Founder, Habby Design Co., New Fairfield CT

Steve Habersang is the founder of Habby Design Co., a creative studio launched in 2025 specializing in branding, digital and print media, illustration, and editorial design for passionate people and purpose-driven brands. Steve combines strategic thinking with hand-crafted artistry to build bold, thoughtful designs in a variety of mediums.

Before founding his own studio, Steve spent over two decades honing his skills as a Designer and Art Director at Taylor Design, where he led projects across branding, print, web, and advertising. That experience helped build the rock-solid foundation that now supports his more personalized, down-to-earth approach with clients.

Alongside his graphic design work, Steve creates detailed whimsical pen and ink illustrations blending fantasy and realism, often inspired by nature and animals. A lifelong Nutmegger, Steve grew up in a small town in northwest Connecticut, where he continues to live and work. Outside the studio, you’ll likely find him fishing, hiking, snowboarding, mountain biking, or sampling a good craft beer.

Tell us how and why you became involved in socially responsible communications, why design can be an especially effective tool for this goal, and, if you wish, give us an example of a project of which you are proud?

I got involved in socially responsible communications because I’ve always been drawn to using creativity in service of people and causes that make a positive impact. Early on, I saw how design goes beyond aesthetics. It can clarify complex ideas, bring visibility to under-recognized voices, and help people connect to a mission on a human level. Design can distill big, sometimes overwhelming issues into something approachable, memorable, and emotionally resonant. A strong visual identity or illustration can cut through the noise, spark curiosity, and invite people to engage. At its best, design doesn’t just inform. It inspires action and builds a sense of belonging around shared values. That combination of clarity, creativity, and impact is what keeps me motivated to use design in socially responsible ways. Two recent projects I’m especially proud of are the Lake Champlain Basin Program (lcbp.org) and CT Support Group (ctsupportgroup.org). Though their missions are very different — environmental stewardship versus teen mental health support — both address urgent issues I care deeply about. Designing these websites gave me the chance to help each organization share its message and move its mission forward.

Given the confluence of events and challenges our society now faces, does this moment in time present any special opportunities, urgencies, obstacles to designing for good?

Our current global climate feels both overwhelming and full of possibility. We’re facing big challenges — climate change, inequality, misinformation — but there’s also a stronger awareness that things need to change. More people are paying attention to sustainability, equity, and justice, which opens the door for new ideas and better solutions. For designers, that means both opportunity and responsibility. Good design can make complex issues clear and relatable, cutting through the noise, giving people something to rally around. Design isn’t neutral — it can be misused. It’s so important to work with honesty and empathy, alongside communities creating real positive change.