Designing for Connection
BY EMMA GEARY - FEBRUARY 2, 2023
LAB dinner party rental decor & tableware you can enjoy when renting our studio for an elevated dining experience.
After a global pandemic and shift to a highly digitized culture, finding ways to make meaningful connections is more important than ever. How can we create, through visuals, words, physical space, artwork, products, food, or brands – in ways that are both innovative and inviting?
Connection, at its core, is a mix of vulnerability and common ground. How can a design create a sense of personal identification and make you feel something and truly connect? It’s something we consider in everything we create at LAB.
When we see a design or something creative that we love, whether it’s in a store, at an event, or a friend’s home, it’s a whole-body YES! A feeling of joy and appreciation. Understanding the connection of things to a larger story makes it that much more meaningful.
The brand board behind Camp Birchwood, one of our clients and current Collective Social members!
Rebranding Henri Interiors to usher their business into a new era, expanding into retail.
At LAB, we strive to create approachable, joyful designs that engage with an audience. Whether it’s through branding, digital content, or events, we are always looking for ways to bring a bigger story to life.
Our favorite part of the branding process is the kick-off meeting with a client. We love learning about the dream they’re bringing to life, what makes them unique, and how we can support them with visuals. Thinking through everything from a website to packaging to a tiny square on Instagram – all of it is an opportunity to create something that a client’s audience will connect with when they see it. In fact, one of the first questions we ask in our Brand Foundation Questionnaire is, “How do you want people to feel when they engage with your brand?
As the designers and storytellers behind the magic, we are the biggest cheerleaders for your business. Our goal is to help the brand grow into its most authentic self. There’s a reason our clients fall in love with their business idea and we want others to feel that same spark when they discover it, too.
We had so much fun bringing this colorful brand and website to life for Azaela Acupuncture and Aesthetics.
LAB has evolved a lot over the years but the three words that stay true since day one: create, connect, and collaborate.
This is what makes us unique as a creative agency – we wholeheartedly believe connection is vital for both brands and the community as a whole. We do it daily through design and collaboration.
It’s a monumental question – how can we create connection through design?
We’re turning to other experts to answer this question, one that spans across industries. In this blog series, and beyond, we’re exploring the concept of designing for connection through craft – from interior design to art to entertaining to food.
Our branding + design work extended into the physical space of SALT Salon + Spa, creating a unique salon experience complete with retail and coffee spaces.
We’ll be interviewing local entrepreneurs and creatives to share how they design for connection, and dive deeper in this month’s LAB Talks: Designing for Connection. The lineup for this event is “pinch-me” good, and we can’t wait to see you there.
Click here to learn more about LAB Talks: Designing for Connection and get your (free!) ticket.
Emma Geary
Emma is a writer living in Minneapolis. When she's not checking out a new brewery with friends or blasting Taylor Swift in her car, you can find her dreaming up ideas as the Brand + Editorial Manager at LAB.
