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The #OtherwiseAt30 Manifesto

And just like that — we’re turning 30 this year. In true Otherwise fashion, we enter this new chapter facing forward, optimistic and ready for anything. And as we embark on what…the next 30 years?…we remember what got us started, and what has always kept us going. Staying curious. We’re self-professed lifelong learners. We enjoy […]

Feb 1 2022 by The Otherwise Team in Editorials
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A Case for Chicago Winters

“Winter came and the city turned monochrome — black trees against gray sky above white earth. Night now fell in midafternoon, especially when the snowstorms rolled in, boundless prairie storms that set the sky close to the ground, the city lights reflected against the clouds.” — President Barack Obama, Dreams from My Father: A Story […]

Jan 14 2022 by Madeline Rosemurgy in Editorials
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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 Madeline 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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