Any creative professional out there will mostly be able to tell exactly what made them the person they are. Alex Moulton, Chief Creative Officer at Trollbäck+Company, certainly isn’t different.

From March 18-20, we’re tabling digitally at the Savannah College of Art and Design, with an eye out for design/animation/3D interns.

It’s March again. How are you coping? One year into our all-remote workflow, Trollback staffers share their inspirations and insights on how to create in the “new normal.”

Have an advocacy, NGO, or impact-related project coming up? This week in Print Magazine, industry reporters sat down with Design Director Nadia Husain and Executive Director of Creative Strategy Bo Bishop to talk about our latest rebrand for Mixteca – a case study in how to get culturally-appropriate, mission-driven branding done right.

But what does that look like? This month in Creative Pool, CCO Alex Moulton calls the creative industry to action for a radical new era of truth and transparency in branding.

Craving something a little ‘Unexpected?’ Check out this promo campaign we recently created for Manhattan Neighborhood Network, NYC’s first and largest public access channel/community hub dedicated to free speech, free expression, and media education.

We’re proud to announce that our work for FOX Entertainment, TeenNick, and ESPN took home gold and silver at the 2020 Promax Awards.

This week in Clio Entertainment, one of Trollbäck’s top creative leaders pulls the curtain back on her process for developing a fresh identity for irreverent, intelligent, cross-platform entertainment.

Fearless is here. Read UnderConsideration’s rave review of our latest for FX Network.

This week on Musings, writer + strategist Casey Halter shares post-2020 strategies for an evolving broadcast model.

This week on the Backstory, ECD Elliott Chaffer shares a quick interview on his out-of-the-box creative origins, inspirations, and hopes to transform the industry.

This week, we’re updating our HBO Max case study with some exciting news: WarnerMedia’s big 2020 streaming bet has officially beat its year-end goal.

As election day quickly approaches, Trollbäck designers + animators share their visions for supporting the progress and democracy that lies at the heart of our studio.

A quick tutorial on how to get our iconic betta fish wallpapers up and running on your mobile device.

Prepare your submissions. Trollbäck CCO Alex Moulton is one of nine creative leaders on the 2020 Clio Awards‘ Design Craft Jury.

This month, Design Director Nadia Husain shares her thoughts on making design memorable and meaningful for a new era of creative empathy.

This year’s reel highlights some of our latest, award-winning projects and the lasting power of creative, thoughtful, moving simplicity.

Trollbäck+Company created the logo, brand strategy, and initial visual identity for the headphone/audio brand.

This week on the Hush + 1 podcast, Trollbäck CCO Alex Moulton takes the mic to talk about identity, audio branding, and “less but better” in the world of design.

Among the many pivots that brands will need to make in a post-COVID-19 world, there’s one oversight that no one seems to be discussing yet: the rising relevance of Gen X.

A glossary of real-talk terms and techniques for the modern creative.

For this month’s staff post, designer Steven Wimberley explores the world of tactile creativity, from fine art and photography to physical in-camera effects.

“I’m not an on the box creative director, and you don’t have to be.”

It’s time to wake up. To take notice. To raise our voices. It’s time to build back better for People and Planet.

This week, dozens of agencies, studios, and creators are going dark to help amplify the voices and demands of people of color. Here’s an evolving list of how you can pitch in.

Online tools have gotten incredibly adept at acting, sounding, and behaving like real human writers. Could this help brands and agencies communicate better while we all work from home?

This week in Creative Pool, copywriter + strategist Casey Halter shares her experiences writing with AI, sharing the promise and pitfalls of engaging with virtual editors and assistants.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to accelerate and information rapidly circulates online around the crisis, incendiary headlines have exploded onto our newsfeeds, resulting in mixed messaging, confusion, and most dangerously — major panic.

With the spread of misinformation and online scare tactics, strategist Asia Hunt explains how we’ve entered into a growing economy of fear — and how brands, as primary communicators in our digital ecosystem, can lend a hand in diffusing this fear.

This week in the Brandberries, strategists Asia Hunt and Casey Halter share how shifting brand strategies can lead to more meaningful, purposeful, and impactful expressions during COVID-19.

Just like everyone in these unprecedented times, creative agencies and production houses had to pivot quickly when the work-from-home order came last month. But what’s proved helpful for agencies is their innate adaptability, flexibility, and technological know-how.

This week, Trollbäck’s executive director of client partnerships David Edelstein was featured alongside a number of creative and agency leaders on Promax’s Daily Brief offering advice on how to get (and stay) creative during these unprecedented times.

This week, our very own David Edelstein joins a panel of agency leaders on Promax Connect to discuss the issues that are hitting them (and the industry) the hardest as our new normal is continually being defined.

Trollbäck’s ACD Erin Kilkenny will be judging.

As hundreds of studios around the world transition over to remote, flex, and socially-distanced schedules, it’s no surprise that many of us are turning to the internet for tips and tricks on how to cope.

