Company

About Us

An empathy-driven design firm empowering communities through sustainable design solutions

Meet the Team

THIS IS OUR COHORT

Our creative leaders and interns are the heartbeat of Marion Design Co.

Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer, MFA, NCIDQ

Co-Founder & CEO

Wendy brings 41 years of experience leading teams and 21 years teaching undergraduate students. Since the launch of MDC in 2016, she leverages her experience bringing the design process to her clients so they're empowered to make empathetic decisions for their clients. With an MA in Interior Design and an MFA in Design Thinking, her work with clients has ranged from residential and commercial interior design placemaking projects to strategic design thinking sessions for a range of businesses, organizations, and communities. As a native born of Korean descent, raised in an adoptive American culture, she understands the experience of being perceived one way while living in a culture of another. Wendy's greatest joy is seeing people come together to work toward grand initiatives who otherwise might not have considered being partners.

Willie Smith

Willie Smith

Chief Design Officer

Willie brings years of experience working with clients conducting all things human-centered design! He studied Alternative Process Photography and Design at Indiana Wesleyan and has his coaching certification through Lark's Song. He's worked in creative teams at non-profits and creative agencies. His work has been focused on storytelling and the visual arts, creative direction, brand solutions, design systems, and video production. His entrepreneurial spirit led to a passion for helping businesses use storytelling to connect with their audiences. He loves spending time with his wife and kids on their small homestead, playing with his band, reading philosophy and fiction, plotting the arcs of movie storylines, and film photography.

Jacob Fiore

Jacob Fiore

Graphic Designer

Jacob Fiore studied at Indiana Wesleyan University and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and a minor in business administration. Coming from a retired military family, Jacob has been exposed to a variety of different cultures as he has been relocated to cities in Florida, Texas, Virginia, and Indiana. Despite spending the majority of his life as a resident of Porter County, Jacob has grown fond of the intentional communities found in Marion. Over the weekends, maintaining the connections in his life by calling his friends and family over the phone is a major priority. On his free time, Jacob loves to watch anime and play video games with his brothers – the nerdy things in life.

Misty Fox

Misty Fox

Gallery & Hospitality Coordinator

Misty is a local artist who previously served as the Art Gallery Intern for Kennedy Art Center. She received her BFA in Studio Art from Ball State University in 2023, and has greatly enjoyed facilitating the spread of art through her time at art markets and working with the gallery. She's a long-time resident of Grant County and its surrounding areas, having lived in Kokomo, Marion, Gas City, Upland, and Muncie. Now back in her hometown, she's discovered a new appreciation for Marion and its community. Misty enjoys watching movies, listening to weird music, and finding time to get together with her friends for a walk in the woods or an escape room down in Indy.

Colleen Cavanaugh

Colleen Cavanaugh

Financial Manager

Emily Troutner

Emily Troutner

Design Advisor

Emily has a BA in Visual Communication Design and a minor in Marketing from Grace College, her design work with clients has ranged from branding initiatives and marketing campaigns to custom illustrations and publication designs for a variety of businesses and nonprofit organizations. Born and raised in Goshen, Indiana, she moved to Marion in 2022 after marrying her husband, Peter Troutner. Emily is passionate about using her creative voice as an advocate to visually share the stories of others as a way to bring people together, inspire positive change, and turn the dreams of passionate people into reality. Good design starts with being a good listener so she takes the time to understand what makes each client unique and goes the extra mile to ensure no detail is overlooked.

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

Design Advisor

Peter Troutner started as an intern in 2017. He studied Graphic Design and Honors Humanities at Indiana Wesleyan and in addition to his work with MDC is the lead designer at IWU. With a love of branding, creative writing, and typography he loves to find connections, think deeply, and design creatively the stories he encounters. Although he grew up in Columbus Ohio his time as an intern at Marion Design Co made him fall in love with Marion and see the influence a single person can have on a community. Ultimately he decided to stay and lives in Marion with his wife, Emily. Peter describes himself as designer, collage artist, and liturgical poet - all of which require taking various sometimes seemingly unrelated things and finding the connections, beauty, and truth beneath ideas, concepts, pieces of paper, or biblical stories.

