Nemo Design

Nemo Design is a brand design agency and creative workshop based in Portland, Oregon, offering a variety of services and specializing in active lifestyle and culture brands. The company was established by Jeff Bartel, snowboarding photographer Trevor Graves, and Chris Hotz in 1999, after they were laid off at Morrow Snowboards following its acquisition by K2 Skis. Bartel, formerly Morrow's art director, is a longtime graphic designer for snowboards. The trio named the company "Nemo", which means "no one" in Latin, because they wanted a more collective culture and thought using their surnames would give the unwanted impression of a law firm.

According to Transworld Skateboarding, "[Nemo's] curiosity and desire to create has pushed them to bridge the gap between print, product graphics, consulting, packaging, motion graphics, photography, and web design." The company has been located at 1875 Southeast Belmont Street, in Portland's Buckman neighborhood, since c. 2004. In 2008, the agency brought on Mark Lewman as a partner and creative director. Hotz left Nemo in the early 2010s, leaving Bartel, Graves, and Lewman as the three principals. Bartel and Graves continue to serve as executive art director and president, respectively. By August 2015, the agency had 38 employees.

Culture and events

According to Lewman, Nemo strives for "collective progression" and operates in the belief that "we're stronger together than as individuals". He has also said of the company's culture, "We want to feel like we're on summer vacation. We work really hard, but it should be for something fun and rewarding. It's like the Mark Twain quote: 'If it feels like play, it's not really work.'" Nemo offers "Skateboard Wednesdays" (also known as "Nemo Nooners") as an employee benefit, spending $300 per month to rent out the Commonwealth Skateboarding Park for personnel and their friends for three hours each week. In addition, the firm provides evening access to a company boat housed along the Willamette River. It also offers more traditional benefits like 401(k) matching and health insurance. Nemo has hosted a variety of events in their office space, including art shows, forums and panel discussions, fundraisers, and photography exhibits.

In 2008, the regional chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences hosted "PDX in the Mix" at Nemo. The panel featured Tucker Martine and Portia Sabin, among others, and was moderated by English musician Dave Allen (Gang of Four, Shriekback), who has served as Nemo's Director of Insights and Digital Media. Nemo hosted "I Am Snowboarding", a traveling art show, in 2010. More than 500 people visited the exhibit; a raffle featured snowboards and other products provided by Burton Snowboards, Lib Technologies, Skullcandy, Vans, and Volcom, among other companies. In December, the company hosted a screening of The Birth of Big Air, a film directed by Jeff Tremaine and co-produced by Lewman. Two-hundred BMX riders and Mat Hoffman fans attended the screening, which also served as a fundraise. It featured a collection of BMX bikes, courtesy of the BMX Museum, and an appearance by Hoffman.

In November 2014, Graves and Nemo hosted a benefit for snowboarding photographer Chris Brunkhart following his cancer diagnosis. The event included an auction of historical art and photography and raised more than $50,000 for Brunkhart and his family. The agency hosted an opening party for the 2015 "Everything Is Festival", a 4-day popular culture event billed as "the world's most completely indefinable festival of fun". Nemo has also hosted in its office space a happy hour organized by the women of Studio Co/Create, plus events associated with Design Week Portland.