Work & Co

With eight offices in the United States, South America and Europe, Work & Co has been accompanying an international clientele on their path to the future since 2013. With its interdisciplinary approach, the agency specialises in digital strategies and their implementation. The team realised a website for the Mellon Foundation that is based on emotional storytelling and a clear structure that captures the interest of a broad audience.

Interview with Work & Co

Red Dot: Did the mission of the Mellon Foundation also appeal to you personally?
Work & Co: The Mellon Foundation is the largest supporter of the arts and humanities in the United States. Their work is based on the belief that both are essential to the health of society. It was particularly meaningful to the Work & Co team that Mellon’s President, Elizabeth Alexander, is committed to placing social justice more front and centre in the grant-making process. We are excited to work with the foundation to give even greater visibility to grantees and their work, and to recognise the real, tangible impact they are having on society.

What were the key considerations when developing the website?
We focused the design on setting a milestone in the foundation’s journey to expand its mission and engage a broader audience. Through compelling design, robust architecture and powerful storytelling, the website embodies Mellon’s commitment to advancing social justice, empowering grantees and transforming communities through the arts and humanities. The website underscores this commitment by putting scholarship recipients front and centre. The new brand identity was designed by the Pentagram partner Eddie Opara and his team, and it provided a strong basis for our work.

This website is characterised by a clear structure with reduced graphics. Was this due to the content?
To give structure to the editorial side, the team developed a content strategy that shifted the focus from the programme sections to Mellon’s diverse work across various domains. This approach created a unified presence that resonates with a wider audience. The website features a vibrant and colourful design system that highlights the foundation’s contributions to society. The modern infrastructure allows for more seamless content management and ensures that the foundation can share its stories and initiatives efficiently. This new strategy shapes the way Mellon engages with the world and emphasises culturally relevant topics that resonate with the target audience. In this way, the website showcases the transformative power of the funded projects and underscores their positive impact on society.