This Is Our Story

How can design empower radical change? How can designers employ empathy to develop relational design practices?

Marion Design Co. Studio

By building relationships and exchanging stories, the narrative of Marion began to change.

Founded by a collection of university professors in 2016, Marion Design Co. began with 17 students, amazing neighbors, an empty bank, and one 20ft. table. Without a real plan, but aware of a real need, we met with different members of the Marion community— both old-timers and newcomers.

As we listened to stories of both beauty and hardship, we came to know our community and our city more intimately. A community that was once the thriving metropolis of the Midwest was known as a bruised economy rooted in racial tensions. To many, Marion was the residue of a past with blighted storefronts, broken homes, and vacant warehouses.

When Marion Design Co. began its work, a story that stemmed from negativity and discouragement started blossoming into one of hope and vision. Our first project, creating a brand identity for the City of Marion, allowed us to deepen these relationships and walk with our community as we transitioned into a city with a common identity and tenacious hope.

MDC Team collaborating MDC workspace

Since this first project, we have moved buildings, worked with over fifty interns, expanded our portfolio beyond Marion, and continued to build and strengthen relationships. The impact of the Marion community on our own story has proven invaluable.

While it may look like a logo, a website, or a workspace, the work of Marion Design Co. is intentionally focused on collaboration, design thinking, and design advocacy, and is inseparable from the vitality of Marion and the stories it houses.

By creating sustainable design solutions, we provide educational freedom to the community. Only through collaboration can we empower the community, propel each other forward, and reveal the true identity of our amazing city and the true strength of the individuals who form it.

Community Collaborators
Marion Public Library The News Herald Grant County Connected Marion General Hospital Creative Communities Economic Growth Council WBAT Radio City of Marion Mercantile 37 Peerless Printing Echo Gallery Boston Hill Center Lark's Song Community School for the Arts IWU Division of Art+Design Main Street Marion Save our Stories Indiana Arts Commission The Chronicle Tribune The Bridge Cafe The Abbey Coffee Co. Marion Chamber of Commerce Marion Police Department Marion Fire Department Marion Public Library The News Herald Grant County Connected Marion General Hospital Creative Communities Economic Growth Council WBAT Radio City of Marion Mercantile 37 Peerless Printing Echo Gallery Boston Hill Center Lark's Song Community School for the Arts IWU Division of Art+Design Main Street Marion Save our Stories Indiana Arts Commission The Chronicle Tribune The Bridge Cafe The Abbey Coffee Co. Marion Chamber of Commerce Marion Police Department Marion Fire Department
2016 – Present

