlighting the scope and rigor of their classes. We created a comprehensive navigational system that shows which departments offer classes for children and for adults. On desktops and tablets, the menus provide more detailed information, while still functioning beautifully on mobile devices.

PCM also wanted to promote their events and concerts series. We created a system that allows events to be highlighted and featured on any page of the site. The site is built in a modular fashion, so new pages can easily be designed and added to the site in the backend admin area.

less...
MAK Center for Art and Architecture Website

MAK Center for Art and Architecture

makcenter.org

The MAK Center for Art and Architecture is a contemporary space that explores the intersection of art and architecture through experimental programming. They are headquartered in the historic Schindler House, designed by Rudolph Schindler. We were asked to redesign and develop the new website, which launched in early 2014.more...

The MAK Center’s main challenge for the redesign was to communicate their multilayered mission to visitors: organizing events and exhibitions, preserving and programming historic architectural sites, and hosting a residency program. We created an intuitive navigational structure and an inviting, coherent homepage to reflect these goals.

We also built an archiving system for the MAK Center’s exhibitions and events, which allows visitors to filter past programming by category, year, or people.

less...
Quintan Ana Wikswo Website

Quintan Ana Wiskwo

quintanwikswo.com

Quintan Ana Wikswo is a cross-disciplinary artist with an extensive and varied body of work. We had the pleasure of designing and developing her website, which launched in 2013.more...

Quintan’s primary goal was to create a way for visitors to understand the structure of her work and navigate through it easily. We developed an intuitive navigation system that visually illuminates the structure of her work: large bodies of work contain multiple projects, which in turn contain multiple types of work (visual art, literature, film, and performance).

While developing the visual aesthetic, we found inspiration in Quintan’s work: her use of transparencies and layering of organic textures echo throughout our design.

less...

Wearing our Developer Hats

Sometimes we work with other designers and focus on coding projects. Here are a few: