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Second first impressions: Reflections on naming at Otherwise

We founded our studio in 1992 under the name Otherwise, which went against the tide of naming conventions at the time. Lifetime devotees of language and grammar — and unafraid of doing things differently — the name Otherwise revealed itself naturally, signaling not only two forces coming together (design as “other” and ideas as “wise”), […]

Nov 11 2021 by The Otherwise Team in Editorials
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Learning from a Secret Street Photographer

“Well, I suppose nothing is meant to last forever. We have to make room for other people. It’s a wheel.” — Vivian Maier Decades before Humans of New York became a worldwide storytelling sensation, a young woman by the name of Vivian Maier was quietly and meticulously documenting American life on the streets of New […]

Oct 20 2021 by Maddie Rosemurgy in Breaking the Grid
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What’s in a tagline? Everything if you get it right.

While rooting around in the Otherwise flat files recently, we stumbled across a number of branding campaigns that we haven’t looked at, or thought about, for some time. And one of the things about this patinated work that jumps out right away is wow…we’ve written some wonderful taglines over the years. Here are just a […]

Sep 23 2021 by Nancy Lerner in Editorials
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Sounding Boards: Eastlake Studio’s Mural Initiative Amplifies Chicago Voices

At Otherwise, we believe in the power of art to bring communities together, ignite important conversations and explore the world around us through a critical lens. We recently found inspiration in Sounding Boards, an initiative that uses public art as a vehicle to amplify diverse voices throughout Chicago. Technically speaking, a sounding board is placed […]

Sep 15 2021 by Maddie Rosemurgy in Breaking the Grid
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How to Use a City: Jim Duignan on Quietly Creating a Radical Social Art Practice in Chicago

  ‘I’ve been working quietly in the cracks of the city my whole life and all of a sudden there’s a kind of light shining that is often too bright and too constant.’ Born and raised on the North Side of Chicago, Jim Duignan has devoted his life to reinvesting in the city’s most under-served […]

Aug 18 2021 by Maddie Rosemurgy in Breaking the Grid

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