Hello Big Idea

Creative people love asking “yeah but HOW did they do that?” and Atlas9: The Director’s Cut event for @kcdesignweek delivered on exactly that. 🤔 Jaron and Sam spent the day fully immersed (literally) inside the world of @atlas9.kc getting a behind-the-scenes look at how this wildly ambitious experience came to life — from early ideas and weird prototypes to the tiny details that make the whole thing feel like you’ve entered another world. Equal parts storytelling, fabrication, technology, architecture, engineering, and “okay wait that’s actually genius,” the conversation was packed with the kind of insight that makes your creative brain light up a little. Safe to say we left inspired, slightly overstimulated, and wanting to build cooler things immediately. 🖤 Huge thanks to the panel for letting us peek behind the curtain and into the beautiful chaos of bringing immersive experiences to life: Atlas9: Damon Bradshaw Dimensional Innovations: • Gabrielle Klockau • Ryan McDonald • Randall Statler • Brandon Wood #kcdw #brandedbyhbi #atlas9

NEW WORK! 👩🏻‍💻 ✨ @kcdesignweek is more than just a week; it’s a whole vibe. Since 2010, it’s been the ultimate playground for creatives to explore, connect, and get inspired across graphics, interiors, architecture, products, and everything in between. We brought that energy online. In collaboration with @omg_jlsa , the KCDW website extends our playful, Y2K-inspired identity into digital form. Animated banners, immersive layouts, and pixel-perfect details pull you in before you even step into the week, making the site the first stop in the experience. Check out @kcdesignweek and dive into a week of design, discovery, and collaboration, and don’t miss our HBI-hosted event at MMGY! Snag your tickets for all the events at kcdesignweek.org! ✨ HBI for KC Design Week ⚡ Brand Design 💪 HBI Team Creative Director: Samantha Marion Brand Design: Lindsey Musil

NEW WORK! 🎟️ 🤩 🎨 A week that’s been inspiring creatives since 2010 and bringing together thousands of designers, students, and design-minded thinkers across every corner of the industry? That’s @kcdesignweek , and for the second year in a row we helped create a brand identity for the event that lives up to that energy. Custom pixel icons. Social templates that stand out in a busy feed. Speaker slides that felt like part of the brand. Web layouts and animated banners that pull you in from the very start. Every detail is designed to be cohesive, playful, and full of energy to generate excitement for the anticipated event. Rooted in early digital design and brought to life through a playful, Y2K-inspired concept, it’s a shared language connecting disciplines, perspectives, and people into one experience. Not just something to attend, but something to be part of. Check out the week's full April 22–30 lineup at kcdesignweek.org! HBI's very own event, Inside the Agency Mind, hosted at MMGY is a can’t-miss—tickets are moving fast so grab yours now! ✨ HBI for @kcdesignweek ⚡ Brand Design 💪 HBI Team Creative Director: Samantha Marion Brand Design: Lindsey Musil

NEW WORK! 💖 ⭐ 💚 For the second year in a row, we partnered with KC Design Week to bring this year’s event identity to life. Since 2010, KCDW has brought together creatives across disciplines—architecture, UX, graphic design, industrial, and everything in between. Different perspectives. Different practices. One community. So the question was: How do you design for all of it without designing for just one of it? We built a concept rooted in the early days of digital design. Playful. A little nostalgic. Very Y2K. Think pixel icons, halftone patterns, and bold, expressive type—designed to flex across every touchpoint while still feeling cohesive. The result is a visual system that acts like a shared language. It connects the community without flattening it. It holds multiple perspectives without losing its identity. Curious about what’s on the @kcdesignweek roster this year? Head to kcdesignweek.org to check out the full lineup of events offered from April 22–30. There’s truly something inspiring for every creative! And don’t miss HBI's very own event, Inside the Agency Mind, hosted at MMGY. Tickets are going fast so snag yours now! ✨ HBI for @kcdesignweek ⚡ Brand Design 💪 HBI Team Creative Director: Samantha Marion Brand Design: Lindsey Musil

Meet Ashley, Founder & CEO of Hello Big Idea! 👀✨ Ashley’s role touches everything. From shaping the vision to guiding the team to building what HBI becomes next, she’s behind the big decisions and the everyday momentum that keeps it all moving. She's thinking about the business, the people, the clients, and where we’re going — all at the same time. Always bringing her signature BIG extrovert energy and an even bigger laugh (IYKYK 😉) she somehow still makes it all feel fun, grounded, and worth showing up for. The kind of leadership that builds something real. 🤝 #hbipeople #hellobigidea #ceo #femaleceo

Meet Shanley, Senior Copywriter at Hello Big Idea. ✍️📓 Shanley gives brands their voice, and makes sure it actually means something. From messaging and naming to websites, campaigns, and everyday content, she’s turning strategy into words people understand (and remember). It’s not just writing — it’s clarity, direction, and knowing how to say the right thing in a way that actually connects. And when it clicks, you can feel it. That’s the difference good copy makes. 💡 #hbipeople #hellobigidea #copywriterenergy

