Since our founder—and many of our colleagues, clients, and partners—began their journeys in corporate and marketing communications and design decades ago, the tools we use to think, create, and produce have evolved.

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Some shifts were subtle. Many were dramatic.

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Then and now:

• Telephone booth → Mobile phone

• In-person meetings → Conference calls → Skype → WebEx → Zoom → Teams

• Library research → Yahoo! → Google

• Messengers → Fax → Email

• Typewriters → Word processors → WordPerfect → Microsoft Word → Google Docs

• Paper ledgers → VisiCalc → Lotus 1-2-3 → Excel → Google Sheets

• The bullpen → Slack and Teams

• Linotype → Phototypesetting → Digital typesetting

• Rubylith → Digital prepress

• Stat camera → Digital scanner

• Drawing board → Digital tablet

• Mechanical paste-up → PageMaker → QuarkXPress → InDesign

• Slide production → Harvard Graphics → PowerPoint → Keynote → Google Slides

• Storyboards → Digital story boarding → After Effects

• Press check → Soft proof

• Media kits → Microsites

• Spec ads → Programmatic ads

 

What We Believe

Technology— and now artificial intelligence—has transformed how we research, write, design, and create. What once took months now unfolds in weeks, days, or even hours.

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Patterns surface faster. Data moves freely. 

But the deeper shift is this: technology reshapes how we notice, how we decide, and what we value.

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Still, human judgment remains irreplaceable. 

AI can simulate insight—but only people truly understand nuance, context, ethics, and tone.

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A brand, a message, a campaign—these aren’t just outputs. 

They’re designed to carry meaning, relevance, and emotional resonance. Machines can support that work, but they can’t own it.

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Our Approach

At Design Matters, we don’t resist change—we create with it, and ahead of it. We believe in timeless principles and timely, responsive tools. We use AI to broaden our vision, respond with intuition, and refine with precision.

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Our craft is human. Our instincts are earned. Our work reflects a truth shared across centuries: The river keeps flowing. It’s best to turn and face the strange—and embrace the unexpected.