leopold

who is leopold?

good question. we're a small team of web designers, graphic designers, architects and thinkers. we're looking to make the internet a better looking place.

as a whole, we spend a lot of time looking for ways to fix problems and make websites function better. we work freelance, so we only take projects that we find interesting; projects that we can learn from.

that being said, we're interested in all types of design, including architecture, web design, graphics, editing, softball, crocheting, etc. we hold positions at big and small architecture firms and teach at major institutions. we're multi-taskers.

who do we work with?

well, anyone with an idea. we're ready to work with you if you whether you have an inkling of an idea and need help putting the digital pen to digital paper, full website that just needs renovation or even if you've started your own website and need help getting it finished.

have a look around and feel free to email us ( lee.opold-at-gmail-dot-com ) with questions or ideas...

what is leopold?

we help artists, companies and friends create something special. we want to make their place on the internet clear, effective and looking damn fine.

sometimes this means something wacky, but usually it's simplicity that wins out. we usually start by organizing the needs and requirements of our client, mix intuition with experience, and match our aesthetics to the project. the idea is to find a unique solution for each client.

what do we need to get started?

our process is simple. we'll meet with you to discuss the project and once we've all agreed upon a direction, we'll get to work. all we need from you is an idea....and maybe some image files if you've got them. we are more than happy to build any part of the project, from icons and fonts to the website's overall layout. don't get us wrong, though, we'd love your input. afterall, this will be your website.

below are links to our work. each of the larger images are linked to the full websites.

our plan to put together a website for reflections massage was tied to how a massage makes us feel: relaxed.

we decided to build a website that would be easy on the eyes and showcase some of the natural beauty of the mountains surrounding boulder, co, where they're located. we also thought it would be generous to provide the user with resources and information about the massages that may help them feel better.

peter and jessica matushek are following their passion by starting their own photography studio.

to show their work, our plan was to present a slideshow of their photoshoots and keep the design as playful as possible. they're both easy going, adorable people and they wanted the website to reflect that.

recently, they've done so well that we've already made a major upgrade the pages.

we're working with this client to develop the backbone of website. we'll design the interface and functionality, but once the design is solidified, we're going to hand over the keys to our client. they want to be so closely tied to the website that we're going to teach them how to modify it.

gotta love it!

a good friend came to us with a serious need to upgrade her website. her chicago based, bath and beauty products company had quickly outgrown the 'free template' site she was using.

well, how happy were we! we spent a the next few months re-imagining her website. she loves the old school, pin-up girl aesthetic and we're pretty pleased with our result.

we got an email one day, it was titled, 'i need to hire you!' how nice, we thought.
turned out our friend had just gotten engaged. she was unimpressed with the automatic websites she had seen and wanted a website tailored closer to her aesthetics.

so, after meeting with the couple, we put together a simple interface that her guests could visit to have their wedding questions answered.

reconceptualizing their entire layout of work, we worked with UrbanLab to redesign their website from something small and limiting to a much more user-friendly interface. at the same time, it was doubly important to be able to show the wide range of projects graphically.

our solution was to combine graphics and colors to highlight project types and create an interactive layout.

running an enterainment business is no easy task. without a website, it's almost impossible.

to promote himself digitally, we're helping an accomplished music producer and recording engineer to begin to show his best work. he's been working in chicago for the past ten years or so.

check out his work. chances are, you've probably heard some of it before.

archeworks, a small, non-profit design school in chicago, desired to put together a small set of pages to promote their tri-annual publication, 'WORKS'.

we engineered a simple solution that's meant to feel more like a brochure than a website.

designing a website is really easy when the designer and client are on the same page. for a kennel in glenview, we devised a simple layout for their customers to find all the information they need.

dogs are cute right? we think the website is pretty cute too.

a multi-discipline artist based in savannah and atlanta, georgia got in touch with us. he needed somewhere to show his work.

he's dark and creepy. so is his artwork. we thought displaying his work should be too.

a quick and clean website was necessary to introduce an environmentally friendly, core and shell renovation of an exsting warehouse at the western edge of the bridgeport neighborhood in chicago.

our client needed something quick, clean and easy to begin marketing his artist work spaces and show off the environmentally friendly, 'clean' design.

before building websites on a semi-regular basis, we taught class at the Illinois Institute of Technology. actually, we still teach there.

we put together a simple set of pages for our students to find out what assignment was due and download our tutorials and guides. it hasn't been updated in a while, though, since we, at IIT, have changed our curriculum slightly. we now have a centralized website located elsewhere for the classes.

early on, we put together a website for a friend of ours. she had been painting for a while and wanted to show it digitally.

she really likes circles.

where is leopold?

leopold is based in chicago, where we hold a small office.

well, ok, that's not really true. we work wherever we can take our laptops and connect to the internet. that being said, because the interweb has made it so easy to work from anywhere, we have contacts, cohorts and collaborators all over the world.

why leopold?

because we want to help make your web presence better. we specialize in problem solving and solutions.

you've got an idea, a product, a restaurant. we want to help you present that to the public, clearly and effectively. too often we find inaccurate, messy and confusing websites. we want to fix them.

we do this because we can, because we enjoy it. most of us have a degree in architecture, but we got started building websites because it's fun to design things and see the result quickly. buildings and houses take a while to be finished. we can build a new website from the ground up in a matter of days or weeks instead of months and years. verrry satisfying.

it's also much easier to modify a website than a house. cheaper too.

when?

we work whenever we can. we don't hold specific office hours or work a regular work day. we do this because we enjoy it.

our process is simple. we'll meet with our client to discuss the idea and requirements of the website. once we've reached an understanding, we'll go back to our laptop and work on the design. within a few days, we'll upload a working version of the product-to-be at the back end of our website, where no one will be able to find it. once we've run through any revisions, and we're all satisfied, we'll upload the website to the internet and provide our client with all of files.

sometimes, though, edits are necessary right away. let's be honeest, we're not finished until you're satisfied with the way the website works. we'll make sure it's complete before we cash that last check.