Here's the work we would’ve, could’ve, should’ve been doing when the pandemic hit.

This is the time of year when we are usually looking back and assessing the best work of the year. How do you do that when the pandemic has canceled or delayed so much of the communications that we would’ve, could’ve, should’ve been doing? There were many projects that just never happened this year and some of our favorites were stopped in their tracks when the pandemic hit.

What can we learn from communications that had to stop? Are they lost forever or will they come back in another form?  Will Sloneker, Development Officer at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, said that he learned a lot from the design thinking process that we employed in a report that was never printed, “I will be approaching a new report more methodically this time around, proactively seeking input on themes and creative direction.”

These are the ones that got away, the “Almost Best Projects of 2020.” We’d like to take a moment and put the spotlight on the projects that might have been.

Israel Tennis and Education Center (ITEC)

Hilarie Viener, founder and Chief Growth Officer of Viener&Partners (V&P) was producing a communication program for a special ambitious two-week fundraiser trek to Poland and Israel called “From Remembrance to the Renewal” that was scheduled for Fall 2020. In March, the invitation package we designed with V&P was at the printer and was ready to be mailed as the pandemic shut down New York. “This was a long-planned important program,” states Hilarie Viener, “that looked terrific and many people were excited about.”  The organization was debating “Should we wait or just send them out?”  At the time, we were thinking that surely by the Fall everything will be back in business and this is the type of uplifting event that ITEC supporters can all look forward to. The event planners delayed the mailing a month and in April they delayed it again. By June the fundraiser event was canceled. Yet we had designed a beautiful program that organizers will hopefully reschedule in the future.

Click Here to support Israel Tennis and Education.

Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York

We were designing an annual report for one of the biggest supporters of social services in the New York City area. We had created a series of stories highlighting how the social workers interacted with the key constituents and linked the agencies that are a part of the Catholic Charities’ network. In the grand scheme, many supporters were unaware how far-reaching the Catholic Charities network actually is and on the personal side, they wanted to show how instrumental the case managers are in coordinating these services. New photography by Alison Sheehy captured the case managers and their clients connecting their stories to Catholic Charities and the network with bold quotes and graphics designed by Jim Keller. Will Sloneker, Development Officer, says, “The unreleased report you designed for us was very attractive, with a colorful and open design that warmly welcomed a reader to engage with our work. What it did best, though, was elevate the people of Catholic Charities—folks whose lives have been changed by our programs and the staff and donors who make those programs possible.” When the pandemic hit, resources and focus shifted to aid for Covid-related emergencies in the New York region. Some form of the annual report may still see the light of day, we are hoping to rework it as a testament to the front-line workers who are supported by Catholic Charities.

Click Here to support Catholic Charities of the Archdioceses of New York.

Children’s Museum Of Manhattan (CMOM)

Why doesn’t a world-class city like NYC have a best-in-class children’s museum? It does now. CMOM purchased a landmark building on Central Park West which is now undergoing a major renovation. When it’s done, it will be the largest museum dedicated to children in New York City and the first new museum along Central Park in 50 years. We designed a multi-fold mailer that would serve as a novel way to share the latest news on the new building. The mailer was held up when the museum — and everything else in NYC—was forced to close due to COVID. Museum leaders created virtual programs to stay active and engaged with their community during the spring and summer. It’s just recently reopened under new Covid-safe protocols and planning for the new building is moving forward.

Click Here to support Children’s Museum of Manhattan.