Our Smithsonian Channel refresh is now live, with an international rollout on the way.

When you think about type design, what makes you tick? Is it the weight of a letterform, the personality of a descender, the graceful curve of a serif G? For Design Director Sarah Cohen, it’s so much more.

This month Trollbäck’s in-house type expert shares her opinions on all things type — from the joy of designing them to why custom typefaces are getting so popular in the industry.

This weekend, Trollbäck+Company will be heading down south to Savannah College of Art & Design’s 11st annual CoMotion conference, a student-run event connecting up-and-coming motion designers with industry insiders.

Tröllback’s Elliott Chaffer and Alex Moulton will be sharing our first-round presentation for TeenNick’s rebrand at this year’s First Round New York.

In 2015, the United Nations laid out the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global initiative asking governments, advocates, and businesses around the world to come together to benefit the planet and its inhabitants.

Five years later, the international change-maker has its sights set on the fashion world – urging designers, buyers, corporations, and influencers to do their part in building a model and awareness platform for SDG action, Vogue Business reports.

Early last year, Trollbäck did some design and strategy work for an audio start-up promising to dramatically improve digital sound quality while simultaneously activating the brain.

Yesterday, the brand introduced itself to the world.

Photos from junior animator Marcelo, who took these on a recent trip back home to Puerto Rico.

From taking more risks to making a typeface, these are the goals our studio creatives are setting for 2020.

This month, meet designer Pat King.

This week, Jakob Trollbäck and the Global Goals unveiled a new initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland to foster climate leadership across corporate, investor, donor and NGO institutions.

We’re posting here today to help spread the word, and invite you to scroll through seven video shorts that debuted this week to help highlight the effort.

Art Director Sarah Cohen weighs in alongside Pentagram’s Michael Beirut and DBLG’s Grant Gilbert for the magazine’s January print issue.

This week in Retail Customer Experience, CCO Alex Moulton shares his thoughts on how to optimize in-store experiences for a new era of IRL interaction.

This week in the Dieline, CCO Alex Moulton shares how brands can do more of the right thing – and less of everything else.

Looks like two of our projects made the list this year.

Senior producer Betsy Jones explores the other side of Cairo.
 

Our FOX Entertainment rebrand just got reviewed by UnderConsideration’s Brand New. How’d we fare? You’d better see for yourself…

Quick update on one of our coolest clients in the product sphere…

Let’s face it: At this point, we’re trained to ignore traditional ads on social. Cue: interactive AR filters, and this recent article by strategist Asia Hunt.

This week in title design news: Dexigner covered a brand film collab we did with Penn State and Decoded Advertising.

This fall, our senior animator took time off to visit family in Hawaii and get some much-needed rest. “It’s hard capturing the fresh air and beauty there, but my hope for these photos is to show you a glimpse of it. I returned to NYC feeling refreshed and refueled for the quickly approaching cold winter!”

Trollbäck copywriter Casey Halter shares her expert insights on the viral PSA, informed by her experience in both the health and brand advocacy worlds.

Looking for a better approach to market research? Try Omvarldsanalys: The Swedish art of finding brand purpose.

Have 15 minutes to learn about the future of humanity? Check out this podcast about the Global Goals, climate change, and an upcoming museum project we’ve been working on with famed paleoanthropologist Richard Leakey.

The news is out! We’re excited to welcome two new creative leaders to the studio: Executive Director, Creative Strategy Bo Bishop and Creative Director Fran Roberts.

Welcome to the “post-brand” generation. In this month’s issue of CEO Today, strategist Asia Hunt talks Gen Z, authenticity, and digital culture.

Yesterday, huge news dropped around WarnerMedia’s soon-to-debut streaming service — HBO Max. We’re proud to have been one of the agency partners who worked hard to help bring that vision into reality.

Love it or hate it, the Paris 2024 Olympics logo is here to stay. This week in Transform Magazine, CCO Alex Moulton mulls over whether the controversial marque can silence its critics.

Earlier this fall, we teased a new media project we’ve been working on – The Recount – a first-of-its-kind video venture promising bite-size “remixes” of the day’s biggest political stories. Today, they officially launched, and you should really check it out.

This month, meet producer Natalie Studdert.

The news is out! Take a sneak peek at our massive redesign for the new FOX TV….

Exploring the Iberian Peninsula

While exploring the Iberian Peninsula I was constantly surrounded by beauty, in both the vast expanses and in the tiniest details. It is was surprising though just how challenging it was to capture that essence of place and beauty on film.

For this month’s staff post, designer + animator Luke Barker lets us peek inside his process and inspiration when creating for motion.

A minimal, visual look into the graphic magic that makes Swedish design so great.

CCO Alex Moulton weighs in on the latest design industry debate.

This month in media news, Adweek’s Josh Sternberg goes inside the content-marketing strategy of the world’s largest hotel brand.

This month, meet designer + animator Koda Ko.

