Think Tank

Partner & Partners

· · 3 min read · 16 views

Your browser does not support the video tag. Election night graphics for the live Hell Gate broadcast. Branding, signage, and interior design of Words on Warren , a children’s bookstore in New York City. Identity and website design and development for Advanced Research for Climate Emergencies (ARC). Your browser does not support the video tag. Interactive exhibit design for the Catskills Visitor Center. Identity and website design for Center for the Humanities . Your browser does not support the video tag. Identity and website design for the Merwin Conservancy . Identity and website design for CUNY CPCP Your browser does not support the video tag. Identity refresh and website overhaul for Hell Gate Booklet design for Nakashima Foundation for Peace. Your browser does not support the video tag. Identity and website design for Radix Printing & Publishing Cooperative. Book design for Inside the Matrix, published by Half Letter Press. Exhibition design for Black Quantum Futurism’s Time Zone Protocols, at the New School. Partner & Partners, LLC was founded in 2013 and prioritizes projects and groups that promote social, economic, and environmental justice, with actionable visions for a just future. Current Team Greg Mihalko, Erik Riley, Zach Mihalko, Devika Sen, Lulu Johnson, Logan Heffernan Past and Present Collaborators Maddy Angstreich, Amaya Avila, Shravani Bagawde, Chase Booker, Emily Bluedorn, Maddy Bruster, Ben Cohen, Jansen Cumbie, Mike Tully, Taylor Engel, Laura Foxgrover, Dylan Gauthier, Kathy Geisel, Tiya Gordon, Stuart Heys, Isabel Imbriano, Yeji Kim, Marta Klopf, Aellon Krider, Cassandra Leveille, Stephan von Muehlen, Kathleen Ma, Dunnecia Moore, Ethel Moore, Gerardo Madera, Josh MacPhee, Sejin Park, Keith Poplawski, Qashka Rulino, Anna Simões, Maggie Schreiner, Kathleen Scudder (former partner), Stephen Winsor, Raina Wellman Jobs We are always looking for interested collaborators – particularly UX designers, front-end developers, and project managers – send us a note if you are interested . Press Creative Co-ops: How It Actually Works AIGANY, 2025 Why creative labour isn’t always seen as “real work” – and what that means for artists and designers It’s Nice That, 2024 Choosing clients is the single biggest decision a designer can make. Here’s how to do it right Fast Company, 2023 Op-ed: Every Design Studio Should Be a Worker-Owned Studio AIGA Eye on Design, 2021 On building tools for better worlds The Creative Independent, 2021 If “Labor Is Entitled to All It Creates,” Where Does That Leave Graphic Design? AIGA Eye on Design, 2021 In a Changing World, Design Studios Find Stability and Social Equity in the Co-op Model AIGA Eye on Design, 2021 Co-Op Collectibles Urban Omnibus, 2020 What Design Can Do: Spark Social Change Adobe 99U, 2017 Clients 596 Acres A Blade of Grass A Hundred Years AIANY Alliance for Youth Action Art+Feminism Ask Holly How Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development Berkman Klein Center Booklyn Brian House Buffalo Film Festival California Migration Museum Catskill Center Center for Architecture Center for Urban Pedagogy Columbia University Democratic Socialists of America Dylan Gauthier EFA Project Space Fast Food Justice Freshkills Park Future Firm Half Letter Press Harvard University Hell Gate Housing Court Answers Housing Justice for All Immigration Equality Institute for Ocean Arts and Sciences Interference Archive Jain Family Institute Jubilee Films Julia Salazar for Senate Justseeds Kasmin Gallery Mare Liberum Mariame Kaba Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity MIT Department of Architecture Nine Main Bakery North Brooklyn Neighbors NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Economic Development NYC Mayor’s Office Partner & Partners Play-Making Now Queens Museum RAB Lighting Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Sea & Soil Stone Barns Center for Food & Agriculture Stories Sunview Luncheonette Temple Hoyne Buell Center for the Study of American Architecture at Columbia University The Antique Boat Museum The Center for the Humanities The Chicago Architecture Foundation The Driver’s Cooperative The Greenpoint Chamber The Illuminator The Laundromat Project The Merwin Conservancy The Municipal Art Society of New York UHAB UnionDocs University of Massachusetts Amherst Urban Democracy Lab Urban Design Forum Van Alen Institute Waging Nonviolence

Executive Summary

This article showcases the work of Partner & Partners, LLC, a design studio founded in 2013 that prioritizes projects promoting social, economic, and environmental justice. The studio's portfolio highlights their commitment to creating actionable visions for a just future. Notably, the article emphasizes the studio's collaborative approach, featuring a diverse team and past collaborators. The studio's focus on co-op models and worker-owned studios is also highlighted, reflecting their commitment to social equity and stability. The article concludes by mentioning the studio's interest in collaborating with UX designers, front-end developers, and project managers.

Key Points

  • Partner & Partners, LLC prioritizes projects promoting social, economic, and environmental justice.
  • The studio's portfolio showcases their commitment to creating actionable visions for a just future.
  • The studio emphasizes a collaborative approach, featuring a diverse team and past collaborators.

Merits

Strength in Social Impact

The studio's focus on promoting social, economic, and environmental justice has the potential to drive meaningful change in their communities.

Collaborative Approach

The studio's emphasis on collaboration and diversity within their team and past collaborators fosters a culture of inclusivity and creativity.

Demerits

Limited Geographic Scope

The studio's focus on New York City-based projects and collaborations may limit their impact and reach on a broader scale.

Dependence on Collaborators

The studio's reliance on a diverse team of collaborators may create uncertainty and instability in their operations.

Expert Commentary

This article offers a compelling example of a design studio prioritizing social impact and community engagement. The studio's focus on co-op models and worker-owned studios is particularly noteworthy, as it reflects a growing recognition of the need for more equitable and sustainable design practices. However, the article also highlights the challenges and limitations of this approach, including the need for broader policy and institutional support. As designers and policymakers grapple with the complexities of social change, the work of Partner & Partners, LLC offers valuable insights and lessons for the field.

Recommendations

  • Designers and studios should prioritize projects that promote social, economic, and environmental justice, and explore innovative approaches to co-op models and worker-owned studios.
  • Policymakers and institutions should consider supporting and incentivizing co-op models and worker-owned studios, and providing resources and training for designers and studios seeking to adopt these approaches.

Sources