OUR HISTORY

Cohorts who have shaped Marion Design Co. over the years

2025 11 members
Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CEO

Willie Smith

Willie Smith

Chief Design Officer

Colleen Cavanaugh

Colleen Cavanaugh

Financial Manager

Misty Fox

Misty Fox

Gallery & Hospitality Coordinator

Jacob Fiore

Jacob Fiore

Graphic Designer

Janelle Lamsa

Janelle Lamsa

Marketing Strategist

Tony Myers

Tony Myers

Admin Assistant

Emily Troutner

Emily Troutner

Design Advisor

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

Design Advisor

Isabelle Lucas

Isabelle Lucas

Communications Intern

Savannah Byars

Savannah Byars

Graphic Design Intern

2024 13 members
Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CEO

Emily Troutner

Emily Troutner

Chief Design Officer

Angie Thompson

Angie Thompson

Chief Financial Officer

Brittany Long

Brittany Long

Operations Facilitator

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

Senior Graphic Designer

Willie Smith

Willie Smith

Senior Graphic Designer

Ben Tadevich

Ben Tadevich

Graphic Designer

Jake Fiore

Jake Fiore

Graphic Designer

Misty Fox

Misty Fox

Art Gallery Intern

Janelle Lamsa

Janelle Lamsa

Business Intern

Tabby Lo

Tabby Lo

Graphic Design Intern

Amaya Thompson

Amaya Thompson

Business Intern

Josie Schaurer

Josie Schaurer

Graphic Design Intern

2023 11 members
Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CDO

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

CCO & Creative Director

Emily Troutner

Emily Troutner

Senior Graphic Designer

Angie Thompson

Angie Thompson

Chief Financial Officer

Brittany Long

Brittany Long

Operations Facilitator

Ben Tadevich

Ben Tadevich

Graphic Designer

Anna McCreary

Anna McCreary

Graphic Design Intern

Danielle Hembrock

Danielle Hembrock

Interior Design Intern

Emily Dexter

Emily Dexter

Copywriting Intern

Misty Fox

Misty Fox

Art Gallery Intern

Josie Schaurer

Josie Schaurer

Graphic Design Intern

2022 18 members
Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CDO

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

CCO & Creative Director

Emily Troutner

Emily Troutner

Senior Graphic Designer

Jenna Beemer

Jenna Beemer

Designer

Isabel Bostick

Isabel Bostick

Copywriting Intern

Lexi Kirchner

Lexi Kirchner

Placemaking Intern

Khesed Ritchie

Khesed Ritchie

Placemaking Intern

Jared Strand

Jared Strand

Placemaking Intern

Hannah Slota

Hannah Slota

Illustration Intern

Christina Russell

Christina Russell

Videography Intern

Audra Frieden

Audra Frieden

Design & Placemaking Intern

Mattea Fry

Mattea Fry

Design Intern

Anna Rodman

Anna Rodman

Videography Intern

Landin Brown

Landin Brown

Design Intern

Michelle Bonilla

Michelle Bonilla

Placemaking Intern

Julia Evans

Julia Evans

Design Intern

Madison Lohr

Madison Lohr

Design Intern

Sydney Schmidt

Sydney Schmidt

Design Intern

2021 6 members
Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CDO

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

CCO & Creative Director

Jenna Beemer

Jenna Beemer

Designer

Mark Fisk

Mark Fisk

Graphic Design Intern

Isabel Bostick

Isabel Bostick

Copywriting Intern

Jessica Moore

Jessica Moore

Placemaking Design Intern

2020 6 members
Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CPO

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

Creative Director

Jenna Beemer

Jenna Beemer

Teaching Assistant

Mark Fisk

Mark Fisk

Design Intern

Julia Evans

Julia Evans

Design Intern

Michelle Bonilla

Michelle Bonilla

Placemaking Intern

2019 18 members
Herb Vincent Peterson

Herb Vincent Peterson

Co-Founder & CDO

Luke Anspach

Luke Anspach

Co-Founder & Senior Digital Designer

Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CPO

Henrik Soderstrom

Henrik Soderstrom

Chief Ideation Designer

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

Assistant Creative Director

Jizelle Miller

Jizelle Miller

Assistant Creative Director

Allie Lumpkin

Allie Lumpkin

2019 Design Fellow

Rebecca Kleppinger

Rebecca Kleppinger

2019 Design Fellow

Graham Terry

Graham Terry

2019 Design Fellow

Ben Tadevich

Ben Tadevich

2019 Design Fellow

Grace Woodard

Grace Woodard

2019 Design Fellow

Jenna Beemer

Jenna Beemer

Design Intern

Hannah Gjertson

Hannah Gjertson

Design Intern & Research Assistant

Angelica Oles

