CALGARY—Wanting a more direct collaboration with clients and to see their work doing good in the world, two Calgary designers Chris Wharton and Gillian Hickie have launched GOOD Company graphic design agency in Calgary. The company opened for business on Sept. 4, 2012.

The two met while working at another Calgary design studio Western Sky Creative. They are now both work and life partners. "At Western Sky we were mostly doing corporate work for Oil and Gas companies. We were ready for a change," said Wharton, who worked for Western Sky for nine years. A release states that the GOOD Company will "provide graphic design services to businesses and organizations that are doing something that matters." Wharton and Hickie have also committed their company to being socially and environmentally responsible. 

"We want to work with companies that are progressive, innovative and responsible. Small local businesses that suport an urban infrastructure and believe in helping their neighbours," explained Hickie, who had been at Western Sky for just over five years. To that end GOOD Company has set two fee rates: one for for-profit businesses and another discounted for nonprofits. Wharton and HIckie will also do probono work, some of which will be done through GOOD Company's recently launched initiative GrowyourGood. Companies or organizations complete an online application form, highlighting their "good" and how GOOD Company can help. The deadline for applications is Oct. 31, 2012 and GOOD Company will choose one recipient based on its "good' impact to receive up to $1,000 worth of free design work. "We hope to run this initiative on an annual basis," said Hickie.

GOOD Company does not have a set of ethical criteria to decide what clients to take on. "We thought about writing such a criteria, but decided it was too hard a task. Instead, I think, we'll access the fit as we get to know clients," said Wharton. Preliminary meetings, he said, will not only be about potential clients interviewing GOOD Company, but GOOD Company interviewing clients.

The fact that small, local businesses and nonprofits tend not to have large budgets for design, does not phase Wharton and Hickie. "Yes, that's true," conceded Wharton. "But I think more and more for-profit businesses are trying to conduct themselves responsibly. We want to work with those businesses."

Currently, GOOD Company is run out of the couple's home and they are the only two employees. And though they have an existing small network of probono and paying clients in the lcoal grassroots arts scene, "we're basically starting fresh," said Wharton. Marketing plans revolve around the company's new website and a lot of social networking. Services offered include logo and identity branding, environmental, print, website and mobile design.