NEW STANDARD.S
NEW STANDARD.S

Our own standards

We’re living in times that require new standards. We’re living in times that require freeing ourselves of outdated beliefs. As a value-driven company, we have shared beliefs and hold ourselves to certain standards. We uphold the following principles:

Knowledge

We are open to changing our habits and unlearning what we believe to be true. We know what has worked in the past might not work in the future, and we strive to do better. 

We observe our habits and question their sustainability. We take action when we observe an unsustainable pattern. 

We believe in the power of knowledge sharing. That’s why we not only share our learnings with clients but also provide our insights freely on our website and in our lectures. Yes, you can also invite us for lunch.

 

Work

As a society, we’ve never worked as many hours as we do these days. We believe a sustainable economy requires us all to prioritize leisure and allow access to paid work for others. That’s why we work 4 days a week and dedicate our Wednesdays to learning and our creative interests. 

In case of illness or vacation, we don’t expect our partners to respond to emails or deliver. Instead, we roll up our sleeves and take over as best we can. 

 

Clients

While we work with everyone, we don’t provide all of our services to everyone. We’ve consciously decided to dedicate ourselves to knowledge sharing and upskilling, and are willing to provide this service to all.

When it comes to our services as creators and designers, we do not work for industries that have a disproportionately harmful effect on the planet, people, and/or animals. Design is a powerful communicator, which is why we offer our design services to environmentally conscious businesses that are looking for creatives that take their values and business standards seriously.  

 

Process

We work and design with our clients – not for them.

We start by thinking about the impact of the project’s outcome and consider the entire lifecycle. We thoroughly research materials, processes, and emerging technologies in order to understand and mitigate each project’s environmental footprint. 

 

Accessibility

We believe that unpaid internships are no longer an appropriate approach to gaining work experience. To ensure just access to opportunity, we remunerate all project work appropriately. 

We consider CVs elitist. We hire and source based on talent – not names of institutions candidates had access to. We hire through tasks and remunerate completion of such. 

We dedicate part of our time to teaching and trainings.

 

Print

We participate in the circular economy by using materials that are compostable, reusable, or refillable for packaging projects.

We always consider sustainable options first. We know good design doesn’t require wasting materials and can be achieved with vegetable ink and recycled paper just as easily.

We calculate the impact of print products. We strive to reduce the amount of energy and materials needed as much as possible.

We avoid printing on paper whenever possible.

 

Waste

We care for our possessions and always consider how we can pass on whatever we don’t need to someone who finds it valuable. 

We always consider secondhand and refurbished options first.

We come prepared and use reusable water bottles, cutlery, straws, etc. We try to plan ahead for situations that confront us with the use of disposables.

We compost our food waste.

And, of course, we sort our waste as thoroughly as possible.

 

Food

While we grew up in a meat-eating culture, we’ve realized times have changed and, due to the growing population, we believe in just access to food, which is why we promote a plant-based diet and always eat as vegan as possible.

We respect the weather cycle and choose to eat seasonally. 

We pay attention to the carbon footprint of our diet. We don’t buy air freight products.

Only 2.5% of water on earth is freshwater, of which only 1% is drinkable. Being based in Germany, we’re lucky to have access to such a precious resource from the tap. We serve and drink tap water. 

We love the creative potential of food. By seeing food as a creative material, we avoid food waste. We preserve food by freezing, fermenting, and repurposing it for other meals. 

 

Utilities

Our finances are deposited with an environmentally conscious bank.

We believe in a circular economy, which is why we only use renewable energy.   

In our work, we reduce the energy consumption of web projects by sourcing services powered by renewable energy. We design with sustainability in mind. 

We’re always on the lookout for sustainable alternatives to ordinary utility providers (i.e., insurances, communication, etc.) and switch when possible. 

 

Transport

We cycle or take public transport whenever possible.

We believe the future of mobility is sharing, which is why we rent and share vehicles whenever necessary.

We consider the most ecologically conscious means of transport whenever travel is necessary. We compensate for the CO2 output we cause.

 

We welcome all questions to our standards and are happy to elaborate on why these are important to us. We’ve settled on these standards after years of research.

Given the world is more complex than ever, we don’t claim these rules to be the ultimate truth and acknowledge many aren’t easily implemented. Yet it’s never too late to take the first step. It’s what we’re here to make easier for those who care, too. Â