Manifesto
Lyra Designs is a constellation of unique and talented individuals. We work with you to create meaningful interactive experiences for the web to support the success of your vision and work.
Lyra began as a collaboration between two artists building websites for nonprofits. Our arts practice and early experience taught us to pay close attention to the people we worked with: the core purpose of their business, their unique identities and the underlying “why” of their work. Over the years our constellation has shifted and grown beyond nonprofits, including work with Bay Area startups and values-driven e-commerce brands throughout the US.
To design is to be thoughtful and work with intention.
To us, Design is a framework of thinking, not a visual medium. To architect; to code; to wireframe; to coordinate. These skills serve a process and all require thoughtful and intentional design of a path forward.
Every process is a creative process.
While sometimes our work is “just a job”, we attempt to bring personal meaning and value to everything we can. Deeper process can only occur when people have the courage to declare what they believe in, and bring their vulnerability and creativity to the table. Good ideas require courage, and growing them requires the humility to let go.
Likewise, we remember that everyone else is bringing their own unique vulnerability to the table too, and if you listen closely, you might find an opportunity to encourage a cohort or client to bring a deeper version of themselves.
Lyra strives to build a working culture around our common humanity without sacrificing our business goals.
The Lyre is a symbol of classical harmony. It represents the beauty and balance of human expression at its most powerful. The mythology and power of this symbol inspires a balance between form and function, speed and quality, work and life. We strive to navigate the tension between life’s dissonance to find an earned harmony.
High quality and stable code is important.
Listening to each other is important.
Clear technical requirements are important.
Work-life balance is important.
Functional and compelling designs are important.
Personal growth is important.
Keeping projects on-time and on-target is very important.
The well-being and happiness of each person is very important.
We communicate with awareness, efficiently and consistently, and work to build a collaboration with our clients, not just a one-way street of products and services.
We grow relationships built on realizing our client’s goals through creative collaboration and a mutual-exchange where Lyra and our clients both take care of each-other. Making money helps us take care of ourselves; helping clients make money helps them take care of themselves. Giving patience, understanding, care and mutual respect helps us all take care of ourselves and one-another.
Business and life are not separate. When one party no longer feels taken care of, we communicate our needs and improve or we part ways.
Interested in seeing what Lyra can do for you?