About Friendly Design Co
What is Friendly Design Co?
Friendly Design Co is a strategic design studio and Certified B Corp in Washington, DC. The homepage tagline says it plainly: "We're a strategic design studio, and Certified B-Corp, that builds impactful brands and websites with organizations who repair our world and strengthen our communities." The studio's self-described mission is design that meets long-term organisational goals and fosters change, achieved by working side-by-side with passionate individuals, organisations and the communities they serve.
Friendly Design's "Friendly Focus" practice areas highlighted on the homepage include Reproductive Health & Rights and Placemaking — sustained engagements across cause areas rather than one-off branding projects. Recent featured work includes new wings for Halcyon, a social-impact incubator. The studio's service mix spans three pillars: Strategy (positioning, discovery workshops, brand audits, content audits, audience & competitor research, voice/tone/messaging), Branding (naming, visual identity, brand guidelines, print & event collateral, packaging, illustration & iconography, brand campaigns, social media assets) and Web (information architecture, content strategy, UX & testing, responsive front-end development, CMS/back-end integration, optimization & maintenance, accessibility).
Where will I work?
Friendly Design Co is based in Washington, DC — "Proudly made in DC", as the site footer says — at 1227 Franklin Street NE, 20017. The studio has a hybrid working model with team members spread between DC and other US locations.
What is the Friendly Design Co team like?
The core team is four people:
- Ross Nover — Founder & Creative Director (also a self-published author of two books of comics)
- Hannah Karl — Design Director
- Alicia Schreder — Project Director
- Alyssa Anduiza — Interactive Director
The studio's "Friendly Philosophy" pages list nine named values: Give Shits ("our work looks good, and does good in the world"), Plan, Problem Solve, Geek Out ("We ♥ technology, fonts, hex colors, tacos, puppies, emojis"), School. (v.) (continuous learning), Collaborate (and listen), Make friends, Live life ("Work is a part of life, not all of life. Get outta here… go live it.") and Play — capped with a tenth half-joking line: "When in doubt, taco." A 2024 Louder Than Ten apprenticeship case study quotes Ross saying improved project management has meant "the average amount of late hours worked has gone down."
Work-Life Balance
Friendly Design Co is listed in our directory as operating a 4-day work week at 32 hours / week. The studio's "Live life" value codifies the philosophy ("Work is a part of life, not all of life") and the case study documents reduced overtime. Specific current schedule details are not published on the live site — verify with the studio for current policy.
Perks and Benefits
The live friendlydesign.co does not currently publish a benefits page or list of perks. Contact the studio directly via [email protected] for hiring details.