ImasD is a design and strategy studio based in Medellin, Colombia, which is recognized for its work with brands that adapt to change. Today we continue with the sixth part in our collaboration with this design studio, written by strategic director at ImasD, Juana Mesa. Juana is a professional designer with a master's degree in branding, who started her career at creative agencies and later worked as a consultant tackling large-scale projects for Latin American multinational companies.

In recent years, Juana has worked on several mass consumption projects with big-name clients such as Grupo Gloria in Peru, Nutresa, Postobón, Team Foods, Familia, Bavaria, Frisby, Sanofi, among others, and has traveled throughout Latin America giving talks, workshops and conducting coolhunting research for her clients. You’ll find that Juana has plenty of insight when it comes promoting a positive work environment, so keep reading for her take on it. grupoimasd.com

How has a design studio in Medellín managed to impact big brands and the lives of the people behind them? What makes us different?

Our traditional educational process teaches us what the working world, the corporate world of protocols and rules is like. We are taught the “should bes” of each type of company and space that people inhabit.

In ImasD we have set out to do things differently.

Games are one of our secret weapons

In a game anything is possible, there is no fear of failure and even making mistakes is fun. The benefits of playing are immense, as it allows us to align ourselves emotionally, leave behind our insecurities , "break the ice" with strangers and diminish tensions. Laughing out loud as a team connects us in the most intimate way and is the best warm-up for any creative challenge and for building a healthy work environment.

honesty is the best policy

We are aware that each one of us is a universe, full of lessons and constant growth, which makes the simple act of working together a challenge. We consider it a fundamental tool in our growth as a team to receive and provide timely, direct, objective and constructive feedback.

We promote failure

Unfortunately, failure is looked down upon in our culture, but we believe failure can teach us more than success and making mistakes is deeply enriching. At ImasD, we are motivated to try things that we have never done and that take us out of our comfort zone. We enjoy exposing ourselves to making mistakes, exploring new frontiers, and finding different ways of doing things “the wrong way.”

we treat Every project as our “baby”

It grants us deep happiness every time we undertake a new project because it challenges us, teaches us and allows us to surpass our own expectations. We take care of our ‘baby’ each moment and follow up once it reaches fruition. We take pride in its achievements and seek to learn from its failures.

We take people very seriously

Behind each brand is a team of people: professionals, friends, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. We try to support them in every aspect of their lives, transcending the professional. In this way we connect with the core of the person, managing to build solid relationships. We also recognize ourselves as individuals with different realities that live each day with a sense of teamwork and companionship.

We constantly promote learning

It is common to see books, cards, and games of all kinds at ImasD. Each team member can make their literary "wish list" and in a short time see those books ready to be devoured. We also like to take courses, and we receive classes on everything from improv, mindfulness, to artistic techniques, and history, among others.

Every year we travel to a surprise Location

To celebrate everyone’s hard work we prefer travel to a big party. Each year we travel and explore a new place in Colombia, this is how we have visited hidden islands, freed turtles, collected coffee and climbed mountains.

We are passionate about collaborating and sharing

We are fortunate to attract colleagues from different fields, and we find our way to each other thanks to what you might call a "shared purpose." We seek to build a strong design guild, a culture that values ​​our work and we do it through initiatives that invite reflection and dialogue.

From this spirit of collaboration and sharing, different initiatives are born such, as the ‘Bar de Conocimiento’ (Knowledge Bar), a space where we invite people we admire to talk about different topics, or ‘Un Café con ImasD’ (A Coffee with ImasD), an initiative that allows us to hear stories from entrepreneurs and help guide them.

Thanks to this spirit of collaboration, our most recent book, The Coolbook 2, was born: a tool for creativity that navigates 7 major themes: awareness, collaboration, sustainability, transparency, origin, technology, and culture. The book promotes brands around the world that apply to these topics and are taking action towards the construction of a better world, a world that inspires us to generate great ideas for the welfare of all.

To conclude, we’d like to share our powerful signature phrase: “What if we change our 'why?' for a 'why not?' Let's break down barriers and work together as a team.”