MARCH 15TH: MDCO’S one year birthday as an LLC

While we’ve been in existence since the summer of 2016, March 15, 2021 marks the launch of MDCO as an LLC. It’s hard to believe it’s been a year. We have so much to celebrate! Our list of projects indicate increased partnerships from new startups to established organizations located in Marion and beyond the state of Indiana.  Here’s a run down of projects that we’ve accomplished this year!

• 14 Graphic Design projects (branding, books, programs, brochures, DT session materials, etc.)

• 12 Interior design and Placemaking projects (from space planning to urban planning)

• 6 Design Thinking sessions (for businesses, nonprofits, and churches)

• 3 Websites (for businesses and nonprofits)

• 2 FIlm production (for education and businesses)

• 2 Community events (local partnerships in Marion’s downtown)

We’ve accomplished this work with an amazing leadership team, three MDCO alumni (Visual Communication Design, Design for Social Impact, and Interior Design) and three cohorts (15) interns from IWU and Taylor University. 

We’re extremely grateful to YOU for supporting our efforts to bring the power of design to Marion and Grant County through meaningful work.

As spring approaches, it’s a great time to expand and explore fresh ideas. Here are a few podcasts we listen to. They’re inspiring, funny, thoughtful, and sometimes irreverent. We hope you’ll find inspiration somewhere in the list!  You can find them on your phone’s podcast app.

Where We Landed
Local people telling local stories. Imagine sitting on the porch with neighbors over a cup of coffee, having a casual conversation. 

99% Invisible
This podcast will open your eyes to the stories and systems of the spaces we inhabit.

Song Exploder
Each episode tells the story of inspiration, collaboration, and rhythm of a song from the performers point of view. 

Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me
A hilarious game show featuring comedians who attempt to answer questions that inform and enlighten the listener to current news headlines.

Beef and Dairy Network
A comedy podcast that has very little to do about beef and will be enjoyed by those who appreciate British humor.

Articles of Interest
A limited run series about clothing and fashion and the meaning of it all.

Sporkful
A podcast for people who like to eat!

The Bottom Up Revolution
A Strong Towns Podcast by movers and shakers about design, the built environment, and community development. 

We would love to hear what you’re listening that’s  inspiring you! Send your inspirational resources to hello@mariondesign.co.

My husband and I spent the better part of Sunday trying to figure out how to get to Denver and still make the trip worth it. In the end, we chose to scrap the trip and stay home. It was probably for the best in the long run but having a plan and seeing it not work out is frustrating. 

As I ponder what could have been this week, I think about too - what has happened as a result of getting to stay home. I went back to Marion to visit family and pick up my puppy from my parent’s home. In doing so, I got to walk through our new building now that most of the demolition has been done. I got to see it back in December when we knew of the plans - but to see it actually start to come to life was so fun! The first floor has been stripped of all the walls and the clutter. It’s a big open space with high ceilings and lots of windows. There’s this beautiful bright orange beam that follows the length of the room. There’s space for a future gallery and meetings and gatherings. The possibilities are endless. And I thought to myself at that moment, sometimes things don’t work out like my flight or all of the other buildings MDCO has lived in. But sometimes things do work out and they are greater than we could ever imagine. I’m excited for you all to see our new building when it’s ready!

• Brittany Long, Chief Operations Officer and Project Manager

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