Be Kind DesignBozeman, Montana
A mission-focused design studio for organizations that do good.
Be Kind.
Design for the people doing the good work.
We help organizations — and the people they serve —
Be
Big-budget design, nonprofit-budget pricing. We believe the groups doing the hardest, most necessary work deserve brands as strong as their convictions. Be Kind exists to give nonprofits, community groups and small mission-driven teams the kind of design that usually only big budgets can buy.
- 01
Mission first
The work serves the cause, not our portfolio.
- 02
Built to be run by you
If it needs us to update it, we built it wrong.
- 03
Fast is kind
Speed and accessibility are not features. They're respect for the person on the other end.
- 04
Priced for good
Sliding-scale rates for organizations under $500K in annual budget.
The company we've kept — 13 organizations, from a ghost town to Team USA
Montana State UniversityMuseum of the RockiesVisit BozemanWarriors & Quiet WatersBillings ClinicTeam USAUSA Bobsled & SkeletonPGA of AmericaDelaware NorthMontana TechBannackNational Park ServiceYellowstone International Air ShowYour name here?Start a conversation →
Selected work
6 categories, 6 projects, one colour each. Every band slides — every piece opens the story behind it.
01 Branding · Food security
A food bank that looks like a neighbor, not a warehouse
Full rebrand and website for a regional food bank serving four counties.
+61%Online giving
View project →
Gallatin Food CollectiveA food bank that looks like a neighbor, not a warehouse
Gallatin Food CollectiveA food bank that looks like a neighbor, not a warehouse
Gallatin Food CollectiveA food bank that looks like a neighbor, not a warehouse
Gallatin Food CollectiveA food bank that looks like a neighbor, not a warehouseThe full Gallatin Food Collective storyBranding · case study →02 Publication · Education
An annual report that reads like a picture book
Impact report and fundraising campaign for an adult and early-childhood literacy nonprofit.
2.3×Year-end appeal
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Prairie Light LiteracyAn annual report that reads like a picture book
Prairie Light LiteracyAn annual report that reads like a picture book
Prairie Light LiteracyAn annual report that reads like a picture book
Prairie Light LiteracyAn annual report that reads like a picture bookThe full Prairie Light Literacy storyPublication · case study →03 Events · Arts
Season branding for kids who play Mahler
Ongoing design partnership: season identity, posters, programs and social.
+25%Attendance
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Yellowstone Youth OrchestraSeason branding for kids who play Mahler
Yellowstone Youth OrchestraSeason branding for kids who play Mahler
Yellowstone Youth OrchestraSeason branding for kids who play Mahler
Yellowstone Youth OrchestraSeason branding for kids who play MahlerThe full Yellowstone Youth Orchestra storyEvents · case study →04 Print · Conservation
A trail map you can read with cold hands
Wayfinding system, print maps, and a members site for a volunteer trail-building group.
+40%Membership
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High Line Trails AllianceA trail map you can read with cold hands
High Line Trails AllianceA trail map you can read with cold hands
High Line Trails AllianceA trail map you can read with cold hands
High Line Trails AllianceA trail map you can read with cold handsThe full High Line Trails Alliance storyPrint · case study →05 Digital · Healthcare
A clinic website built for the waiting room
Accessible, bilingual website and signage for a rural community health center.
4% → 38%Online booking
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North Fork Community HealthA clinic website built for the waiting room
North Fork Community HealthA clinic website built for the waiting room
North Fork Community HealthA clinic website built for the waiting room
North Fork Community HealthA clinic website built for the waiting roomThe full North Fork Community Health storyDigital · case study →06 Merchandise · Community
A merch line that funds the free repair nights
Tees, totes, patches and a sticker sheet for a volunteer-run community bike shop.
