Enlisted Design: Co-Creating in Salt Lake City

Have you ever bought a product based solely on design? You probably have, and most likely without realizing you’re doing so. A product’s branding and design are a lot more important than you might think, and can sometimes make or break a product’s success. So how do you ensure you’ve got great branding and product design? You start with an innovative, forward-thinking design company like Enlisted Design.

Founder and CEO Beau Oyler had been working in the design industry for a few years when he realized there was something missing. The connection between the client and design team wasn’t as strong and interactive as it could be. Time and time again, Oyler saw a back and forth shuffle between the client and the designers that made the process much longer and arduous than it needed to be. There wasn’t much in the way of truly interacting and understanding the needs and wants for both the client and the designers. Seeing this problem, Oyler knew he could take a different approach, so in 2008 he started Enlisted Design.

The name Enlisted Design comes from the idea that the design team and the client both become enlisted in the cause. Enlisted is working with clients in every way possible to have a successful outcome, but the designers aren’t just working with clients- they’re “co-creating”. Gone are the days where a company sets a budget, tells the designers what they want, and walks away, coming back in a few months for critique. Rather, the client and designers at Enlisted work together to co-create a product. Whether that means multiple day workshops with design and inspiration boards, prototypes, and discussion, or just a few hours together, designers and clients are truly solving problems together. This business model saves time and money, and results tend to be better than traditional methods. Enlisted’s approach is different, but one thing stays constant, and that’s great design.

Based in Oakland, California, Oyler has enjoyed working with some amazing clients, but saw a need for expansion. After considering a few different locations, he kept coming back to Salt Lake City. "The people in Utah are amazing, and they work really hard. There’s such a sense of entrepreneurialism- it’s palpable and exciting and we’re bringing our unique process to Silicon Slopes." Enlisted is not coming to Utah to take away from the design agencies, but to add to what is already here. Along with Enlisted’s design process, Oyler also wants to bring a sense of unity to the design community in Utah. Their studio will be a place to gather, mingle, and achieve goals.

"The new studio will be an extension of the Enlisted headquarters in Oakland, California - maintaining our collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that brings industrial design, branding, packaging, and digital together, to create a cohesive consumer experience at every brand touchpoint."

With the new location comes a team that can take Enlisted to the next level in Utah. Oyler brought a few designers from the Bay Area, as well as some Utah residents, and the combination is proving to be an explosion of talent. Enlisted Design will be participating in Salt Lake’s Design Week with an open studio and panel event. For more information, visit Enlisted’s website.