Looking Back with Intention
This holiday season looked a little different than it did last year, and we are so thankful for that. As a way to reflect back on 2020, and commemorate something that was extremely personal and significant to us, we decided to revisit a project that we created around this time last year.
+Intention was founded four years ago with the hope of bringing more humanity and authenticity into the business world. We are a studio that is grounded in collaboration, and fueled by an all-hands-on-deck approach. Part of our process is asking our clients to be creative contributors so they can be involved in the work in a tangible and meaningful way. So, at a time when we couldn’t meet with our clients or partners in person, we were trying to find new ways to harness the power of collective voices and efforts that we had worked hard to curate over time, and then channel that energy in a virtual space. Essentially, it pushed us to re-learn how to live out our values in a fresh way.
As a studio that is intentional in everything we do, this project felt like a natural way to let our brand speak for itself by bringing people together through meaningful connections and purposeful design.
To dig a little deeper into the heart behind the project, we sat down with the principals of +Intention, Julie Hamilton and Terry Lawrence, to give them the chance to share how this project impacted them personally, and to give everyone a behind-the-scenes look at the project.
Q: How did 2020 change the way you connect with your clients?
JH: The virtual scenario actually created greater opportunities to build relationships with clients. Instead of doing conference calls, we were now doing video calls. This generated the ability to humanize the experience, so we just embraced it. It organically allowed us to get to know each other in a way that being on conference calls wouldn’t have allowed for. Our relationships with several clients—particularly geographically distant clients—deepened because of that.
Q: Has this project influenced ways you want to connect with clients and partners in the future?
JH: The thing that we’re constantly reminded of is how powerful it is to be authentic in the business world. It’s natural to be guarded when you're doing business with people. So, being real with people about what we cared about created opportunities for other people to be authentic. This project made people feel like they were recognized as humans first, and that’s how it should be.
TL: To the point that Julie just made, everyone was truly talking about something they were feeling. It provided an opportunity to engage on a personal level, rather than a professional level. We were reaching out to people and asking them how the past year had impacted them, what they had learned, and how they wanted to take those learnings with them into the next year. It wasn’t a transactional conversation. We want to keep finding ways like this to put out something positive into the world.
“Very creative and encouraging words to think on for 2021! Thank you for sending.”
Note from a Friend of the Studio
Q: What would you say was the ultimate driving force behind this project?
TL: The moment called for something that was more meaningful. Sending the regular holiday card seemed tone deaf in the context of what everyone had gone through. The meaningful, uplifting expression was what drove the project, but it was also an opportunity to connect with others.
Q: What ideas or values did this project reinforce for you and your team?
JH: One of the values we have is reflecting on and learning from our experiences with humility. It’s super important, and it’s the only way to improve personally and professionally. This project reinforced that value when we asked others to reflect on their experiences and identify the things they wanted to take forward or leave behind.
TL: We were given the opportunity to use design as the reinforcement of an idea. How do we use the skills we apply every day in the service of commerce to actually serve others? This was a chance to create a piece purely around the idea of connecting with and comforting the people around us.
“The cards are beautiful! I got goosebumps multiple times flipping through them. Thank you so much for sharing and brightening my day.”
Note from a Friend of the Studio
Q: Did anything surprise you about the project?
JH: For me, it was more of a realization than a surprise. Part of what Terry and I wanted to create with +Intention was actually manifested through a project like this. We were able to do something that we care so deeply about. It didn’t have anything to do with moving the business forward, but we were contributing in a way that was meaningful. It’s not common to do these kinds of projects in the business world. This isn’t normally what you spend your time on. It’s the kind of thing you do in your free time because you think it’s worthwhile.
TL: I was surprised by how cathartic it was for me—reading through all of the intentions and designing the piece. It was a meditative and calming process.
Q: What was your favorite part of the project?
JH: My favorite part was the genesis of the project. Terry and I, and one of our copywriters, sat down to talk about what this project could actually be, and what that could mean creatively. It turned into a personal conversation about how that year had affected each of us, and it created space for us all to get in touch with our own experience in order to connect on a deeper level. It was a genuine, authentic, and very human conversation with colleagues. That was incredibly powerful and became the catalyst for the project.
TL: My favorite part was taking their story and making it into something that would give them comfort or be inspiring. While we were doing it for others, I didn’t expect how much it would impact me.
Q: If you were not a studio that was so intentional about collaborating and celebrating the collective voice, do you think this project would have been executed differently?
JH: It felt natural and organic to who we are as a studio. Nothing about it felt forced. The heart of this execution—getting people to reflect and get closure, and articulating those things as intentions—those things are core to our DNA. If we weren't who we were, I don't think we would have had this idea.
TL: At the heart of the idea is collaboration and representing the voice of a collective. We always think about how we can bring collaboration into a project. The product itself is a pure expression of how we work and think as a studio.
JH: We really try to put out positive intent in everything we do, and I think this project is a great reflection of that.
“Got a beautiful package in the mail. So inspirational and so well crafted! This clearly was from the heart. Taking the time and making the effort to collect and share these intentions is a real testament to your agency—one that truly believes in making connections that matter. Thank you for sending! I look forward to going through one a day.”
Note from a Friend of the Studio
Q: What inspired the “Humanity inside. Handle with care” copy that was typeset on all of the packages? Those five words summarize the project perfectly.
TL: We were taking something used as an instructional label and infusing it with new meaning. You’re replacing a material thing with something that is an abstract idea. Humanity isn’t a concrete or tangible thing, but that little blurb sets the tone for how you should be approaching this piece. There is a serious, purposeful nature to it, and you’re setting the stage for what will be revealed as you pace through the cards.
JH: We’re purposeful about any experience we’re delivering. We’re conscious about putting people in the right headspace to receive whatever we are creating or presenting.
Q: What are some key takeaways you walked away with from this exercise?
JH: It certainly reinforced that intention is powerful. People are looking for places to be authentic and expressive, and they want to respond when they’re given an opportunity. We had such great participation, and the intentions people shared with us were very authentic and deeply personal. We realized we were giving people an outlet to articulate their own closure for 2020. It also reinforced that it’s possible for anyone and everyone to contribute to a creative process when given the tools and framework.
Q: What was one of your favorite intentions that was shared?
TL: The one that really stuck with me was about re-embracing hope. In fact, it’s sentiment inspired the visual approach I applied to the set six of cards of which it’s a part. All six cards in this set are connected by the theme of light and hope.
“It’s been too dark a year to see light. Now a glimmer is emerging and we all need to run toward that light and embrace it fully.”
JH: I found the intentions that were shared to be really insightful, but the one that I remember resonating with me the most was about trusting your intuition. I think trusting your gut and listening to your intuition is a huge part of growth, but sometimes it’s easier said than done. It takes a lot of courage to lean into that when it’s so easy to get derailed by self doubt or intrusive thoughts.
“2020 proved to be a year of learning how to get out of my head and into the moment to find the guidance I needed. Looking ahead, I want to more fully listen to and trust my sense of inner knowing.”
+Intention is a strategic branding and design studio whose purpose is to help mid-size businesses navigate an ever-evolving marketplace.
Contact us to learn more about how +Intention can support your brand and business.