design Archives

Branding in the Fifth Dimension: A Metaphysical Guide to Multi-Layered Meaning

At Otherwise, we’ve always been drawn to the spaces between disciplines — where metaphor becomes method, and strategy is stretched through unfamiliar dimensions. So today, we ask: What if a brand isn’t a flat identity, but a dimensional construct? It’s easy to think of a brand as a surface: a logo, a voice, a palette, […]

Jul 6 2025 by Nancy Lerner in Editorials

Creating Conditions to Embrace Change: Rebranding Kiser Group

Amidst the tumult of rising interest rates, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical tensions, the mid-market multifamily market has weathered the storm, offering property owners and investors stable occupancy rates, rent growth, and impressive returns. This resilience is mirrored in the journey of Kiser Group, a leader in the multifamily mid-market space, particularly within Chicago and […]

Apr 15 2024 by Nancy Lerner in Editorials

Breaking the Grid: Why “The Hat” makes us happy

For those of you who don’t routinely follow breaking news in the world of geometry, we’re all worked up (in a good way) about “The Hat.” It was discovered in late 2022 by David Smith, a retired printing technician from northern England, whose hobby was hunting for interesting geometric shapes. When he realized he was […]

Apr 25 2023 by Nancy Lerner in Breaking the Grid

Life in the TikTok Lane

I hail from the shores of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the home of OshKosh B’gosh and the largest airshow in the world, EAA AirVenture. (But those are subjects for another day.) After wrapping my undergrad years as a journalism major at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, I made my way to the Otherwise studio in Chicago […]

Sep 13 2022 by Hunter Ellis in Editorials

The Art of Corporate Gifting: Five Steps to Gift Smarter

“Gift baskets are the essence of class and fanciness. They are the ultimate present that a person can receive.” — Michael Scott Michael Scott, everyone’s favorite fictional manager, was onto something in The Office’s iconic season four episode, “Dunder Mifflin Infinity.” Threatened by the paper company’s forthcoming online sales launch, Scott returns to his “old-fashioned […]

Aug 25 2022 by Madeline Rosemurgy in Editorials