Left to right: Holly Broussard, Mary Reed, Shannon Beer, Jennifer Whitty Dominguez… a ‘well-tenured creative team’
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PRINCIPAL/CREATIVE DIRECTOR
PBD PARTNERS, BOSTON MA
Shannon Beer is the principal and creative director of PBD Partners, a Boston-based design firm celebrating 25 years of design.
PBD is a full-service studio with a focus on design for non-profit organizations, specifically higher education and healthcare. The studio’s clients are at the heart of the studio. Their longstanding relationships are a testament to this philosophy.
PBD is adept at collaborating with their clients, driving conversations and engaging customers to build businesses. PBD is a valued partner helping clients think through challenges and brainstorm new approaches.
The studio’s work has grown over the years to focus on system design, though PBD is always ready for a new challenge, recently designing a 15-foot sculpture for a Massachusetts college. The well-tenured creative team has been working together for more than a decade and the team is widely recognized for their design work, receiving more than 100 awards from 20 organizations.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 2025, ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT YOUR DESIGN PRACTICE/BUSINESS? ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC THAT GRAPHIC DESIGN IN GENERAL WILL CONTINUE TO BE RECOGNIZED AS BRINGING VALUE TO THE TABLE IN COMMERCE AND CULTURE?
Graphic design becomes more and more important year over year, as visual communication has widened from print to digital and now into the world of AI. Graphic design helps to sort visual information; it allows people to access information and organize thoughts. As we are bombarded by information, the job of a graphic designer becomes even more important. Design is what will cut through the clutter to communicate what matters.
The challenge of the industry is to find the avenues where design is needed and valued as well as to develop new areas of expertise as information delivery evolves. Maintaining design standards that yield results is critical for clients to value the importance of graphic design.
DO YOU THINK GRAPHIC DESIGNERS HAVE A SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO USE THEIR TALENTS TO MAKE A SOCIAL IMPACT? WHY OR WHY NOT?
Designers have the unique opportunity and tools to give voice to organizations that are doing good. At PBD, we are energized by the idea of helping to communicate a story, increase awareness, and support the communication needs of local non-profits who are enriching the community.
PBD has a 20+ year relationship with Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program. BHCHP is a national example for delivering quality healthcare to the homeless. Graphic design isn’t an industry that touches people directly, therefore we have found it important to find purpose by making a mark in our community through in-kind donation. These relationships have proven to be deeply personal and rewarding.
