AIGA/NY WeShouldDoItAll was held at the Bumble and bumble auditorium on Wednesday, February 12, 2014. Partner-and-spouse team Jonathan Jackson and Sarah Nelson Jackson of WeShouldDoItAll shared the work of their multi-disciplinary design studio.

The presentation began with a quote from Robert A. Heinlein’s Time Enough For Love:

“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

These lines inspired both the name and the goal of WeShouldDoItAll (WSDIA). The studio’s mission is to regularly tackle new challenges and try new things, rather than being complacent. True to this spirit, WSDIA showed a wide range of work.

American Institute of Architects Award Exhibition
For the exhibition logotype, WSDIA chose a dot matrix typeface inspired by the typography of Manhattan’s theater district. The treatment was applied to the exhibition identity across a range of 2D and 3D exhibition components, including the information panels, storefront area, video title sequences, and even a sculptural logotype for the exhibition.

Hall & Partners Wall Graphics
Inspired by network maps, WSDIA created a system of vibrant cluster forms generated using a 3D rendering program. Each cluster was unique, with its own personality. “The employees said they looked like fireworks, or like those Koosh balls we all grew up with,” said Jonathan. “We enjoyed that—everyone can have their own interpretation.”

ESPN International Planning Guide
ESPN’s media department approached WSDIA for a redesign of their planning guide, which conveys the company’s programs and accomplishments to advertisers. “Jonathan is a huge ESPN fan, so we thought this would be his client. We thought he would nail it,” Nelson Jackson reflected while sharing some initial concepts. “And then, he just didn’t! We realized that sometimes it’s helpful to be removed, and to see with fresh eyes.” The final look featured on statistical content using a bold, graphic style.

Forest for the Trees
WSDIA designed the branding, packaging and website for this small-batch candle company whose products embody pure tree scents. “Just as the company does, we wanted to celebrate the tree itself,” said Nelson Jackson. The identity design takes its inspiration from trees in two forms: a hand-done woodcut interpretation made with brushes, and an algorithmic interpretation based on fractal trees. These two elements combine in varied ways across the packaging and brand design.

Nike Tech Pack
This product exhibition for a new line of Nike jackets took the form of a box sliced and pulled apart. “We wanted to immerse the consumer in this bright red environment, since the moniker of the whole campaign was ‘warmth without weight,’” Jackson explained. The jackets themselves were suspended in red plexi cases, and the room itelf enveloped the visitor in a warm, red grow. What started as a design for Manhattan’s Mercer Street store was soon adapted into a much larger-scale exhibition at Moynihan Station.

The partners of WSDIA paired each project an infographic communicating the project’s scale on four metrics: scope, physical size, visibility, and social impact. The team shared projects ranging from large-scale physical installations visited by a few select invitees to small logos that reached many viewers.

WSDIA is adept at expressing themselves across all media, all scales, and all dimensions. “‘We Should Do It All’ is more of a goal than what we’re actually doing,” Jackson explained at the start of the presentation. Regardless of whether it’s possible to truly “do it all,” these two seem to be having a great deal of success—and fun—while they try.

Additional Information:
WeShouldDoItAll

Event Details:
AIGA/NY WeShouldDoItAll

Event Photos:
Click here to view all photos from AIGA/NY WeShouldDoItAll on Flickr. 
To view additional photos, or to contribute your photos, visit our AIGA New York Flickr group.

Special thanks to contributing writer Karen Vanderbilt for the AIGA/NY We Should Do It All event recap and photos. Karen can be found at @k_vanderbilt and Studio Kudos.