February, 2018 | Rapt Studio

The design of a branded space or experience and the teams that produce them has remained largely unchanged since the advent of charcoal and papyrus. Rapt Studio, adopting a design approach inspired by our own clients in Silicon Valley, was selected “for adapting agile engineering design,” according to Fast Company.

“Our commitment to revealing our clients’ truth and telling their story – combined with a fully interdisciplinary way of working has proven to be a powerful combination,” noted Rapt Studio CEO David Galullo.

“Our teams have been redesigned from the inside out; by studying – in practice – both Scrum and Kanban methodologies, we were able to design our own custom process; where architects, graphic designers, industrial designers, strategists, copywriters – are all focused on the same problem. Rapt Studio is now a place where the best idea wins, where ‘ugly’ is embraced, where there is no place for the individual ego and where the client is always welcomed to peek under the hood. Mutual respect, a healthy dose of skepticism, and a shared appreciation of the power of a story well told drives a culture to deliver the most engaging, appropriate and unique branded experiences,” Galullo continued.

With over 1500 applicants, we are honored to be among such a dynamic and inspiring group of companies from around the world. We are proud to share this news and to be a part of the conversation that is challenging traditional boundaries and shaping the future beyond the architecture and design sectors.

Check out our profile and in Fast Company, on newsstands February 21st.

Words by Rachel Newell | Account Director, Rapt Studio

At Rapt, we consider ourselves “radically personal”—valuing the stories and authenticity that make us us. Part of my authenticity comes from being raised by a philosopher father and therapist mother: a probing curiosity into what makes people tick—no surprise I ended up in brand strategy! Putting human behavior and emotion at the center of things feels natural…and sometimes uncomfortable.

Wrestling with discomfort, learning to embrace it as a marker for growth and change, is tough. Bréné Brown champions the need for vulnerability—to show-up, do the work and accept our true selves. Yet an area that gets less coverage is the notion of RESPONSIBILITY—the acknowledgment that change can only happen when we are accountable for our actions and commit to solutions.

In Rapt’s recent Think Tank, “Bring Your Whole Self,” we talked about the parallels between seeing ourselves holistically as people and how we define and manage brands.

Typically, brands are brought to life through a human “persona” that helps express emotive design. We uncover truths and shape them into core principles. Packaged nicely as Guidelines, the strategic deliverable is a watershed moment in “launching” a brand (cue fanfare).

Yet branding, like life, isn’t a one-and-done scenario—it should be seen as a commitment to continuous improvement. Often as companies mature and evolve, a brand’s foundational strategy feels put on the shelf.

Today, companies have become transparent to the outside, and as employees bring more of their “whole” selves to work, values and vision are key vehicles for retention. Lighting and ping-pong will only get people so far.

At Rapt, a holistic approach to brands (aligning internal and external worlds) underpins our design. We challenge the linear project process, think holistically, and bridge gaps between siloed departments. The result is a commitment to viewing a brand as the sum of its parts. And, like people, its authenticity starts within.

Moderator: Susan Szenasy – Metropolis Director of Design Innovation

Panelists:

Ivan Cash – Interactive Artist and Film Director at Cash Studios

David Galullo – CEO and Chief Creative Officer at Rapt Studio

Ellen Petry Leanse – Innovation Coach and Author of The Happiness Hack

Rachel Newell – Account Director at Rapt Studio

Maya Razon – Executive Development, Learning Space Initiative at Google

Read the recap on Metropolis

Month: February 2018

The World’s Most Innovative Companies 2018 | Fast Company

Design From Within