Angelica Oles

Design Intern

Sydney Schmidt

Sydney Schmidt

Design Intern & Research Assistant

Mark Fisk

Mark Fisk

Design Intern

Elijah Salas

Elijah Salas

Design Intern

Julia Evans

Julia Evans

Design Intern

2018 6 members
Herb Vincent Peterson

Herb Vincent Peterson

Co-Founder & CDO

Luke Anspach

Luke Anspach

Co-Founder & Senior Digital Designer

Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & CPO

Henrik Soderstrom

Henrik Soderstrom

Chief Ideation Designer

Grace Woodard

Grace Woodard

Visual Art & Graphic Design Intern

Yeabsera Tabb

Yeabsera Tabb

Placemaking Intern

2017 11 members
Caleb Baker

Caleb Baker

Business Admin: Finance Intern

Micayla Christensen

Micayla Christensen

Marketing Intern

Lauren Dafoe

Lauren Dafoe

Visual Art Intern: Photography

Annie Garcia

Annie Garcia

Copy & Strat Com Intern

Dani Welty

Dani Welty

Placemaking Design Intern

Sophia Hawkins

Sophia Hawkins

Graphic Design Intern

Micah Hamsher

Micah Hamsher

Graphic Design Intern

Moriah McReynolds

Moriah McReynolds

Visual Art Intern: Illustration

Rebecca Hoskins

Rebecca Hoskins

Graphic Design Intern

Peter Troutner

Peter Troutner

Graphic Design Intern

Jalen Moore

Jalen Moore

Digital Design Intern

2016 15 members
Gabrielle Schulte

Gabrielle Schulte

Team Lead, Social Designer

Jalen Moore

Jalen Moore

Web and Media Designer

Madison Mosher

Madison Mosher

Graphic Design & Prototyping Director

Summer Fisher

Summer Fisher

Team Lead, Graphic Designer

Jessee Country Miller

Jessee Country Miller

Social Designer

Sarah Collicott

Sarah Collicott

Graphic Designer

Taylor Hite

Taylor Hite

Graphic Designer and Illustrator

Judah Oechsle

Judah Oechsle

Graphic Designer

Claire Toon

Claire Toon

Graphic Designer

Hunter Razo

Hunter Razo

Creative Lead, Photo and Design

Miranda Fuchs

Miranda Fuchs

Creative Lead, Photo and Design

Michael Overbeck

Michael Overbeck

Team Lead, Graphic Design and Video

Jizelle Miller

Jizelle Miller

Team Lead, Graphic Designer

Graham McClanahan

Graham McClanahan

Design Researcher and Strategist

Grace Herndon

Grace Herndon

Graphic Designer

Our Founders

Luke Anspach

Luke Anspach

Co-Founder

Herb Vincent Peterson

Herb Vincent Peterson

Co-Founder

Wendy Puffer

Wendy Puffer

Co-Founder & Chief Design Officer

Who We Are

OUR BRAND

Branding goes beyond logos, typefaces and technical guidelines. It expresses something deeper about an organization, acting as a reflection of its identity.

Brand Essence

At Marion Design Co. our creative interns are the heartbeat and our leaders are the backbone. The fundamental nature of Marion Design Co. stems from an authentic community of collaboration and empathy.

A few terms that define us include synergy, collaboration, people-first, and unity. Our people-oriented culture fosters connection which enables us to use our skills to empower each other and our community.

Our Culture

We work hard, take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, support one another, and lead by example. We ditch the recipe and trust our gut. We show up each morning ready to practice the hard parts over and over.

We are never bored because the work is never done. We faceplant in the mud, get back up, set our fear on fire, and exceed the expectations put before us. We believe in the people of Marion and in the future of Marion.

Our Mark

Our mark is rooted in our place in Marion, both physically and symbolically. The "M" fits within the map of the downtown square to show how we exist within our city. It also relates to our physical presence within our studio on the square.

The speech bubble communicates how we value conversation, listening, and authentic relationships. Through creative placemaking, design thinking, and innovation, we tackle urban renewal, revitalization, community branding, and identity development.

We Believe in Stories

We believe in stories because they give us a glimpse into the places we might overlook. By listening and hearing one another, we begin to form long-lasting bonds and relationships and understand the history of who we are.

Since day one, we have asked the Marion community to join us in the sharing of stories, feelings, and ideas. Today, our story is inseparable from Marion's story. We believe that each and every person has a powerful story. We believe in your story because you are the answer.