Meet Sam, Creative Director at Hello Big Idea. 🎨⚡️ Sam is the reason the work holds up. Every concept, every design, every detail runs through her lens before it goes out — making sure it’s not just done, but actually right. She’s leading the team, shaping the direction, and pushing the work past “good enough” into something that’s clear, intentional, and built to perform. It’s part feedback, part instinct, part knowing exactly how to make something better. That’s what great creative direction looks like. 🔥 #hbipeople #hellobigidea #creativedirector

✨ HBI Team Favorite! ✨ Both Shanley and Sam, HBI's Senior Copywriter and Creative Director, absolutely loved working with Rainbow Slime Co. to create a truly custom brand experience... "This one was a really fun challenge from a brand voice and conceptual standpoint. We got to build the brand from the ground up, figuring out how it should sound, feel, and show up across every touchpoint. From there, it was about carrying that through into the visuals, the website, and even how it could come to life in a physical space. It’s playful, immersive, and doesn’t take itself too seriously (in a good way)." We're obsessed with helping a brand come to life and seeing it translated into the real world is the cherry on top. Find them at Union Station and get your squish on! 🤝 HBI for @rainbowslimeco ⚡ Verbal & Visual Brand Identity + Web Design + Environmental Design Creative Director: Samantha Marion Design: Lindsey Musil Copywriting: Shanley Cox #brandedbyhbi

✨ HBI Team Favorite! ✨ Lindsey, HBI's Senior Graphic Designer, shares why updating Chewology's brand was a total blast... "This one's a favorite because it shows how bold and playful a brand can be, while still feeling really polished and professional. Creating custom illustrations that reflected the client’s personality was so much fun and it made the whole identity feel a lot more personal and expressive. It’s a good reminder that you don’t have to play it safe to be taken seriously." It's one of our favorite examples of how infusing personality and having a little fun goes a long, long way. 🤝 HBI for @chewologykc 🎨 Verbal + Visual Brand Identity Creative Director: Samantha Marion Design: Lindsey Musil Copywriting: Shanley Cox #brandedbyhbi

✨ HBI Team Favorite! ✨ Addie, HBI's Senior Account Manager, shares why KC Kids Doc's book launch promotion was more than just a project... "I loved this project because it was all about helping a brand launch from start to finish. We weren’t just thinking about one big announcement. We mapped out how everything could build over time, from drip campaigns to promo moments. The branded launch kits were probably my favorite part. Getting to create something people could actually hold and experience made the whole thing feel a lot more personal and memorable." These press kits with custom goodies like calm strips, stickers, referral cards, pens, wristbands, and a DIY treasure box for safekeeping are a great example of how Hello Big Idea and drip can come together to create something really special. 🤝 HBI + drip for @kckidsdoc 📚 Book Launch Strategy + Promotional Press Kits Promotional Goods: Hunter Henry Design: Samantha Marion Copywriting: Shanley Cox #brandedbyhbi

NEW WORK! 🌿📚 Growing Futures came to us wanting a refresh—an updated brand and website that better reflects the care, learning, and impact behind their work as an early childhood education center. The new site brings strategy, messaging, and visuals together in one cohesive experience through bold shapes, layered elements, and dynamic colors. It feels interactive, approachable, and human, and now with a simplified page structure, navigation is easy to interpret and helps families, educators, and partners quickly find programs, resources, and ways to get involved. It’s not just a website. It’s a space to understand and connect. Check it out → 🌐 growingfutures.org and read more about the project on our blog. ✨ HBI for @growingfutureseec ⚡ Strategy, Verbal + Visual Identity, Website Design Creative Director: Samantha Marion Design: Jessi Donahoo Copywriting: Shanley Cox Web Design: HBI Team #brandedbyhbi

NEW WORK! 👶🧡 A brand built around growth should look and feel like real growth. Especially for Growing Futures, an early childhood education center supporting kids and families for 60 years. They've come a long way, but their passion wasn't showing up in their brand, so we gave it a glow-up with strategic design and copy choices that will serve them for years to come. Messaging with meaning: 💬 Every word of their verbal identity highlights how Growing Futures advocates for children and families with tenacity and heart, breaking down barriers that stand between kids and the futures they deserve. Logo suite with layers: 🎓 Graduation cap + 🌱 Sprouting plant → developmental growth and care 📖 Open book → learning and education 🏡 Home + 🤲 Hands → community and a safe, nurturing environment Typography with heart: 🔤 Bold but relatable with softened serif touches, the type gives a nod to educational foundations without being childish. Paired with an italic for emphasis and a strong sans serif, the styles keep the system approachable yet grounded. Colors that care: 🔸 A vibrant palette, inspired by their multicultural demographic, invites joy and inclusion with playful blocky shapes and layered collage elements that make the identity feel energetic, human, and flexible—ready to support kids, families, and educators across every touchpoint. 📖 Dive into the thinking on our blog. ✨ HBI for @growingfutureseec ⚡ Strategy, Verbal + Visual Identity, Website Design Creative Director: Samantha Marion Design: Jessi Donahoo Copywriting: Shanley Cox Web Design: HBI Team #brandedbyhbi