It’s that time again to wrap up the year, do some reflecting, and get ready to give 2018 a big ol’ welcome hug.

When you think about it, every new year tends to start more or less the same way: with a clean slate. An empty page. Whitespace that’s ready to rock. While that’s true, 2017 was something special for us for a couple of reasons.
First, we got to work with some amazing clients who urged us to put our thinking caps on and solve problems we hadn’t faced before. This year, we went eyebrow-deep in industries that included professional hockey, dental care (unrelated to the aforementioned hockey!), procurement and business services, lab diagnostic services, higher ed, a state aquarium, ad tech, Bible study, global business consultancy, engineering and architecture for infrastructure, a micro-brewpub and, of course, pies—glorious pies! Variety is the spice of life, and it definitely sparks our creativity and energy here at 20nine. We genuinely love to explore new places, think in different ways, and solve altogether different problems.

DIGITAL ART DIRECTOR CALAN MA’LYN WORKS ON UI/UX FOR A CLIENT’S WEBSITE

 
“The complexity and importance of our branding initiative can’t be overstated. 20nine has served as a vital catalyst for our evolution and has grown to be a true partner in the marketing of our business.”KATE FREER, VP OF MARKETING, AMERIQUEST

Second, we welcomed lots of great life stuff in 2017, from the birth of a baby to a first-time mom (Hey, Wren! Congrats Mom, Tracey!), to a birth announcement from second-time parent-to-be (way to go, Steph!) and youngins Peyton and Riley growing like crazy, making Poppa proud (Kevin, you’re blushing!)…we 29ers definitely have a lot to be thankful for this year—including unlimited PTO that was launched last January (Niiiiiiice).
Lastly, the reason 2017 was so special to us was because 20nine got to celebrate a milestone birthday: THE BIG 1-5. 15 years old! I mean, where does the time go? To commemorate 15 years of incorporated bliss, 20nine celebrated by jetting the entire staff to Cancun, Mexico for a few days of bonding and debauchery. It was an awesome time that produced lots of laughs…not to mention a slew of questionable photos (did someone say “HR”?). If nothing else, 2017 was a year to mark a milestone and a time to recognize all the people (present and past) who have helped bring the shop to where it is today.

FOR US, EVERY YEAR IS A LEAP YEAR. 2017 WAS NO DIFFERENT.

This year, we got to work with some really ambitious clients who let us do what we do best: Solve problems in creative and unexpected ways. We had opportunities to listen, learn, leverage, and leap to some pretty cool solutions that ultimately moved the needle for our clients’ businesses. Solutions weren’t always easy or obvious, but if nothing else, we rally really well as a team in the face of deadlines and adversity…and wind up in some pretty great places!

DESIGNERS SARAH AND JESS MAP OUT VISUALS FOR AN IDENTITY PROJECT

 
“I came into the re-branding process a skeptic, the 20nine team converted me into a believer. They entered our business as a service provider and are now a member of the TargetX family.”Sasha Peterson, CEO, TargetX

As we like to say, at 20nine, we sit on floors, we write on walls, and we think out loud. What we come up with ranges from integrated brand systems, creative concepts, keynote speeches, logos, digital experiences, brandwriting guides, new product ideas, and productivity tools that enable all our players to work together at a high level.
 

FROM TOP (L-R): THE TEAM WORKS IN A BRAINSTORM SESSION; KEVIN, OUR CREATIVE DIRECTOR, DEEP IN THOUGHT ON A CLIENT PROJECT; JOE, OUR DEVELOPMENT LEAD WORKS ON BUILDING A WEBSITE, OUR SENIOR ART DIRECTOR, ERIN MAPS OUT AN EXTENSIVE BRAND GUIDELINES DOCUMENT

 
“20nine continually reveals amazing depth and skill across multiple branding and marketing disciplines. From a unique and effective creative process, to excellent design and copywriting work, to high-level strategic consultation, 20nine is a true partner in our mission. I recommend them without reservation.”Matthew Pinto, Founder/President, Ascension

The team is pretty energized and excited about what we were able to accomplish in 2017, and we’re just as jazzed about the journey ahead of us in 2018. We invite you to come along for the ride, and share what we’re pretty sure will be another awesome ride! Since we’re a pretty visual bunch, enjoy the video below that we think sums up quite nicely who we are and how our year unfolded in all its quirky splendor.
Peace to all, and to all a good night.