Are you in the business of money, banking, or financial planning? It’s time to listen up. Every day, it seems like a shiny new app enters the fintech market — from Betterment to Wealthsimple to FutureAdvisor. This week on Fintech Futures, CCO Alex Moulton shares his thoughts on how big finance can ready itself and navigate the changing financial services market.

Dieter Rams has left an indelible mark on the field of production design. Why, at the age of 87, does he now regret ever taking up the profession?

A guest blog by design + animation intern Lauren Kittle

Design is a competitive field — and there are a lot of different ways to find success in it, from motion graphics to user interface design to experimental design, or interactive practices. In advance of my final year of design school, I got to team up with some of the top talent here at Trollbäck to gather their best advice on graduating and getting a job…

Sports marketers, take note: This month in the Sustainability Report, journalist Aileen McManamon writes about how sponsors are increasingly using the UN’s Global Goals to set their business roadmap. Here’s how to speak their language.

This month, meet director of client partnerships David Edelstein.

Traveling gives you a new perspective and awareness of your surroundings, so I tried to capture that more literally on film.

How can businesses become more sustainable? What choices should they make? And what challenges will they face in doing so?

This week in Transform Magazine, founder Jakob Trollbäck sat down with the design pundits to talk about our Swedish sister agency, The New Division, and what they’re doing to bring positive environmental practices to brands around the world.

Experimental animations! Brilliant Design! World-changing strategy! Let’s face it: From the outside looking in, agency life can seem like a glamorous world of nonstop creativity. But as any producer will tell you — there’s a lot that needs to happen behind-the-scenes to take a project from a great idea to delivered project…

Photographing Long Beach, NY.

Brand Strategist Asia Hunt deep dives into the murky waters of branded queerbaiting and how LGBTQIA+ identities are exploited as a marketing tactic.

Perfect imperfect moments in New York City, Spring 2019.

This month, meet brand strategist (and resident Swed) Fredrik Henttonen.

For this month’s staff post, video editor September Raines talks creative techniques, iconic scenes, and the unseen impact editing has on our experience of storytelling.

Happy World Pride! We’re excited to share some recent work from Trollbäck designer Pat King, who is one of 25 LGBTQIA+ artists featured in #ArtOnLink this month, a city initiative from LinkNYC and the NYC Department of Information Technology commissioning local artists to celebrate life and culture across New York City.

Brand experience requires a multichannel, strategic approach to content, comms and branding. How can companies take a new approach to experience design?

CCO Alex Moulton answers that question in a new thinkpiece in Transform magazine this week discussing the importance of experience design in the new “attention economy.”

Modern architecture meets traditional culture in the alleyways of Japan.

This month, meet operations coordinator Brenden Schaaf.

This week on Digital Arts: Leading studios including Vault49, Here Design, Found Studio and Trollback+Company tell us why it pays to never play it safe.

Without a defining identity, your company could fade into the background. Fortunately, resident copywriter + strategist Casey Halter has some tips on how to develop a brand voice that stands out from the crowd.

Hey America! Listen up. Today, our friends at the United State of Women launched a national campaign aimed at amplifying the voices of female-identifying changemakers across the country.

Working with the Creative Alliance, Trollbäck helped launch and design the month-long campaign — and we’re super excited to help spread the word about their incredible program.

It’s that time of year again! This weekend, Trollbäck+Company is headed down to the Savannah College of Art & Design’s CoMotion conference, a student-run event connecting up-and-coming motion designers with industry insiders.

Today, just 4-11 percent of U.S. senior leadership roles in the design industry are women. What gives? And what can we do to fix that?

This week, Trollbäck’s newest Associate Creative Director, Erin Kilkenny was featured in an interview with Dexigner talking about what it takes to make your way to the top as a woman in this industry.

This month, meet art director Sarah A. Cohen.

Walking through the streets of London and fields of Long Island.

In early January, Trollbäck+Company helped launch an all-new on-air identity for TeenNick, Nickelodeon’s sister channel targeted toward teenagers, preteens and other forms of angsty youth. Three months later, the industry has finally spoken, with the design pundits at Brand New calling it “one of the most authentic branding approaches geared toward teenagers that I have seen.”

Ever thought about adding 3D to your design toolbox? Art Director Ben Nichols has some advice.

This month, meet executive producer Erica Schrager.

Looking for something incredible to listen to as you get through the work-week?

Turns out, when he’s not overseeing creative work at the studio, CCO Alex Moulton has another life as a Brooklyn-based composer and DJ best known for “Exodus” his imagined soundtrack for an epic space saga, heavily influenced by early synthesizer music of the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.

Today, we’re celebrating the album’s 10th anniversary.

As Oscar night approaches, Trollbäck+Company’s top creatives took some time out of their busy schedules to give us some thoughts on their favorite films (both nominated and unnominated) of the 2018-2019 season.

Ready for some future forecasting? In the latest issue of Design Week, CCO Alex Moulton shares his thoughts on what many believe will be “a mass adoption of motion graphics design and animation” in the industry.

