Shiftworks Community + Public Arts

Naming, messaging, communication strategy, visual identity

Striking out on their own as an independent nonprofit, we helped the 20-year-old organization shift into a new name, visual identity, and communication strategy.

Business stationery set for ShiftWorks, including letterhead, business cards, and envelope, arranged on a white background with line art designs and a black pen with gold accents.

The deep changes to strategy and identity incorporated input from a wide range of stakeholders, including artists, staff and board members, and Pittsburgh community residents. These perspectives reflected Shiftworks role in supporting people to shape the physical, cultural, and social fabric of their communities.

And the resulting picture directed us towards an energetic and vibrant identity of an organization in motion, at work.

Two dancers in a pose, with one leaning back and the other supporting, against a dark background, with the text 'Winter Intensive slowdown'.
A cemetery with a small white mausoleum in the foreground, surrounded by trees with autumn leaves, and a flock of birds flying in a blue sky with a few clouds.
A person in a wheelchair performing a one-arm handstand in an empty indoor space with large windows showing an outdoor view of hills and trees, with the text 'Winter Intensive' and 'Tess Dally' displayed.
Man with curly afro hair wearing a beige T-shirt with colorful geometric designs and the words 'SHIFTWORKS Community + Public Arts' printed on it.
Collection of stickers with the words 'SHIFTWORKS' in various styles, surrounded by a graphite pencil with a pink eraser, all on a white background.
Un tote bag de color natural con un cartel azul que dice 'Shiftworks' y presenta diseños geométricos en línea blanca.
Multiple colorful banner signs for SHIFTWORKS Community + Public Arts, with one sign featuring the name Sallyann Kluz.
A navy blue YETI vacuum-insulated tumbler with a black lid and silver accent, featuring geometric icons and the text 'SHIFTWORKS Community + Public Arts' on its surface.
A wooded forest scene with trees displaying fall foliage in shades of green, yellow, and orange.
Close-up of a trail information sign with a diagram and text describing trail features and seating elements, set outdoors among yellow and green foliage.

Little Kelpie worked with artist Carin Mincemoyer to design signage for Trail Meander, an installation in Frick Park below the Fern Hollow Bridge. We were also commissioned to support artist John Peña to design signage for 400 Million Years of Water, which appears along the pedestrian walkways on Fern Hollow Bridge.

Trail marker labeled 'Trail Meander' along a wooded forest path with trees, shrubs, and fallen leaves.
Information sign on a wooden post about the trail's historic restoration, with a map at the bottom, and people biking and walking dogs on a trail surrounded by trees with fall foliage in the background.
Two cyclists riding on a bridge with a black railing, over a forested area with autumn foliage, and a view of cars and traffic lights ahead.
Six small booklets with dark gray covers laid out on a textured gray surface. The booklets have white and blue text and graphics, with titles related to art and public places in Pittsburgh.

We worked closely with Shiftworks, formerly the Office of Public Art, to redesign the second and third editions of this guide to works of public art in three Pittsburgh neighborhoods.

Map of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, showing streets, the Allegheny River, and numbered locations marked in red, with a red sidebar listing sites and a yellow highlight for August Wilson.

The pocket-sized, 186-page guide features beautiful photos by Renee Rosensteel; details about each artist, history, and materials; and custom fold-out maps wrapped in a rich charcoal cover with white-gloss foil titling.

Don’t have a copy of the book yet?Download one or all of the tours.

The opening spread of a Pittsburgh public art guide for Shiftworks Community + Public Arts featuring a photo of the lights of the David Lawrence Convention Center at night.

Another project

Contemporary Craft

More than tool for their fundraising campaign, the multi-materials book also emphasizes the beauty and significance of craft.

The cover of a fundraising magazine that says, "Craft is...", the editorial and graphic design for Contemporary Craft's capital campaign.