Who?
We take design deeper.
After five years independently designing and building brands from concept to launch, then scaling them as they grew, Michelle Mattar built Practice to expand her brand building practices. Practice is a brand development firm that partners with first time founders and established entrepreneurs to transform their initial vision into a thriving business. We embed deeply with our partner’s team, becoming experts in the unique niche they’re seeking to fill.
Taking only a few partners each year gives us space to commit completely to each one, forming deep relationships that last well past release. We’re committed to pushing entire categories forward, and we do it by applying the fundamental power of design to every aspect of our partners’ business, from product development to brand system. Once all the core touchpoints are in place, it’s time to show the world. As your business starts to grow, we’re on hand to support design, strategy, and messaging requests. When it’s time to scale, we apply our knowledge of the business to bring new capacities, products, and services online. In other words, once you’re our partner, you’ll always be our priority. That’s how we practice partnership.
What?
We’re not quite a studio or an agency: Practice works as an embedded team with dedicated leadership that takes a people-powered approach to brand building. Our experience allows us to know and avoid the challenges that come with building a purposeful brand to scale, then managing day-to-day operations (like marketing & social channels). Our skills range from research, naming and strategy to brand identity, packaging, physical product design such as toys and fabrics, websites, retail, marketing & more.
Strategy•Business development•Brand building•Design•Storytelling•MarketingWhere?
We’re based in New York City but working globally.
We’re currently building projects in:
We share this office with 3 friends.Our clients are in:
Why?
Cracking a big idea isn’t easy. We’ve found that the path to success is paved with strategic creative vision: navigated by a focused, dedicated team working to reinforce strategy across the board.
The Practice experience is unique, team-like, and holistic to building brands: we do more across a variety of touchpoints for fewer clients so that we can be accountable and flexible to all the road bumps that inherently come with building something new. Our clients have the big idea and vision, but they’re missing the creative leadership they need to realize it successfully and take it over the finish line. Just like us, they value design: they see it as a part of their core business strategy.
We engage with just a few clients per year who are passionate and lead with intention. In our work, we seek to launch products that have a positive mission and impact, and we apply our process to a wide range of industries and business types—this keeps us learning and allows us to be better partners, thinkers, and builders.
Partnered in strategy, fueled by creativity.
Lately
What our clients are up to
Ritual lobbied Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), and Richard Burr (R-NC) to introduce the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Landmark Advancements Act of 2022. The bill requires supplement makers to keep a record of their suppliers and share health claims with the FDA.
Our founder was named a Graphic Design USA 2023 Person to Watch
Michelle Mattar was selected for the 60th year of Graphic Design USA's People to Watch List
First place in The Dieline Awards
Our packaging system for Allkinds won first place in the Body Care Category for the 2022 Dieline Awards
We're listening to
Meet Waste Not
We created a searchable site of sustainable suppliers.
We created a free directory of sustainable, searchable listings by type of packaging from direct consumer, retail, and restaurant; fashion and soft goods, interiors, and more. Waste Not is intentionally free and commercially-focused (rather than consumer oriented) so we can make sustainable changes at the scale of business.