Modo Design Group is a creative firm

designing dynamic, people-focused web experiences

We design and program web sites and applications. We are experts in designing and developing user-experience, concise navigation structures for large content sites, ‘productizing’ sites as applications, and custom content management systems.

Congratulations New Ventures!

New Ventures

The folks at Modo are pleased to have designed and developed the New Ventures website and to have designed their new brand identity as well. New Ventures, a division of the World Resources Institute, accelerates small business growth throughout the world, to promote environmental sustainability and create jobs. Take a look at their site to learn more about what New Ventures does and to see the companies throughout the world that are in their portfolio. We're so glad to be a small part of advancing their mission!

Modo Tweets...

Take a sneak peek at the Modo diggs!

We’re located in downtown Lancaster, PA in the former M. Micahelis & Co. tobacco factory warehouse. It’s a beautifully renovated, repurposed space that is a terrific collaborative work space. We enjoy 2000 airy square feet, lots of natural light, and hardwood floors. We’ve furnished the studio with 80% recycled content carpet from Flor, GreenGuard certified window treatments, and Humanscale seating. After all, we’re design-thinkers with a belief in The Modo Design Group office responsible ecology, minimalism, and functionality. So, our office reflects just that. Please, stop by when in town...

We're thrilled! Modo is a 2009 Pixel Awards nominee.

There's been a good bit of respect shown for "15 Years. 15 Stories.", the annual report site we designed and developed for the U.S. Green Building Council's 15th Anniversary. Modo has now been nominated for a Pixel Award for the site, following our Webby Award nomination for the same site. We're one of five firms recognized for our work in the "green" category and are joined by the likes of big brands Sigg and Nestle. Cool!

Pixel Nominee

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About

we are creative thinkers ...

strategists.

designers.

developers.

innovators.

Design. It’s central to what we do.

At Modo, design is equally visual and functional. A site with a great design structure not only catches your eye, but it intuitively connects you with the content you’re seeking. That’s how we create engaged, repeat users.

We believe in doing great work with great people.

We value relationships and people (clients and staff alike) above all else. And, we want to provide people with the best web product and experience.

We are well experienced in working with mission-driven organizations.

Modo’s team understands mission-driven organizations. We enjoy making an impact each day by helping advance the missions of these great organizations. Our clients include membership associations, international development organizations, educational institutions, entrepreneurs and others. And, they’re each unique and deserve a uniquely creative and highly functional product.

Work

 

Tripletz

Tripletz is here to make mail fun again! The folks at Modo concepted and designed the user interface for this super fun e-commerce site. Tripletz gives you the chance to create or choose a series of three post cards which arrive by mail over three days...to spell out a message for your someone special.

Tripletz Website

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U.S. Green Building Council

The US Green Building Council (USGBC) is a dynamic, national membership association which is transforming the way buildings and communities are designed, built and operated in the United States and beyond. Modo designed USGBC’s main site, which is home to over 10,000 pages and a large and active user group. We’ve also enjoyed designing and developing numerous other USGBC content-specific sites over the years.

USGBC Website

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NextBillion

Blog to change the world. Blog to share research, best practices, the latest thinking and to connect. Modo appreciates the terrific work of the Acumen Fund and the World Resources Institute (WRI) which have partnered to create this dynamic site to convene thinkers and advance international development through business enterprise. Modo designed and developed the entire site, from identity to user interface to the programming of a fully custom content management system.

NextBillion website

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LEEDuser

LEEDuser, created by the experts at BuildingGreen, helps green building professionals maximize the way they work. Modo concepted and designed the user interface for this dynamic, detailed content application. The site includes documentation, guidance, templates, and best practices for implementing LEED (including all rating system versions) and does so in a way that is user-intuitive.

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Team

We are a collaborative team of designers and developers. We work hard and expect a lot from ourselves. At the same time we value humor, well-deserved ping pong breaks to rest our screen-weary eyes, and sustainable practices in how we operate the company and in how we get to work. Our home base is a renovated tobacco warehouse.

