The Idea Builds the Team
Better design makes for a better world. Every step should be a beautiful step that illuminates. We start with a big idea and build a team of the least amount of the best people around it. We are personally committed to all that we do and are directly accessible. It seems cleaner this way.
Eric Rindal / CCO
As Chief Creative Officer, Eric's philosophy is what drives the work here; a belief there is logic to beauty and a method to communication. In fact, it's a philosophy that has shaped Eric's reputation for combining fresh, powerful messaging, with great design and big picture thinking, bringing exceptional results for some of the world's most recognized brands: Levi's, The Waldorf-Astoria, Diet Coke, Recology, Coors, MTV, Michael Jordan, Morgan Stanley and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Honing his design skills on movie posters, games and packaging early in his career, Eric went on to become both Design Director and VP, Creative Director at Foote, Cone and Belding in San Francisco, guiding all aspects of design for Levi Strauss, Fox Sports, Sega Games, Hilton Hotels, as well as the relaunch of the de Young museum.
His work has been honored both nationally and internationally by the British D&AD, One Show, Marget Larsen Award for Design, SEGD, Type Directors Club, ADDY's and the Effie's for marketing effectiveness. Additionally, his work has been featured in Communication Arts magazine, ID, Print, Graphis, AIGA and in the NY Times.
Eric did his formal training in design at Pasadena's Art Center College of Design and is a graduate of The University of California Santa Barbara majoring in Environmental Studies.
Wan-Ting Lin / Graphic Designer
Wan-Ting’s design practice explores without rules, without boundaries, and without fear. Drawing on references from a diverse range of cultural, historical, aesthetic, and technological sources, she enjoys solving transformational challenges at the intersection of the physical and the digital. She likes testing the limits of imagination and feeding our curiosity for the world around us.
Wan-Ting began her career as a freelance visual designer in Taipei and as a native of Taiwan, she has fluency in both English and Mandarin. Two years later she moved to San Francisco to pursue a Graphic Design MFA degree at the Academy of Art University. After graduation she joined the design studio, Rindal & Co., collaborating with Eric Rindal, Mimi Cook, Dave O’Hare, Jon Ritt and a host of others on work for Michael Jordan, Recology, Brita, Ground Studio, Mighty Leaf Tea and the Lodi Wine Region.
Because of her Fine Art and Graphic Design background Wan Ting’s work is unique, blurring the line between abstract and concrete communications. Her work encompasses brand identities, packaging design, environmental design, signage systems, print, motion, UI and interactive graphics, created in collaborations with universities and professional organizations, museums and galleries, and retail and fashion brands.
Dave O'Hare / Storyteller
Not a lot of advertising people can say their work is included among the New York Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection. Nor can they claim authorship of two Campaign of the Decade acknowledgments by the One Club. In two consecutive decades. Fewer still can count these legends as mentors: Jay Chiat, Lee Clow, Jeff Goodby, Rich Silverstein and Hal Riney. But then, 40 years in the business, as one of its top writers—well, things happen.
And it’s precisely because of four decades of experience that Dave will tell you he’s seen, heard and solved for pretty much every marketing problem/opportunity there is. He’s launched companies, introduced products, created new categories, and repositioned many a struggling brand. More than once.
Curious by nature and relentlessly driven to create, Dave brings a considerable amount of insight, maturity and talent to the table.
Suzanne Finnamore / Writer
Suzanne Finnamore is a writer who loves what she does, be it being published by the New York Times, Knopf or creating copy for hang tags. Her advertising copy has peppered the pages of Adweek, Creative and Advertising Age. She works on anything you can imagine and some things you cannot imagine. Known for expertise in speaking not just to women but also to men, tweens, millennials, children and dogs, Time magazine named her Levi’s 501 “Prague” TV spot one of the Top Ten Commercials of the year.
As a staff copywriter for over fifteen years at San Francisco’s premier creative agencies, Suzanne has produced effective, brand-building Interactive work yes, but also traditional Print and Broadcast campaigns for Levi’s, Dockers, Kashi, Bank of America, The Hilton Family of Hotels, PBS, The Oakland Zoo, Perricone Cosmetics, The Ford Motor Company and the de Young museum.
A frequent journalist, Suzanne has been an Oprah Book Club Pick, a monthly columnist for Child Magazine, and has published three books, the last of which was excerpted in the New York Times. So not only can she create advertising, but she can write, should that be required. She divides her time between San Francisco California and Durham North Carolina.
Clark Morgan / Writer
Clark is a creative director, and writer with more than 20 years’ experience creating breakthrough campaigns for leading global brands. Clark has led creative at top traditional and digital agencies including Ogilvy, Huge, BBDO, AKQA and FCB. His work spans advertising, digital marketing, branding, and strategy. He also has the dirty habit of writing plays.
Deb Ayerst / Content Producer
The key to my way of thinking is that I love what is new and value what came before it. Through technological and aesthetic changes, this business of ours has really kept me on my toes, allowing for a very stimulating career that has fostered my keen interest in many forms of evolving media. It’s allowed me to be a connector, a collaborator, a touchstone, a knight, a questioner, a free thinker, an executive producer, art buyer and a friend, all rolled in to one for both the great talents I represent and the clients I develop a true admiration for.
Mitch Tobias / Photographer
Mitch Tobias is a San Francisco-based advertising and editorial photographer who is not afraid of color. “It’s sunshine and lollipops,” says Mitch of his playful and vibrant look. “Life is beautiful. Remember that feeling you had as a kid- both amped up and relaxed? I want my work to help people experience that freedom. Good photography should actually lower your cholesterol levels.” Mitch’s sense of play showed up in recent work for Logitech, Seattle Genetics, Allstate Insurance, Cisco, McDonald’s / Olympics and Capital One Bank.
Each of Mitch’s images is meticulously stylized- every detail tells part of a bigger story. “I’m looking for authenticity in every moment- from the clothing and setting to the subject’s sense of self.” To make sure each element strikes the right note, Mitch works closely with the client to determine their core intentions. “Talent authenticity is crucial. When the subjects look like they belong in the world you’ve created, it’s magical. If they don’t, well, you might as well plunk those images in some how-to for Photoshop.”
At Art Center College of Design, Mitch studied under Art Kane. The legendary photographer’s philosophy continues to influence Mitch’s performance, inspiring him to strive for a visual statement that will impact the viewer long after the image fades. “It’s more than technical knowledge.