“There’s a growing appetite for something different to the ubiquitous polished, computer-generated look. It turns out, we love imperfection, and the smartest brands are picking up on that.”

For all of you in-camera enthusiasts out there, ECD Elliott Chaffer has a new piece Adweek talking about how more and more filmmakers are going analog in 2019.

If you liked our latest stuff for Motion 2018…

Looking for something new to watch in 2019? Our designers and animators recently linked up with Netflix to design a quick show logo for “The Fix” a new British-style comedy panel show hosted by comedian Jimmy Carr.

“We are fast moving towards a world where consumers do more viewing than reading, and that’s something global brands can’t afford to ignore. It’s no longer enough to be discoverable only through a website or physical stores.”

In the latest issue of CEO Today, CCO Alex Moulton talks the importance of brand voice, messaging, and visual communication today’s increasingly “social” landscape.

Want your brand to communicate better in 2019?

As the year draws to a close, Trollbäck+Company’s top creatives took some time out of their daily practice to give us their thoughts on the work we’ve done over the past year.

It’s officially that time of the year again — end-of-year list time, to be exact. We’re happy to announce that our latest rebrand for MTV International has made Promax’s Top 10 Rebrands of 2018 list.

Working on set in Brooklyn, New York.

“We might not think about it, but every consumer touchpoint involves motion and sound. It’s just that most are lacking intention.”

Last week, Trollbäck’s CCO Alex Moulton caught up with the branding gurus at Transform Magazine to talk challenges in today’s branding world and our approach here at the studio.

As with everything Trollbäck, it’s clear, simple, and worth the click.

Read the article here

Exploring underwater environments in Cuba.

This month’s design list is all about the laughs.

Humor: It’s integral and inherent in essentially every human relationship — from the friends we choose to the coworkers we spend our creative time with, to the brands we interact and identify with on a daily basis. In our latest listicle, we share a few tips and tricks we’ve learned through the past 20 years that can help brand managers make things funny without falling flat.

We’re pledging alongside more than 200 other organizations to celebrate our civic duty.

In case you needed an extra reminder: Tomorrow, November 6th is Election Day in the United States. This year, Trollbäck+Company is partnering with #VoteTogether, a national, nonpartisan campaign that aims to increase voter turnout across the country.

Trollbäck+Company concepted and designed the 3D experiential model.

This month, meet operations manager + master crafter Nicole Willis.

“It’s an experience game,” says Trollbäck designer+animator Pat King, one of seven young designers interviewed by Digital Arts Magazine this week about how they found success at some of the world’s best creative agencies.

It’s definitely worth a read if you’re looking to make the jump.

Read the article here

As 2018 comes to an end, more and more brands are investing in storytelling as a way to raise awareness and develop trust. But while brand storytelling may be a useful marketing tool, it is actually the opposite of an advertisement…

In case you missed it, Trollbäck CCO Alex Moulton was recently published in Brandberries, the first branding gateway of the Middle East and Africa.

Read the article here

For this month’s staff post, designer + animator Koda Ko lets us peek inside her creative process for our latest Verizon 5G anthem. 

This month, meet our producer + karaoke queen Betsy Jones.

A film about Dieter Rams by Gary Hustwit.

On Monday, September 24, SVA Theatre is premiering Hustwit’s latest film RAMS, a documentary portrait of Dieter Rams –– one of industrial design’s biggest icons. We are proud to have worked on both the opening titles and an interstitial animated sequence in the film.

Capturing the day-to-day lives of people and workers in NYC’s Chinatown.

For this month’s staff post, art director Sarah Cohen describes love at first sight, awkward interactions, and deeply interfacing with a modern design icon.

This month, meet our account manager Kevin “Kev” Anderson.

Exploring analogs on both sides of the Atlantic.

This month, meet copywriter + strategist and staff psychic Casey Halter.

It’s officially time to renew your library card.

With so much of New York culture specifically and unapologetically catered towards the tourism industry, NYC residents are often left (or jaded) out of the loop when it comes to catching what the city has to offer. But the launch of Culture Pass, a new partnership introduced this week between the New York Public Library system and 33 museums across the city is giving locals a new sense of cultural agency in a city run on sightseeing.

Is it time for your brand to take a stand?

Engaging in effective brand activism can create major moments for savvy brand managers, from helping to raise awareness, to building consumer loyalty, to helping new players in the business differentiate from the long-standing competition. But playing politics can also be a dangerous game for CMOs to play in today’ volatile environment–one misstep and brands can go from relative safety to total extinction.

Fortunately, we have some expertise in this arena, from our continuing human rights work with the Global Goals, to this spring’s exciting LGBTQ pivot campaign with MGM Resorts. For our latest design list, we offer five tips for brand leaders to effectively engage in this new age of radical branding.

Trollbäck+Company’s latest film titles will premier this month at Lincoln Center.

This Friday, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is set to premiere Love, Cecil an archival look at the legacy of famed photographer, set and costume designer Cecil Beaton. The film, a dazzling chronicle of one of the 20th century’s most unique creative forces was directed by one of Trollbäck+Company’s long-time collaborators, Lisa Immordino Vreeland.