Hey, are you talented? Do you know for a fact that Modo sounds like a terrific fit for you? Email us to tell us why...and don’t be afraid to impress us with work samples and your command of design and/or web standards! jobs@mododesigngroup.com

Kristine Newswanger Managing Principal

kristine

Kristine is an accomplished communications strategist. As co-founder and managing principal, Kristine develops a whole host of communication strategies for Modo’s clients. She also leads Modo’s own business development, client relations, and operations. She has more than twelve years of experience working in government and community relations for national and state membership associations, including the National Governors’ Association. With a master’s degree in nonprofit management, policy, and planning, Kristine’s expertise in organizational and human behavior lends depth to Modo’s design-thinking approach of creating user-focused products.

Phil Newswanger Principal, Creative Director

phil

Phil is a highly-regarded and recognized designer with a strong sense of form, function and usability. As a graduate of the nationally-acclaimed Maryland Institute, College of Art, Phil’s innovative design work has been featured in Wired and Greensource Magazines and at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in Manhattan. Phil previously founded and managed Newswanger Design for twelve years before co-founding Modo Design Group. In leading Modo’s creative services, Phil skillfully integrates his expertise into all Modo client work with a dedication to providing sound consultation and the best possible product. His vision continues to result in many long-term clients.

Michelle King Designer

michelle

Michelle has a keen eye and designs for the web and for print. She is an experienced designer and holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts, in Graphic Design, from Kutztown University. Her versatile talents are put to good use on the Modo team, lending a strong visual design to all that we do.

Travis Lehman Designer

travis

Travis is a web designer with terrific front-end programming skills. He is a graduate of the Art Institute of Pennsylvania - York with a digital arts degree. Prior to coming to Modo, his experience included designing sites for numerous companies and organizations in our local area.

Mike Ridgway Developer

mike

As a valued part of our web development team, Mike is a critical thinker with keen web development skills. He holds a bachelor’s in Computer Science from Millersville University and is experienced in solving numerous programming challenges. In addition to web development, Mike is skilled in game development. He’s another terrific addition to the Modo team.

Josh Lasdin Designer

josh

Josh is a talented web designer that is always engaged in continuous learning of web standards and best practices. He excels in creative brainstorming and in bringing added ease of use to sites through great user experience design. He is a graduate of the Art Institute of Pennsylvania with a degree in digital arts.

Manifesto

Random Facts You Don’t Know About Modo

  1. We brew suntea on the roof of our building.
  2. We’ve been recognized by the Webby’s twice in the last two years.
  3. We use honest-to-goodness real dishes, silverware and towels to limit waste.
  4. Some of us are good at ping pong. Some of us don’t want to talk about it.
  5. We eat out together as a team once a week (a.k.a. Fancy Lunch Friday)
  6. We relish small city living and collaborating with our big city clients.
  7. John Maeda’s ‘Laws of Simplicity’ sits proudly displayed in our library.
  8. We like biking to work, preferably in good weather.
  9. Modo's staff lounge is equipped with faux grass carpet, faux Adirondack chairs, and a real garage door.
  10. We’re on a covert mission. There’s no sign outside our place.

Great design has the power to transform culture!

As a collaborative team of skilled designers and programmers, we know that design transforms culture, organizations, and people. It creates the foundation for our work, which is manifest in dynamically visual and highly functional web experiences that connect people with content and with one another.

Design is Visual

Good design is immediately seen...it’s the visual aesthetic that grabs your eye and connects with your heart.

Design is Function

But great design goes deeper...to fulfill a common function or need and does it with an intuitive, almost imperceptible ease.

Design Unifies

Great design unifies the visual and the functional. It gives users exactly what they want, when they want it....even if they are not fully able to articulate it. Great design is anticipatory. It is intuitive. It is beautiful. And, it helps real people live their lives.

That’s what we do here at Modo.   And, that’s what we will always do at Modo!

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