818 - a tiny design empire

Happy birthday to our very own Bree Glenn! ❤️ 🎉

Our brand-new Studio Director, trusted teammate, and dear friend. Bree is someone who makes everyone around her feel seen, celebrated, and supported. She is often the first to cheer on others, and that is exactly why she deserves to be fully celebrated today!

We are incredibly fortunate to have Bree on our team. Her knowledge, creativity, leadership, and wisdom help shape our studio every day, and beyond that, she is simply a wonderful person to know and work alongside.

Happy birthday, Bree! We are grateful for all that you do and all that you are.

A few weeks ago, 818 had the opportunity to work on a very exciting project for the 2026 National High School Mock Trial Championship , which was hosted in Des Moines this year. We had the honor of designing custom awards and trophies that were presented to the students, teams, and schools throughout the championship. ⚖️🏆

This year’s mock trial case centered around one of Downtown DSM’s most recognizable visual landmarks—the iconic Traveler’s Umbrella and the Crusoe Umbrella of Crowles Commons. More than 600 students from 48 different states, territories, and nations stepped into a legal fiction case involving the death of a student who fell from the Travelers sign during a scavenger hunt.

A special thank you to our client, The Iowa State Bar Association, for trusting us with this project and for the incredible work they did in hosting this competition, as well as providing fantastic photos from the event. We also want to thank Trophies Plus for their collaboration throughout the project, contributing design concepts, and sharing their fabrication expertise.

Congratulations to all of this year’s participants! Thank you for letting us play a small part in such an impactful event.

Big moves at the tiny design empire! Bree Glenn is officially our Studio Director.
If you’ve worked with us, you’ve probably worked with Bree. She’s been a huge part of 818 for 7.5 years, first starting as an intern and growing into the leader who now helps shape how our entire studio runs.

Smart, thoughtful, witty, always down for a challenge (and a little fun), and the definition of SHOW UP. Also, now officially PMP®-certified… because of course she is. 😊

She’ll be leading our team, our process, and how we bring work to life moving forward.

We’re proud. We’re excited. And we’re very lucky. Help us celebrate her!

8 years of Megan Pralle at 818! How is that even possible!? 🙌 💐

In some ways, it feels like no time has passed at all, and in others, we can’t imagine what the last eight years would have looked like without her humor, expertise, and kindness that she brings into our office. If you ever have a design question, need a second option, or are looking for someone who can somehow juggle countless projects while making it all look effortless, Megan is your girl. Her knowledge, creativity, and ability to build strong client relationships are just a few of the many reasons why she is such an important part of our team.

She is an incredible dog mom, wife, friend, coworker, and all-around wonderful human. Megan, thank you for eight amazing years! We love you a whole lot. ❤️

Recently, our 818 team had the opportunity to partner with the Iowa Architectural Foundation on a refreshed website project, and we are excited to finally share the finished result!

The goal was to create a fresh, modern look while improving the overall user experience from top to bottom. Together, we focused on building a site that feels clean, easy to navigate, and visually driven—showcasing the incredible architectural imagery throughout the site.

A few key priorities throughout the redesign included:
▪️Creating an easy backend experience for ongoing updates
▪️Streamlining online event, tour, and ticket registration
▪️Highlighting programs in a clear and engaging way
▪️Designing a user-friendly experience for both visitors and administrators alike

This project was rewarding for our team, as so much of the work we do naturally aligns with the architecture and built-environment community.

Be sure to check out the newly launched website! ⬇️
iowaarchfoundation.org

One whole year of Lorelai O'Hara at 818 already?! Somehow that feels impossible, because it honestly feels like she has been part of our team forever. 😅🎊

From day one, Lorelai has fit seamlessly into our 818 crew. Over the past year, she has continued to impress alll of us with her design strengths and skills, as well as her willingness to jump headfirst into literally ANY project we have on the table. As one of our Experiential Designers, she brings so much thoughtfulness and knowledge to the team. So many of us look up to her for her talent and perspective in the design world.

She also brings so much fun and personality into the studio every day—and her iconic thrifted outfits are always a huge highlight. Our client love working with her, and so do we.

Lorelai, we are SO happy to have you on the 818 team, and we cannot wait to continue watching you grow. The sky is the limit for you and all the incredible potential you have ahead. Happy anniversary! 👏😎

Hard to believe, but Victoria Vaudt, one of our talented experiential designers, has officially been part of the 818 team for 2 years!

Tori is someone we can always count on. From putting in the hard work and long hours to meet deadlines, to doing it all with a positive attitude and a smile, she brings so much to our team every single day. Our clients adore her (and we definitely do too!)

She’s full of great ideas, brings a fun energy to the office, and continues to impress us with her creativity and integrity.

Thank you, Tori, for everything you do! You are a wonderful teammate and friend. We are so proud of you and grateful to have as part of 818. 👏💯

This past Friday, a few of our 818 team members had the opportunity to attend the 68th Annual Art Directors Association of Iowa award show and exhibition—and what a night it was! 🏆⭐👏

We are excited to share that several of our projects were recognized with Awards of Excellence, along with Old Tavern Beer taking home a Judge’s Choice Award. We are incredibly grateful to ADAI for the recognition, and even more thankful to our clients and partners who trust us to create alongside them. This work wouldn’t be possible without that collaboration.

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!
👉 Take a look below to see the full list of our winning work.