We are proud to have designed the opening titles and film graphics for the project.

An analog exploration of Northeastern Americana.

Last night, PromaxBDA announced the winners of its 2018 Promotion, Marketing and Design North America Awards. We’re proud to have been honored alongside our clients once again this year.

It’s that time of year again! For the next three days, some of the world’s biggest entertainment companies and creative agencies will be hanging out in NYC for PromaxBDA’s annual conference and awards.

This month, meet designer, animator + Midwest native Eli Guillou.

Exploring how digital effects can translate to live in-camera FX.

For this month’s staff post, designer + animator Pat King gives us a glimpse behind his creative process for Motion 2018.

Young designers, take note. 

Are you a freelancer looking to score a gig at a cool design agency in New York City? In a place full of top-notch talent, it takes more than just a cool reel or website to get noticed. Take it from Daniel Graf, our in-house production coordinator, who recently compiled a list of do’s and don’ts for how to make it amid the competition.

From speaking with confidence to talking empowerment.

A brand’s tone of voice is not what it says, but how it says it. When doing big rebrands and redesigns, we often begin our strategic process not with the visual stuff, but with an exploration of a brand’s way of communicating and connecting with audiences.

For our latest Trollbäck List, we created a list of 10 essential TOV traits for brands to consider, and a quick explanation of when (and when not) to use them.

This month, meet senior designer, animator and krav maga initiate Fionna Mariani.

An up-close look at the Lone Star state through a foreign lens. “As a native Canadian, I definitely found the motto to be true: Everything is bigger in Texas.”

More upfront news! This afternoon, FOX celebrated the season with its own 2018 Upfront event at The Beacon Theater in New York City.

It’s officially upfront week! This morning, Trollbäck+Company started out the season with NBCUniversal’s 2018 Upfront event at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Spring has started and agency awards season is officially here. This week, some of our recent sports branding work got some major attention. First off, The Motion Awards by Motionographer announced our rebrand for NFL GameDay won in their TV/Streaming > Sports Graphics category. Clio Sports also awarded us a bronze award for our show packaging for ESPN’s Outside the Lines and a silver award for NFL GameDay. Looks like we’re going to have to dust off the trophy shelf. 

Congrats to everyone in our company who was involved! 

Let’s be honest–it’s fun to play.

Creating real visual effects in-camera is something I am passionate about. Call me “old skool,” but I strongly believe that now, more than ever, it is important to create work with personality and a human touch that breaks free from the sameness of work created with today’s over-obsession with plug-ins and render engines.

This month, meet junior strategist + horse grrl Asia Hunt.

Mark your calendars: Today, Motion 2018 announced our Executive Creative Director, Elliott Chaffer will be joining the likes of mograph legends Kyle Cooper, Erin Sarofsky, Garson Yu, and Jayse Hansen as a featured speaker at this year’s conference.

A unique collection New York City streetscapes, found artwork, and compelling personal moments.

Six ways digital communication is changing the way we think about wordmarks, avatars, and icons.

Logo design has come a long way since brands began using standardized icons more than 200 years ago. From ornate Victorian symbology in the mid-1800s to the Late Modernism of the 1960s and ‘70s, the design industry has demonstrated an almost constant state of re-invention to keep up with changing visual trends and technologies of the times.

Today, as society continues to embrace a bold new era of digital communication, this dynamic nature is changing faster than ever. In our latest Design List, we detail six recent trends in modern logo design and why they matter for constructing a contemporary, digital-first brand identity.

Nineteen years ago today, our founder Jakob Trollbäck took his vision for the world and put it into motion. Today, we celebrate 19 years of innovation in the design and creative communities.

In light of the recent Facebook + Cambridge Analytica controversy, art director Ben Nichols muses on the importance of honest brand communication on social media.

A follow up to AIGA/NY’s January panel discussion on gender equality and female representation in the workplace.

Why is it that women outnumber men as design school graduates, yet only make up 1 in 10 creative directors in this industry?

Tomorrow, our company is once again joining Trollbäck CD Rosie Garschina, AIGA/NY and the Parsons Lecture Series for a discussion on female leadership in the design and advertising worlds. We hope to see you there.

Nine frames is a new photography series produced by the Trollbäck staff. Each month, we assign a disposable camera to a single team member and ask them to capture their world. The idea is to show how different the world can look through the eyes of different people in this industry — designers, animators, strategists, filmmakers and writers. We hope you enjoy the perspective.

This month, meet video editor + Pacific Northwest hippie September Raines.

As we see media distributors losing consumers from traditional linear TV, digital distribution and social media have become crucial for creating engagement, boosting awareness and growing a brand’s customer base, among dozens of other KPIs.

For our latest staff post, head of client partnerships, Joe Nash overviews what it takes for brands to adopt and implement a comprehensive digital messaging and design strategy, and how studios like ours can help cut through the chaos.

