5 Lessons We Learned in 2020

1. Don’t sleep on Michigan

Early in 2020, we were lucky enough to travel to Michigan to complete an in-depth discovery session with a wonderful new client. The trip kicked off the process of building a new website for the Double Up Food Bucks program. Our team travelled to several cities and towns in Michigan to learn about and observe the Double Up Food Bucks program in action. Along the way, we met the inspiring people who design, create and use this innovative program. Starting the project with these in-person interactions and forging relationships with project stakeholders inspired our creative team and made them super passionate about the program. We can’t wait to launch the new site early in the new year!

2. Don’t mess with Carlos and his bocce ball

The week before Toronto imposed stay-at-home rules, the Loop team celebrated a recent project launch with some beers and bocce ball. We’ve looked back on that event as the last time we were able to gather in person, and we’re glad our team had one last hurrah before going remote! If there’s one thing we learned, it’s that when our developer Carlos has a beer in his hand, he’s the most competitive and focused bocce player we know!

3. When in doubt, hire a new developer

Loop has been incredibly lucky to continue growing our team throughout 2020. As we’ve formed new client relationships and taken on several large website design projects, we welcomed two new full-time web developers to our team. This year, we launched 19 websites for nonprofits and social impact organizations like Double Up Food Bucks, Cuso International, KidSport, and the North York Women’s Shelter.

4. Creative collaboration can happen on Zoom, but it takes some re-working

When our team transitioned to full-time remote work in March, one thing we were worried about was how to manage our branding process when we couldn’t get together with our clients. The branding process for our non-profit clients is very collaborative, and typically relies on creative in-person workshops and sessions as we dive into the brand needs and goals of a social impact organization. In 2020, our team had to pivot to conduct these sessions virtually, and we’ve discovered a series of incredible tools and resources to help our clients collaborate virtually.  This year, Loop launched 6 incredible new brands, and we couldn’t be happier with how they turned out!

5. Our clients are the best

P.S. We really miss our studio!

At the end of the day, 2020 was bearable because of our amazing clients. The teams we work with come from a broad range of sectors and industries – from international development to health services to environmental conservation – but they have all had their missions and services altered by Covid. Through all the change and upheaval, our clients have shown incredible innovation, creativity and resilience as they strive to serve their communities in a constantly shifting environment. Seeing the positive impact our clients have on the world makes all the hard work totally worth it.