the front

The name of this blog, The Front, is an homage to a continuous series of graphics in the front window of our East Genesee Street office. With monthly designs created by our team on display for all to see, The Front helps showcase our talent and passion to passersby. It’s become a landmark expression of our company’s personality, but how did it come to be? Here’s a brief history to show how a creative idea turned into a company tradition. 

Inspiring the Community Since 1983 

The Front was born when our founder, David Chase, was looking for an opportunity to communicate our firm’s creativity to the community. It began as a chance for designers to put their talents out there for the world to see. The public loved it and began to anticipate the designs, which at the time, changed every two weeks. Now we update the panel every month to give our designers the chance to express themselves creatively beyond their work for our clients. 

Evolving the Design Process 

Hundreds of large-scale design projects have graced the space outside our building since the birth of The Front. For almost 20 years, the panels were hand-crafted. Designers submitted ideas as hand-drawn papers rendered with markers and we’d mix custom paint in gallons to create hand-painted masterpieces. As technologies emerged at the start of the new millennium, we began printing the panels and streamlining the process. 

Showcasing Our Creativity 

While many of the designs on The Front are 2D, many designers add 3D elements that break out of the frame or add some depth. Other designers create layers that they either add to or remove from the image over time to make the design evolve. For example, one employee designed a pie that gradually gets a whipped cream smile. Another employee designed an umbrella with 3D flowers hanging down.

Continuing the Tradition 

Our team still updates The Front about once a month. Most recently, we shared a still frame from our digital holiday mailer, and now we have a smiling snowman to cheer us up throughout January in CNY. Keep an eye on our blog to see the next design on display on The Front.