Every Spring, Trollbäck + Company travels to Georgia for the Savannah College of Art & Design’s CoMotion conference, a student-sponsored event that brings together top industry professionals with the school’s Motion Media Design students to talk about what we do best.

As Oscar Season swiftly approaches, Trollbäck+Company’s top creatives took some time out of their busy schedules to give us some thoughts on their favorite Academy Award-nominated (and snubbed) films of the year.

In this industry, it’s important to stay inspired and keep connected to what’s going on in mainstream culture. Our top film picks help reveal what moves us here at the studio, and the diversity of thought within our creative team that’s integral to running a creative agency like ours.

Now, let’s see if the judges agree with our recommendations.

A panel discussion on the pros and cons of working in an intimate, collaborative agency.

How do some of New York City’s top design studios start small, stay small, and still compete with much larger agencies?

Join us this Thursday, February 22nd at the Museum of Arts and Design to talk some real-world strategies around something we know well: creating and running a small-scale studio. We’re going because Trollbäck CD Rosie Garschina has once again helped organize AIGA New York’s monthly panel talk.

8 techniques for working purposefully with one of design’s most notorious glitches.

Moiré: A type of graphic interference pattern that seemingly appears out of nowhere when lines, stripes, grids or curves align unexpectedly in a design. It’s a phenomenon usually avoided in this industry – the subject of countless how-to articles and online tutorials overviewing the easiest ways to skirt around or edit out the notorious optical illusion from our creations.

But moiré can also be an incredibly useful tool for adding depth, movement and unexpected excitement to our creative projects. Below, we detail eight techniques artists and designers have used while working purposefully with interference patterns. Think of it as inspiration for your daily practice.

Introducing our new monthly staff profile series. This month, meet designer + animator + avant pop star Bobby Hanley.

This weekend, design, architecture and illustration portal Dexigner interviewed Creative Director Brian Bowman about one of his latest project launches — a short animated film conceptualizing time and space for the Rubin Museum of Art. Commissioned for “The Second Buddha: Master of Time,” the video is one of many interactive tools and technologies that enable visitors to discover hidden meanings within the paintings and sculptures on display.

“Theories of time and space are hard to conceptualize, especially when you consider the many lenses through which we try to process it through science and spirituality, as individuals or collectively,” Bowman explains. Read the entire feature here.

Exhibition opening February 2 at the Rubin Museum of Art

In 2018, the Rubin Museum of Art is dedicating its galleries, lecture halls, and theaters to a year-long exploration of “The Future.” Kicking off the year is The Second Buddha: Master of Time, an exhibit that tells the story of Padmasambhava, the Lotus Born, who is believed to have played a major role in converting the land and people of Tibet to Buddhism.

A panel discussion with leading female creatives

Women make up just 11% of creative directors in this industry. We should talk about that.

On January 30th, our company joined Trollbäck CD Rosie Garschina, AIGA NY, and the Parsons Lecture Series for a discussion on equal collaboration, management and how to empower the next generation of female creative leaders.

As the year draws to a close, Trollbäck + Company’s top creatives took some time out of their daily design, strategy and content innovations to give us their thoughts on the work we’ve done over the past year.

It’s been a busy 12 months in the studio, from envisioning the future of entertainment with brands like Oxygen and Universo to tackling dynamic new visual identities with the NFL Network.

In the spirit of the New Year and year-end reviews, below are our thoughts on three of Trollbäck’s most-talked-about projects of 2017.

This fall, the NFL Network revealed a classic new look for its flagship Sunday show GameDay and guess who was behind it? We were thrilled to be involved in helping the iconic football channel re-envision its approach to sports marketing, working to develop everything from a fresh, original typeface to a clean, custom on-air graphics package that is now re-defining the look of the athletic entertainment industry at large.

Catch Creative Director Rosie Garschina talking about the rebrand in a recent interview with PromaxBDA, or view the full case study here.

Recently, PromaxBDA’s “The Daily Brief” podcast featured COO Alex Moulton to talk about the strategy, creative and design behind some of our biggest rebrands of the year. In the interview, Alex discusses his passion for music, his entrepreneurial spirit, and how he approaches some of the industry’s biggest challenges by simply “running into the fire.”

“The Daily Brief” is a weekly audio series that delivers original reporting, newsmaker interviews and the latest in creative innovation for entertainment marketing and design professionals. Listen in on the conversation here.

For commuters who start their day with Spectrum’s NY1 news channel, this week dawned a little lighter and brighter with a new early morning show, “Mornings on 1.” We created a fresh show open and bumpers for the live program, which brings New Yorkers three hours of continuous coverage from around the five boroughs.

by Ben Nichols, Senior Designer/Animator

In recent years, the development of cinematic-quality television has raised expectations for show titles to new heights and elevated it in public consciousness. Look no further than Ryan Gosling’s viral SNL skit, “Papyrus,” poking fun at the font choice for James Cameron’s blockbuster film Avatar. Of course the skit was a huge hit with us type design nerds, but it also reflects an increased viewer awareness of film and show titles as a distinct art form.