~50%Rent covered by merch
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Bridger Bike KitchenA merch line that funds the free repair nights
Bridger Bike KitchenA merch line that funds the free repair nights
Bridger Bike KitchenA merch line that funds the free repair nights
Bridger Bike KitchenA merch line that funds the free repair nightsThe full Bridger Bike Kitchen storyMerchandise · case study →One designer, and two people on call. The designer believes a logo is the least interesting part of a brand. The builder believes a site nobody can load isn't a site. The writer believes it should all read like a person wrote it. Together, that's the studio.
+61%Lift in online giving
<1sLoad time on a bad connection
6Organizations launched this year
100%Sites your own team can edit
What we do
Fixed scope, quoted up front — no hourly surprises. Four ways in, priced for the budgets nonprofits actually have.
- 01from $2,400
Brand Identity
A name people remember and a mark they trust.
Logo, color, typography and the rules for using them — built so a volunteer with Canva can stay on-brand without calling us. We start with your mission and the people you serve, not with mood boards.
- Logo system & wordmark
- Color & type palette
- One-page brand guide
- Social & print templates
- 02from $4,800
Websites
Fast, accessible sites your team can actually update.
We build sites that load on a bad connection, read well on a phone, and pass an accessibility audit. Content lives in a simple editor; no developer needed for the Tuesday newsletter.
- Design & build
- Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA)
- Donation & event integrations
- Editor training
- 03from $900
Campaigns & Print
Annual reports, fundraising appeals, event collateral.
The pieces that carry your story into mailboxes, galas and grant applications. Designed to be read, not just admired — and to print cleanly at the local shop.
- Annual & impact reports
- Appeal letters & mailers
- Event branding & signage
- Presentation decks
- 04from $650 / month
Design Partner
A designer on call, for a flat monthly rate.
For organizations that need a steady hand more than a big launch. A set number of hours each month for whatever comes up — social graphics, a flyer, a board deck, a landing page.
- Monthly hours bank
- 48-hour turnaround
- Quarterly brand check-in
- Priority scheduling
How it goes
Four steps and one signed brief, however big the project. Pick what you're planning to see where the weeks go.
six to seven weeks
1
Listen
A conversation with the people who run the organization and, where we can, the people it serves. We want to know what you're proud of and what you're tired of explaining.
1 weekWho you are, who you serve, what you're tired of explaining.
2
Frame
A one-page brief that says what the work needs to do, who it's for, and how we'll know it worked. You sign it. It keeps everyone honest, including us.
1 weekA brief that names the audiences and the one thing the brand must say.
3
Make
Two directions, not ten. Real content, not lorem ipsum. You see work early and often, and you see it in context — on a phone, on a flyer, on a sign.
3–4 weeksTwo directions, then one, then the whole system: mark, colour, type, templates.
4
Hand off
Files, templates, a guide, and a training session recorded for whoever joins your team next year. We build things you can run without us.
1 weekFiles in every format, a one-page guide, and a recorded walkthrough.
Who we are
Bozeman, Montana. One designer, two partners on call, and an interim name we're rather fond of.
Founder & Creative Director
Brand, identity, print, illustrationA graphic designer who has spent her career helping small organizations look like the serious, capable groups they already are. Leads every project personally, from the first conversation to the last file. Believes a good logo is the least interesting part of a good brand.
Common questions
Do you only work with nonprofits?
Mostly. We also work with B-corps, co-ops, public agencies and small businesses whose work we'd be proud to put our name next to.
We have almost no budget. Can we still talk?
Yes. We reserve a few slots a year for pro-bono and sliding-scale work, and we're happy to point you toward the best cheap-or-free tools if we're not the right fit.
Can we update the site ourselves?
That's the whole point. Every site ships with a plain-language editor and a recorded training session.
How long does a project take?
A brand identity is usually 6–8 weeks. A website is 8–12. A report or campaign can be as fast as two.
Strategic partners
Web & Product
Websites, systems, the technical sideCopy & Voice
Words, messaging, the way it readsThe door
Tell us what you're working on.
A few sentences is plenty. We read everything and reply within two business days.
we reply within two business days, usually sooner