+ Title: Production Coordinator

+ From: Los Angeles, California

+ Currently living in: Bushwick, Brooklyn

+ With Trollbäck for:  7 months

+ Instagram: @greasepencil

In conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly and Global Goals Week, Jakob Trollbäck and our colleagues at The New Division have unveiled Targets for Action: an expanded communication system for all 169 targets of the Sustainable Development Goals.

+ Title: Chief Creative Officer

+ From: Berkeley, California

+ Currently living in: Fort Greene, Brooklyn

+ With Trollbäck for:  10 months

+ Instagram: @moultonalex

by Jess Bennett, Copywriter

For someone who values speed and efficiency in everyday life as much as I do, I have a limitless attention span when it comes to painstaking activities that inspire tedium in others. I love jigsaw puzzles – the tinier and more convoluted the pieces, the better. I love knitting, even though it’s infinitely more practical to buy a sweater than spend 40+ hours making one. I enjoy listening to the Grateful Dead (but draw a line at the tedium that is Drums and Space). What’s behind this patience-disparity?

by Rosie Garschina, Creative Director

Dieter Rams and his “10 Principles of Good Design” have had a huge influence on my practices as a designer, and continue to be a great reference for creating simple, effective design solutions. Until recently, it was easy to classify a product as well-designed. But what might be more important is recognizing that good design is not always successful branding.

+ Title: Designer / Animator

+ From: Coatesville, Pennsylvania

+ Currently living in: Brooklyn, NY

+ With Trollbäck for: 4 months

+ Instagram: @nijeltaylor

Earlier this year, Oxygen announced their intention to become television’s newest full-time destination for investigative crime programming. We were thrilled to be involved in helping them capitalize on audience demand for more “Crime Time,” and to witness the launch of their striking new branding package last Wednesday.

Intrigued? While we’re putting the finishing touches on the case study, read more about the rebrand in this exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter.

by Elliott Chaffer, Executive Creative Director

To be clear: I am not talking about the false value that people and brands place on the amount of shares they get or “friends” they have on social media. Nor am I talking about file sharing, timeshares, ride shares, re-shares, shareholders or company shares. And frankly, I couldn’t care less about selfies, hashtags, cat pics, or pictures of what you ate last night. Share a real meal with someone instead and find out something new.

Start your day with “morning dose.” Our branding for the new morning show launched on June 29th in syndicated Tribune Broadcasting markets. Leveraging the media reach and data analytics of digital publisher Dose, it’s the first daily wake-up show of its kind to focus on storytelling driven by trending social content. View the full case study here.

+ Title:    Senior Motion Designer

+ From:   Sydney, Australia

+ Currently living in:   Astoria, Queens

+ With Trollbäck for:   5 amazing years

+ Instagram:   @benjington

by Alex Moulton, Chief Creative Officer

I am on a constant quest to understand what makes great stories work on screen. But while reading scripts and mapping stories continue to teach me a lot about what works, I’ve always wished there was a better way to learn about non-verbal storytelling.

Now there’s a new tool for learning the unspoken side of the craft. Everyone has access to it, but most don’t even realize it’s there.

Australian comic Jim Jefferies is the latest entertainer to join the ranks of late night television, with a new politically-charged show on Comedy Central. We designed a show package that amplifies Jim’s unique and often divisive brand of humor, juxtaposing images that are informed by the complexity—and absurdity—of today’s current affairs.

AICP Week 2017 is underway, and we are thrilled to continue our involvement with the organization both as branding partners and event participants.

+ Title:    Executive Creative Director

+ From:  London, mate!

+ Currently living in:   Brooklyn, baby!

+ Studied:   Graphic Design/Photography at University of Brighton (UK)

This week in “Behind the Title,” postPerspective interviews CCO Alex Moulton. Alex discusses his goal to redefine growth and value in our industry, as well his passion for learning all of the “instruments” that play a role in branding and production.

“Behind the Title” is a weekly series profiling lead creatives across the production and post-production community. Learn more about Alex’s career trajectory, his latest music discoveries, and his musings on the future of VR storytelling here.

by Jess Bennett, Copywriter / Communications Coordinator

Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft is a candid book that’s part memoir, part style manual, and part self-improvement guide. It’s the most honest book I’ve read about writing, and the most valuable. It was also published in 2000: four years before Facebook, six years before Twitter, a decade before Instagram. Today, we are rabid consumers of words and content; much more, I would argue, than when King first started On Writing in 1997. Now more than ever, with innumerable apps and platforms available for us to swipe, like, and share (including this one), everybody writes.

NBCUniversal’s upfront season is in full swing, showcasing everything that media buyers and audiences have to look forward to in their 2017-2018 portfolio. From their “Unequaled” anthem campaign to Monday night’s finale at Radio City Music Hall, here’s a look at some of our recent work for NBCU and their vast network of entertainment brands.

Under the leadership of veteran anchor Bob Ley, ESPN’s Outside the Lines reports on the most riveting and consequential stories to impact the world of sports–and the world at large. For the refresh, we delved into OTL’s past and present legacy to highlight the scope of their award-winning journalism–and never-ending quest to “Follow the truth.”

Catch Outside the Lines weekdays @ 1pm EST on ESPN. View the full case study here.

+ Name:   Fionna Mariani

+ Title:    Senior Designer / Animator

+ From:   North Carolina

+ With Trollbäck for: 2 years

+ Instagram:   @feefee83

For those of you in and around Stockholm (or needing an excuse to visit), Jakob will be speaking at A House Stockholm to celebrate 60 years of Design Sweden on May 22nd. Admission to the event is free.

Jakob will join other designers and creatives to discuss his work as it relates to “Purpose”—exploring why designers do what they do, why design matters, and how purpose plays a role in their process. Follow @designsweden as they continue to add exciting talent to their speaker slate, including Hall of Femmes co-founder, Angela Tillman Sperandio; and Unn Swanström of Doberman.

Details and tickets available here.

NBCUniversal (NBCU) has augmented their 2017–2018 upfront campaign using a new strategic formula for media buys: anthems directly targeting advertisers using NBCU’s own ad space. 12 spots, produced in collaboration with Trollbäck+Company, leverage NBCU’s proprietary assets to showcase their premium content and massive audience scale both on air and online.

+ Name:   Pat King

+ Title:     Designer / Animator

+ From:   British Columbia, Canada

+ With Trollbäck for: 1 year

+ Instagram:   @_patking

by Alex Moulton, Chief Creative Officer

“Design is a solution to a problem. Art is a question to a problem.”

John Maeda, 2009

Maeda’s insight remains a profound reduction of the divergent mindsets between designers and artists. When I first heard it I was in complete agreement, but nearly a decade later I think it’s worth a closer look. I now believe that it’s more important than ever for designers to be asking deeper questions at every stage of our process. It’s not enough to focus on solutions.

Chief Creative Officer Alex Moulton will be representing Trollbäck+Company at The New School’s Design Career Fair, Thursday 4/13. If you’re a current student or recent graduate looking for summer internship opportunities, please ask him about our program or email us at hello@trollback.com.

by Jorge Peschiera, Creative Director

There was a time when a brand identity was basically a logo, a font, and a color scheme. And yes, there was research and strategy that informed all of that, and stern talk of “safe areas” and “brand voice.” But still, it was simpler then. It was a time when mass communication was in its infancy and print was the dominant medium. Those sweet, innocent days are over, but most people who work in branding today seem to have missed that memo. Many branding firms still adhere to a fundamentally print-centric model. They fail to see how profoundly things have shifted.

by Brian Bowman, Creative Director

The Whitney had a new home. I was excited to see it and thankful that Trollbäck+Company had purchased tickets for our whole studio to attend the opening exhibition. The new building fit in well with its industrial Meatpacking surroundings and popular High Line elevated greenway. The entire area had been refurbished for retail, posh restaurants, and an Apple Store. Change in cities is good (mostly); especially when neighborhoods at risk of becoming vacant and dilapidated are able to be transformed into something vibrant again. Change is the litmus of life in the city and I’d rather see continuous change than stagnation due to vacancy or overzealous preservation.

Read more

We are thrilled to welcome Alex Moulton to the Trollbäck family as Chief Creative Officer. Alex comes to us by way of VICE, where as Senior Director he helped launch Live Nation TV; and brings more than 17 years’ of industry experience to our studio.

Our work for NBC Universal continues with an elevated brand refresh for Universo, now the fastest-growing Hispanic channel for millennials and adults. Guided by the mantra, “Breaking Boundaries,” we employed strategy, design, animation, and sound to create a minimalist new look for the property with a distinctly Latin pulse.

Trollbäck+Company CCO, Jakob Trollbäck, will be participating in this year’s OFFF Barcelona festival from April 6–8th. Jakob is speaking in OFFF Roots: a series of talks spotlighting leading industry designers and studios.

Now in its 17th year, OFFF brings together design minds from around the world for three days of conferences, workshops, and performances that celebrate curiosity and innovation across disciplines. This year’s theme, “New Senses,” promises a “sensorial renaissance” to challenge and engage the way we experience the world.

On March 30th, join us at the Type Director’s Club in midtown Manhattan for “Designing for Change”: a discussion on the challenges and rewards of connecting with a global audience. Jakob will speak about the process of designing visual communication systems for the United Nations’ Global Goals campaign as well as the NBC Olympics logos.

UPDATE: View the full presentation here.

For the second year in a row, Creative Director Rosie Garschina represented Trollbäck+Company at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) CoMotion festival. The three day event of talks, panels, and portfolio reviews presents an exciting opportunity for students to network with leading industry professionals. Rosie was a panelist on “Keeping Up,” discussing strategies for creatives to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Watch the full presentation here.